The Witch of Agnesi by Robert Spiller is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Witch of Agnesi by Robert Spiller 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.

— ◊ —

The Witch of Agnesi by Robert Spiller
A Bonnie Pinkwater Mystery (1st in series)
Medallion Press

Bonnie Pinkwater is a schoolteacher in Colorado, and is featured in three mysteries in this series.

About The Witch of Agnesi (from the publisher): Bonnie Pinkwater cares about her students. So when Peyton Newlin, a thirteen-year-old math genius, disappears, Bonnie starts nosing around. One by one, students who were competing with the young genius start turning up dead and Bonnie suspects Peyton may be narrowing the field. Then Peyton himself turns up murdered. Bonnie's investigation ratchets up.

What she discovers is a coven of witches, a teenage comic book magnate, a skinhead Neanderthal with violent propensities, an abusive father, an amorous science teacher, and a mistranslated medieval mathematics manuscript. Somehow, all the pieces have intersected at the tragically brief life of her math protégé.

As the body count mounts, Bonnie realizes she may have bitten off more than she can chew. Because whoever is eliminating her beloved students, has now decided East Plains, Colorado would be better off without one aging math teacher.

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.

Apple Free iBook Download Link (via iTunes).

Telemystery: Fox Commits to Series Pilot Adapted from Leif G. W. Persson's Crime Novels

Earlier this month we reported that the television rights to the crime novels by Leif G. W. Persson featuring Stockholm police officer Evert Backstrom had been acquired by 20th Century Fox.

Now we're learning that Fox Television has committed to filming a series pilot based on the character. The author, who throughout the 1990s wrote numerous television episode screenplays in his native Sweden, will serve as co-executive producer for the studio.

At present, there are only two books in the Evert Backstrom series, neither of which (to our knowledge) has been translated into English. Persson is also the author of a separate series of crime novels featuring Swedish police inspector Lars Martin Johansson.

(Source: Deadline|Hollywood.)

TNT Interested in Pawn Shop PI Script

We suppose it was inevitable …

TNT is reportedly interested in developing a crime drama with a private investigator, who operates his business out of a pawn shop in Los Angeles. Even the title makes us cringe a bit: Bishop to Pawn.

The pedigree of the script cannot be questioned, though, having been written by Greg Plageman, whose previous credits include episodes of NYPD Blue, Law & Order, Cold Case, Chase, and the new Person of Interest. The executive producer attached to the project is also A-list: Jerry Bruckheimer, whose prime time crime credits are far too numerous to list here.

Still … a pawn shop? We'll have to wait and see how far one this goes.

(Source: The Hollywood Reporter.)

Mysterious New Website for The Hunger Games

A mysterious new website has appeared for The Hunger Games: TheCapitol.pn. (Keywords on the page include "Hunger Games", "Panem", and "Capitol", so the intent of the site isn't a mystery … through the legitimacy of it remains, at least in our opinion, in doubt. We're guessing .pn is supposed to stand in for Panem; it's actually the Pitcairn Islands.) The home page is simply a wavy image of what appears to be the outline of a coliseum or something similar.

The only link on the page is attached to "Hello citizen. Identify yourself." It requests you log in with your twitter account, but the terms are far too onerous for us — allowing the app to follow new people, update your profile, and post tweets on your behalf.

We're wondering how legitimate the site is, and its purpose, so if someone braver than we are gets through, we'd be curious to learn what you find out.

NBC Developing Drama based on Israeli TV Thriller Timrot Ashan

NBC has acquired the US television rights to the Israeli television thriller Smoke Pillars (or Pillars of Smoke) with the intent of producing a stateside version.

In the Israeli series, titled Timrot Ashan, which is starting its second season, the police investigate a cult from the Golan Heights that has mysteriously disappeared. With little assistance from the local population, the lead investigator discovers a political conspiracy with potential environmental consequences.

Some websites are describing the series as a cross between Twin Peaks and Lost. We watched the opening credits online, and though we don't read/speak Hebrew, just the visuals and soundtrack have us leaning far more towards Twin Peaks than Lost; quite frankly it reminded us more of True Blood than anything else (though we didn't see any evidence of vampires!).

(Source: The Hollywood Reporter.)

Review: Death and the Maiden by Gerald Elias

Death and the Maiden by Gerald Elias. A Daniel Jacobus Mystery. Minotaur Books Hardcover, August 2011.

The mystery of a missing violinist is well crafted and has its fair share of surprises for the reader, but the overall storyline involving the staging of a multi-media performance of Franz Shubert's "Death and the Maiden" will probably appeal most to those who also take an interest in the arts.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Death and the Maiden by Gerald Elias.

Junior Mystery Quest, New for Nintendo DS

Become a secret sleuth in Junior Mystery Quest, a hidden-object adventure game designed especially for younger Nintendo DS players.

The Tibutton family's Uncle Alester is missing, and DS detectives must explore a spooky old mansion to figure out what has happened to him. As they move through the story, from room to room, players use the stylus to seek out objects on the touch screen that are cleverly drawn into each scene.

The main characters are kind and friendly, and the game's story is intended to be challenging and exciting, but not too scary for children.

Junior Mystery Quest is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, August 30th, 2011, for Nintendo DS. It is ESRB rated E for Everyone.

— ◊ —

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

CBS Developing Crime Drama Project based on April Woo Mysteries by Leslie Glass

CBS is developing a crime drama based on the series of April Woo mysteries by Leslie Glass. The first book in the series, Burning Time, was published by Bantam in 1995.

April Woo is a Chinese-American detective with the NYPD. In her first outing, she is assigned to a routine missing persons case that converges with the hunt for a serial killer, who sears his signature of fire into the bodies of his victims.

There are nine books in the series, the most recent of which, A Clean Kill, was published in 2005.

Amy Bloom (Lifetime's State of Mind) will write the screenplay for the pilot and executive produce.

(Source: Deadline|Hollywood.)

Telemystery: The Defenders, Detroit 1-8-7, Murphy's Law, and Vera, New 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 four series being released this week.

— ◊ —

 

Jim Belushi and Jerry O'Connell star as The Defenders in this short-lived series set in Las Vegas.

Nick Morelli (Belushi) and Pete Kaczmarek (O'Connell) are the local go-to guys with an eclectic client list, who are still looking to hit their own jackpot. While Lady Luck shines on their legal careers, the partners have their hands full when it comes to their personal lives. With Pete busy cruising the Vegas Strip for his latest romantic conquest, Nick is focused on repairing a fractured marriage to his estranged wife and remaining present in the life of their young son.

The Defenders: The Complete Series (and labeled as "The DVD Edition") is available on DVD and iTunes (click on the icons above for more details), and consists of 18 episodes that originally aired on CBS from during the 2010/2011 television season.

— ◊ —

 

The crisis, revelation and heartbreak of some of Detroit's finest are on display as a group of inner city police agree to have their days filmed by a documentary crew in Detroit 1-8-7, a highly praised though low rated crime drama that lasted just one season on ABC.

Leading the officers is Lieutenant Maureen Mason (Aisha Hinds), a single mother struggling to balance her work and home lives. New partners Louis Fitch (Michael Imperioli) and Damon Washington (Jon Michael Hill) are paired for their knowledge of the city and heroism on the job. But homicide work is never easy, and these cops are soon tested by the crime-ridden city in which they live.

Detroit 1-8-7: Season One is available on DVD and iTunes (click on the icons above for more details), and consists of 18 episodes that originally aired from September 2010 through March 2011. (We think the producers are optimistic that the series may be picked up by another network at some point, hence the "Season One" designation.)

— ◊ —

James Nesbitt stars as maverick Irish police officer Tommy Murphy in Murphy's Law.

Guilt-ridden over the death of his young daughter, who was slain by the IRA, he flees to London to work undercover for the Metropolitan Police.

Murphy's Law: Season Four and Five is available on DVD (click on the icon left for more details), and consists of 6 episodes that originally aired on BBC during August 2006 and October 2007.

Also available, and being released this week, is Murphy's Law: The Complete Collection, which includes all 22 episodes of the series.

— ◊ —

Brenda Blethyn stars as Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope in Vera, based on a character created by crime novelist Ann Cleeves. Three of the episodes are adapted from novels in the series.

Set in and around Newcastle in scenic Northumberland County, Vera solves baffling crimes in the area with her trusted partner Detective Sergeant Joe Ashworth (David Leon).

Vera: Series One is available on DVD (click on the icon left for more details), and consists of four episodes that originally aired on ITV in May 2011. The network has confirmed that a second series of Vera is in production.

— ◊ —

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.

First Teaser Trailer for The Hunger Games

The first teaser trailer for The Hunger Games aired on last night's Video Music Awards; we've embedded it at the bottom of this post. It's short, doesn't tell you much about the movie — we have a summary below — but does show star Jennifer Lawrence in character using her signature bow and arrow as a weapon.

The Hunger Games is adapted from the first book in "The Hunger Games" trilogy of young adult thrillers by Suzanne Collins. Here's the studio's synopsis of the film:

Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. Part twisted entertainment, part government intimidation tactic, the Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which Tributes must fight with one another until one survivor remains. Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy. If she’s ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

The Hunger Games opens in theaters on March 23rd, 2012.

Hidden in Plain View by Blair S. Walker is Today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Hidden in Plain View by Blair S. Walker as today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal. The deal price of $0.99 is valid only for today, Monday, August 29, 2011.

— ◊ —

Hidden in Plain View by Blair S. Walker
A Darryl Billups Mystery
AmazonEncore

Originally published in hardcover by Avon in 1999, Hidden in Plain View is the second of three crime novels in this series.

About Hidden in Plain View (from the publisher): After earning national acclaim for his story exposing a plot by domestic terrorists to blow up NAACP headquarters, The Herald rewards Darryl Billups with an editorship, but it’s not long before he’s itching to escape the office and return to the streets as a cop reporter chronicling the misdeeds of Baltimore’s seamy underbelly.

He gets his chance when the nude bodies of African-American professionals begin turning up around town, their faces ominously marked with Confederate-flag decals. At a loss for suspects, Baltimore homicide detective Phillip Gardner calls on his old friend Darryl to help with the serial-killer investigation.

Darryl eagerly reconnects with Baltimore’s seedy underbelly and is soon hot on the trail of a killer who will transform his notions about gender, race, and the workings of the criminal mind. To break this story, Darryl must learn to look at the world in a totally different way—or become the killer’s most high-profile victim yet.

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 Kindle Daily Deal Download Link.

Mystery Godoku Puzzle for August 29, 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!).

— ◊ —

This week's letters and mystery clue:

C E I K P Q S T U

It was this “to murder” in the title of the first Stacy Graysin mystery by Ella Barrick (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: A Bedlam of Bones by Suzette A. Hill

A Bedlam of Bones by Suzette A. Hill. A Francis Oughterard Mystery. Soho Constable Hardcover, July 2011.

The five-book story arc that began with A Load of Old Bones comes to a somewhat disappointing close with this weakly plotted novel, though the observations by Bouncer and Maurice are as entertaining as ever.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: A Bedlam of Bones by Suzette A. Hill.

Review: A Murder in Tuscany by Christobel Kent

A Murder in Tuscany by Christobel Kent. A Sandro Cellini Mystery. Minotaur Books Hardcover, August 2011.

This book had me travelling to an elaborate setting and filled interactive characters that impact not only on each other but on the location. I thought I had it figured all out only to be surprised in the end. A great read if you like detail of place and person.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: A Murder in Tuscany by Christobel Kent.

CBS Developing Crime Drama Project based on David Baldacci PI Series

In some news from earlier in the week that we missed, CBS is developing a project adapted from the series of political thrillers by David Baldacci featuring private investigators Sean King and Michelle Maxwell, who take on cases too sensitive for government officials to handle.

Tentatively titled King & Maxwell, the crime drama is being planned for the 2012/2013 television season.

(Source: Deadline|Hollywood.)