Mystery and Suspense Films, New This Week on DVD (110726)

Checking through our list of films currently scheduled for release this week on DVD and/or Blu-ray disc, shown below are those that fall into the mystery, suspense, thriller and adventure categories.

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Purchase/Rental Options

Source Code (2011)

When soldier Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes up in the body of an unknown man, he discovers he’s part of an experimental government program called the “Source Code” that enables him to cross over into another man's identity in the last 8 minutes of his life. Armed with the task of identifying the bomber of a Chicago commuter train, Colter must re-live the incident over and over again, gathering clues until he can solve the mystery and prevent an even deadlier second terrorist attack. (PG-13; 93 minutes)

New Hardcover Mysteries for August 2011

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

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

Jane A. Adams (Rina Martin, 5th) — Ray Banks (Cal Innes, 4th) — Sara Blaedel (Louise Rick, 2nd) — Alison Bruce (Gary Goodhew, 3rd) — Judy Clemens (Casey Maldonado, Grim Reaper, 3rd) — Max Allan Collins (Nathan Heller, 15th) — Susan Conant (Holly Winter, 19th) — Cleo Coyle (Clare Cosi, Coffeehouse, 10th) — Ellen Crosby (Lucie Montgomery, Wine Country, 6th) — Mary Daheim (Bed-and-Breakfast, 26th) — Garry Disher (Wyatt, 7th) — Carole Nelson Douglas (Midnight Louie, 23rd) — Anthony Eglin (Lawrence Kingston, English Garden, 5th) — Gerald Elias (Daniel Jacobus, 3rd) — Kjell Eriksson (Ann Lindell, 4th) — Chris Ewan (Good Thief's Guide, 4th) — Duncan Falconer (John Stratton, 7th) — Irene Fleming (Emily Weiss, 2nd) — Karin Fossum (Konrad Sejer, 9th) — Sara Fraser (Thomas Potts, 4th) — Kathleen George (Richard Christie, 5th) — David L. Golemon (Event Group, 6th) — W. E. B. Griffin and William E. Butterworth I (Honor Bound, 6th) — Jane Haddam (Gregor Demarkian, 26th) — Michael Jecks (Knights Templar, Medieval West Country, 30th) — Darynda Jones (Charlotte Davidson, 2nd) — Christobel Kent (Sandro Cellini, 3rd) — Tracy Kiely (Elizabeth Parker, 3rd) — William Kent Krueger (Cork O'Connor, 11th) — David Levien (Frank Behr, 3rd) — Laura Levine (Jaine Austen (10th) — Scott MacKay (Clyde Deacon, 2nd) — Elizabeth C. Main (Jane Serrano, 2nd) — Catriona McPherson (Dandy Gilver, 5th) — Louise Penny (Armand Gamache, 7th) — Anne Perry (William Monk, 17th) — David Poyer (Dan Lenson, 13th) — Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (Pendergast, 11th) — Kathy Reichs (Temperance Brennan, 14th) — Stella Rimington (Liz Carlyle, 5th) — Jeff Shelby (Noah Braddock, 3rd) — Jeffrey S. Stephens (Jordan Sandor, 2nd) — Marcia Talley (Hannah Ives, 10th) — Charles Todd (Bess Crawford, 3rd) — Peter Tonkin (Richard Mariner, 24th) — Martin Walker (Bruno, Chief of Police, 3rd) — Matthew Williams (Vince Marshall, 2nd) — Don Winslow (Boone Daniels, 2nd).

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

Jussi Adler-Olsen (Carl Mørck, Department Q) — Matthew Dunn (Will Cochrane) — Merry Jones (Harper Jennings) — Tammy Kaehler (Kate Reilly, Racing) — Eileen Key (Maggie Price, Plants Alive!) — M. J. McGrath (Edie Kiglatuk) — George P. Pelecanos (Spero Lucas) — Michael Ridpath (Magnus Jonson) — Amanda Kyle Williams (Keye Street).

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

Neil Abramson — Toby Ball — Jo Bannister — Linwood Barclay — C. J. Box — Jane Casey — Ernest Cline — F. G. Cottam — Vanessa Diffenbaugh — Joe Domenici — Tess Gerritsen — Robert Gleason — J. L. Hammer — Gerald Hammond — Patti Callahan Henry — Reginald Hill — Gordon Jenkinson — John Larison — Deborah Lawrenson — Laura Lippman — Tom MacDonald — Carole Marshall — Glenn Meade — Carson Morton — James Patterson and Marshall Karp — Ulrich Peltzer — Daniel Polansky — Gordon Reece — Sebastian Rotella — Brandi Lynn Ryder — James Sallis — Moacyr Scliar — Sarah R. Shaber — Alex Shakar — Lisa Unger — Jesmyn Ward — Kate White — Austin Wright — Thomas W. Young.

For more information on any of these titles, please visit the August 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 August 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.

Telemystery: The Fall of Sam Axe (Burn Notice), This Week on DVD

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

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Bruce Campbell stars as Sam Axe in a feature-length adventure from the secret files of Burn Notice.

On his final mission as a Navy Seal Commander, Sam is sent deep into the jungles of South America where a deadly terrorist organization threatens innocent lives. But when Sam discovers that he is merely a pawn in a far-reaching and diabolical plot he must fight to stay alive long enough to stop the real terroristsat any cost.

Packed with gritty thrills and wry humor this never-before-seen extended cut of The Fall of Sam Axe is action on the cutting edge!

Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe is available on DVD, Blu-ray Disc, and to download from iTunes (click on the icons above for more details). It originally aired on USA Network on April 17th, 2011.

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

Mystery Godoku Puzzle for July 25, 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:

F I N O P R T U Y

This is the title of John Maxwell’s debut novel featuring a 20-something guitarist held captive on a remote island (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!

Review: Highway 61 by David Housewright

Highway 61 by David Housewright. A Rushmore McKenzie Mystery. Minotaur Books Hardcover, June 2011.

A "badger game" is just the start to an investigation that expands into multiple crimes outlined in this somewhat unevenly executed mystery, one that starts strong and ends with a lot of action, but spends much of the middle restlessly moving sideways rather than pushing forward.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Highway 61 by David Housewright.

Purchase Options:

Review: A Killer Among Us by Lynette Eason

A Killer Among Us by Lynette Eason. A Women of Justice Mystery. Revell Trade Paperback, May 2011.

The twisty murder mystery storyline plays out well, and the small college town setting offers an interesting contrast to the horror of the crimes. Many readers will also appreciate this character- and story-drive suspense novel that is written without any coarse language.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: A Killer Among Us by Lynette Eason.

Purchase Options:

Cash Burn by Michael Berrier is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Cash Burn by Michael Berrier as today's free mystery ebook. We don't know how long it will be offered at this special price (typically only until a certain number of downloads have been completed), so we urge you to download it while it is still available for free.

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Cash Burn by Michael Berrier
Non-Series
Tyndale House

About Cash Burn (from the publisher): Billions of dollars flow through Jason Dunn’s banking office each year. When he suffers a series of career setbacks and his marriage begins to crumble, he and his attractive new assistant devise a plan to disappear with a slice of the bank’s cash flow.

The unwelcome appearance of his brother on the scene, just released from prison, threatens to sidetrack Jason’s plans. But Jason’s brother “Flip” has his own problems with a parole officer who isn’t fooled by this dangerous parolee.

In the race to the jackpot between Jason and Flip, and the unwinding of their troubled history, the question soon becomes, Who will get burned?

Important Note: Prices can and do change without prior notice, so please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Free Kindle Edition Download Link.

B&N Free Nook Book Download Link.

Harrison Ford to Star as Wyatt Earp in Film Adaptation of Black Hats by Max Allan Collins

Harrison Ford will star as an older Wyatt Earp in a film adaptation of Black Hats by Max Allan Collins (who published the 2007 book as written by Patrick Culhane). Kurt Johnstad will write the adapted screenplay.

Wyatt Earp made his name in his younger days, serving as a lawman who was well known for bending the law where he saw fit, and shooting first and asking questions later. But it's a little-known fact that Earp spent the last twenty years of his life as a private detective in Los Angeles. So when Doc Holliday's mistress implores the aging lawman to track down her and Holliday's errant son in Manhattan, Earp willingly takes the case. His task: to convince the young man to give up his ill-advised involvement in organized crime and boot-legging. Earp enlists his old friend, Bat Masterson, who's now a sportswriter, and delves deep into the world of the New York mafia, where he comes across a young Alphonse Capone. Earp and Masterson, men who earned their names in the rough and tumble, lawless world of decades before, set their sights on liberating a young man from the ruthless thug Capone and his gang.

(Source: The Hollywood Reporter)

Reviews of Mystery and Suspense Books for Kids, New This Week on Book Trends (110723)

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.

Rotters by Daniel Kraus. A stand-alone thriller recommended for readers aged 13 and older. Lexile measure: N/A. Reviewed by a 6th grade teacher, who writes, "Daniel Kraus has woven together a tale of adolescence, a tale of grave-robbing, and a tale of death ... [that builds] up enough suspense and is just enough unsettling to make readers keep turning pages until they reach the end." (Read the entire review here.)

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.

Mystery, Suspense and Thriller Adventure and Casual Games, New This Week from BFG (110723)

Games of Mystery is pleased to announce the availability of new mystery, suspense and thriller adventure and casual games from Big Fish Games released during this past week. 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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Nancy Drew heads for Japan where she’s staying at a traditional ryokan (inn) for a little rest and relaxation with friends Bess and George, but when reports of a vengeful ghost start scaring away the guests, Nancy's vacation takes a turn for terror! Along with the rumor of a ghost she also finds a family torn by a recent death, two sisters with very different attitudes toward the family business, a grandmother firmly rooted in traditional Japanese culture, and more. Is there a shadowy specter haunting the placid inn or is something far more sinister driving away business? It'll be up to you, playing as Nancy Drew, to uncover the secret that lies beneath the surface, before the ghost can take its revenge.

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Five explorers have disappeared while searching for evidence of Ancient Astronauts! Join the Unsolved Mystery Club in the hunt for the missing explorers and unlock ancient secrets of the past. Explore exotic locations around the world and uncover artifacts supporting the existence of visitors from other worlds!

This is a special Collector's Edition with features not available in the standard edition, including bonus gameplay, an integrated strategy guide, character art, screensavers and concept art, musical soundtrack, and early access.

See also the previous game in this series, Unsolved Mystery Club: Amelia Earhart.

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Use your Paranormal Crime Investigation skills to solve a string of bizarre murders plaguing the city of New Orleans and stop an ancient magical cult from summoning their monstrous snake god. Called in by Louisiana's PCI central command to investigate a murder using dark magic rituals, you quickly discover the strange and worrying recent happenings in the city are all connected to a strange and ancient cult, the Brotherhood of the Crescent Snake.

This is a special Collector's Edition with features not available in the standard edition, including bonus gameplay, an integrated strategy guide, wallpapers, mini-games, musical soundtrack, and early access.

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Venice. The moon is in the sky. A gondola leaves a mansion where evidence of just finished masquerade ball is in evidence. There are two young ladies in the gondola with umbrellas. The gondola is led by a man in a black long coat and a mask of Medico della Peste. But as soon as the gondola goes under a bridge there are screams ... and then on the other side of the bridge there is the slowly floating gondola ... but with no passengers. There is only a face covered with the mask of Medico della Peste; it is laughing scarily in the darkness ...

For a more in-depth playing experience, see Grim Facade: Mystery of Venice Collector's Edition.

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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 our 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!

The Gathering by William X. Kienzle is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Gathering by William X. Kienzle as today's free mystery ebook. We don't know how long it will be offered at this special price (typically only until a certain number of downloads have been completed), so we urge you to download it while it is still available for free.

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The Gathering by William X. Kienzle
A Father Koesler Mystery (24th and final in series)
Andrews McMeel

About The Gathering (from the publisher): Way back in the 1940s, they had all been young together. Inseparable pals Mike and Manny, both preparing for the priesthood ... Mike's beautiful twin sister, Rose, and her best friend Alice, sharing a dream of becoming nuns ... shy altar boy Stanley and everybody's good friend, Bob Koesler, also headed for the priesthood. Six Detroit adolescents moving step by measured step into the bosom of the church. Or so they believed.

Now, more than fifty years later, one of the six has died a sudden, violent death, and Father Bob Koesler — these days a retired parish priest — is sadly suspicious that someone in this tiny band of lifelong friends may be responsible. But who and why? Before long, Koesler has reason to believe he knows the shocking answer.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Free Kindle Edition Download Link.

AMC Announces Season Premiere Date, Releases New Trailer for The Walking Dead

AMC announced today the premiere date for the second season of The Walking Dead — October 16th, 2011 — and also released a new, four-plus minute trailer for the series, which we've embedded below.

The storyline is expected to pick up where the first season ended, with Sheriff Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) waking up from a coma to discover that the world as knows it is gone, ravaged by a zombie epidemic.

The series is adapted from "The Walking Dead" graphic novels by Robert Kirkman.