Mystery Godoku Puzzle for January 23, 2012

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:

A B D H I M R S T

He introduced jack-of-all-trades Virgil Cain in 2012's Red Means Run (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!

Nominees for the 2011 Hammett Prize Announced

The nominations for the 2011 Hammett Prize have been announced by the North American Branch of the International Association of Crime Writers for literary excellence in the field of crime fiction.

The winner will be chosen by three distinguished outside judges: Kevin Connolly, Canadian poet and editor; Eileen Hutton, founder of Brilliance Audio; and Paula J. Massood, author of Black City Cinema: African American Urban Experiences in Film. The winner will be announced during the Bloody Words Conference in Toronto, June 1st through 3rd, 2012. The winner will receive a bronze trophy designed by sculptor Peter Boiger.

The nominees are:

• Feast Day of Fools by James Lee Burke (Simon & Schuster)
• Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead by Sara Gran (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
• The Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje (Knopf)
• The Informant by Thomas Perry (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
• The Killer is Dying by James Sallis (Walker & Co.)

(Hat tip to Mystery Fanfare for alerting us to this news.)

Harlan Coben Writing Screenplay Adaptation of His New Thriller Stay Close

Crime novelist Harlan Coben and screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan (Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Bodyguard) are working together to write a film adaptation of Coben's upcoming stand-alone thriller Stay Close, which they expect to have completed to coincide with the publication of the book in mid-March.

Despite the popularity of Coben's novels, only one of his books has been made into a film, the French-produced Tell No One. (Warner Bros. has since picked up the rights to produce an English-language version.) The author acknowledges that he's trying something a little different here. "Every one of my books has either been optioned or is under option," he says. "And it seems to me that this situation with Larry isn't much different than an option deal where a producer gets somebody to acquire, then has a script written and then something goes wrong."

Stay Close follows three people living lives they never wanted. Megan is a suburban soccer mom who once upon a time walked on the wild side. Now she's got two kids, a perfect husband, a picket fence, and a growing sense of dissatisfaction. Ray used to be a talented documentary photographer, but at age forty he finds himself in a dead-end job posing as a paparazzo pandering to celebrity-obsessed rich kids. Jack is a detective who can't let go of a cold case — a local husband and father disappeared seventeen years ago — and spends the anniversary every year visiting a house frozen in time, the missing man's family still waiting, his slippers left by the recliner as if he might show up any moment to step into them.

Hiding secrets that even those closest to them would never suspect, the three will find that the past doesn't recede. Even as the terrible consequences of long-ago events crash together in the present and threaten to ruin lives, they will come to the startling realization that they may not want to forget the past at all. And as each confronts the dark side of the American Dream — the boredom of a nice suburban life, the excitement of temptation, the desperation and hunger that can lurk behind even the prettiest facades — they will discover the hard truth that the line between one kind of life and another can be as whisper-thin as a heartbeat.

(Related article: Deadline.)

Mr. E. Reviews Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame

Purchase/Rental Option(s)

No doubt many will see this film for its martial arts and action sequences, but it is also quite effective as a murder mystery. Detective Dee approaches the case like any seasoned private investigator would: assume that everyone — including your client — is lying to you but that clues to the truth are buried somewhere within the lies being told. As a bonus: it is visually stunning.

Read the full text of our review at Mr. E. Reviews Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame.

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

ABC Orders Pilot for Adaptation of 666 Park Avenue

ABC has ordered a pilot for a potential series adaptation of the supernatural novels by Gabriella Pierce, taking its title from the first book in the series, 666 Park Avenue.

The pilot's storyline is expected to generally follow that of the book — though possibly from the perspective of a different set of characters — which asks the question: What if your mother-in-law turned out to be an evil, cold-blooded witch … literally?

Ever since fabulously wealthy Malcolm Doran walked into her life and swept her off her feet, fledgling architect Jane Boyle has been living a fairy tale. When he proposes with a stunning diamond to seal the deal, Jane can't believe her incredible luck and decides to leave her Paris-based job to make a new start with Malcolm in New York.

But when Malcolm introduces Jane to the esteemed Doran clan, one of Manhattan's most feared and revered families, Jane's fairy tale takes a darker turn. Soon everything she thought she knew about the world — and herself — is upended. Now Jane must struggle with new-found magical abilities and the threat of those who will stop at nothing to get them.

The second book in the series, The Dark Glamour, was published this past August.

The Nail Knot by John Galligan is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Nail Knot by John Galligan as today's second free mystery ebook.

This title was listed as free as of the date and time of this post. Prices are subject to change without notice. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of purchase will be the price paid for the book. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your transaction.

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The Nail Knot by John Galligan
A Ned "Dog" Oglivie Fly Fishing Mystery
Publisher: Tyrus Books

This is the first (of four to date) mystery in this "fly fishing" series featuring Ned "Dog" Oglivie

About The Nail Knot (from the publisher): The going has gotten tough, and Dog has gone fishing. Fly fishing. For trout. All across America. At least until his money runs out …

Driven by tragedy to turn his back on human society, the Dog is on a quest to fish himself into oblivion. And he's nearly made it. Playing the back highways of America in a wounded old RV … provisioned with a supply of peanut butter sandwiches, bad cigars, and vodka-Tang … armed with a loaded pistol (for when the money runs out) … the Dog is nearly at the end of his tether when he rolls into little Black Earth, Wisconsin, intending to fish the yellow sally stonefly hatch … and finds a body instead.

Who killed Jake Jacobs, fellow fly fisher and late-coming agitator who was trying to save Black Earth Creek? Why was Jacobs disfigured in such a peculiar way? Why does the Dog give a damn? Can he rekindle his faith and interest in humankind? By caring about the death of a stranger, can the Dog recover his own life? Can he untie the Nail Knot?

Important Note: This book was listed for free on the date and time of this post. Prices can and do change without prior notice. 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.

For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.

Psychosomatic by Anthony Neil Smith is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Psychosomatic by Anthony Neil Smith as today's free mystery ebook.

This title was listed as free as of the date and time of this post. Prices are subject to change without notice. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of purchase will be the price paid for the book. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your transaction.

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Psychosomatic by Anthony Neil Smith
Publisher: Point Blank

This debut novel is a noir nightmare that asks how much is too much in a relationship … and what is the cost of leaving?

About Psychosomatic (from the publisher): Because Lydia didn't have arms or legs, she shelled out three thousand bucks to a washed up middleweight named Cap to give her ex-husband the beating of his life.

But the beating turns to murder, and the murder into lust and desperation between Lydia and an underworld clean-up man. Meanwhile, overgrown frat boy car thieves take up cop killing as a side hobby. When these paths cross, a horror show of violence unfolds as they all slide into a hell of their own design, surrounded by the neon and noise of the casino strip on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Violent, vivid, life at hyper-speed.

Important Note: This book was listed for free on the date and time of this post. Prices can and do change without prior notice. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Free Kindle Edition Download Link.

For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.

Review: A Corpse's Nightmare by Phillip DePoy

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: A Corpse's Nightmare by Phillip DePoy.

Bad Karma by Dave Zeltserman is Today's Fourth Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Bad Karma by Dave Zeltserman as today's fourth free mystery ebook.

This title was listed as free as of the date and time of this post. Prices are subject to change without notice. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of purchase will be the price paid for the book. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your transaction.

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Bad Karma by Dave Zeltserman
A Bill Shannon Mystery
Publisher: Five Star/StoneGate Ink

About Bad Karma (from the publisher): In this sequel to Bad Thoughts, originally published in 2009, Bill Shannon and his ex-wife, Susan, are reunited and living in Boulder, Colorado. When Shannon is hired to investigate the brutal murder of two college students, he finds himself mixed up with evil yoga studios, dangerous Russian mobsters, and worse!

Important Note: This book was listed for free on the date and time of this post. Prices can and do change without prior notice. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Free Kindle Edition Download Link.

For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.

From the Ashes by Jeremy Burns is Today's Third Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature From the Ashes by Jeremy Burns as today's third free mystery ebook.

This title was listed as free as of the date and time of this post. Prices are subject to change without notice. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of purchase will be the price paid for the book. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your transaction.

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From the Ashes by Jeremy Burns
A Jonathan Rickner Thriller
Publisher: The Fiction Studio

Published just this month, this is the author's first novel.

About From the Ashes (from the publisher): Graduate students Jonathan and Michael Rickner, sons of eminent archeologist Sir William Rickner, are no strangers to historical mysteries and archeological adventures. But when Michael is discovered dead in his Washington, D.C. apartment, Jon refuses to believe the official ruling of suicide. Digging deeper into his brother’s work, he discovers evidence that Michael was murdered to keep his dissertation research buried.

Joined by Michael’s fiancée Mara Ellison, Jon travels to New York where he uncovers the threads of a deadly Depression-era conspiracy – one entangling the Hoover Administration, the Rockefellers, and the rise of Nazi Germany – and the elite cadre of assassins that still guard its unspeakable secret.

Finding themselves in the crosshairs of the same men who killed Michael, Jon and Mara must navigate a complex web of historical cover-ups and modern-day subterfuge, outwitting and outrunning their all-powerful pursuers as they race through the monuments and museums of Manhattan in a labyrinthine treasure hunt to discover the last secret of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., before their enemies can bury the truth – and them – forever.

Important Note: This book was listed for free on the date and time of this post. Prices can and do change without prior notice. 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).

For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.

Register to be a Volunteer Book Giver for World Book Night

Omnimystery News is pleased to help promote World Book Night, the goal of which is to give books to new readers, to encourage reading, to share your passion for a great book. The entire publishing, bookstore, library, author, printing, and paper community is behind this effort with donated services and time.

You can help too! Book-loving volunteers are needed to fan out across America on April 23, 2012 — the UNESCO International Day of the Book. Just take 20 free copies of a book to a location in your community, and you just might change someone's life. These books will be specially-produced, not-for-resale World Book Night U.S. paperback editions, and there will be 30 titles for you to choose from — including, we're pleased to see, a number of mysteries and suspense novels.

Please sign up to be a volunteer by February 1st 6th (deadline extended!) by visiting WorldBookNight.org.

Murder at the War by Mary Monica Pulver is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Murder at the War by Mary Monica Pulver as today's second free mystery ebook.

This title was listed as free as of the date and time of this post. Prices are subject to change without notice. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of purchase will be the price paid for the book. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your transaction.

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Murder at the War by Mary Monica Pulver
A Peter Brichter Mystery
Publisher: St. Martin's Press/FTL Publications

The author of the popular "Needlecraft" mysteries, Monica Ferris began writing mysteries in the 1980s using her maiden name. Nominated for an Anthony Award for Best First Novel, Murder at the War is the first of five books in this series.

About Murder at the War (from the publisher): The Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) is a group of enthusiasts who research and selectively re-create the Middle Ages for knowledge and for fun. At their events, they wear historical clothing and call each other by medieval-style character names. Once a year, they meet to display their handiwork and stage a mock medieval war.

Policeman Peter Brichter (known in the SCA as Stefan von Helle) and his wife, Kori (known as Katherine of Tretower) go to the war for the fun. But the revelry turns deadly serious when a known troublemaker, Thorstane Shieldbreaker, is actually murdered. The local police, anxious to find the culprit, turn their attention to Peter and Kori as suspects once they find the two have quarreled with Thorstane. It is up to Lord Stefan and Lady Katherine, with their inside knowledge of the SCA, to clear their names and solve the crime.

Important Note: This book was listed for free on the date and time of this post. Prices can and do change without prior notice. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Free Kindle Edition Download Link.

For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.

The Delilah Complex by M. J. Rose is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Delilah Complex by M. J. Rose as today's free mystery ebook.

This title was listed as free as of the date and time of this post. Prices are subject to change without notice. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of purchase will be the price paid for the book. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your transaction.

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The Delilah Complex by M. J. Rose
A Butterfield Institute Thriller
Publisher: Mira Books

This is the second book in this series, one that we called in our review "an unusually effective mystery".

About The Delilah Complex (from the publisher): As one of New York's top sex therapists, Dr. Morgan Snow sees everything from the abused to the depraved. The Butterfield Institute is the sanctuary where she tries to heal these battered souls.

The Scarlet Society is a secret club of twelve powerful and sexually adventurous women. But when a photograph of the body of one of the men they're recruited to dominate — strapped to a gurney, the number 1 inked on the sole of his foot — is sent to the New York Times, they are shocked and frightened. Unable to cope with the tragedy, the women turn to Dr. Morgan Snow. But what starts out as grief counseling quickly becomes a murder investigation, with any one of the twelve women a potential suspect.

The case leads Detective Noah Jordan — a man with whom Morgan has shared a brief, intense connection — to her office. He fears the number on the man's foot hints that the killings have just begun. With her hands tied by her professional duty, Morgan is dangerously close to the demons in her own mind — and the flesh-and-blood killer.

Read our review of The Delilah Complex by M. J. Rose.

Important Note: This book was listed for free on the date and time of this post. Prices can and do change without prior notice. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Free Kindle Edition Download Link.

For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.

Mystery Bestsellers for the Week Ending January 20, 2012

A list of the top 15 mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending January 20th, 2012 has been posted by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books.

We're not sure we've ever seen this happen before, but after spending much of 2010 at number one and then finally dropping out of the top 10, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson has retained the top spot on our list this week. It's by only the barest of margins, but still … wow!

One new title debuts.

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Entering the list at number 12 is the 17th mystery to feature national park ranger Anna Pigeon, The Rope by Nevada Barr, a prequel to the series.

In 1995 and 35 years old, fresh off the bus from New York City and nursing a broken heart, Anna Pigeon takes a decidedly unglamorous job as a seasonal employee of the Glen Canyon National Recreational Area. On her day off, Anna goes hiking into the park never to return. Her co-workers think she’s simply moved on — her cabin is cleaned out and her things gone. But Anna herself wakes up, trapped at the bottom of a dry natural well, naked, without supplies and no clear memory of how she found herself in this situation.

As she slowly pieces together her memory, it soon becomes clear that someone has trapped her there, in an inescapable prison, and no one knows that she is even missing. Plunged into a landscape and a plot she is unfit and untrained to handle, Anna Pigeon must muster the courage, determination and will to live that she didn’t even know she still possessed to survive, outwit and triumph.

Purchase Options:

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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.

The World Will Be Watching: A New Poster for The Hunger Games

A new poster for the film adaptation of Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games has been released (right; click for larger version). The tagline: "The world will be watching."

Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the evil Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing 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 stars Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, and Josh Hutcherson as her fellow competitor Peeta. The film also stars Liam Hemsworth as her friend Gale and Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy.

The Hunger Games opens in US theaters March 23rd, 2012. Watch a trailer for the film below.