Sunday, May 29, 2011

Mr. E. Reviews Black Swan

Black Swan (DVD Cover)
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Marketed as a suspense thriller or a psychological thriller, this film actually doesn't begin to fit either of these descriptions until well into the final act -- and even then, doesn't really achieve any significant measure of suspense at all. Best Actress Academy Award-winner Natalie Portman has only one scene that seems deserving of that recognition.

Read the full text of our review at Mr. E. Reviews Black Swan.

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

Review: No One To Hear You Scream by Julia Madeleine

No One To Hear You Scream by Julia Madeleine
More information about the book

No One To Hear You Scream by Julia Madeleine. Non-series. Black Heart Books Trade Paperback, March 2011.

Most of this book involves the intersection of the lives of the four strongly drawn characters, but this is at best an uneven thriller, with several plot points introduced with the potential of generating suspense in an otherwise predictable storyline but little developed from them.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: No One To Hear You Scream by Julia Madeleine.

Purchase Options: Amazon.com Print Edition | Amazon.com Kindle Edition

Read the first chapter(s) of No One To Hear You Scream below. Use the Aa settings button to adjust text size, line spacing, and word density.

Saturday, May 28, 2011

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

First Clues: Mysteries for Kids

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 June 2011, listed in approximate order of reading level, from books for younger readers to books for teens.

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Thea Stilton and the Star Castaways by Thea Stilton

Thea Stilton and the Star Castaways More Information about the book
Thea Stilton
A Geronimo Stilton Special Edition (5th in series)

Thea Stilton is out of this world!

A professor at Mouseford Academy is organizing a trip to outer space, and the Thea Sisters are invited. The mouselings are headed on a fabumouse mission ... to the moon! After much preparation, the mice blast off. But when they arrive at their lunar vacation spot, things start to go wrong, including spaceship wrecks and rebellious robots. Can the Thea Sisters save the day?

Geronimo Stilton books are recommended for readers aged 7 to 9.

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The Missing Heir by Tracy Barrett

The Missing Heir More Information about the book
Tracy Barrett
The Sherlock Files (4th in series)

Xena and Xander have just learned that their shy classmate, Alice, is the heir to a royal throne! Then they discover that their ancestor, Sherlock Holmes, had his suspicions about the kidnapping and return of Alice's grandmother, the princess of Borogovia.

Alice is to be crowned on her thirteenth birthday ... but she goes missing days before the ceremony. Who would kidnap a princess? Where would they hide her in a city where Xena and Xander Holmes — and the police! — are looking for her? And then there’s the biggest mystery of all: Is Alice really the princess?

The Sherlock Files are recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

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Theodore Boone: The Abduction by John Grisham

Theodore Boone: The Abduction More Information about the book
John Grisham
A Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer Mystery (2nd in series)

When his best friend, April, disappears from her bedroom in the middle of the night, no one, not even Theo Boone -- who knows April better than anyone -- has answers.

As fear ripples through his small hometown and the police hit dead ends, it's up to Theo to use his legal knowledge and investigative skills to chase down the truth and save April.

The Theodore Boone mysteries are recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

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Rue for Repentance by Felicity Pulman

Rue for Repentance More Information about the book
Felicity Pulman
The Janna Mysteries (2nd in series)

After her mother dies and her home is burned to the ground, Janna is forced to flee for her life. She is given shelter at a manor farm, but all is not as it seems. A child goes missing and Janna puts her life on the line to find him, but who can she turn to for help—Edwin, the outlaw who stole from her in the forest; the villain Godric, who has turned against her; or Hugh, the handsome nobleman, who stands to gain everything if the child dies? Janna needs all her courage, wit, and common sense to solve the mystery of the child's disappearance, but time is running out.

The Janna Mysteries are recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

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Pish Posh by Ellen Potter

Pish Posh More Information about the book
Ellen Potter
Non-series

Super-snobby eleven-year-old Clara Frankofile has all she could possibly want. Her parents are rich, she lives in an apartment with its own roller coaster, and anyone who is anyone in New York City is terrified of her. Each night at her parents' fashionable restaurant, Pish Posh, Clara watches the celebrity diners, deciding who is important enough to stay and who must be banished. But Clara's world turns upside down when she discovers a mystery happening right under her nose. With the help of her new friend -- a brilliant twelve-year-old jewel thief -- Clara begins to look at life differently, and she may just be able to solve this most intriguing case.

This book is recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

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The School for the Insanely Gifted by Dan Elish

The School for the Insanely Gifted More Information about the book
Dan Elish
Non-series

Daphna Whispers is insanely gifted. At age two and a half, she composed her first sonata. At age eight, she completed an opera. And now, at eleven and three-quarters, she is orchestrating a piano rhapsody.

With a résumé like that, it's no wonder she is a student at the prestigious Blatt School for the Insanely Gifted. But as sixth grade draws to a close, Daphna's mind is far from the upcoming "Insanity Cup" competition. She's preoccupied by her mother's disappearance two months ago.

When a mysterious man breaks into Daphna's small New York apartment, Daphna discovers that her mother's disappearance wasn't a random accident. Her mother knew something — and now somebody is after Daphna. What starts out as a simple fact-finding trip to the basement with her friends spirals into an international expedition. And while Daphna hopes to uncover the secret of her mother's disappearance on her global trek, the last thing she expects to uncover is an outrageous secret about the Blatt School.

And one insanely shocking secret about herself.

This book is recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

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The Mistaken Masterpiece by Michael D. Beil

The Mistaken Masterpiece More Information about the book
Michael D. Beil
The Red Blazer Girls (3rd in series)

Sophie is nose to fist with her arch-rival, Livvy, all while taking care of movie-star Nate Etan's dog, when Father Julian hires the Blazers to help him authenticate a painting. Mayhem and mystery follows as the girls attempt to uncover the truth. Oh, and, uh, Sophie's friend-who-is-not-a-boyfriend, Raf, is back ...

The Red Blazer Girls books are recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

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The Bones of the Holy by Jennifer Allison

The Bones of the Holy More Information about the book
Jennifer Allison
A Gilda Joyce, Psychic Investigator Mystery (5th in series)

When Gilda Joyce's mother announces her engagement to a man from St. Augustine, Florida, Gilda is appalled. She hasn't even given him the "Joyce Family Application" yet! But as the wedding preparations get under way, Gilda realizes she has much bigger concerns. Why does her soon-to-be stepdad keep calling Mrs. Joyce by his ex-wife's name? And why is Mrs. Joyce acting like she's possessed?

With only a few short days before her mother says "I do," Gilda knows this much for sure: it's going to take every ounce of her sleuthing skill and psychic savvy to solve this one!

The Gilda Joyce mysteries are recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

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California Schemin' by Carolyn Keene

California Schemin' More Information about the book
Carolyn Keene
A Nancy Drew, Girl Detective Mystery

The first book in the Malibu Mayhem Trilogy. No summary available.

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

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Photo Booth by Lewis Helfand

Photo Booth More Information about the book
Lewis Helfand
Non-series

He wanted to change the past, but first he would have to alter the future ...

A new deadly drug is about to flood the streets of New York City. The police have no leads on who is producing the drug, or where it is coming from. As far as Praveer Rajani, a reckless Interpol agent, is concerned the only way to prevent countless deaths lies in a handful of mysterious photographs.

Within the photographs, Praveer can see images of places he has never known, and people he has long forgotten. But what are the photographs leading him to? Is Praveer being told that his life is spiraling out of control, and he now has one chance to put things right?

Or are the photographs related to a murder that Praveer is desperate to solve? Perhaps they are showing the love that his brother, Jayendra, let slip away or even the family that his sister, Nisha, wants back?

This graphic novel is recommended for readers aged 13 and older.

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Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter

Uncommon Criminals More Information about the book
Ally Carter
A Heist Society Thriller (2nd in series)

Katarina Bishop has worn a lot of labels in her short life: Friend. Niece. Daughter. Thief. But for the last two months she’s simply been known as the girl who ran the crew that robbed the greatest museum in the world.

That’s why Kat isn’t surprised when she’s asked to steal the infamous Cleopatra Emerald so it can be returned to its rightful owners. There are only three problems. First, the gem hasn’t been seen in public in thirty years. Second, since the fall of the Egyptian empire and the suicide of Cleopatra, no one who holds the emerald keeps it for long — and in Kat’s world, history almost always repeats itself. But it’s the third problem that makes Kat’s crew the most nervous, and that is ... the emerald is cursed.

Kat might be in way over her head, but she’s not going down without a fight. After all, she has her best friend — the gorgeous Hale — and the rest of her crew with her as they chase the Cleopatra around the globe, dodging curses and realizing that the same tricks and cons her family has used for centuries are useless this time. Which means, this time, Katarina Bishop is making up her own rules.

The thrillers in this series are 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).

Sony's Adaptation of the Game Uncharted: Drake's Fortune Starts Anew

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune

The film adaptation of the thriller/adventure game Uncharted: Drake's Fortune is back to square one with the departure of director David O. Russell, his script, and Mark Wahlberg, who was set to star as Nathan Drake.

The Los Angeles Times has an in-depth review of how the film came to be and what is believed to have caused Russell and Sony to part ways. Clearly there were two clashing visions here: Russell's desire to use the game as a backdrop for a completely different plotline (an art heist film involving a family of international thieves) and Sony's desire to have the film more directly relate to the gameplay itself. Neither party is commenting officially, however Sony apparently still wants to make the film, though a Summer 2012 release date seems unlikely.

In the game, which was originally released in 2007 for PlayStation 3, Nathan Drake, a descendent of Sir Francis Drake, is seeking the lost treasure of El Dorado. A sequel, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, was released in 2009.

You can watch an early trailer for the game below.

Review: On Hallowed Ground by John Lantigua

On Hallowed Ground by John Lantigua
More information about the book

On Hallowed Ground by John Lantigua. A Willie Cuesta Mystery. Arte Público Press Trade Paperback, March 2011.

Setting a brisk pace from the start, the unexpected victim of a kidnapping seems to be the key to the crime, a plot point that both drives the storyline and keeps readers interested in the outcome. A solid entry in this series, new readers will likely want to seek out previous mysteries featuring this Miami PI.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: On Hallowed Ground by John Lantigua.

Purchase Options: Amazon.com Print Edition

New Hardcover Mysteries for June 2011

New Hardcover Mysteries from the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books

The Hidden Staircase Mystery Books has updated its list of new hardcover mysteries with books scheduled for publication in June 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 June new mystery books page (which will become the default home page for the site on June 1st).

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

Hal Ackerman (Harry Stein, 2nd) — Clive Cussler and Grant Blackwood (Fargo Adventure, 3rd)Jan Burke (Irene Kelly, 11th)Linda Castillo (Kate Burkholder, 3rd)Rory Clements (John Shakespeare, 2nd)Sandra Carey Cody (Jennifer Connors, 4th)Jeffery Deaver (James Bond)John DeMers (Brett Baldwin, 2nd)Paul Doiron (Mike Bowditch, 2nd)Robert Dugoni (David Sloane, 4th)Janet Evanovich (Stephanie Plum, 17th numbered)Geraldine Evans (Rafferty and Llewellyn, 14th)Joseph Finder (Nick Heller, 2nd)Conor Fitzgerald (Alec Blume, 2nd) — Dorothy Francis (Key West, 2nd)Lee Goldberg (Mr. Monk, 12th)Thomas Greanias (Sam Deker, 2nd) — Peter Guttridge (Brighton Trilogy, 2nd) — David Hagberg (Kirk McGarvey, 15th)Carolyn Haines (Sarah Booth Delaney, 11th) — Barbara Hambly (Benjamin January, 10th)Steve Hamilton (Alex McKnight, 8th)Charlaine Harris (Aurora Teagarden, 3rd)Richard Helms (Judd Wheeler, 2nd)David Housewright (Rushmore McKenzie, 7th)Dorothy Howell (Haley Randolph, 4th)Edward Ifkovic (Edna Ferber, 2nd)Craig Johnson (Walt Longmire, 7th)Jim Kelly (Peter Shaw, 3rd) — Jon Land (Caitlin Strong, 3rd)Sophie Littlefield (Stella Hardesty, 3rd)Peter Lovesey (Peter Diamond, 11th)D. P. Lyle (Dub Walker, 2nd)Adrian Magson (Harry Tate, 2nd) — Edward Marston (Robert Colbeck, 8th)Jeanne Matthews (Dinah Pelerin, 2nd)Pat McIntosh (Gil and Alys Cunningham, 7th)Ken Mercer (Will Magowan, 2nd) — Laurie Moore (Dallas/Ft. Worth News, 3rd)Hakan Nesser (Van Veeteren, 5th)Bill Pronzini (Nameless Detective, 35th) — Robert Randisi (Rat Pack, 6th)Ted Riccardi (Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes) — James Rollins (Sigma Force, 7th) — Kate Sedley (Roger the Chapman, 20th)Maggie Sefton (Kelly Flynn, Knitting, 10th)Karin Slaughter (Will Trent, 3rd)April Smith (Ana Grey, 4th)Robert K. Tanenbaum (Butch Karp and Marlene Ciampi, 23rd)Mark Terry (Derek Stillwater, 4th)Victoria Thompson (Gaslight, 13th)Rebecca Tope (Thea Osbourne, 8th)Michael Wiley (Joe Kozmarski, 3rd).

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

Ace Atkins (Quinn Colson)Sara Gran (Claire DeWitt)Lars Kepler (Joona Linna)Amy Myers (Jack Colby)Reavis Z. Wortham (Ned Parker, Red River).

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

David AbbottS. J. Bolton — Gary Braver — Alafair BurkeBill CameronThomas H. CookTimothy CraigJudi CulbertsonWilliam DietrichMartin EdwardsR. J. ElloryBob GrahamJ. L. Hammer — Elin Hilderbrand — David IgnatiusMorag JossMichael KorytaRon LiebmanRosamund LuptonPascal MarcoMichael MarshallMargaret McLean — Tom McNeal — Jim Nisbet — Bobbie O'Keefe — Félix J. Palma — Tim LaHaye and Craig Parshall — Ken Policard — Steven Pressfield — Ruth Rendell — Phil RickmanMichael RobothamAdam RossMarcus SakeyDavid Schmahmann — Erica Spindler — Gene Stratton-Porter — Tom Clancy and Peter Telep — S. J. WatsonDaniel H. WilsonRobin YocumDaphna Edwards Ziman — Richard Zimler.

For more information on any of these titles, please visit the June 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 mystery, suspense and thriller books, also updated with June 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.

Memorial Day Weekend Promotions from Big Fish Games

BFG Memorial Day Weekend 2011 Promotion

This Memorial Day weekend, Big Fish Games is running two promotions that may be of interest to our readers.

The first is for both new and existing customers. You can purchase any standard edition game for just $4.99 by using the coupon code NINEYEARS at checkout. This offer ends Monday, May 30th, 2011.

The second is for new customers only. You can purchase the adventure thriller Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened for just $2.99. Investigate a mysterious series of disappearances in the Louisiana bayou country and use your wits to track down a dark group of Cthulu-worshippers. Use coupon code sherlock2 at checkout. This offer, too, ends Monday, May 30th, 2011.

Watch the trailer for Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened below. You can find a complete list of BFG mystery, thriller and suspense games -- both casual and adventure -- on Games of Mystery.

Friday, May 27, 2011

Mystery Bestsellers for May 27, 2011

Bestselling Hardcover Mystery Books

A list of the top 15 mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending May 27th, 2011 has been posted by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books.

Not much in the way of change this week, with Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris, retaining its spot atop this list this week. Another title, which debuted last week, moves into the top 15.

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The Jefferson Key by Steve Berry
More information about the book

Moving up from 25 to 10 is The Jefferson Key the 7th Cotton Malone thriller by Steve Berry.

Four United States presidents have been assassinated — in 1865, 1881, 1901, and 1963 — each murder seemingly unrelated and separated by time.

But what if those presidents were all killed for the same reason: a clause in the United States Constitution — contained within Article 1, Section 8 — that would shock Americans?

This question is what faces former Justice Department operative Cotton Malone in his latest adventure. When a bold assassination attempt is made against President Danny Daniels in the heart of Manhattan, Malone risks his life to foil the killing — only to find himself at dangerous odds with the Commonwealth, a secret society of pirates first assembled during the American Revolution. In their most perilous exploit yet, Malone and Cassiopeia Vitt race across the nation and take to the high seas. Along the way they break a secret cipher originally possessed by Thomas Jefferson, unravel a mystery concocted by Andrew Jackson, and unearth a centuries-old document forged by the Founding Fathers themselves, one powerful enough — thanks to that clause in the Constitution — to make the Commonwealth unstoppable.

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For more mystery books news, 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.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Winners of the 2010 Lambda Literary Awards Announced

Mystery Book Awards

The 23rd Annual Lambda Literary Awards were handed out by the Lambda Literary Foundation this evening, honoring the best of LGBT fiction and non-fiction in over 20 categories, including gay and lesbian mystery, for books published in 2010.

The winners of these latter categories are ...

◊ Gay men's mystery: Echoes by David Lennon (Blue Spike)

◊ Lesbian mystery: Fever of the Bone by Val McDermid (HarperCollins).

Review: Ashes of the Earth by Eliot Pattison

Ashes of the Earth by Eliot Pattison
More information about the book

Ashes of the Earth by Eliot Pattison. A Hadrian Boone Mystery. Counterpoint Hardcover, April 2011.

Far more about character and setting than storyline, this novel set in post-apocalyptic America, while very good on its own -- indeed, it is unquestionably a superior novel of suspense -- it simply doesn't compare favorably with the author's other outstanding mystery series.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Ashes of the Earth by Eliot Pattison.

Purchase Options: Amazon.com Print Edition | Amazon.com Kindle Edition | Barnes&Noble NookBook | Kobo eBook

Read the first chapter(s) of Ashes of the Earth below. Use the Aa settings button to adjust text size, line spacing, and word density.

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