First Clues, Mysteries for Kids: New Titles for February 2011

First Clues: Mysteries for Kids is pleased to announce a selection of new mystery, suspense and thriller books (including series books) scheduled for publication during February 2011, listed in approximate order of reading level, from books for younger readers to books for teens.

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The Fenway Foul-Up 
David A. Kelly
Ballpark Mysteries: 1st in series

Thanks to Kate's mom, a sports reporter, cousins Mike Walsh and Kate Hopkins have tickets to the Red Sox game and All Access passes to Fenway Park. But as they're watching batting practice before the game, the lucky bat of Red Sox star slugger Big D is stolen ... right in front of dozens of people. Without the bat, Big D can't seem to hit a thing. Can Kate and Mike figure out who pinched the bat before Big D and the Sox chalk up a loss? Includes a fun fact page about Boston's Fenway Park.

Ballpark Mysteries are recommended for readers aged 7 to 9.

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The Pinstripe Ghost 
David A. Kelly
Ballpark Mysteries: 2nd in series

Mike and Kate are waiting for Kate's mom at a boring press conference in Yankee Stadium when the team official says something that makes Mike perk up his ears. There are rumors that the ghost of Babe Ruth is haunting the new stadium! A chill air blasts down a service hallway before every home game, along with various thumps and bumps. Is the Bambino really searching for his missing locker? Includes a fun fact page about New York's Yankee Stadium.

Ballpark Mysteries are recommended for readers aged 7 to 9.

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Suzy and the Sewing Room Mystery 
Jamie Eppler
A Suzy Mystery: 1st in series

When seven-year-old Suzy gets the unexpected news from Mom and Dad that she will have to spend the summer at her Oma and Opa's house, she dreads the months ahead. But time soon begins to fly by as Suzy discovers many thrilling adventures awaiting her while away from home. Join Suzy in a summer of mystery and fun, as she discovers a lurking secret hiding in Oma's sewing room. Will she be able to muster the courage to get to the bottom of it? Or will whatever is hiding in Oma's sewing room forever stay a mystery?

The Suzy mysteries are recommended for readers aged 7 to 9.

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Sabotage Surrender 
Carolyn Keene
Nancy Drew, Girl Detective

The third title in the Sabotage Mystery trilogy.

No synopsis available.

Nancy Drew, Girl Detective stories are recommended for readers aged 10 and older.

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Pizzicato: The Abduction of the Magic Violin 
Rusalka Reh
Non-series

A light-hearted whodunit featuring a fair-haired orphan named Darius Dorian, who has a sly wit and a curious way of approaching most any predicament. Darius is none too pleased to be paired with Archibald Archinola, a master violinmaker, for a school project, especially when he thinks about his rival—fellow orphan and constant nemesis Max—being surrounded by Porsches at Auto Frederick for the same assignment. But when Darius discovers an old violin in a glass case and strikes the chords, a cut on his hand magically disappears, and suddenly studying with the violinmaker proves to be anything but dull. As a greedy doctor works to get his hands on the magic fiddle, Darius is forced to pull a few strings to save the magic violin’s power.

This mystery is recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

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Death Cloud 
Andrew Lane
Young Sherlock Holmes: 1st in series

It is the summer of 1868, and Sherlock Holmes is fourteen. On break from boarding school, he is staying with eccentric strangers—his uncle and aunt—in their vast house in Hampshire. When two local people die from symptoms that resemble the plague, Holmes begins to investigate what really killed them, helped by his new tutor, an American named Amyus Crowe. So begins Sherlock’s true education in detection, as he discovers the dastardly crimes of a brilliantly sinister villain of exquisitely malign intent.

Young Sherlock Holmes stories are recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

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The Bone Magician 
F. E. Higgins
Non-series

Pin Carpue is on his own in the world. His mother is dead and his father is missing after being labeled a suspect in a rash of murders. Pin finds a job working for the local undertaker as a body watcher, making sure people are really dead before they’re buried. The body he’s supposed to be watching tonight is currently surrounded by three people engaged in a most unusual ceremony. An old man, a bone magician, and his young female assistant are waking a woman so her grieving fiancé can have one last goodbye with her. Pin can’t believe it will work, but then the dead woman sits up and speaks.

Pin is determined to discover how the magic works. He cannot believe they are raising the dead. He cannot believe his father is a murderer. Then Pin himself nearly becomes the killer’s next victim.

This paranormal story is recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

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The Fourth Stall 
Chris Rylander
Non-series

Do you need something? Mac can get it for you. It's what he does—he and his best friend and business manager, Vince. Their methods might sometimes run afoul of the law, or at least the school code of conduct, but if you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can pay him, Mac is on your side. His office is located in the East Wing boys' bathroom, fourth stall from the high window. And business is booming.

Or at least it was, until one particular Monday. It starts with a third grader in need of protection. And before this ordeal is over, it's going to involve a legendary high school crime boss named Staples, an intramural gambling ring, a graffiti ninja, the nine most dangerous bullies in school, and the first Chicago Cubs World Series game in almost seventy years. And that's just the beginning. Mac and Vince soon realize that the trouble with solving everyone else's problems is that there's no one left to solve yours.

This mystery is recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

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The Visconti House 
Elsbeth Edgar
Non-series

Laura Horton is different. Not in any noticeable, first-glance kind of way; but inside, she’s equally uncomfortable around the snippy girls in her class and the strange boy, Leon, who just moved in nearby. She’d rather be writing or drawing or spending time with her free-spirited family in their eccentric old house. But Laura and Leon are more alike than they first realize. They’re both outsiders. They both have secrets. And try as she might to avoid him, Laura finds herself drawn to Leon’s quiet boldness as surely as she is driven to find out more about her home’s enigmatic former owner. Together they probe the mysteries of the Visconti House, making an exploration into the past that will change their lives — and open their hearts — forever.

This book is recommended for readers aged 13 and older.

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You Killed Wesley Payne 
Sean Beaudoin
Non-series

A darkly hilarious update of classic pulp-noir, in which hard-boiled seventeen year-old Dalton Rev transfers to the mean hallways of Salt River High to take on the toughest case of his life. The question isn't whether Dalton's going to get paid. He always gets paid. Or whether he's gonna get the girl. He always (sometimes) gets the girl. The real question is whether Dalton Rev can outwit crooked cops and killer cliques in time to solve the mystery of "The Body" before it solves him.

This whodunit is recommended for readers aged 13 and older.

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First Clues: Mysteries for Kids is your source for information on over 200 mystery series for children and young adults, where each series is conveniently listed under four different age categories (New Sleuths, ages 4 to 6; Future Sleuths, ages 7 to 9; Sleuths in Training, ages 10 to 12; and Apprentice Sleuths, ages 13 and older).

Nominations for 2011 Dilys Award Announced

The nominations for the 2011 Dilys Award have been announced by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association.

The Dilys Award has been given annually since 1992 by IMBA to the mystery titles of the year which the member booksellers have most enjoyed selling. The Dilys Award is named in honor of Dilys Winn, the founder of the first specialty bookseller of mystery books in the United States.

The winner will be announced during this year's Left Coast Crime in Santa Fe, NM.

This year's nominees are:

Love Songs from a Shallow Grave by Colin Cotterill  (Soho Crime)
The Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton (Minotaur Books)
Moonlight Mile by Dennis Lehane (William Morrow)
Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny (Minotaur Books)
Once a Spy by Keith Thomson (Doubleday)
Savages by Don Winslow (Simon & Schuster)

 indicates a review from Mysterious Reviews.

Winter's Bone Snares Four Top Academy Award Nominations

The Academy Award nominations for 2011 were announced this morning and we're thrilled to see Winter's Bone nominated in four top categories: Best Picture, Leading Actress (Jennifer Lawrence), Supporting Actor (John Hawkes), and Adapted Screenplay. (See an Oscar ballot with all nominations here.)

Winter's Bone, which also won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize in 2010, is adapted from the 2006 novel of the same title by Daniel Woodrell.

Omnimystery's resident TV and film reviewer called Winter's Bone "one of the best films of the year", adding "the outstanding performance by Jennifer Lawrence as a young woman determined to do whatever it takes to save her family [in] a superficially simple yet deceptively complex plot that keeps us engaged throughout." (Mr. E. Reviews Winter's Bone)

About Winter's Bone (from the studio): Deep in the Ozark Mountains, clans live by a code of conduct that no one dares defy—until an intrepid teenage girl has no other choice. When Ree Dolly's crystal-meth-making father skips bail and goes missing, her family home is on the line. Unless she finds him, she and her young siblings and disabled mother face destitution. In a heroic quest, Ree traverses the county to confront her kin, break their silent collusion, and bring her father home.

Watch the theatrical trailer for the film below (via Yahoo! Movies):

Open Season by Maryann Miller (Mystery Book Review)

Open Season by Maryann Miller. A Sarah Kingsly and Angel Johnson Mystery. Five Star Hardcover, December 2010.

A fairly unusual serial killer thriller in that the crimes being investigated, and the identity of the culprit, aren't as important to the story as how two women -- homicide detectives, one white, one black, and newly assigned as partners -- are affected by recent events in their professional and personal lives.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Open Season by Maryann Miller.

Purchase Options:

Mystery and Suspense TV and Films, New This Week on DVD (110125)

Checking through our list of not otherwise profiled television series and films currently scheduled for release this week on DVD and/or Blu-ray disc, shown below are those that fall into the mystery, suspense, and thriller categories.

 Available on DVD
 Available on Blu-ray Disc
 Available on Video on Demand (via Amazon.com)

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Man in a Suitcase Set One (1967) 

"Mac" McGill (Richard Bradford) is an ex-spy with a murky past and an uncertain future. Wrongfully dismissed by his bosses in U.S. intelligence, he decides to freelance as a private detective based out of London. McGill’s work takes him far and wide, yet seemingly always on a collision course with the British authorities, the Soviets, and his old colleagues in American espionage. Beset by enemies on all sides, he strives to clear his name and restore his reputation. But until he does, he remains on the run, taking jobs in the dark and dangerous corners of European society. (15 episodes)

Purchase Options: DVD

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Inspector Bellamy (2009) 

Inspector Paul Bellamy (Gérard Depardieu) and his wife are spending their vacation at her family home in a quiet town. But just as they're settling into their reassuringly predictable holiday routine, his perennially troubled younger brother shows up, joined by a mysterious stranger seeking Bellamy's protection. In French, with English subtitles. (NR, 1:50)

Purchase Options: DVD

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The Traveler (2010) 

On a dark Christmas Eve in a small town, the lone Sheriffs on the night shift encounter a mysterious man (Val Kilmer) who goes by the name of Mr. Nobody. As the night progresses, the Sheriffs discover that this isn't just a nobody, but a vengeful killer whose past threatens to haunt them all. (R, 1:36)

Purchase Options: DVD

Cinemystery: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Adapted from the Novel by Stieg Larsson, New This Week on DVD and Blu-ray Disc

Cinemystery, your source for information on TV series, made-for-television movies, and theatrical films adapted from or based on novels of mystery and suspense, which are now available on DVD or Blu-ray disc, is profiling a film adaptation scheduled for release this week.

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Adapted from the novel The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest is the third and final Swedish-language film adaptation of the best-selling Millennium trilogy written by the late Swedish author.

Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace), a bullet wound to her head, lies in critical condition in the intensive care unit of a Swedish city hospital. She's fighting for her life in more ways than one: if and when she recovers, she'll be taken back to Stockholm to stand trial for three murders.

With the help of her friend, investigative reporter Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist), she will not only have to prove her innocence, but also identify and denounce those in authority who have allowed the vulnerable, like herself, to suffer abuse and violence. And, on her own, she will plot revenge -- against the man who tried to kill her, and the corrupt government institutions that very nearly destroyed her life.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, in Swedish with English subtitles, runs 148 minutes and is rated R.

Purchase Options: DVD | Blu-ray | VOD

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Visit the Cinemystery website to discover more TV and film adaptations currently available on DVD and Blu-ray disc.

Cinemystery: RED, Adapted from the Graphic Novel by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner, New This Week on DVD and Blu-Ray Disc

Cinemystery, your source for information on TV series, made-for-television movies, and theatrical films adapted from or based on novels of mystery and suspense, which are now available on DVD or Blu-ray disc, is profiling a film adaptation scheduled for release this week.

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Adapted from the graphic novel RED by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner, RED stars Bruce Willis as former C.I.A. operative Paul Moses, whose unique talent for killing took him around the world from one hotspot to another, carrying out the deadly orders of his superiors.

But the secrets he and his former team members -- Victoria (Helen Mirren), Joe Matheson (Morgan Freeman), and Marvin Boggs (John Malkovich) -- know just made them the Agency's top targets. Now framed for assassination, they must use all of their collective cunning, experience and teamwork to stay one step ahead of their deadly pursuers and stay alive. To stop the operation, the team embarks on an impossible, cross-country mission to break into the top-secret CIA headquarters, where they will uncover one of the biggest conspiracies and cover-ups in government history.

RED runs 111 minutes and is rated PG-13.

Purchase Options: DVD | Blu-ray | VOD

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Visit the Cinemystery website to discover more TV and film adaptations currently available on DVD and Blu-ray disc.

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.