India Black by Carol K. Carr (Mystery Book Review)

India Black by Carol K. Carr. An India Black Mystery. Berkley Prime Crime Trade Paperback, January 2011.

Set in 1876, this adventure of espionage features a delightful cast of characters, headlined by Madam India Black, who keeps the reader entertained at all times. Deftly blending historical facts with a fictional story, this most enjoyable mystery is not to be missed.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: India Black by Carol K. Carr.

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Read the first chapter(s) of India Black below:

Mr. E. Reviews Pie in the Sky Series 4

In any series set, it's highly unlikely that every episode will be to one's liking. But I found five of the six episodes of Pie in the Sky Series 4 (1996), starring Richard Griffiths as Detective Inspector Henry Crabbe, who is also chef of his wife's titular restaurant, to be quite good, one of these rather exceptional, and only one episode sub-par, a fine score overall.

Read the full text of our review at Mr. E. Reviews Pie in the Sky Series 4.

Available on: DVD

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

Reviews of Mystery and Suspense Books for Kids, New This Week on Book Trends (110129)

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.

Museum of Thieves by Lian Tanner. The first thriller in the Keepers Trilogy, recommended for readers aged 10 to 12. Lexile measure: 640L. Reviewed by a 6th grade student, who writes, "Museum of Thieves is a great adventure. The ending will keep you asking for more! If you love the action-adventure genre, this book is for you." (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.

All Three New Angels Cast in ABC's Reboot of Charlie's Angels

Last week we got word that the first "angel" had been cast in ABC's reboot of Charlie's Angels.

Now we're learning (via Inside TV) that Annie Ilonzeh's two partners will be Minka Kelly (Friday Night Lights) and Rachel Taylor (Transformers).

The characters' names seem to be in flux here, previously reported as Kate (Ilonzeh), Marisa (Kelly) and Abby (Taylor), but now Kate, Kelly and Abby (we think).

Kate is listed as a smart, athletic ex-cop and a master of martial arts. Marisa/Kelly is a former US Marine and an expert in hand-to-hand combat, while Abby is a con artist, the privileged daughter of a disgraced Wall Street tycoon.

Robert Wagner will provide the voice of Charlie.

The series will be set in Miami, with production expected to begin late this spring.

Mr. E. Reviews Prison Break Season One

An enthralling series! If you're willing to allow for the occasional scene that stretches credulity, or in several lapses in continuity, you'll be rewarded with a season of 22 suspenseful, incredibly exciting episodes that are remarkable in how they capture the carefully devised plan of a brilliant strategist planning to break his wrongly convicted brother out of prison.

Read the full text of our review at Mr. E. Reviews Prison Break Season One.

Available on: DVD | VOD

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

Historical Crime Novelist Ariana Franklin Has Died

The BBC is reporting that Diana Norman, who wrote a series of historical mysteries under the pen name Ariana Franklin, has died. She was 77.

Her first mystery, Mistress of the Art of Death, introduced Adelia Aguilar, a medieval coroner in 12th century England. It was recognized with the Crime Writers' Association Ellis Peters Historical Award in 2007. She was also honored last year with the CWA Dagger in the Library, an annual award given to "the author of crime fiction whose work is currently giving the greatest enjoyment to library users."

She went on to write three additional books in the series. She also wrote other books under her own name.

NBC Orders Crime Drama Pilot with Characters Inspired by Grimm's Fairy Tales

Here's a literary-inspired crime drama with a twist: Inside TV is reporting that NBC has ordered a pilot in which the characters are adapted from those that appear in Grimm's Fairy Tales. The title, appropriately enough, is simply Grimm.

Jim Kouf (Ghost Whisperer) and David Greenwalt In Plain Sight, Moonlight, Kidnapped) developed the project.

Geoff Stults Cast as The Locator in Proposed Bones Spin-Off

Last week we reported that Michael Clarke Duncan had been cast in one of the lead roles in Fox's planned spin-off from its popular crime drama Bones, this new series to be based on "The Locator" mysteries by Richard Greener.

Now we're learning (via The Hollywood Reporter) that Geoff Stults (7th Heaven, October Road, Happy Town) will play Walter Sherman (the "Locator"), a former military policeman who has a reputation of finding anyone and anything.

A Bones episode introducing the characters is expected to air later this spring.

New Trailer for Interactive Crime Drama L.A. Noire

We've been following the development of the "interactive crime novel" L.A. Noire for some time now, most recently reporting on some of the gameplay details. Now the developer, Rockstar Games, has released a second promotional trailer for the game (embedded below).

The game tells the story of WWII hero and aspiring young detective, Cole Phelps, as he solves cases and climbs the ranks of the LAPD. Focusing on Cole's experiences working the various desks of the LAPD and attempting to solve a series of potentially linked gruesome murders, the scenes in the trailer are comprised completely of in-game footage.

L.A. Noire will be released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in May 2011.

New Hardcover Mysteries for February 2011

The Hidden Staircase Mystery Books has updated its list of new hardcover mysteries with books scheduled for publication in February 2011. Please note that some titles may publish early (and may already be available) and some may be delayed, published at a later date.

Below we're listing those authors with returning series characters, new series characters, and non-series or stand-alone mysteries in separate sections. All titles are available on our February new mystery books page (which will become the default home page for the site on February 1st).

• Authors with mysteries featuring returning series characters (in italics) this month:

Jane Adams, Naomi Blake (6th) — Mark Alpert, David Swift and Monique Reynolds (2nd) — Nancy Atherton, Aunt Dimity (16th) — M. C. Beaton, Hamish Macbeth (27th) — Alex Berenson, John Wells (5th) — Noah Boyd, Steve Vail (2nd) — Alan Bradley, Flavia de Luce (3rd) — Tori Carrington, Sofie Metropolis (5th) — Donis Casey, Alafair Tucker (5th) — Kent Conwell, Tony Boudreaux (12th) — Deborah Coonts, Lucky O'Toole (2nd) — Stephen Coonts and William H. Keith, Deep Black (9th) — Judith Cutler, Lina Townend (3rd) — Tim Dorsey, Serge Storms (13th) — Sam Eastland, Inspector Pekkala (2nd) — David Ellis, Jason Kolarich (2nd) — Martha Grimes, Emma Graham (4th) — Elizabeth Gunn, Sarah Burke (3rd) — Michael Haskins, Mick Murphy (2nd) — Steven F. Havill, Thomas Parks (2nd) — Mo Hayder, Jack Caffery (5th) — Victoria Houston, Loon Lake (11th) — J. A. Jance, Ali Reynolds (6th) — Chris Knopf, Jackie Swaitowski (2nd) — Joe R. Lansdale, Hap Collins and Leonard Pine (8th, novella) — Liza Marklund, Annika Bengtzon (5th) — Craig McDonald, Hector Lassiter (4th) — G. A. McKevett, Savannah Reid (16th) — Nick Oldham, Henry Christie (15th) — Brad Parks, Carter Ross (2nd) — Jonathan Rabb, Nikolai Hoffner (3rd) — J. D. Robb, Eve Dallas "In Death" (40th) — Kirk Russell, John Marquez (4th) — Zoë Sharp, Charlie Fox (8th) — Dana Stabenow, Kate Shugak (18th) — Kelli Stanley, Arcturus (2nd) — Peter Tonkin, Richard Mariner (23rd) — Peter Turnbull, Hennessey and Yellich (19th) — Randy Wayne White, Doc Ford (18th) — Kate Wilhelm, Barbara Holloway (12th) — Richard Yancey, Highly Effective Detective (4th).

• Authors with mysteries introducing characters (in italics) in a new series this month:

Darynda Jones, Charlotte Davidson — Graeme Kent, Ben Kella — Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, Gideon Crew — Imogen Robertson, Harriet Westerman — Dana Stabenow, Kate Shugak — Brad Taylor, Pike Logan — J. C. Weeks, Ben Logan — Tina Whittle, Tai Randolph.

• Authors with non-series or stand-alone mysteries this month:

Charles Davis — Elizabeth Engstrom — Joy Fielding — C. W. Gortner — Gerald Hammond — Gerald Hammond — Deborah E. Harkness — Sara J. Henry — Keigo Higashino — Lisa Jackson and Nancy Bush — Loretta Jackson and Vickie Britton — Andrew Miller — Gerard Murrin — Michael Palmer — D. M. Pirrone — Sharon Potts — David Rosenfelt — Ralph Sassone — Gerald Seymour — P. G. Sturges — Urban Waite — Louise Welsh.

For more information on any of these titles, please visit the February new mysteries page on our website. If you're interested in new paperbacks, visit The Mystery Bookshelf where you can discover a library of new mysteries, also updated with February 2011 releases.

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.

Mystery Bestsellers for January 28, 2011

A list of the top 15 mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending January 28, 2011 has been posted on the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books website.

For the second week in a row, no newly published titles enter the week this week, though one published the previous week moves up into the top 15. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson remains atop the list.

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Moving up 8 into the 11th position is the 19th mystery to feature Stone Barrington, Strategic Moves by Stuart Woods.

Stone is enjoying his usual dinner at Elaine's when his boss at Woodman & Weld, the law firm where Stone is "of counsel," walks in, sits down, and hands Stone a check for one million dollars. It seems Stone's undercover dealings with MI6 have brought in a big new client for the firm, and they're willing to pay Stone a huge bonus and make him a partner.

But almost as soon as he's taken the deal, Stone gets wind of an impending scandal that might torpedo his big promotion: It may be that the lucrative new client whom he's introduced to the firm might be a Bernie Madoff in disguise ...

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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.

Lead Role Cast in Film Adaptation of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

After what has semed to be an exhaustive search, the role of the 16th US President in the film adaptation of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith has been cast. It is (according to The Hollywood Reporter) British actor Benjamin Walker. The other major role in the film, the part of Henry Sturges, who mentors and trains Abe in the ways of vampire hunting, has yet to be cast. Production is expected to begin later this spring from a screenplay also written by Grahame-Smith; the release date is currently set to be June 22nd, 2012.

While Abraham Lincoln is widely lauded for saving a Union and freeing millions of slaves, his valiant fight against the forces of the undead has remained in the shadows for hundreds of years. That is, until Seth Grahame-Smith stumbled upon "The Secret Journal of Abraham Lincoln," and became the first living person to lay eyes on it in more than 140 years. Using the journal as his guide, he has reconstructed the true life story of our greatest president for the first time -- all while revealing the hidden history behind the Civil War and uncovering the role vampires played in the birth, growth, and near-death of our nation.

You can read the first chapter(s) of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter below. Use the Aa button to adjust text size, line spacing, and word density.

The Mechanic Opens in Theaters Friday, January 28th

Tomorrow, Friday January 28th, The Mechanic opens in theaters nationwide.

The action thriller (and a remake of the 1972 Charles Bronson film with the same title) stars Jason Statham as an elite assassin, who takes on an apprentice (Ben Foster) when he seeks to get revenge on those who murdered his close friend Harry (Donald Sutherland). But while in pursuit of their ultimate mark, deceptions threaten to surface and those hired to fix problems become problems themselves.

The trailer, which you can see below, focuses heavily on the action sequences in the film, so much so that one wonders if there's any plot left to follow between these scenes.

Brian De Palma To Direct Remake of French Thriller Crime D'Amour

Variety is reporting that Brian De Palma will direct a remake of the 2010 French thriller Crime D'Amour, retitled Passion.

"Not since Dressed to Kill have I had a chance to combine eroticism, suspense, mystery and murder into one spellbinding cinematic experience," said De Palma.

Crime D'Amour stars Kristin Scott Thomas as the executive of a multinational company and Ludivine Sagnier as her protégé. But when the younger woman starts to take credit for her mentor's ideas, a dangerous game is played out between the two -- one that ultimately goes too far.

Casting for Passion is expected to be announced by the start of the Cannes Film Festival in May, with principal photography beginning during the summer.

Film Adaptation Planned for PS3 Noir Thriller Game Heavy Rain

Variety is reporting that David Milch (NYPD Blue, Deadwood) is writing a film adaptation of the PlayStation 3 noir thriller game Heavy Rain.

In the game, which spans four days of mystery and suspense, the hunt is on for a murderer known only as the Origami Killer — named after his macabre calling card of leaving behind folded paper shapes at crime scenes. Even more chilling is the fiend's well established pattern of killing his victims four days after abducting them. The public is gripped with fear as the police seem powerless to stop the carnage, and another potential victim — Shaun Mars — has gone missing.

The game features four playable characters: a father, a photographer, an FBI agent with a special skill set, and a retired cop turned private investigator. Each character have different paths, means and motives to ending the reign of terror that the Origami Killer has imposed on their city.

Though we haven't played the game, it sounds like an interesting premise for a film to us; watch the game trailer below.