New Hardcover Mysteries for February 2012

The Hidden Staircase Mystery Books has updated its list of new hardcover mysteries with books scheduled for publication in February 2012. 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 February new mystery books page, which will become the default home page for the site on February 1st.

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

Josh Bazell (Pietro Brnwna/Peter Brown, 2nd) —  M. C. Beaton (Hamish Macbeth, 28th) —  Alex Berenson (John Wells, 6th) —  Simon Brett (Fethering, 13th) —  Nancy J. Cohen (Marla Shore, Bad Hair Day, 10th) —  Deborah Coonts (Lucky O'Toole, 3rd) —  Isis Crawford (Murder with Recipes, 8th) —  Deborah Crombie (Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James, 14th) —  Hilary Davidson (Lily Moore, 2nd) —  Alice Duncan (Daisy Gumm Majesty, 6th) —  Sam Eastland (Inspector Pekkala, 3rd) —  Amanda Flower (India Hayes, 2nd) —  Vince Flynn (Mitch Rapp, 12th) —  Jack Fredrickson (Dek Ekstrom, 3rd) —  Lisa Gardner (D. D. Warren, 4th) —  Paul Garrison (Paul Janson, 2nd) —  Keith Gilman (Lou Klein, 2nd) —  Philip Gooden (Thomas Ansell, 3rd) —  Paul Grossman (Willi Kraus, 2nd) —  Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (Bill Slider, 14th) —  Tim Heald (Simon Bognor, 12th) —  Joan Hess (Claire Malloy, 18th) —  J. A. Jance (Ali Reynolds, 5th) —  Jonathan Kellerman (Alex Delaware, 27th) —  Graeme Kent (Ben Kella and Sister Conchita, 2nd) —  Dave Klein (Ed Buck, 2nd) —  Bernard Knight (Richard Pryor, 3rd) —  K. J. Larsen (Cat DeLuca, 2nd) —  Lisa Lutz (Isabel Spellman, 5th) —  Priscilla Masters (Joanna Piercy, 10th) —  James Patterson and Mark Sullivan (Jack Morgan, Private, 3rd) —  J. D. Robb (Eve Dallas, "In Death", 33rd) —  Imogen Robertson (Harriet Westerman, 2nd) —  Bal Speer (Graphic Novel —  Dana Stabenow (Kate Shugak, 20th) —  Cath Staincliffe (Sal Kilkenny, 8th) —  P. G. Sturges (Dick Henry, 2nd) —  Helene Tursten (Inspector Irene Huss, 4th) —  Betty Webb (Lena Jones, 7th) —  David Willliams (Mark Treasure, 2nd)

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

Frances Brody (Kate Shackleton) —  Jonathan Kellerman, Ande Parks, and Michael Gaydos (Alex Delaware Graphic)

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

Cristina Alger —  Jeffrey Ashford —  David Bishop —  Milton T. Burton —  Jim DeFelice —  Amber Dermont —  Patricia Driscoll —  Stephen Gallagher —  Elizabeth Hand —  Mo Hayder —  Erin Kelly —  Tom Knox —  Dick Lochte —  Patrick Mascola —  Keith McCafferty —  Kristina Ohlsson —  Sean O'Keefe —  Daniel Palmer —  Michael Palmer —  Matthew Pearl —  Kira Peikoff —  Ulrich Peltzer —  David Perry —  Jodi Picoult —  James Renner —  Anne Rice —  Peter Robinson —  Michael Robotham —  David Rosenfelt —  David J. Schow —  Gerald Seymour —  Abdourahman A. Waberi —  Donald E. Westlake

For more information on any of these titles, please visit the February 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 February 2012 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.

Stalking Natalie by Skip Coryell is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Stalking Natalie by Skip Coryell 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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Stalking Natalie by Skip Coryell
Publisher: Whitefeather Press

About Stalking Natalie (from the publisher): He always stayed in the shadows, hid around corners, or gazed from behind the innocent pages of a paperback book. Sometimes he nursed a vanilla latte with a double shot of espresso, but always without fail, he watched her. He was obsessed … and Natalie was his next chosen one.

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.

Fifty-to-One by Charles Ardai is Today's Barnes&Noble Nook Daily Find

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Fifty-to-One by Charles Ardai as today's Barnes&Noble Daily Find. The deal price of $1.99 is valid only for today, Thursday, January 26, 2012.

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Fifty-to-One by Charles Ardai
Publisher: Hard Case Crime

About Fifty-to-One (from the publisher): What if, instead of having been founded 50 books ago, Hard Case Crime had been founded 50 years ago, by a rascal out to make a quick buck off the popularity of pulp fiction? Such a fellow might make a few enemies — especially after publishing a supposed non-fiction account of a heist at a Mob-run nightclub, actually penned by an 18-year-old showgirl. With both the cops and the crooks after them, our heroes are about to learn that reading and writing pulp novels is a lot more fun than living them …

Important Note: Barnes&Noble updates its Nook Daily Find every day at approximately midnight PT. The title referenced above is available at a discounted price for Thursday, January 26, 2012 only.

Download Link(s):

B&N Nook Daily Find.

Stunning New Hand-Drawn Poster for The Woman in Black

Artist and graphic designer Daniel Danger has released a new hand-drawn poster (right; click for larger version) for the gothic thriller The Woman in Black, which he created for CBS Films … and it is stunning.

"I was excited to see the movie from the first trailer I saw a few months back," he says, "so when they asked me to do a poster, I was right on board. I've seen the movie and it's incredibly up my alley … it feels classically 'spoken ghost story' in its pacing and narrative, which is really sort of refreshing. Plus, I want to live in that house."

Over the past week or so CBS Films has posted a number of "behind-the-scenes" featurettes on YouTube. We've embedded one below, which features Daniel Radcliffe as Arthur Kipps, the young attorney assigned to attend to the affairs of the late Mrs. Alice Drablow, only to discover his client's house is haunted by the ghost of a woman, who is determined to find someone — and something — she lost …

The Woman in Black, adapted from the novel by Susan Hill, opens in US theaters February 3rd, 2012.

Review: Murder in the Irish Channel by Greg Herren

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Murder in the Irish Channel by Greg Herren.

New Poster, Trailer for Seeking Justice

A new poster (right; click for a slightly larger version) — something like the seventh from the studio, and a variation of the UK poster from last year (see below) — and trailer for the thriller Seeking Justice has been released. The poster's tagline: "Vengeance always has a price."

Nicholas Cage stars as Will Gerard, a happily married and dedicated inner-city high school teacher. His wife, Laura (January Jones) is an accomplished musician and they enjoy a comfortable life until one fateful evening shatters everything. Laura is brutally assaulted and while awaiting an update on her condition, Will is approached by a well-dressed man (Guy Pearce) who quietly offers to dispense immediate justice. Required to make a spontaneous decision in a distraught frame of mind, he accepts the proposal and is pulled into an underground vigilante organization that leads to increasingly frightening and dangerous consequences.

Seeking Justice — which was previously titled The Hungry Rabbit Jumps and released last year in Europe and Asia — is scheduled to open in US theaters March 16th, 2012.

Man on a Ledge Opens in Theaters January 27th

Also opening in theaters this Friday, January 27th, is a thriller with Sam Worthington as the Man on a Ledge. The film's tagline: "You can only push an innocent man so far."

Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington) makes a desperate and life-threatening move to prove his innocence after he is framed for the theft of a rare, prized diamond. Recently escaped from prison and with nowhere else to go, Nick climbs onto the ledge of a towering skyscraper, inviting the eyes of New York City to anxiously watch as one wrong step could mean plunging to his death. But as one police negotiator soon learns, Nick's daredevil stunt, captivating the eyes of the public and media, masks a dangerous ploy to reveal the truth about his tarnished name. With the help of his brother and with time running out, Nick's intricate plan must work perfectly, but when you're on the 25th floor ledge of a building, going down takes on an entirely more hair-raising meaning.

Directed by Asger Leth, the film also stars Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Anthony Macie, Genesis Rodriguez, and Ed Harris.

Watch a trailer for Man on a Ledge below.

One for the Money, adapted from the Janet Evanovich novel, Opens in Theaters January 27th

This Friday, January 27th, the long-delayed film adaptation of Janet Evanovich's first in her Stephanie Plum mystery series One for the Money opens in theaters. The film's tagline: "She's looking for a few not-so-good men."

Katherine Heigl stars as Stephanie Plum, a proud, born-and-bred Jersey girl, who's got plenty of attitude, even if she's been out of work for the last six months and just lost her car to a debt collector.

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.

The film, directed by Julie Anne Robinson, also stars Jason O'Mara, Daniel Sunjata, John Leguiziamo, Debbie Reynolds and Debra Monk.

Watch a trailer for One for the Money below.

Mr. E. Reviews Abduction

Purchase/Rental Option(s)

This film is appropriate only for unapologetic fans of Taylor Lautner … and to a much lesser degree those of Lily Collins (who, despite being in nearly every scene, has a relatively small, completely forgettable part). Everyone else will wonder how Sigourney Weaver, Jason Isaacs, Maria Bello, and Alfred Molina — all really good actors when given a chance — got conned into appearing in this really poor excuse for a thriller.

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

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

MystereBooks: What It Was by George Pelecanos

MystereBooks is pleased to feature What It Was by George Pelecanos, published just this week and currently available at a very special price (ebook editions only).

The publisher — Hachette Book Group — has set the price of this ebook at $0.99 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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What It Was by George Pelecanos
A Derek Strange Mystery
Publisher: Reagan Arthur Books

About What It Was (from the publisher): Washington, D.C., 1972. Derek Strange has left the police department and set up shop as a private investigator. His former partner, Frank "Hound Dog" Vaughn, is still on the force. When a young woman comes to Strange asking for his help recovering a cheap ring she claims has sentimental value, the case leads him onto Vaughn's turf, where a local drug addict's been murdered, shot point-blank in his apartment. Soon both men are on the trail of a ruthless killer: Red Fury, so called for his looks and the car his girlfriend drives, but a name that fits his personality all too well. Red Fury doesn't have a retirement plan, as Vaughn points out — he doesn't care who he has to cross, or kill, to get what he wants. As the violence escalates and the stakes get higher, Strange and Vaughn know the only way to catch their man is to do it their own way.

Important Note: This ebook was priced at $0.99 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 Kindle Edition Download Link.

B&N Nook Book Download Link.

Kobo eBook Download Link.

Apple iBook Download Link (via iTunes).

First Clues, Mysteries for Kids: New Titles for February 2012

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 February 2012, listed in approximate order of reading level, from books for younger readers to books for teens.

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The Astro Outlaw 
David A. Kelly
The Ballpark Mysteries

Houston, we have a problem! Before a game at the Astros' ballpark, Mike and Kate get to meet astronaut commander Nick Rice at the nearby Houston Space Center. He's planning to display a very rare moonrock at an autographing event later. But just before the event, a nefarious outlaw knocks out the commander and steals the moonrock! Can Mike and Kate figure out who did it … when their only clue is a broken green feather?

The Astro Outlaw includes a fun fact page about the Houston Astros stadium with trivia about the train on the outfield wall and the homerun gas pump.

The Ballpark Mysteries are recommended for readers aged 7 to 9.

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The Legend of Diamond Lil 
Doreen Cronin
A J. J. Tully Mystery

After his last run-in with Vince the Funnel and the mystery of the missing chicks, J. J. the search-and-rescue dog is ready for some much-needed R & R. But just when he thinks he has everything under control, there’s a new problem to worry about: Diamond Lil, a shiny new dog who’s taken up residence next door. Suddenly Moosh and her chicks are spending an awful lot of time with their fancy friend, talking about weird things like fluffy feathers and good posture. And Lil’s not the only new kid cramping J. J.’s style. There’s a possum loose, and it’s up to J. J. to keep everyone safe. But the questions keep piling up. Is Lil all that she seems? And how does the possum keep finding her way to the chicken coop?

This J. J. Tully mystery is recommended for readers aged 7 to 9.

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Mr. and Mrs. Bunny: Detectives Extraordinaire! 
Polly Horvath

Meet a girl whose parents have been kidnapped by disreputable foxes, and a pair of detectives that also happen to be bunnies!

When Madeline gets home from school one afternoon to discover that her parents have gone missing, she sets off to find them.

So begins a once-in-a-lifetime adventure involving a cast of quirky and unforgettable characters. There's Mr. and Mrs. Bunny, who drive a smart car, wear fedoras, and hate marmots; the Marmot, who loves garlic bread and is a brilliant translator; and many others.

This hilarious chapter book mystery is recommended for readers aged 7 to 9.

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The Case of the Loose-Toothed Shark 
Nancy Krulik
A Jack Gets a Clue Mystery

When a giant shark tooth fossil went missing during my little sister Mia's birthday party at the aquarium, I found myself in really deep water — the aquarium staff accused me of stealing it! No way would I steal something, even if it was a cool fossil. What I could do, though, was talk to the animals at the aquarium to find out who the real thief was. My brainiac detective partner Elizabeth and I would have to work fast to clear my name before the end of the day!

The Jack Gets a Clue mysteries are recommended for readers aged 7 to 9.

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The Case of the Ruby Slippers 
Martha Freeman
A First Kids Mystery

Aunt Jen, the official White House hostess, is being thrown a surprise party with a Wizard of Oz theme, but when a box arrives from the Smithsonian, the slippers that Judy Garland wore in the movie aren't in it! Never fear, First Kids Cammie and Tess are on the case!

White House dog Hooligan finds one slipper, but no one knows where or how. A surprising revelation reveals the thief's identity.

This First Kids mystery is recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

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The Case of the Deadly Desperados 
Caroline Lawrence
A P. K. Pinkerton Western Mystery

When twelve-year-old P. K. (Pinky) Pinkerton's foster parents are murdered by Whittlin' Walt and his gang of ruthless desperados, Pinky goes on the run. He's forced into hiding with Ma's priceless last possession: the deed to a large amount of land and silver mines in the Nevada Mountains. But relying on disguises will only keep Pinky hidden for so long, and the desperados are quickly closing in …

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

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The Fourth Stall Part II
Chris Rylander

The life of crime is good. Mac has taken down legendary high school crime boss Staples, business has been booming, and Mac and Vince are getting ready for middle school baseball tryouts. But this can’t last. Mac has always tried to keep his friends close and his enemies closer. But what happens when you can’t tell the difference?

This dilemma walks into the fourth stall in the form of Trixie Von Parkway—an eighth grader with a mean look and an even meaner predicament. The new science teacher is terrorizing her, and she needs Mac to get him off her back. Seems simple enough, but as Mac starts to dig deeper, he finds even more trouble brewing at his school, including a new administrator bent on destroying his business, and indications that Trixie isn’t who she claims to be. In the past, the worst thing that could have happened to Mac was that he might lose a little money, maybe catch a beating. In The Fourth Stall Part II, though, there’s going to be much more on the line than that.

This middle school "crime novel" is recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

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The Hidden Gold 
Sarah M. Buckey
The American Girl Mysteries

Marie-Grace can't wait to begin her journey up the Mississippi River with her father. The steamboat they're traveling on is the biggest and fanciest boat Marie-Grace has ever seen. It's crowded with all sorts of interesting passengers, including Wilhelmina Newman, a girl her age. Wilhelmina is traveling alone, and she's carrying a secret in one of her trunks — clues to hidden Gold Rush treasure. Marie-Grace and Wilhelmina have to unravel the clues to find the gold — and they're not the only ones looking for it!

An illustrated "Looking Back" essay provides facts about the 1850s.

The American Girl Mysteries are recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

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The Crystal Ball 
Jacqueline Greene
The American Girl Mysteries

Rebecca and her neighbor, Mr. Rossi, seem to be having bad luck. When Mr. Rossi sprains his wrist, Rebecca takes over the care and feeding of his pigeons — and discovers a strange black pigeon with an eerie message warning Mr. Rossi of danger. Where did the pigeon come from, and what sort of danger is lurking? Is Rebecca herself now in danger as well? Only a visit to a fortune teller will reveal the truth!

The American Girl Mysteries are recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

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The Cameo Necklace 
Evelyn Coleman
The American Girl Mysteries

As Cécile exits a crowded showboat after enjoying a lavish Floating Circus, she stumbles — and when she gets up, she realizes that the cameo necklace she borrowed from her aunt is no longer on her neck. Knowing that the necklace was the last gift Tante Tay's husband gave her before he died, Cécile is desperate to find it. As she tracks down the people in the crowd who were near her when she fell, her search takes her into many corners of New Orleans, from a society tea party to the crowded French Market, even the dangerous cypress swamps … and deep into secrets she never imagined!

An illustrated "Looking Back" essay provides facts about the 1850s.

The American Girl Mysteries are recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

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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).

The Rock 'n' Roll Detective's Greatest Hits by Raymond Benson is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Rock 'n' Roll Detective's Greatest Hits by Raymond Benson 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 Rock 'n' Roll Detective's Greatest Hits by Raymond Benson
The Spike Berenger Mysteries
Publisher: Crossroad Press

Raymond Benson is the author of several James Bond thrillers and several books in Tom Clancy's "Splinter Cell" series (as written by David Michaels).

About The Rock 'n' Roll Detective's Greatest Hits (from the publisher): This collection contains the two Spike Berenger mysteries — A Hard Day's Death and Dark Side of the Morgue — plus the short story "On the Threshold of a Death".

In A Hard Day's Death, Spike Berenger and his team, Rockin' Security, must find out who killed the aging rock star Peter Flame … was it his ex-wife? A former bandmate? A religious cult that had become Flame's groupies? A member of one of the mysterious rock 'n' roll gangs terrorizing New York? With so many potential suspects and so many possible motives, only a rock 'n' roll insider like Spike could hope to wade through the rumors and the legends and find the cold hard facts … and a cold-blooded killer.

In Dark Side of the Morgue, The Rockin' Security team is called into action in Chicago, where musicians of progressive rock bands are being murdered — one by one. As Spike and his partner, Suzanne, investigate the case, they find that no one wants to talk. As Spike digs deeper, he begins to unearth a lode of deadly secrets involving sex, psychedelic drugs, and, of course, rock 'n' roll. And it isn't long before the private detective becomes a pawn in a very dangerous game.

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.

New Poster, Release Date for The Raven

Relativity Media released a new poster for its Edgar Allan Poe thriller The Raven (right; click for larger version) while simultaneously delaying the release of the film by a month. This poster's tagline: "The only one who can stop a serial killer is the man who inspired him."

When a mother and daughter are found brutally murdered in 19th century Baltimore, Detective Emmett Fields (Luke Evans) makes a startling discovery: the crime resembles a fictional murder described in gory detail in the local newspaper — part of a collection of stories penned by struggling writer and social pariah Edgar Allan Poe (played by John Cusack). But even as Poe is questioned by police, another grisly murder occurs, also inspired by a popular Poe story.

Realizing a serial killer is on the loose using Poe's writings as the backdrop for his bloody rampage, Fields enlists the author's help in stopping the attacks. But when it appears someone close to Poe may become the murderer's next victim, the stakes become even higher and the inventor of the detective story calls on his own powers of deduction to try to solve the case before it's too late.

The Raven is now scheduled to open in US theaters April 27th, 2012. Watch a trailer (from last year) for the film below.

The Mystery Bookshelf: Detective Inspector Huss by Helene Tursten, an Irene Huss Mystery

The Mystery Bookshelf, where you can discover a world of mystery and suspense, is pleased to feature a new crime novel we recently received from the publisher.

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Detective Inspector Huss by Helene Tursten
An Irene Huss Mystery (1st in series)
Soho Crime (Trade Paperback)
Publication Date: January 2012
ISBN-13: 978-1-61695-111-5

About Detective Inspector Huss (from the publisher): Inspector Irene Huss, stationed in Göteborg, is called through the rain-drenched wintry streets to the scene of an apparent suicide. The dead man landed on the sidewalk in front of his luxurious duplex apartment. He was a wealthy financier connected, through an old-boys' network, with the first families of Sweden. But the "Society Suicide" turns out to have been a carefully plotted murder. As more murders ensue, she tangles with street gang members, skinheads, immigrants and neo-Nazis — a cross-section of Sweden’s disaffected — in order to catch the killer.

Originally published in Sweden in 1998 under the title Den krossade tanghästen.

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About the author: Helene Tursten was a nurse and a dentist before she turned to writing. She is the author of eight books in this series — the first three of which have been translated into English. She was born in Göteborg, where she now lives with her husband and daughter.

 Crime novels by Helene Tursten reviewed by Mysterious Reviews: The Glass Devil (2007).

Purchase Options for Detective Inspector Huss: