Sunday, September 25, 2011

Mr. E. Reviews Prison Break Season 4

Prison Break Season 4 (DVD Cover)
Purchase/Rental Option(s)
Prison Break Season 4 on DVDPrison Break Season 4 on Amazon Instant VideoPrison Break Season 4 on iTunes

It is not necessary to have seen any of the previous seasons of Prison Break to enjoy this fourth and final one, though it most certainly helps. The stand-alone storyline here is engaging enough to keep one's attention, though a sequence of repetitive and rather mindless action scenes bog down some of the middle episodes.

Read the full text of our review at Mr. E. Reviews Prison Break Season 4.

— ◊ —

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

New Hardcover Mysteries for October 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 October 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 October new mystery books page, which will become the default home page for the site on October 1st).

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

Tasha Alexander (Lady Emily Ashton, 6th) —  Madelyn Alt (Maggie O'Neill, Bewitching, 8th) —  Steve Alten (Domain Trilogy, 3rd) —  Marty Ambrose (Mallie Monroe, Mango Bay, 3rd) —  Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain (Murder, She Wrote, 36th) —  M. C. Beaton (Agatha Raisin, 22nd) —  Rita Mae Brown (Mags Rogers, 2nd) —  Ken Bruen (Jack Taylor, 9th) —  JoAnna Carl (Lee McKinney, Chocoholic, 11th) —  Laura Childs (Carmela Bertrand, Scrapbooking, 9th) —  Mark de Castrique (Sam Blackman, 3rd) —  John F. Dobbyn (Michael Knight and Lex Devlin, 3rd) —  Elizabeth J. Duncan (Penny Brannigan, 3rd) —  Anne Emery (Monty Collins, 6th) —  Louise Gaylord (Allie Armington, 4th) —  Ed Gorman (Sam McCain, 9th) —  Barbara Graham (Theo and Tony Abernathy, Murder Quilt, 3rd) —  David Handler (Berger and Mitry, 8th) —  Charlaine Harris (Aurora Teagarden, 4th) —  Quintin Jardine (Bob Skinner, 21st) —  Iris Johansen (Eve Duncan and Joe Quinn, 14th) —  Cotton Ketchie (Michael Coletti, 2nd) —  Jeff Lindsay (Dexter Morgan, 6th) —  Barry Maitland (Brock and Kolla, 11th) —  Michael McMenamin and Patrick McMenamin (Bourke Cockran Jr. and Mattie McGary, 3rd) —  D. E. Meredith (Adolphus Hatton and Albert Roumande, 2nd) —  Kyle Mills (Robert Ludlum's Covert One Thrillers, 9th) —  Ian Morson (Nick Zuliani, 2nd) —  Marcia Muller (Sharon McCone, 29th) —  Stuart Neville (Jack Lennon, 2nd) —  Anne Perry (Christmas Novellas, 10th) —  Brent Pilkey (Jack Warren, 2nd) —  Kinley Roby (Harry Brock, 7th) —  Joel C. Rosenberg (David Shirazi, 2nd) —  John Sandford (Virgil Flowers, 5th) —  Robin Spano (Clare Vengel, 2nd) —  Aimee Thurlo and David Thurlo (Ella Clah, 17th) —  Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan (Strain Trilogy, 3rd) —  Peter Tremayne (Sister Fidelma, 21st) —  Peter Turnbull (Harry Vicary, 2nd) —  David J. Walker (Wild Onion, 6th) —  Peggy Webb (Southern Cousins, 4th) —  Jeri Westerson (Medieval Noir, 4th) —  F. Paul Wilson (Repairman Jack, 15th)

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

C. C. Benison (Father Tom Christmas) —  Gordon Cope (Jack Kenyon) —  James Craig (John Carlyle) —  C. C. Harrison (Nick Reid) —  Jayne Ormerod (Ellery Tindsdale and Samantha Greene) —  Jane Tesh (David Randall) —  Lis Wiehl and Pete Nelson (The East Salem Trilogy)

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

B. Kent Anderson —  Michelle Black —  Chris Bohjalian —  Sam Christer —  John Connolly —  Dean Crawford —  Stuart Dill —  Betsy Draine and Michael Hinden —  Tricia Fields —  Anthea Fraser —  Rick Gavin —  John Grisham —  Gerald Hammond —  Ellen Hopkins —  Gordon Jenkinson —  Solomon Jones —  Jayne Ann Krentz —  Doug Magee —  Jane McLoughlin —  Patrick Melton, Marcus Dunstan and Stephen Romano —  Susan Newhof —  James Patterson and Richard DiLallo —  Todd Ritter —  Les Roberts —  Priscilla Royal —  Michael Stein —  Brett J. Talley —  Dave Zeltserman

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

The Fifth Woman by Henning Mankell is Today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal

MystereBooks: Mystery, Suspense, and Thriller eBooks

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Fifth Woman by Henning Mankell as today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal. The deal price of $1.99 is valid only for today, Sunday, September 25, 2011.

— ◊ —

The Fifth Woman by Henning Mankell

The Fifth Woman by Henning Mankell
A Kurt Wallander Mystery (6th in series)
The New Press

Published in Sweden in 1996 under the title Den femte kvinnan, this novel was adapted into a 4-part made-for-television mini-series in Sweden that aired in 2002. It also served as the basis for the sixth episode of English-language adaptations of the books, Wallander starring Kenneth Branagh as the Swedish homicide detective.

About The Fifth Woman (from the publisher): In an African convent, four nuns and an unidentified fifth woman are brutally murdered, and the death of the unknown woman is covered up by the local police. A year later in Sweden, Inspector Kurt Wallander is baffled and appalled by two strange murders. Holger Eriksson, a retired car dealer and bird watcher, is impaled on sharpened bamboo poles in a ditch behind his secluded home, while the body of a missing florist is discovered strangled and tied to a tree. The only clues Wallander has to go on are a skull, a diary, and a photo of three men. What ensues is a case that will test Wallander's strength and patience, for in order to solve these murders he will need to uncover their elusive connection to the earlier unsolved murder in Africa of the fifth woman.

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 Amazon Kindle Daily Deal Download Link.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

First Clues, Mysteries for Kids: New Titles for October 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 October 2011, listed in approximate order of reading level, from books for younger readers to books for teens.

— ◊ —

The Mixed-Up Message by Natalie Shaw

The Mixed-Up Message More Information about the book
Natalie Shaw
The Busytown Mysteries

A new adventure featuring the timeless characters created by Richard Scarry.

Sergeant Murphy gets a call for help on his radio, but it’s muffled and hard to understand. When Huckle and the gang investigate, they realize that different words can sound alike. While it sounds like the message is “goat … duck … socks … HELP!” it is really “boat … stuck … rocks … HELP!” The gang finds a fisherman stranded in his boat after hitting some rocks, and they help Sergeant Murphy bring him to safety!

The Busytown Mysteries are recommended for readers aged 4 to 6.

— ◊ —

The Graduation Day Mystery by David A. Adler

The Graduation Day Mystery More Information about the book
David A. Adler
A Cam Jansen Mystery

Eric's father is finally graduating from college. But before the celebration can begin, a very special present from Grandpa Shelton disappears. Was it lost-or stolen? Cam must use her photographic memory to track down the gift.

This is the 31st mystery in the Cam Jansen Mystery series and is recommended for readers aged 7 to 9.

— ◊ —

The Case of the Mysterious Voice by John R. Erickson

The Case of the Mysterious Voice More Information about the book
John R. Erickson
A Hank the Cowdog Mystery

When an odd twist of events brings a parrot to the ranch, Hank and Drover are not worried. After all, what harm can one mimicking bird do? So Hank decides to go about his business and do whatever Sally May and Loper ask him to. The only problem is, they don't seem to appreciate his heeding their requests to bark louder or dig up the flowers. What's really going on? Hank's not sure, but he's determined to get to the bottom of it!

The Hank the Cowdog Mysteries — this is the 58th book in this long-running series — are recommended for readers aged 7 to 9.

— ◊ —

The Disappearing Dog by Franklin W. Dixon

The Disappearing Dog More Information about the book
Franklin W. Dixon
The Hardy Boys: Secret Files

In this 7th book of the series, there’s a new kid in Bayport, and Frank and Joe Hardy aren’t really sure what to make of Max O’Malley, self-proclaimed magician. Not only is he totally annoying, he claims that he can make anything — or anyone — disappear.

Though Max wins over a bunch of classmates, Frank and Joe remain skeptical — until Mrs. Briar’s prized show dog, Charlie, starts to mysteriously disappear and reappear without any explanation. Max quickly becomes the prime suspect, but is he really the one behind the strange occurrences? Could it be that Max is as magical as he claims to be?

The Hardy Boys: Secret Files are recommended for readers aged 7 to 9.

— ◊ —

It Happened on a Train by Mac Barnett

It Happened on a Train More Information about the book
Mac Barnett
A Brixton Brothers Mystery

Retired private detective and current seventh grader Steve Brixton has a new career: taking out the garbage on Wednesdays for five bucks a week. But it’s hard to leave the old game behind, and on a train trip down the California coast, Steve finds himself pulled back into sleuthing. Soon he’s in over his head in four feet and eleven inches of mystery involving a fleet of priceless automobiles, a deadly assassin (or maybe just a faulty lock on a sauna door), and a secret train car filled with intrigue. Plus there’s a girl involved, which complicates everything. I mean she’s just Steve’s friend. And really, they barely even know each other. It’s not like they’re boyfriend or girlfriend or anything, okay?

This is the third Brixton Brothers mystery and is recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

— ◊ —

Vanishing Acts by Phillip Margolin and Ami Margolin Rome

Vanishing Acts More Information about the book
Phillip Margolin and Ami Margolin Rome
A Madison Kincaid Mystery

A new series!

From tracking down her best friend, who’s nowhere to be found, to secretly helping her attorney father solve a missing-person case, Madison Kincaid is a busy seventh-grade sleuth. Teaming up with new classmate Jake, she hits the sidewalks of Portland, Oregon, determined to find out what’s behind two mysterious vanishing acts.

This Madison Kincaid mystery is recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

— ◊ —

The Lemon Tree Caper by Rene Saldana

The Lemon Tree Caper More Information about the book
Rene Saldana
A Mickey Rangel Mystery

Mickey Rangel, kid detective extraordinaire, has just exited the school bus one sweltering afternoon when he hears a blood-curdling shriek. It's coming from the creepy neighbor lady's house. Señorita Andrade, known as La Bruja Andrade to all the neighborhood kids, is as old as the moon, wrinkled like a prune, and smells like moth balls. But she's in trouble, so Mickey forgoes the cool, refreshing glass of lemonade he planned to buy from Tina's stand and instead goes to help the supposed witch.

"My lemons, Mickey, my prize-winning lemons. They're gone. They re all gone," Señorita Andrade cries. The tree was covered with fruit just that morning, but Mickey can see that it's true: there's not one lemon on the tree. She is famous for her lemons. One of the reasons everyone thinks the woman is a witch is because she somehow manages to keep lemons on the tree year round. And for years she has won first prize in the annual Lemon Festival and Lowrider Bicycle Show. In the lemon category that is, not the bikes.

Who could have removed several sacks full of lemons? Was it only a coincidence that Tina had set up a lemonade stand just down the street? With a bowl full of lemons sitting right out front?!? Or could it have been someone trying to sabotage Señorita Andrade's entry in the upcoming festival dedicated to the savory fruit? "I'll get to the bottom of this, ma'am. Mickey Rangel is on the case."

This is the second mystery in this bilingual series (English/Spanish) and is recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

— ◊ —

The Night of the Skulls by Wendelin Van Draanen

The Night of the Skulls More Information about the book
Wendelin Van Draanen
A Sammy Keyes Mystery

In her 14th adventure, junior high detective Sammy Keyes and her friends take a detour through a graveyard on Halloween night and find themselves in the middle of a mystery. Sammy must figure out how three missing people, two human skulls, and one ghoulish embalmer add up before she winds up six feet under herself!

And school presents its own set of tricks and treats. Sammy knows that a classmate is guilty of beating up a man on Halloween night. Should she obey the law and tell Officer Borsch? Or should she obey the junior high code and keep quiet?

Life and death and truth and justice have never been so tangled up …

The Sammy Keyes mysteries are recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

— ◊ —

The Case of the Carnival Crime by Donald J. Sobol

The Case of the Carnival Crime More Information about the book
Donald J. Sobol
An Encyclopedia Brown Mystery

Following the classic formula in this series that began in 1963, this new installment presents ten new mysteries, complete with answers at the end of the book that allow the reader to solve the cases along with the boy detective. Join Encyclopedia as he takes on cases of giant diamonds, lazy lions, a country singer, and of course a trip to the carnival.

This Encyclopedia Brown mystery is recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

— ◊ —

Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact by A. J. Hartley

Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact More Information about the book
A. J. Hartley

Eleven-year-old Darwen Arkwright has spent his whole life in a tiny town in England. So when he is forced to move to Atlanta, Georgia, to live with his aunt, he knows things will be different — but what he finds there is beyond even his wildest imaginings!

Darwen discovers an enchanting world through the old mirror hanging in his closet — a world that holds as many dangers as it does wonders. Scrobblers on motorbikes with nets big enough to fit a human boy. Gnashers with no eyes, but monstrous mouths full of teeth. Flittercrakes with bat-like bodies and the faces of men. Along with his new friends Rich and Alexandra, Darwen becomes entangled in an adventure and a mystery that involves the safety of his entire school. They soon realize that the creatures are after something in our world — something that only human children possess.

This possible first in a new series is recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

— ◊ —

The Orphan of Awkward Falls by Keith Graves

The Orphan of Awkward Falls More Information about the book
Keith Graves

When thirteen-year-old Josephine moves to Awkward Falls she can't help but snoop around the dilapidated mansion next door. Inevitably, she is captured by the house's strange inhabitants: an ancient automaton who serves as a butler, a cat patched together with a few odd parts, and most surprising of all, a boy named Thaddeus Hibble.

Meanwhile, Fetid Stenchley, the most feared patient in the Asylum for the Dangerously Insane, is on the loose after making a dramatic escape, and there is only one thing on his mind … revenge. Unfortunately for Josephine and Thaddeus, he's headed their way. Can these unlikely friends stop Stenchley before it's too late?

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

— ◊ —

Mystery at Malachite Mansion by Carolyn Keene

Mystery at Malachite Mansion More Information about the book
Carolyn Keene
A Nancy Drew, Girl Detective Mystery

In the second book in the "Malibu Mayhem Trilogy", Nancy Drew and her friends aren’t exactly having the most restful Malibu vacation. After noticing pollution on the shores of their beautiful beachfront condo, they check into the shady “holistic spa” next door to investigate a motivational guru who could be tied to ocean garbage dumping!

The Nancy Drew, Girl Detective mystery books are recommended for readers aged 10 and older.

— ◊ —

The Dragon Turn by Shane Peacock

The Dragon Turn More Information about the book
Shane Peacock
A Boy Sherlock Holmes Mystery

It is Summer 1869 in this fifth book of the series, and Sherlock Holmes and his friend Irene celebrate her sixteenth birthday by attending the theater to watch a celebrated magician make a real dragon appear on stage. It is the London sensation. Sherlock and Irene meet the magician, Alistair Hemsworth — just as he is arrested for the murder of his rival, The Wizard of Nottingham.

It seems that traces of the missing Wizard’s blood and his spectacles were found in Hemsworth’s secret studio. Hemsworth has a motive: not only is the Wizard his rival, but he also caused a scandal when he lured Hemsworth’s wife away. But is Hemsworth guilty? Sherlock has his doubts, and soon, so does the reader.

This Boy Sherlock Holmes mystery is recommended for readers aged 13 and older.

— ◊ —

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).

Millennium Acquires US Rights to Elmore Leonard-Scripted Rampart

Millennium Entertainment

Millennium Entertainment announced in a press release yesterday that the company had acquired the US rights to Rampart. The film, co-written by crime novelist Elmore Leonard and its director Oren Moverman, stars Woody Harrelson as Dave Brown, a cop long ago unleashed from the rules of the Los Angeles Police Department, and is based in part on a real LAPD scandal from the 1990s.

Assigned to the Rampart Precinct, Brown is dedicated to doing "the people’s dirty work" and asserting his own code of justice, often blurring the lines between right and wrong to maintain his action-hero state of mind. When he gets caught on tape beating a suspect, he finds himself in a personal and emotional downward spiral as the consequences of his past sins and his refusal to change his ways in light of a department-wide corruption scandal seal his fate.

The film's large supporting cast includes Ben Foster, Robin Wright, Sigourney Weaver, Steve Buscemi, Anne Heche, Cynthia Nixon, Ice Cube, Brie Larson, and Ned Beatty. Millennium expects to release Rampart this year.

OMN Welcomes Laura Caldwell, Author of the Izzy McNeil Mysteries

Omnimystery News: Authors on Tour

Omnimystery News is pleased to welcome Laura Caldwell, author of the Izzy McNeil mysteries. The fourth book in this series is Claim of Innocence (Mira Books, August 2011 paperback and ebook editions).

Today Laura writes about the dangers of writing real people into fiction.

— ◊ —

For years, when a charity asked me to donate something for their silent auction, I'd give signed books or a book club visit. Eventually, I wanted to be more creative. So I offered a chance to get your name in an upcoming Izzy McNeil mystery.

Laura Caldwell
Photo provided courtesy of
Laura Caldwell

I was surprised by the enthusiasm. The chance to be a fictional character (my choice—you might be a cop from Rogers Park or a neurosurgeon from Taiwan) was raising a lot more funds for charity than a mountain of signed books. A powerful local politico spent a few thousand to get his daughter's name in the novels. (She ended up a national NBC correspondent). A gentleman from Marian Central Catholic High School, my alma mater, paid well to get his daughter in the game. (She became a U.S. Attorney from the Northern District).

Only twice have I put a real, living person in my book. The first was Rose, the owner and proprietor of Rose's bar on Lincoln Avenue. (Don't worry. It's not as scary on the inside as it looks on the out). I adore Rose—both the woman and the bar—so when I found myself writing about Izzy and Sam going to a dive bar on a spring afternoon, I stopped and thought, Why not put in the real thing?

And so, for a short scene, Izzy and Sam sat in Rose's. They even spoke to her briefly about Polish beers.

When I got my advanced copies, I practically skipped over to Rose's with a novel hot off the presses.

"There you are," I said excitedly to Rose, standing on the rung of a jankety bar stool. "There you are," I said again, pointing to her printed name.

She peered at the book, which I'd opened to the page on which she appeared. I would later learn that she did not read English well. Never had, never particularly wanted to. Still, I knew she could spot her own name. And in my novel!

"Eh," she said, giving the book a single nod of her head, her white curls barely moving.

"That's you!" I was like a two-year-old caught by the sight of themselves in a mirror. Or some barely adult version thereof.

No matter how many times I read Rose her passage, pointed to the words, highlighted and penciled the paragraphs, she remained unimpressed. Finally, she took the copy from my hands and placed the book behind the bar with all the other random crap (mostly glossy magazine pictures from 80s and a few portraits of a patron and his deceased wife). I stared at the book, taking great pride in making it behind the bar at Rose's.

When I returned a few weeks later, it was gone. "Where did it go?" I asked Rose.

"Eh," she said, shrugging this time.

So it was years before I even considered putting someone else, someone real, in my novels. But it happened again in a similar way. I had a scene (an opening scene of Claim of Innocence) where my main character triumphantly walks out of the civil courthouse, having lost her argument, sure, but not having made an ass of herself. I wrote about the judge who made Izzy feel listened to and respected, even though he would rule against her. And then I knew who I had to have in the book—Judge William Maddux—a legend. He'd been orphaned, become Mayor of Boystown (made popular in the Spencer Tracy movie), gotten a football scholarship to Notre Dame, became a Capital police officer in Washington D.C. (even as he was attending, and succeeding, at Georgetown law school), moved to Chicago, became wildly successful as a defense attorney and later personal injury, and eventually ascended to the bench where he became a forward-thinking, keep-the-wheels-of-justice-moving-quickly kind of judge and eventually became the Presiding Judge of the civil division of Cook County, the most litigious place in the nation.

But once again, my subject found themselves unimpressed. Not that Judge Maddux wasn't excited to be in my book. He was. He'd sent messages via a few friends of mine, attorneys who regularly appeared in front of him. Make sure she brings the book, he'd say whenever there was a Chicago attorney outing we would both attend. I'd been bragging about his cameo in the book for a few years; now it was time to pay the piper.

It started well. On a sunny Friday in June (which renders everyone in Chi-town bonkers-happy) a group of judges and attorneys met at a sparkling new restaurant overlooking the Chicago river. The silverware gleamed, the glasses reflected myriad colors of smiles and laughs around the room. I handed the book proudly to the judge, a hush dying over the table.

The judge started reading. He chuckled appreciatively; a grin grew on his handsome, tanned face. But then his eyes went flat. Nodded. Closed the book. Put it face down on the table.

It was like Rose's all over again. I felt my confidence tanking. "What?" I asked, incredulous.

"My eyes are brown," he said.

I picked up the book. I read,

I was writing off the fact that although Maggie's opponent had won the motion, and the complaint temporarily dismissed, Judge Maddux had said "Nice argument, counsel" to me, his wise, blue eyes sparkling.

Judge Maddux had seen every kind of case in his decades of practice and every kind of lawyer. His job involved watching people duke it out, day after day after day. For him to say "Nice argument" was a victory. It meant I still had it.

I looked at the judge. His eyes were indeed chestnut brown. "But they have sort of a blue-ish tinge," I said.

He frowned.

"And you seem like a blue-eyed person," I said inanely. I looked around the table. "Doesn't he?" I said to the other lawyers and judges.

A few people half-nodded. "I guess," my friend, Karen, said.

Everyone turned back to their appetizers, while Claim of Innocence lay forlorn next to the judge's plate.

Never again, I swore to myself. Sure, I'd still let people's names be in the books, but only when I could make them whatever kind of character I wanted. Enough of this trying to capture the real essence of someone in a fictional novel.

But I have a feeling I'll forget this shame soon. And someone will so impress me, make such a good argument for why they, the real person, should have a conversation with Izzy. Could that be you? Or someone you know? If so, email me your suggestions to info@lauracaldwell.com. I might be dumb enough to go a third round.

— ◊ —

Before beginning her writing career, Laura was a partner in a Chicago law firm, specializing in medical malpractice defense and entertainment law. In 2001 she joined Loyola University Chicago School of Law and has taught Advanced Litigation Writing and International Criminal Law among others. She is now a Distinguished Scholar in Residence and the Director of Loyola's Life After Innocence Project, which aids former prisoners following exoneration.

For more information about Laura and her books, visit her website at LauraCaldwell.com.

— ◊ —

Claim of Innocence by Laura Caldwell

Amazon.com Print and/or Kindle Edition

Barnes&Noble Print Edition and/or Nook Book

Indie Bound: Independent Bookstores

About Claim of Innocence:

It was a crime of passion—or so the police say. Valerie Solara has been charged with poisoning her best friend. The prosecution claims she's always been secretly attracted to Amanda's husband…and with Amanda gone, she planned to make her move.

Attorney Izzy McNeil left the legal world a year ago, but a friend's request pulls her into the murder trial. Izzy knows how passion can turn your life upside down. She thought she had it once with her ex-fiancé, Sam. Now she wonders if that's all she has in common with her criminally gorgeous younger boyfriend, Theo.

It's Izzy's job to present the facts that will exonerate her client—whether or not she's innocent. But when she suspects Valerie is hiding something, she begins investigating—and uncovers a web of secret passions and dark motives, where seemingly innocent relationships can prove poisonous …

Scoop by Kit Frazier is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks: Mystery, Suspense, and Thriller eBooks

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Scoop by Kit Frazier 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.

— ◊ —

Scoop by Kit Frazier

Scoop by Kit Frazier
A Cauley MacKinnon Mystery (1st in series)
Smashwords

Originally published by Midnight Ink as a trade paperback in 2006, Scoop introduces Austin (Texas) newspaper obituary writer Caulet MacKinnon. In our review of the book, we said, "Kit Frazier has created a smart, independent, strong-minded woman to be the heroine of her series, and with Scoop has written a solid mystery that should appeal to a wide range of readers."

About Scoop (from the publisher): Cauley MacKinnon is staring down the barrel of twenty-eighth birthday, certain the only things standing between her and certain doom are instinct, pure dumb luck and a kick-ass hairdresser. Starting over after a truly bad marriage and armed with a freshly minted journalism degree, Cauley is disappointed to find that the only job she can get in her hometown of Austin is as an obituary writer — something that only happens to interns who've been very good, or reporters who've been very bad.

Somehow, Cauley's managed to do both. While on the hunt for a story that will get her off the Death Page, Cauley's life takes a turn for the worse when hapless childhood friend, Scott Barnes, threatens suicide and barricades himself in a dilapidated old shed where he phones Cauley for help. Cauley is soon devastated when she discovers Barnes dead at his computer with an empty bottle of bourbon and a computer-generated suicide note. Soon, Cauley is up to her eyelashes in dead bodies and everyone wants to know what Barnes said in the shed — the last time anyone saw him alive.

Read our review of Scoop by Kit Frazier.

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):

Barnes&Noble Free Nook Book B&N Free Nook Book Download Link.

Apple Free iBook Apple Free iBook Download Link (via iTunes).

Smashwords Free eBook Smashwords Free Book Download Link.

Friday, September 23, 2011

New Trailer for One for the Money

One for the Money (2012)

A new trailer for the film adaptation of Janet Evanovich's One for the Money has been posted on the Yahoo! Movies website. We've embedded it below.

The film stars Katherine Heigl as series character Stephanie Plum. Desperate for some fast cash, Stephanie turns to her last resort: convincing her sleazy cousin to give her a job at his bail bonding company … as a recovery agent. True, she doesn't even own a pair of handcuffs and her weapon of choice is pepper spray, but that doesn't stop Stephanie from taking on Vinny's biggest bail-jumper: former vice cop and murder suspect Joe Morelli — yup, the same sexy, irresistible Joe Morelli who seduced and dumped her back in high school. Nabbing Morelli would be satisfying payback — and a hefty payday — but as Stephanie learns the ins and outs of becoming a recovery agent from Ranger, a hunky colleague who's the best in the business, she also realizes the case against Morelli isn't airtight. Add to the mix her meddling family, a potentially homicidal boxer, witnesses who keep dying and the problem of all those flying sparks when she finds Morelli himself … well, suddenly Stephanie's new job isn't nearly as easy as she thought.

One for the Money opens in theaters January 27th, 2012.

ABC Acquires Global Adventure Series Project Zero Hour

Telemystery: Mystery and Suspense on Television

Earlier today we reported that Prison Break producer and screenwriter Nick Santora had sold a crime drama project to Fox. Now we're learning that ABC has acquired a series project from the creator of Prison Break, Paul Scheuring.

Zero Hour is described as an epic adventure that has an everyman traveling the globe collecting clues that will unlock a mystery surrounding the Twelve Apostles … and also clues to his own identity. Scheuring will write the pilot script and executive produce.

(Source: The Hollywood Reporter.)

Sherlock Holmes's First Case on the Nintendo 3DS Announced

Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of the Frozen City (Nintendo 3DS)

Focus Home Interactive announced today that Sherlock Holmes has signed on for his first investigation on the Nintendo 3DS.

In Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of the Frozen City, a mysterious snowstorm has fallen upon London, so cold that even the Thames is starting to freeze. Sherlock Holmes is called in to investigate. Players will explore amazing environments, meet and interrogate many colorful characters, and examine objects and clues in order to discover the evidence that will help solve this incredible case.

The game is expected to be released during the first half of 2012.

(Source: The Adventure Games of Sherlock Holmes.)

Omnimystery Blog Archive

Total Pageviews (last 30 days)

Omnimystery News
Original Content Copyright © 2022 — Omnimystery, a Family of Mystery Websites — All Rights Reserved
Guest Post Content (if present) Copyright © 2022 — Contributing Author — All Rights Reserved