Mystery Bestsellers for the Week Ending January 27, 2012

A list of the top 15 mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending January 27th, 2012 has been posted by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books.

P. D. James's stand-alone novel Death Comes to Pemberley has regained the top spot this week … and by a fairly comfortable margin. Elmore Leonard's Raylan takes the biggest jump of the week, from 17 to 4.

One new title debuts.

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Coming in at number 8 is the latest mystery to feature private investigators Elvis Cole and Joe Pike, Taken by Robert Crais.

When the police tell a wealthy industrialist that her missing son has faked his own kidnapping, she hires Elvis Cole and Joe Pike — and Cole soon determines that it was no fake. The boy and his secret girlfriend have been taken, and are now lost in the gray and changing world of the professional border kidnappers who prey not only on innocent victims but also on one another-buying, selling, and stealing victims like commodities.

Fortunately, the kidnappers don't yet know who the boy is, but when Cole goes undercover to try to buy the two hostages back, he himself is taken and disappears.

Now it is up to Pike to retrace Cole's steps, burning through the hard and murderous world of human traffickers … before it is too late.

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.

Jesse Stone: Benefit of Doubt to air May 20th, 2012 on CBS

CBS has announced that the next Jesse Stone made-for-television movie, Benefit of the Doubt, will air on Sunday, May 20th, 2012 at 9 PM (ET/PT).

Tom Selleck reprises his role as (former Paradise Chief of Police) Jesse Stone, who is "forced to rely on his skills and intuition to sort through a maze of misleading clues and hidden meanings in a bid to crack a shocking and horrifying mob-related double homicide." Benefit of Doubt was filmed last year in Nova Scotia from a script co-written by Selleck.

The character is based on one created by the late crime novelist Robert B. Parker, though the last few telemovies — including this one — have been original screenplays, not adapted from any of the books in the series.

(Related article: The Hollywood Reporter.)

Nominees for the 2012 Dilys Award Announced

The nominees for the Dilys Award have been announced by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association. Named in honor of Dilys Winn, the founder of specialty bookshop Murder Ink, this award recognizes the titles booksellers most enjoyed selling during 2011.

The winner will be announced at Left Coast Crime in Sacramento this March.

• Faithful Place by Tana French (Penguin)
• Wicked Autumn by G. M. Malliet (Minotaur Books)
• Tag Man by Archer Mayor (Minotaur Books)
• A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny (Minotaur Books)
• Ghost Hero by S. J. Rozan (Minotaur Books)

indicates a review by Mysterious Reviews.

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

MystereBooks: New Carina Press Titles for January 2012

Each month, Omnimystery News is pleased to present new mystery and suspense titles from Carina Press, an ebook only publisher. Links are provided to purchase the ebook from, where available, Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble, or the Apple iBookstore; click on the banner to the right to be taken to the CarinaPress.com website to browse for other titles.

New ebooks of mystery and suspense for January 2012 from Carina Press include:

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Designed for Death by Jean Harrington
A Deva Dunne, Murder by Design Mystery (1st in series)

Interior designer Deva Dunne's latest project comes to a screeching halt when blood on the carpet leads her to the body of her client, an exotic dancer with a mysterious past. But the murdered woman is not the only resident of the posh beachfront condominium with secrets, and investigating officer Lieutenant Victor Rossi considers them all suspects.

Though wary of working in the killer's midst, Deva continues decorating the unit for the new owner. When she stumbles upon clues that might help crack the case, she can't resist doing a little digging of her own, despite Rossi's orders to quit meddling. Now, she's juggling the investigation, her career and sexy neighbor Simon Yaeger, who seems interested in more than her etchings.

Deva can't help but be flattered by all the male attention—that is, until she realizes the killer has designs on her, too …

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His Secret Past by Katie Reus
Non-series

Six years ago, Alexis Baptiste's world was turned upside down when Hunter Cassidy disappeared without a trace, leaving her alone and pregnant. She's finally moving on with her life when he resurfaces, just in time to rescue her from a would-be assassin. Forced to join him on the run to protect herself and her young son, Alexis is now in even more danger: danger of falling for Hunter all over again.

Betrayed by rogue CIA agents after infiltrating an infamous drug cartel, former DEA agent Hunter Cassidy has spent years trying to clear his name. He's not proud of the things he's done, and knows he doesn't deserve a future with Alexis, or the son he never knew he had, but he's determined to protect them from the men who ruined his life. Convincing Alexis to trust him—and denying his feelings for her—is going to be the hardest mission he's ever faced.

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Sex, Lies and Surveillance by Stephanie Julian
Non-series

Janey DeMarco would love to have a sex life—and she has a serious crush on the new guy in her office. As manager for her family's P.I. firm, she knows an office romance would end in disaster. Not only are her parents former spies, but her older brothers are tall, dark and overly protective. Still, a little sex would go a long way to reducing her stress levels, and the man is hot …

NSA operative Mal Laughlin has been sent undercover to find a link between the DeMarcos and the gun smugglers who killed his partner. Unfortunately, the only evidence points to the woman who's making him hot, hard and ready—Janey.

Convinced Mal is hiding something, Janey's determined to find out what. Can she do that while keeping her own secrets? Janey and Mal plot a course of seduction to uncover the truth about each other but when they're thrown together on a dangerous assignment, sensual meltdown is imminent and secrets are about to be revealed.

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The Professor by Cathy Perkins
Non-series

The Professor presses his palm against her flank, the warmth of her blood, hotter than her skin. Hot, like the life force that he has claimed. The power over life and death is the ultimate thrill.

Someone is murdering women on college campuses. Agent Mick O'Shaughnessy's mission is simple: stop the killer. Following every lead, he meets Meg, the faculty advisor for one of the victims, who can help him track the killer through her campus connections.

Meg Connelly is focused on getting her master's degree to show her estranged family she doesn't need anybody's help to succeed. There's something about Mick she can't resist, but the last time she let someone get close to her, it cost her everything.

As the investigation heats up, so does their relationship. But Mick's interest in Meg doesn't just endanger her heart—it puts her in the sights of the killer.

Once he gets her alone, he can take all the time he needs …

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Carina Press, a division of Harlequin, is a digital-first publisher offering ebooks in a variety of genres, including mystery. eBooks from Carina can be read on the Apple iPad, Amazon Kindle, Sony Reader, B&N Nook, Kobo eReader BlackBerry and mobile phones.

For more mystery, suspense and thriller ebooks, visit MystereBooks.com.

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.