Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Harry Potter Titles Now Available as eBooks

Pottermore

Beginning today, ebook editions of the seven "Harry Potter" books by J. K. Rowling are available exclusively from the Pottermore Shop. Amazon Kindle, B&N Nook, Sony Reader, Kobo eReader, and many other devices are supported.

We've listed below all seven titles with synopses. Clicking on the book cover or title will take you to Amazon.com, where you can learn more about the books, including the availability of print editions. A link there will take you to Pottermore, where you will need to create a separate account. Like all Kindle books, books purchased from Pottermore are "Buy Once, Read Everywhere" and will be delivered to your Kindle or free Kindle reading apps.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Harry Potter, an orphan, lives with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley. One day just before his eleventh birthday, an owl tries to deliver a mysterious letter—the first of a sequence of events that end in Harry meeting a giant man named Hagrid. Hagrid explains Harry's history to him: When he was a baby, the Dark wizard, Lord Voldemort, attacked and killed his parents in an attempt to kill Harry; but the only mark on Harry was a mysterious lightning-bolt scar on his forehead. Now he has been invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where the headmaster is the great wizard Albus Dumbledore. Harry visits Diagon Alley to get his school supplies, especially his very own wand. To get to school, he takes the Hogwarts Express from platform nine and three-quarters at King's Cross Station. On the train, he meets two fellow students who will become his closest friends: Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Harry is assigned to Gryffindor House at Hogwarts, and soon becomes the youngest-ever Seeker on the House Quidditch team. He also studies Potions with Professor Severus Snape, who displays a deep and abiding dislike for Harry, and Defense Against the Dark Arts with nervous Professor Quirrell; he and his friends defeat a mountain troll, help Hagrid raise a dragon, and explore the wonderful, fascinating world of Hogwarts. But all events lead irrevocably toward a second encounter with Lord Voldemort, who seeks an object of legend known as the Sorcerer's Stone …

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

The summer after Harry's first year at Hogwarts has been his worst summer ever … the Dursleys more distant and horrible than ever before. But just as he's packing his bags to return to school, a creature named Dobby the house-elf announces that if Harry goes back to Hogwarts, disaster will strike. And it turns out, Dobby is right. Harry and Ron miss the Hogwarts Express, so they fly to school in a blue Ford Anglia, crash landing in the notorious Whomping Willow. Soon other worries accumulate: the outrageously stuck-up new professor Gilderoy Lockhart; a ghost named Moaning Myrtle, who haunts the girls' bathroom; the strange behavior of Ron's little sister, Ginny Weasley; rumors about the "Chamber of Secrets," a cavern buried deep below Hogwarts; and a magical diary owned by Tom Riddle, a Hogwarts student of long ago. Harry is also shocked to discover that he can speak Parseltongue, the language of snakes — a rare ability that Lord Voldemort also possessed — and that anti-Muggle prejudice exists in the Wizarding world, even affecting Harry's friend Hermione. But all of these seem like minor concerns when someone starts turning Hogwarts students to stone: an evildoer said to be the fearsome Heir of Salazar Slytherin, on of the founders of the school. Could it be Draco Malfoy, Harry's most poisonous rival? Could it be Hagrid whose mysterious past is finally told? Or could it be the one person everyone at Hogwarts most suspects: Harry Potter himself?

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

For twelve long years, the dread fortress of Azkaban held an infamous prisoner named Sirius Black. Convicted of killing thirteen people with a single curse, he was said to be the heir apparent to the Dark Lord, Voldemort, and might even have assisted in the deaths of James and Lily Potter—Harry Potter's parents. Now Black has escaped, leaving only two clues as to where he might be headed: Harry Potter's defeat of You-Know-Who was Black's downfall as well. And the Azkaban guards heard him muttering in his sleep, "He's at Hogwarts … he's at Hogwarts." Of course, Harry already had plenty to worry about. After inflating his nasty aunt and running away on the magical Knight Bus, he finds he's being pursued by death omens at every turn. He receives two wonderful gifts: a top-of-the-line Firebolt broomstick, and the Marauder's Map, a magical diagram of Hogwarts made by the mysterious "Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs." Hermione disappears frequently, burdened down by a seemingly impossible course schedule. And the soulless Dementors have come to guard Hogwarts—supposedly to protect Harry from Sirius Black, but they terrify Harry more than the fugitive ever could. To strengthen himself against them, Harry reaches out to Remus Lupin, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who was once a friend of his father's. Lupin teaches Harry about the Patronus Charm, a defensive measure well above the level of magic generally mastered by wizards Harry's age. But even with his broom, his map, his magic, and his loyal friends, Harry isn't safe. Because on top of everything else, there's a traitor hidden at Hogwarts …

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry is midway through both his training as a wizard and his coming of age. He wants to get away from the malicious Dursleys and go to the Quidditch World Cup with Hermione, Ron, and the Weasleys. He wants to dream about his crush, Cho Chang (and maybe do more than dream). And now that he's gotten the hang of things at Hogwarts—he hopes—he just wants to be a normal fourteen-year-old wizard. But even by his standards, Harry's year is anything but normal. First Dumbledore announces the revival of a grand competition that hasn't taken place for one hundred years: the Triwizard Tournament, where a Hogwarts champion will compete against rivals from two other schools of magic in three highly dangerous tasks. Then someone frames Harry to participate in the tournament—which really means someone wants him dead. Harry is guided through the competition by Professor Alastor Moody, this year's Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, but he must also contend with a nasty reporter named Rita Skeeter, who digs up some highly unflattering secrets about Hagrid; a terrible fight with Ron, who is deeply jealous of Harry's fame; Hermione's newfound activism on behalf of house-elves; and the terrifying prospect of asking a date to the Yule Ball. Worst of all, Lord Voldemort may finally have gathered the materials necessary for his rejuvenation … and he has a faithful servant at Hogwarts waiting only for a sign. No, nothing is ever normal for Harry Potter. And in his case, different can be deadly.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Lord Voldemort has returned to the Wizarding world, presenting a threat that neither the magical government nor the authorities at Hogwarts can stop. In response to his reappearance, Dumbledore reactivates the Order of the Phoenix, a secret society which works to defeat the Dark Lord's minions and protect his targets—especially Harry Potter. But Harry doesn't want to be protected. Even as the Ministry of Magic denies his claims, The Daily Prophet discredits him, and even Dumbledore won't look him in the eye, Harry grows more and more determined to fight his lifelong enemy Voldemort—if only he had the "weapon" the Order is guarding. In the meantime, he visits his godfather at his ghoulish London home, Grimmauld Place, and learns more about Voldemort's deep reach into Wizarding history and the Wizarding world. Back at Hogwarts, Harry must deal with a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher with a personality like poisoned honey; a surprising new member of the Gryffindor Quidditch team; the possibility of his first real romance; and the looming nightmare of the Ordinary Wizarding Level exams. He's haunted by dreams of a heavy door at the end of a silent corridor, and a vision of his father and the young Severus Snape that changes everything he thought he knew about them. Even the joy of working with "Dumbledore's Army" -a group of Hogwart's students dedicated to defeating Voldemort- can't dispel the gathering darkness. Soon Harry will discover the true depth and strength of his friends; their boundless loyalty and unbearable sacrifices. His fate depends on them all.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

The war against Voldemort has begun. The Wizarding world has split down the middle, and as the casualties mount, the effects even spill over onto the Muggles. Dumbledore is away from Hogwarts for long periods, and the Order of the Phoenix has suffered grievous losses. And yet, as in all wars, life goes on. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, having passed their O.W.L. level exams, start on their specialist N.E.W.T. courses. Sixth-year students learn to Apparate, losing a few eyebrows in the process. Teenagers flirt and fight and fall in love. Harry becomes captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, while Draco Malfoy pursues his own dark ends. And classes are as fascinating and confounding as ever, as Harry receives some extraordinary help in Potions from the mysterious Half-Blood Prince. Most importantly, Dumbledore and Harry work together to uncover the full and complex story of a boy once named Tom Riddle—the boy who became Lord Voldemort. Like Harry, he was the son of one Muggle-born and one Wizarding parent, raised unloved, and a speaker of Parseltongue. But the similarities end there, as the teenaged Riddle became deeply interested in the Dark objects known as Horcruxes: objects in which a wizard can hide part of his soul, if he dares splinter that soul through murder. Harry must use all the tools at his disposal to draw a final secret out of one of Riddle's teachers, the sly Potions professor Horace Slughorn. Finally Harry and Dumbledore hold the key to the Dark Lord's weaknesses … until a shocking reversal exposes Dumbledore's own vulnerabilities, and casts Harry's—and Hogwarts's—future in shadow.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

In the seventh and final book in the epic tale of Harry Potter, Harry and Lord Voldemort each prepare for their ultimate encounter. Voldemort takes control of the Ministry of Magic, installs Severus Snape as headmaster at Hogwarts, and sends his Death Eaters across the country to wreak havoc and find Harry. Meanwhile, Harry, Ron, and Hermione embark on a desperate quest the length and breadth of Britain, trying to locate and destroy Voldemort's four remaining Horcruxes, the magical objects in which he has hidden parts of his broken soul. They visit the Burrow, Grimmauld Place, the Ministry, Godric's Hollow, Malfoy Manor, Diagon Alley … But every time they solve one mystery, three more evolve—and not just about Voldemort, but about Dumbledore, and Harry's own past, and three mysterious objects called the Deathly Hallows. The Hallows are literally things out of a children's tale, which, if real, promise to make their possessor the "Master of Death;" and they ensnare Harry with their tantalizing claim of invulnerability. It is only after a nigh-unbearable loss that he is brought back to his true purpose, and the trio returns to Hogwarts for the final breathtaking battle between the forces of good and evil. They fight the Death Eaters alongside members of the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore's Army, the Weasley clan, and the full array of Hogwarts teachers and students. Yet everything turns upon the moment the entire series has been building up to, the same meeting with which our story began: the moment when Harry and Voldemort face each other at last.

New Extended TV Spot for Snow White & the Huntsman

Snow White & the Huntsman (2012)

We're intrigued with Snow White & the Huntsman. We like the way the storyline is being developed and from what little we've seen to date — including the new one minute extended television spot for the film embedded below — Charlize Theron is amazing as the Evil Queen.

Here's the storyline: Snow White (Kristen Stewart), an astoundingly beautiful young woman, is in love with Prince Charmant (Sam Claflin), who has been long enchanted by Snow White's beauty and power. When the evil queen, Ravenna (Charlize Theron), learns Snow White is the fairest in the land — even fairer than the queen herself — she sends Eric, a huntsman(Chris Hemsworth), to kill Snow White.

Eric's beloved wife, Sara, was killed by the White Wolf, and he spends his days drinking heavily and searching tirelessly for her killer. When he later discovers that the White Wolf works for Ravenna, he redirects his focus: he becomes Snow White's protector and mentor, and they train together to defeat the evil queen.

Snow White & the Huntsman opens in theaters June 1st, 2012.

Production Underway, Film Synopsis for Seventh Son

Revenge of the Witch by Joseph Delaney

It was a little over a year ago that we first learned that Jeff Bridges had been cast in Seventh Son, the film adaptation of the first book in "The Last Apprentice" series of young adult fantasy thrillers, Revenge of the Witch. Now we're hearing that production has finally begun on the film, and the studio has released an official synopsis:

In a time long past, an evil is about to be unleashed that will reignite the war between the forces of the supernatural and humankind once more. Master Gregory (Jeff Bridges) is a knight who had imprisoned the malevolently powerful witch, Mother Malkin (Julianne Moore), centuries ago. But now she has escaped and is seeking vengeance. Summoning her followers of every incarnation, Mother Malkin is preparing to unleash her terrible wrath on an unsuspecting world. Only one thing stands in her way: Master Gregory.

In a deadly reunion, Gregory comes face to face with the evil he always feared would someday return. Now he has only until the next full moon to do what usually takes years: train his new apprentice, Tom Ward (Ben Barnes) to fight a dark magic unlike any other. Man's only hope lies in the seventh son of a seventh son.

"The Last Apprentice" series of books — which are published in the UK as "The Wardstone Chronicles" — are written by Joseph Delaney. Eight (nine in the UK) have been published to date, with more to come. Potential for franchise? But of course!

Seventh Son is expected to open in theaters in early 2013.

Seven Ways to Die by William Diehl is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks: Mystery, Suspense, and Thriller eBooks

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Seven Ways to Die by William Diehl 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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Seven Ways to Die by William Diehl

Seven Ways to Die by William Diehl
Publisher: AEI/Story Merchant Books

About Seven Ways to Die (from the publisher): There are seven basic ways to die. In 1969 Dr. John C. Cavanaugh catalogued them all in his Primer of Forensic Pathology —Case Studies for the Novice M.E. Micah Cody is a 30-something NYPD captain of homicide, who's founded a special unit known as TAZ with city-wide license to take over any investigation at all, with special focus on serial killers. Now its ultimate challenge is on the loose in Manhattan, with three victims already whose causes of death seem like intentional defiance of TAZ's existence — and four to go in four deadly days leading up to Halloween. Chronicling it all with great amusement is the Capote-like award-winning crime writer Ward Hamilton who, egged on by his sexually voracious socialite bedmate, is determined to bring TAZ to its knees journalistically.

Captain Micah Cody's Nez Perce name is "Youngest Wolf" from his ability to communicate with the animals and read nature's signs. As all hell is breaking loose in Manhattan, the wolves in Central Park howl, the peregrine falcons shriek their warnings — and Micah is listening.

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 Book Amazon Free Kindle Edition Download Link.

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

Dare to Die by Carolyn Hart is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks: Mystery, Suspense, and Thriller eBooks

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Dare to Die by Carolyn Hart 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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Dare to Die by Carolyn Hart

Dare to Die by Carolyn Hart
A Death on Demand Mystery
Publisher: HarperCollins

This is the 19th mystery in this long-running series featuring mystery bookstore owner Annie Laurance.

About Dare to Die (from the publisher): Annie and Max Darling are completely unprepared when the arrival of a mysterious young woman shocks their sea island and stirs up more than just gossip.

It turns out that Iris, the beautiful stranger, is a former resident of Broward's Rock. Her arrival throws the normally happy town into a downward spiral that pits neighbor against neighbor.

Things take a turn for the worse when Annie befriends Iris and invites her to attend the Darlings' party at the pavilion where Death is the uninvited guest. Suddenly, Max and Annie find themselves in the middle of a fight they don't understand and at the mercy of an unknown assailant who's trying to kill them — and all they know is that it is one of their friends.

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 Book Amazon Free Kindle Edition Download Link.

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

Kobo Free eBook Kobo Free eBook Download Link.

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

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

A Dangerous Talent by Charlotte Elkins and Aaron Elkins is Today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal

MystereBooks: Mystery, Suspense, and Thriller eBooks

MystereBooks is pleased to feature A Dangerous Talent by Charlotte Elkins and Aaron Elkins as today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal. The deal price of $0.99 is valid only for today, Tuesday, March 27, 2012.

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A Dangerous Talent by Charlotte Elkins and Aaron Elkins

A Dangerous Talent by Charlotte Elkins and Aaron Elkins
An Alix London Mystery
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

About A Dangerous Talent (from the publisher): Alix London has a promising career as an art consultant, a sumptuous condo in Seattle’s toniest neighborhood, a gorgeous figure, and a presence that exudes Ivy League breeding and old money. She has it all … or does she? Only Alix knows that the image she presents to the world is a carefully constructed mirage that veils an embarrassing truth.

A brilliant, once-promising art student, the daughter of a prominent New York art conservator, her world was left in ruins when her father went to prison for art forgery. Now a Harvard dropout with an emptied bank account, she is languishing in a career that has produced little more than a lucky house-sitting gig.

But all of that changes when Alix meets Christine Lemay, a novice art collector with money to burn and a hot tip on a recently discovered painting by American master Georgia O’Keeffe. Chris hires Alix to perform the authentication, an assignment that finally could launch Alix into the big leagues. But soon after her arrival in Santa Fe, she finds herself tangled up in a web of forgery, deceit — and murder.

Anxious to avoid becoming the next victim, she teams up with FBI Special Agent Ted Ellesworth — and gets a little unlikely help from her roguish father — to uncover the truth behind the painting and those who would kill to have it.

Important Note: Amazon.com updates its Kindle book deal every day at approximately midnight PT. The title referenced above is available at a discounted price for Tuesday, March 27, 2012 only.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Kindle Daily Deal Amazon Kindle Daily Deal.

Monday, March 26, 2012

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

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

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The Great Cake Mystery by Alexander McCall Smith
More Information about the book

The Great Cake Mystery
Alexander McCall Smith
A Precious Ramotswe Mystery

It sometimes happens that a person's true profession becomes apparent even in childhood … and that is the case for Precious Ramotswe. In this, her very first detective case, Precious exhibits the character traits that will contribute to her future success as an adult. At the same time, she is able to make a new friend and prevent a terrible injustice in the schoolyard.

Set in her beloved homeland of Botswana, the story introduces readers to the culture and topography of the country.

This new series is recommended for readers aged 7 to 9.

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Nancy Clancy, Super Sleuth by Jane O'Connor
More Information about the book

Nancy Clancy, Super Sleuth
Jane O'Connor
A Fancy Nancy Mystery

Nancy Clancy and her best friend, Bree, have everything they need to solve a mystery, from their totally professional trench coats to their top-secret code.

But when crime strikes in their classroom, will these super sleuths be able to crack the case?

Find out in the glamorous start to an all-new chapter book series featuring everyone's favorite fancy girl!

The Fancy Nancy mysteries are recommended for readers aged 7 to 9.

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Case of the Bookstore Burglar by Aaron Rosenberg
More Information about the book

Case of the Bookstore Burglar
Aaron Rosenberg
Pete and Penny's Pizza Puzzles

Pete and Penny live above Pizzarelli's, the family pizza parlor, in the town of Redville. A bookstore opens next door and strange things start happening there - bookshelves collapse, the fire alarm goes off, books disappear! Is someone trying to sabotage the new bookstore? When a secret message appears in the wall between the two stores, Pete and Penny start to puzzle it out. They need your help!

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Case of the Sinking Circus by Aaron Rosenberg
More Information about the book

Case of the Sinking Circus
Aaron Rosenberg
Pete and Penny's Pizza Puzzles

The circus has come to town, and Pete and Penny can't wait to go. But after a monkey shows up at the pizza parlor with a coded message, Pete and Penny uncover a circus crook! Can they save the circus before it's too late?

In this unique chapter book series, readers solve the puzzles right alongside the main characters and then those clues lead them to solve the mystery!

Pete and Penny's Pizza Puzzles are recommended for readers aged 7 to 9.

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Sports Sabotage by Franklin W. Dixon
More Information about the book

Sports Sabotage
Franklin W. Dixon
The Hardy Boys Secret Files

It's time for Field Day at Bayport Elementary and all the kids are excited! Whatever grade wins gets a pizza party, and the person with the highest personal score also gets a special prize. But when the field equipment is sabotaged the day before the events are supposed to start, it looks like Field Day might not happen after all — unless someone can find out who is behind the mess of ruined rackets, tangled jump ropes, and flattened balloons. Can Frank and Joe crack the case and save Field Day?

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

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The Case of the Mystery Meat Loaf by David Lewman
More Information about the book

The Case of the Mystery Meat Loaf
David Lewman
Club CSI:

Ben, Corey, and Hannah's first case as Club CSI: begins when a bunch of students and the principal get food poisoning from the cafeteria's hot lunch. Everyone blames the new science teacher because she pushed the lunch lady to add her healthy “meatless meat loaf” recipe to the menu, but Club CSI: isn't pointing fingers until they evaluate the evidence. Can they find out who messed with the meat loaf before the science teacher gets in trouble or more people get sick? Club CSI: is on the case!

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The Case of the Missing Moola by David Lewman
More Information about the book

The Case of the Missing Moola
David Lewman
Club CSI:

Ben, Corey, and Hannah will have to use all they've learned about forensic science — plus good old-fashioned detective work and a little bit of luck — to solve their next case!

The Club CSI: books are recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

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Shell Game by Ridley Pearson
More Information about the book

Shell Game
Ridley Pearson
Kingdom Keepers

As the five Kingdom Keepers enter high school, everything is about to change. The Maintenance Base that controls all four parks in Disney World is under attack by the Overtakers, a group determined to change Disneyforever. Relationships between the Keepers are no longer as simple as they once were. In fact, nothing is as simple as it once was.

An after-hours visit to Typhoon Lagoon is a game changer. The Keepers lose one of their most valuable supporters. But there's work to do …

The Disney Dream leaves Port Canaveral on an historic cruise to Los Angeles with a special treat in store for guests: the Disney Host Interactive guides are on board. Finn, Maybeck, Charlene, Willa, and Philby join guests as the DHI experience moves to one of the most advanced cruise ships in the world.

But all is not right below decks. Strange things are happening. Only the Kingdom Keepers know the truth behind their invitation to be in attendance: nearly every Disney villain is aboard the ship, including Maleficent. The Overtakers have infiltrated the cast and crew. And no oneknows what they have planned.

The Dream sets sail filled with enthusiastic guests and crew. But not for long. Maleficent takes over a video screen and warns the guests of trouble to come. With the ship arriving to the beaches of Castaway Cay--its first of many exotic ports of call — the Kingdom Keepers are under attack; back home the Base is threatened and about to fall. The Overtakers have expanded in ways never foreseen, and it's clear they intend to use this element of surprise to accomplish what has eluded them so far: victory.

But not if Finn Whitman and friends have anything to say about it.

The Kingdom Keepers novels are recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

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Max Finder Collected Casebook Volume 6 by Liam O'Donnell
More Information about the book

Max Finder Collected Casebook Volume 6
Liam O'Donnell
Max Finder Casebooks

Each solve-it-yourself story stars amateur detective Max Finder and his best friend, aspiring journalist Alison Santos. Seventh graders at Central Meadows Junior High, these two intrepid investigators must call upon their reason, memory, critical thinking, and observation skills to crack each case before them. Who is stealing all the bikes from the skate park? Who uprooted the Green Thumb Club's school garden? And why did someone toilet-paper the new girl's house? Readers can decipher the clues for themselves and draw their own conclusions — before the true culprit is revealed.

Bonus content unique to this volume includes a "usual suspects" style introduction to all the recurring characters and a how-to guide for planning a mystery detective party for home or school — extras that are sure to intrigue veteran and new readers alike!

The Max Finder Casebooks are recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

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Invasion of the Dognappers by Patrick Jennings
More Information about the book

Invasion of the Dognappers
Patrick Jennings

Nothing gets past Logan. When he observes that the neighborhood's dogs are mysteriously vanishing, he suspects nothing less than a full-scale alien dognapping invasion. The adults don't believe him, of course, so he enlists his friends to investigate and soon they make a shocking discovery.

Now man's best friend needs help. Fast. Suddenly, Logan and his team are on a mission unlike anything known to man.

This stand-alone story is 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).

Cast Update for BBC's Crime Drama The Fall

Telemystery: Mystery and Suspense on Television

Last month we learned that Gillian Anderson will star in The Fall, a new crime series for BBC. Today the British network is reporting that Jamie Dornan, who is currently starring in ABC's Once Upon a Time, will play serial killer Paul Sector, who is being sought by Detective Superintendent Gibson (Anderson).

Written by Allan Cubitt, the crime drama will follow a police investigation that uncovers the intricate story of lives entangled by a series of murders, from both the perspective of the killer's and victim's families. Filming on the 5-episode series is underway in Belfast.

(Source: Press release.)

Anno 1790, a Swedish Historical Crime Drama, New This Week on DVD

Anno 1790 (SVT)

Earlier today we posted about three crime series being released this week on DVD. But we missed one, the Swedish historical crime drama Anno 1790. (It's not even included yet on our Telemystery site, something we'll take care of later today!)

We first heard of Anno 1790 last August, when the Swedish television network SVT announced its Fall 2011 line-up. Ten episodes aired and are included in this new DVD set. (We don't believe SVT has made a decision yet on a second season.)

It is the Age of Enlightenment, the year 1790. After returning from the battlefields of a bloody war in Finland, Swedish army surgeon Johan Gustav Dåådh (Peter Eggers) finds himself reluctantly taking on the job as district police commissioner in Stockholm. Unenthusiastic about police work, he still brings tenacity and dispassionate reasoning to the job, with an eye to ensuring that criminals are caught and the innocent remain free. His methods may not be modern but they work, and the motives for the crimes remain unchanged from today: revenge, greed, love, jealousy and politics. Beneath the calm exterior, Dåådh is as conflicted as the times he lives in; he's a closeted revolutionary torn between his loyalty to the King and his progressive ideals. He also struggles with forbidden love for his boss wife Magdalena (Linda Zilliacus), who shares his vision for a just and free society.

The episodes are in Swedish with English subtitles. We've embedded a trailer for the DVD set of Anno 1790 below:

Telemystery: East West 101, Murder Investigation Team, and Single-Handed, New This Week on DVD

Telemystery, the most complete selection of detective, amateur sleuth, private investigator, and suspense television mystery series now available or coming soon to DVD

Telemystery, your source for one of the most comprehensive listings of crime drama, amateur sleuth, private investigator, mystery and suspense television series, mini-series and made-for-television movies, now available on or coming soon to DVD or Blu-ray disc, is profiling three series being released this week.

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East West 101: Season One, a Telemystery Crime Series

Don Hany stars as Zane Malik, a Muslim detective with the Major Crime Squad of the Sydney Metropolitan Police Force in the Australian crime drama East West 101.

He's a good husband and father and a dedicated cop with one main problem on the job: Detective Sergeant Ray Crowley (William McInnes). Crowley's an old school policeman for whom rules and regulations play a poor second to getting results. Malik, Crowley, and the rest of the team work together to solve a variety of cases involving people who represent a cross-section of modern Australia, with the two rival cops invariably butting heads in the process.

East West 101: Season One is available on DVD and consists of episodes that originally aired on SBS One during December 2007 and January 2008.

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Murder Investigation Team: Season Two, a Telemystery Crime Series

Fast paced and brimming with twists and turns, Murder Investigation Team follows the course of a criminal investigation from crime scene through profiling, forensics, and good old-fashioned detective work. The series, which ran for two seasons, is a spin-off of the long-running crime drama The Bill.

Love triangles, family estrangements, greed, and lies lead to a series of wrong turns and dead ends, building the pressure to solve cases while the evidence is still fresh — and, sometimes, before the killer can strike again. Along the way, the investigators struggle to walk the line between professional loyalties and personal interests.

Murder Investigation Team: Season Two is available on DVD and consists of episodes that originally aired on ITV in February 2005.

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Single-Handed: Set Two, a Telemystery Crime Series

Owen McDonnell stars as Garda Sergeant Jack Driscoll in the Irish crime drama Single-Handed.

His position as head of the local police force puts Driscoll at the heart of his community — and often at odds with it. Relationships are everything in his small Irish town, where Jack's professional life is inextricably bound with his private life and those of his neighbors. When two new arrivals come from England, eager to discover family history in the area, Jack learns that the solutions to current crimes frequently lie in the distant past.

Single-Handed: Set Two is available on DVD and consists of episodes that originally aired on RTE in Ireland and ITV in the UK in December 2010. (We're currently watching these episodes and will have a review later this week. We called the first season "superb"; see Mr. E.'s review of Single-Handed: Set 1.)

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Visit the Telemystery website to discover more television mystery series currently available on and coming soon to DVD, Blu-ray disc, or video on demand.

Teaser Trailer for Breaking Dawn Part 2

The Twilight Saga

A teaser trailer for the fifth film in the Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn Part 2, has been released by the studio (embedded below).

Breaking Dawn is the fourth and final novel in this series of young adult thrillers by Stephenie Meyer. The film adaptation of the book split the narrative into two parts, the first of which was released last November and had Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) marrying Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). Part 2 opens with Bella, who gave birth to a daughter as a human, now a newborn vampire herself.

The film opens in theaters November 16th, 2012.

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