Earlier today we wrote about the new official poster for the second season of HBO's Game of Thrones.
What we didn't know at the time was that HBO has also started issuing fan posters for the various houses. The first of these, depicting an image of a direwolf in blood on what appears to be the white fur of the animal, the sigil for House Stark, is shown right (click for larger version). The poster's tagline: "The north remembers." Which, probably not coincidentally, is the title of the second season premiere episode.
Game of Thrones, adapted from the series of "A Song of Ice and Fire" epic fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, returns on April 1st, 2012.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
New Game of Thrones Fan Poster for House Stark
New Poster for Buddy Cop Comedy Bending the Rules
What with all the promotion going on for the film remake of 21 Jump Street, we nearly missed another action buddy crime comedy coming out this spring: Bending the Rules (new poster right; click for larger version). The poster's tagline: "Justice has one small problem. Them."
Maybe we should have kept on walking without stopping for a visit.
Anyway … Jamie Kennedy stars as Theo Gold, the New Orleans Assistant District Attorney, who is about to have the worst day of his life. Not only does his wife decide to leave him on the eve of his birthday, but he manages to lose a high profile case against detective Nick Blades (Edge). Now, the only thing Theo has left is the car his father, Herb (Phillip Baker Hall), entrusted to him — a 1956 Studebaker Goldenhawk. But when he discovers that his father's pride and joy has been stolen, Theo is determined to do whatever it takes to get that car back. The same person he just tried to put away, Nick Blades, becomes his only ally in the police department. As the two set off to find the car, action and comedy quickly develop, because the stolen car is merely a small piece of a much larger puzzle. It's time to start — wait for it — bending the rules.
Bending the Rules opens in limited release on March 9th, 2012. It will likely be direct to DVD soon thereafter. We couldn't find a trailer to easily embed here, but you can see one at the film's website, BendingTheRulesMovie.com.
New Poster for Game of Thrones, Season Two
Let's see … HBO has released two trailers for the second season of Game of Thrones and one teaser poster … and now we have the official poster (right; click for larger version).
Game of Thrones is adapted from the series of "A Song of Ice and Fire" epic fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin. This second season is expected to generally follow the storyline of A Clash of Kings, the second book in the series.
For a refresher on the series houses and character relationships from the first season, don't miss Haute Slides excellent illustrated guide (a small version of which is shown below).
Game of Thrones returns on April 1st, 2012.
Acorn Media Acquires Majority Ownership of Agatha Christie Ltd.
Acorn Media announced today that it has acquired a 64% stake in Agatha Christie Limited. (The Christie family holds the remaining 36%.)
This milestone acquisition gives Acorn Media majority ownership of Christie's extensive works including more than 80 novels and short story collections, 19 plays, a film library of nearly 40 TV films, and iconic characters Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, among many others.
Acorn Media Group Chairman Peter Edwards said, "This is a momentous occasion for Acorn Media and a gratifying one for me personally. While we are keenly aware of the financial and strategic worth of this transaction for Acorn Media, we are also grateful to partner with the Agatha Christie family in the promoting and protecting of their family legacy."
(Source: Press release.)
Review: Night Rounds by Helene Tursten
Read our … Review of Night Rounds by Helene Tursten. An Inspector Irene Huss Mystery. Soho Crime Hardcover, February 2012.
Available to purchase from …
The Mystery Bookshelf: The School of Night by Louis Bayard
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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The School of Night by Louis Bayard
Non-series
St. Martin's Griffin (Trade Paperback)
Publication Date: February 2012
ISBN-13: 978-1-250-00230-3
About The School of Night (from the publisher): In the late sixteenth century, five brilliant scholars gather under the cloak of darkness to discuss God, politics, astronomy, and the black arts. Known as the School of Night, they meet in secret to avoid the wrath of Queen Elizabeth. But one of the men, Thomas Harriot, has secrets of his own, secrets he shares with one person only: the servant woman he loves.
In modern-day Washington, D.C., disgraced Elizabethan scholar Henry Cavendish has been hired by the ruthless antiquities collector Bernard Styles to find a missing letter. The letter dates from the 1600s and was stolen by Henry's close friend, Alonzo Wax. Now Wax is dead and Styles wants the letter back.
But the letter is an object of interest to others, too. It may be the clue to a hidden treasure; it may contain the long-sought formula for alchemy; it most certainly will prove the existence of the group of men whom Shakespeare dubbed the School of Night but about whom little is known. Joining Henry in his search for the letter is Clarissa Dale, a mysterious woman who suffers from visions that only Henry can understand. In short order, Henry finds himself stumbling through a secretive world of ancient perils, caught up in a deadly plot, and ensnared in the tragic legacy of a forgotten genius.
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About the author: Louis Bayard is a nationally recognized essayist and critic whose articles have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times. He teaches creative writing at George Washington University in Washington D.C., where he lives. For more information about the author and his books, visit his website at LouisBayard.com.
Purchase Options for The School of Night:
Top Suspense: 13 Classic Stories by 12 Masters of the Genre is Today's Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature Top Suspense: 13 Classic Stories by 12 Masters of the Genre 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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Top Suspense: 13 Classic Stories by 12 Masters of the Genre
A Short Story Collection
Publisher: CreateSpace
About Top Suspense: 13 Classic Stories by 12 Masters of the Genre (from the publisher): Hold on tight for a literary thrill-ride into the wickedly clever, frightening, and exhilarating world of Top Suspense, a sizzling collaboration of twelve master storytellers at the peak of their powers in thirteen unforgettable tales. This pulse-pounding anthology — packed full of cold-blooded killers, erotic tension, shady private eyes, craven drug dealers, vicious betrayals, crafty thieves, and shocking twists — is only a taste of the thrills you will find in the breathtakingly original ebooks by the Top Suspense authors. So sit back, bite down on a piece of strong leather, and prepare to get hit by some gale-force suspense and writing so sharp it will draw blood.
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):
For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
New Trailer for Jason Statham Thriller Safe
A little over a month ago we featured a poster for Jason Statham's next film, Safe. And now we have a new 60-second trailer (via Machinima) for the action thriller … with an emphasis on the word "action".
Statham stars as Luke Wright, a second-rate cage fighter on the mixed martial arts circuit, who lives a numbing life of routine beatings and chump change … until the day he blows a rigged fight. Wanting to make an example of him, the Russian Mafia murders his family and banishes him from his life forever, leaving Luke to wander the streets of New York destitute, haunted by guilt, and tormented by the knowledge that he will always be watched, and anyone he develops a relationship with will also be killed.
But when he witnesses a frightened twelve-year-old Chinese girl, Mei (Catherine Chan), being pursued by the same gangsters who killed his wife, Luke impulsively jumps to action … and straight into the heart of a deadly high-stakes war. Mei, he discovers, is no ordinary girl, but an orphaned math prodigy forced to work for the Triads as a "counter." He discovers she holds in her memory a priceless numerical code that the Triads, the Russian mob and a corrupt faction of the NYPD will kill for.
Realizing he's the only person Mei can trust, Luke tears a swath through the city's brutal underworld to save an innocent girl's life … and perhaps even redeem his own.
Written and directed by Boaz Yaking, Safe is scheduled to be in theaters April 27th, 2012.
Columbia to Remake Dutch Thriller Taped
The Dutch thriller Taped opened in theaters (in The Netherlands) this past weekend, but today we're learning that Columbia Pictures has acquired the rights to develop an English-language version of the film.
Written and directed by Diederik Van Rooijen, the storyline follows a young couple, Johan (Barry Atsma) and Saar (Susan Visser), who, while on vacation in Buenos Aires, inadvertently videotape the murder of a young man by a corrupt cop.
We've embedded a trailer for the film below, but it's the original Dutch version; we couldn't find one with English subtitles.
SleuthFest 2012 Starts Thursday, March 1st
This Thursday, March 1st, marks the opening day to SleuthFest 2012. Sponsored by the Florida Chapter of the Mystery Writers of America, the conference will be held at the Royal Plaza located in the Walt Disney World Resort.
This year's guests of honor are crime novelists Charlaine Harris, Jeffery Deaver, and Chris Grabenstein.
The conference opens on "Third Degree Thursday" with a large number of panel discussions. Chris Grabenstein closes the day's sessions with "Yes, and …", techniques of improvisation to keep your story rolling.
Friday continues the panel discussions, with Jeffery Deaver being the luncheon keynote speaker. The evening's entertainment is a mystery dinner theater.
Saturday's keynote speaker is Charlaine Harris. Later that night, romantic suspense novelist Heather Graham invites participants to party at The House of Blues in Downtown Disney.
The conference wraps up Sunday with a continental breakfast and a conversation with the three guests of honor.
See the conference website for registration information and all the program details.
BBC America Developing Original Crime Drama, The Dead Beat
BBC America announced today that it is developing two new original series, one a paranormal crime drama.
According to the press release, "In The Dead Beat, two cops, one dead and one alive, become a reluctant team, working from leads in the world of the dead to track down killers in the world of the living. Subverting the crime genre, The Dead Beat brings a whole new meaning to cold cases, underworld informants, dead leads and buried evidence."
The other series is Wired, set in a world of "syns", synthetic organisms that are exact replicas of human beings.
"Supernatural Saturday has become a popular fixture on BBC America's schedule," said Perry Simon, General Manager, BBC America. "[B]oth these highly creative ideas add a new dimension to our programming."
Review: The Last Justice by Anthony J. Franze
Read our … Review of The Last Justice by Anthony J. Franze. Sterling & Ross Hardcover, February 2012.
Available to purchase from …
The Mystery Bookshelf: Secret of the White Rose by Stefanie Pintoff, a Simon Ziele 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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Secret of the White Rose by Stefanie Pintoff
A Simon Ziele Mystery (3rd in series)
Minotaur Books (Trade Paperback)
Publication Date: February 2012
ISBN-13: 978-1-250-00166-5
About Secret of the White Rose (from the publisher): The murder of Judge Hugo Jackson is out of Detective Simon Ziele’s jurisdiction in more ways than one. For one, it’s high-profile enough to command the attention of the notorious new police commissioner, since Judge Jackson was presiding over the sensational trial of Al Drayson. Drayson, an anarchist, set off a bomb at a Carnegie family wedding, but instead of killing millionaires, it killed passersby, including a child. The dramatic trial has captured the full attention of 1906 New York City.
Furthermore, Simon’s assigned precinct on Manhattan’s West Side includes the gritty Tenderloin but not the tonier Gramercy Park, which is where the judge is found in his locked town house with his throat slashed on the night before the jury is set to deliberate. But his widow insists on calling her husband’s old classmate criminologist, Alistair Sinclair, who in turn enlists Ziele’s help. Together they must steer Sinclair’s unorthodox methods past a police force that is so focused on rounding up Drayson’s supporters that they’ve all but rejected any other possibilities.
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About the author: Stefanie Pintoff's debut mystery, In the Shadow of Gotham, was the winner of the 2010 Edgar Award for Best First Novel. A graduate of Columbia University Law School, she also has a Ph.D. in literature from New York University. Now a full-time writer, she lives on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. For more information about the author and her books, visit her website at StefaniePintoff.com.
Purchase Options for Secret of the White Rose:
Dead Times Four by Joel Goldman is Today's Third Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature Dead Times Four by Joel Goldman 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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Dead Times Four by Joel Goldman
A Lou Mason Omnibus
Publisher: Pinnacle/Joel Goldman
About Dead Times Four (from the publisher): The first four Lou Mason thrillers are included in this omnibus: Motion To Kill, The Last Witness, Cold Truth, and Deadlocked.
A new Lou Mason mystery, Final Judgment, was published this month.
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):
For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.
Three Ways to Die by Lee Goldberg is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature Three Ways to Die by Lee Goldberg 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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Three Ways to Die by Lee Goldberg
A Short Story Collection
Publisher: CreateSpace
About Three Ways to Die (from the publisher): This collection gathers together three short stories by the author of the "Mr. Monk" novels. "Jack Webb's Star" originally appeared in the anthology Hollywood and Crime; "Bumsickle" originally appeared in the anthology Fedora III; and "Remaindered" originally appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine.
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):
For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.
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