Telemystery: The Agatha Christie Hour, Matlock, MI-5, and Pie in the Sky, New This Week on DVD

Telemystery, your source for one of the most comprehensive selections of detective, amateur sleuth, private investigator, and suspense television mystery series, mini-series and made-for-television movies, now available on or coming soon to DVD or Blu-ray disc, is profiling four series being released this week.

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In 1982, BBC aired 10 made-for-television adaptations of short stories by Agatha Christie under the banner The Agatha Christie Hour.

What is unique about these adaptations is that they are not of stories featuring her more popular and recognizable characters Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot. Indeed, not all of these stories were even mysteries.

The The Agatha Christie Hour: Set Two DVD set of two discs contain the following five episodes: "Magnolia Blossom", a story of romantic suspense; "The Mystery of the Blue Jar", a classic mystery story; "The Red Signal", a supernatural mystery; "Jane in Search of a Job", a whodunit-style mystery; and "The Manhood of Edward Robinson", a romantic adventure.

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Andy Griffith stars as legendary defense attorney Ben Matlock in Matlock, who, in his sixth season, investigates a murder in his hometown, becomes the target of a serial strangler, and even considers giving up his practice!

With loving support from Ben's friends -- beautiful partner Michelle Thomas (Nancy Stafford), investigator Conrad McMasters (Clarence Gilyard, Jr.), and Assistant D.A. Julie March (Julie Sommars) -- Matlock always comes through and saves the day, with good old country know-how.

The Matlock: Season Six DVD set of 6 discs contain the 19 episodes that aired on NBC from October 1991 through May 1992.

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As Series Eight of MI-5 begins, the fallout from Russia's thwarted attack on London finds the team -- led by Lucas North (played by Richard Armitage) -- races against time to rescue Harry Pearce (Peter Firth) from rogue Russian agents.

But as they dig deeper into his disappearance, they find a trail that leads to Iraq, and a conspiracy that involves the CIA, MI-6 and some missing weapons-grade uranium. Could Harry know where it is? And how is former team member Ruth Evershed (Nicola Walker), returned to the security of MI-5 having fled her new life in Cyprus, connected to it all?

The MI-5 (Spooks): Volume Eight DVD set of 3 discs contain the eight episodes that originally aired from October through December 2009 on BBC.

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Richard Griffiths stars as Detective Inspector Henry Crabbe, who divides his time between catching criminals and cooking delectable delights in Pie in the Sky.

The proprietor of Pie in the Sky, his dream restaurant, Crabbe had hoped to while away his retirement serving up his favorite dishes with his accountant wife, Margaret (Maggie Steed). But his boss, Assistant Chief Constable Freddy Fisher (Malcolm Sinclair), is determined to keep his best detective on the payroll, tackling the cases that only Crabbe's deft touch can solve.

The Pie in the Sky: Series Four DVD set of 2 discs contain the 6 episodes (including the 2-part opener) that originally aired from September through October 1996 on BBC.

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Visit the Telemystery website to discover more television mystery series currently available on and coming soon to DVD and Blu-ray disc.

TNT Considering Options for Extending The Closer

Just a month ago, TNT announced that its popular crime drama The Closer, starring Kyra Sedgwick, would come to an end after its upcoming 7th season.

Now Deadline|Hollywood is reporting that the cable network is seeking ways of extending the series' run.

One way would be to simply add to the order for the 7th season, from its current 15 episodes to 21. Of course it would be preferable if Sedgwick were to agree to the extension, but the producers are apparently willing to write scripts around her character, if necessary.

Another alternative would be to craft a spin-off to the series, something TNT considered back in 2008 with a show called The Fixer. It was probably too early then, but the timing may be right now. The additional six episodes contemplated for this season could potentially serve as a transition into a new series without Sedgwick.

Production for the currently planned 15-episode final season of The Closer begins this spring with new episodes to begin airing this summer.

Mystery Godoku Puzzle for January 24, 2011

A new Mystery Godoku Puzzle has been created by the editors of the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books and is now available on our website.

Godoku is similar to Sudoku, but uses letters instead of numbers. To give you a headstart, we provide you a mystery clue to fill in a complete row or column (if you choose to use it!).

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This week's letters and mystery clue:

A C H L O P S T U

The 4th Moe Prager mystery by Reed Farrel Coleman has this title (9 letters).

We now have two weeks of our puzzles on one page in PDF format for easier printing. Print this week's puzzle here.

Previous puzzles are stored in the Mystery Godoku Archives.

Enjoy the weekly Mystery Godoku Puzzle from the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, and Thanks for visiting our website!

Nominations for 2011 Lefty Awards and more Announced

The nominations for four mystery awards to be given out at this year's Left Coast Crime (aka "The Big Chile") have been announced for books published in 2010.

The awards will be voted on at the convention and presented at a banquet on Saturday, March 26th, 2011, at the historic La Fonda Hotel on the Plaza in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

◊ Lefty Award (for best humorous mystery novel)

Stork Raving Mad by Donna Andrews (Minotaur Books)
Swift Justice by Laura DiSilverio  (Minotaur Books)
Old Dogs by Donna Moore (Busted Flush Press)
Revenge for Old Times' Sake by Kris Neri (Cherokee McGhee)
The Pot Thief Who Studied Einstein by J. Michael Orenduff  (Oak Tree Press)

◊ Bruce Alexander Memorial Historical Mystery Award

A Night of Long Knives by Rebecca Cantrell (Forge Books)
Murder for Greenhorns by Robert Kresge (ABQ Press)
City of Dragons by Kelli Stanley (Minotaur Books)
The Demon's Parchment by Jeri Westerson (Minotaur Books)
The Mapping of Love and Death by Jacqueline Winspear  (HarperCollins)

◊ Hillerman Sky Award (a special award, in honor of the convention’s New Mexico location, to the mystery that best captures the landscape of the Southwest)

Wild Penance by Sandi Ault (Berkley)
The Bone Fire by Christine Barber (Minotaur Books)
The Spider's Web by Margaret Coel (Berkley)
Snare by Deborah J. Ledford (Second Wind Publishing)

◊ Watson Award (a special award for the mystery novel with the best sidekick)

Wild Penance by Sandi Ault (Berkley)
Dead Lift by Rachel Brady (Poisoned Pen Press)
Rolling Thunder by Chris Grabenstein (Pegasus)
Junkyard Dogs by Craig Johnson  (Viking)
To Fetch a Thief by Spencer Quinn  (Atria, March 2003)

 indicates a review from Mysterious Reviews.

Senseless by Mary Burton (Mystery Book Review)

Senseless by Mary Burton. Non-series. Zebra Mass Market Paperback, January 2011.

Complex yet realistically drawn lead characters and a fast-paced, often relentless plot propel the reader through this strongly developed suspense novel. A diverse supporting cast adds interest to the twist-filled story, and helps balance the "senseless" murders under investigation.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Senseless by Mary Burton.

Purchase Options:  |  |  | 

Read the first chapter(s) of Senseless below:

Collect the Clues to an Ancient Mystery in The Secret Legacy: A Kate Brooks Adventure, New from BFG

Games of Mystery is pleased to announce the availability of a new mystery casual game from Big Fish Games released today and available to BFG Club members. You can find out more about these games by visiting our Mystery Games: Big Fish Download Games page or by clicking on the links provided below.

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While cleaning out her deceased grandmother's office, Kate Brooks discovers a letter addressed to her and soon discovers her grandmother had a Secret Legacy. In this hidden object adventure, you must find and collect the clues to the mystery behind her death and seek out a great treasure buried deep in Egypt all the while staying one step ahead of the people who want the treasure for themselves.

The Secret Legacy: A Kate Brooks Adventure may be downloaded and purchased for $6.99 with a Big Fish Game Club membership. A demonstration version (468.57 MB) may be downloaded and played for free for one hour.

Watch a preview video below:

Get any standard game for $6.99 with a Big Fish Game Club membership. Other benefits include the $2.99 Daily Deal, Tomorrow's Game Today, and special member rewards. And if you purchase any 6 games within a single month, you earn a free game with the Big Fish Game Club Monthly Punch Card! (Collector's Editions earn 3 punches each, half-way towards your free game!)

Read Ms. Terri's reviews of the adventure and casual mystery games featured on this site, including Midnight Mysteries: The Edgar Allan Poe Conspiracy, Nancy Drew Dossier: Lights, Camera, Curses!, Enlightenus, and many more!

Big Fish Games: Bestsellers

Big Fish Games: New releases

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Games of Mystery is your source for mystery-themed video, electronic, and board games, parties for kids and adults, and murder mystery weekends and mystery getaway vacations!

And Baby Will Fall, Adapted from Never Tell a Lie by Hallie Ephron, Premieres Sunday January 23rd on Lifetime

Tomorrow, Sunday January 23rd at 8 PM (ET/PT), Lifetime Television premieres And Baby Will Fall, a made-for-television movie adapted from the 2009 thriller Never Tell a Lie by Hallie Ephron.

The story follows happily married high school sweethearts, Ivy (Anastasia Griffith) and David Ross (Brendan Fehr), as they prepare for the birth of their long-awaited first child, after years of trying and several miscarriages. Ivy’s almost to term when the couple holds a yard sale to clear out old belongings and an old high school classmate, Melinda White (Clea Duvall), happens upon them … and, coincidentally enough, she is also pregnant. A few days later, Melinda is reported missing, and all the bloody clues point to David. Could Ivy’s faithful, loving husband have been having an affair with Melinda all along? As the story unfolds, dark secrets in Melinda’s past come to light, and Ivy finds herself living in a nightmare.

Following a short preview for the movie (below), you can read the first chapter(s) of Never Tell a Lie:

Reviews of Mystery and Suspense Books for Kids, New This Week on Book Trends (110122)

Book Trends, a review site for young adult and children books, published several new book reviews this past week. We're presenting here a summary of those in the mystery/suspense/thriller category.

The Rivalry: Mystery at the Army-Navy Game by John Feinstein. The fifth mystery in the Steve and Susan Sports series, recommended for readers aged 10 to 12. Lexile measure: 800L. Reviewed by 6th grade student, who writes, "I absolutely love this story! The Rivalry kept me on my toes and ready to read. I did not want to put the book down. I feared something interesting would happen and I would have to wait. Not only does The Rivalry have suspense, it also has numerous funny parts. If you want an all-in-one book with suspense, action, and humorous writing, there is no better book." (Read the entire review.)

For more reviews of children and young adult books of all genres, visit Book Trends; their reviews will amaze you! You can also follow Book Trends on Twitter.

Fox Orders Pilot for Ethan Hawke-Led Series Exit Strategy

More crime/suspense drama pilot news, this time from Fox.

Last month we mentioned that Ethan Hawke was in talks to join the cast of Exit Strategy, in which a team of CIA operatives are sent to various places around the world to extract embedded agents in danger.

We've now learned (via Deadline|Hollywood) that Fox has ordered a pilot for the series, to be directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, Tears of the Sun, Brooklyn's Finest) and to star Hawke in a Kiefer Sutherland/24-type role. The producers include Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, who are also developing the supernatural suspense drama Locke & Key, also for Fox.

CBS Orders Crime Drama Pilot of Rookies from Robert de Niro and Richard Price

Last October we got the news that Robert De Niro and Richard Price had sold a script to CBS for a crime drama involving rookie cops titled, appropriately, Rookies.

Now we're learning (via Inside TV) that CBS has taken the project a step further, ordering a series pilot.

Robert de Niro is, of course, Robert de Niro and needs no further introduction. Crime novelist Richard Price has had two of his novels, Clockers and Freedomland adapted for film (he also wrote the adaptation for the latter) and written several major motion picture screenplays (including The Color of Money and Ransom). His television screenwriting credits include five episodes of the critically acclaimed series The Wire.

Mr. E. Reviews The Town

The ill-conceived love story with its seemingly never-ending and really rather tedious scenes between Ben Affleck's and Rebecca Hall's characters interferes with the all too infrequent action/suspense sequences, most of which are set up and executed quite well. Despite what may be promised by the premise here, The Town is not a "heist film" by any stretch of the imagination, and your enjoyment -- or lack thereof -- will depend on your expectations of such. Set them low.

Read the full text of our review at Mr. E. Reviews The Town.

Available on: DVD | Blu-ray | VOD

Mr. E. Reviews is your source for mystery, suspense, thriller, and crime drama reviews of television and film.

Mystery Bestsellers for January 21, 2011

A list of the top 15 mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending January 21, 2011 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

Though no newly published titles enter the week this week, two mysteries published the previous week move up into the top 15. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson remains unchallenged at the top.

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Jumping from 17 all the way to number 5 is The Inner Circle by Brad Meltzer.

Beecher White, a young archivist, spends his days working with the most important documents of the U.S. government. He has always been the keeper of other people's stories, never a part of the story himself ...

Until now.

When Clementine Kaye, Beecher's first childhood crush, shows up at the National Archives asking for his help tracking down her long-lost father, Beecher tries to impress her by showing her the secret vault where the President of the United States privately reviews classified documents. After they accidentally happen upon a priceless artifact -- a 200 hundred-year-old dictionary that once belonged to George Washington, hidden underneath a desk chair -- Beecher and Clementine find themselves suddenly entangled in a web of deception, conspiracy, and murder.

Soon a man is dead, and Beecher is on the run as he races to learn the truth behind this mysterious national treasure. His search will lead him to discover a coded and ingenious puzzle that conceals a disturbing secret from the founding of our nation. It is a secret, Beecher soon discovers, that some believe is worth killing for.

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And moving from 23 to 13 is The Border Lords, the fourth mystery to feature LA Sheriff's Deputy Charlie Hood by T. Jefferson Parker.

ATF agent Sean Ozburn is deep undercover supporting the sicarios of the Baja Cartel when he suddenly goes completely dark, his only communications being the haunting digital videos he sends to his desperately worried wife, Seliah.

Charlie Hood must determine if Oz is simply chasing demons deeper undercover than anyone has ever gone, or whether his friend has suffered a permanent break with his mission and his moral compass. 

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The top four mystery bestsellers this week are shown below:

Please visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books where we are committed to providing readers and collectors of mystery books with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

Warner Bros. Considering Remake of Michael Crichton Thriller Westworld

We're usually not fans of most ideas for remakes but this one has us intrigued.

The Hollywood Reporter's Heat Vision blog is reporting that Warner Bros. is dusting off some ideas for films, including an updated version of the 1973 thriller Westworld.

Written and directed by Michael Crichton -- his film debut -- Westworld stars Yul Brynner as an entertainment park android who malfunctions and starts attacking guests (who include co-stars Richard Benjamin and James Brolin). Think Jurassic Park without the dinosaurs.

As the article points out, technology alone is almost reason enough to remake it. Consider what filmmakers can do today that was impossible in the early 1970s.

Watch the trailer for the original film below:

More Casting News for Fourth Season of Damages

Some additional casting news for the next season of Damages.

USA Today is reporting that Dylan Baker has been cast as a shadowy figure with ties to the Middle East. The storyline for the fourth season is known to surround the defense of a military contractor CEO (played by John Goodman) in a wrongful death suit over an incident in a war zone.

Damages stars Glenn Close as high-stakes attorney Patricia Hewes and Rose Byrne as her protégé Ellen Parsons. The new season begins filming in New York next month and is set to premiere this summer exclusively on DirecTV.