Book Trends, a review site for young adult and children books, published several new book reviews this past week. We're presenting here a summary of those in the mystery/suspense/thriller category.
The Nightmare Garden by Caitlin Kittredge. The Iron Codex Book Two. Lexile measure: N/A. Reviewed by a 6th grade student, who writes, "Many books seem very realistic, but not if they involve magic; unless, the story is in the future and written by Kaitlin Kittredge. She somehow twists and manipulates the idea of magic until it seems like reality." (Read the full review of this fantasy/suspense novel here.)
The Dead Gentleman by Matthew Cody. Lexile measure: N/A. Reviewed by a 6th grade student, who writes, "This book has a lot of detail and the characters are highly developed. The mix between science fiction and fantasy is also perfect. I definitely hope that Matthew Cody writes another book to make it a series." (Read the full review of this sci-fi fantasy/suspense novel here.)
For more reviews of children and young adult books of all genres, visit Book Trends; their reviews will amaze you! You can also follow Book Trends on Twitter.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Reviews of Mystery and Suspense Books for Kids, New This Week on Book Trends (120630)
Big Fish Games BOGO Collector's Editions, This Weekend Only
This weekend only, June 30th and July 1st, 2012, Big Fish Games is having a Buy One, Get One Free sale on Collector's Editions.
Here's how it works. Select two Collector's Edition games and add them to your cart. Apply the coupon code FREEGAME at checkout to realize your savings.
There is no limit on the number of games you can buy using the code. For example, buy six Collector's Edition games and you'll only be charged for three.
To get you started, here is a link to all of the Collector's Edition games on the site: hidden object, adventure, and more! Popular mystery titles include Final Cut: Death on the Silver Screen, Shadow Wolf Mysteries, Sherlock Holmes and the Hound of the Baskervilles, the "Dark Tales of Edgar Allan Poe" series of games, and the "Mystery Case Files" games.
Remember, this Big Fish Games BOGO sale ends tomorrow, Sunday July 1st, 2012 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time.
New Poster, Trailer for Taken 2
A new US poster (right; click for larger image) and international teaser trailer (below; in English with French subtitles) have been released for the thriller Taken 2. The poster's tagline: "First they took his daughter. Now they're coming for him."
Liam Neeson reprises his role as Bryan Mills, the retired CIA agent with a particular set of skills who stopped at nothing to save his estranged teenage daughter Kim from Albanian kidnappers — the storyline from the 2008 film Taken. When the father of one of the kidnappers swears revenge and takes Bryan and his wife hostage during their family vacation in Istanbul, Bryan enlists Kim to help them escape, and uses the same advanced level of special forces tactics to get his family to safety and systematically take out the kidnappers one by one.
Directed by Olivier Megaton from a screenplay by Luc Besson (Taken, Lockout) and Robert Mark Kamen (Taken, Gladiator), the film opens on October 5th, 2012.
Five Romantic Thrillers by C. J. Lyons is Today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal
MystereBooks is pleased to feature Five Romantic Thrillers by C. J. Lyons as today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal. The deal price of $0.99 each is valid only for today, Saturday, June 30, 2012.
— ◊ —
Five Romantic Thrillers by C. J. Lyons
The following titles are included in today's offer: The "Hart and Drake" suspense novels (Nerves of Steel, Sleight of Hand, and Face to Face) and the "Shadow Ops" thrillers (Chasing Shadows and Lost in Shadows).
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 Saturday, June 30, 2012 only.
Download Link(s):
Friday, June 29, 2012
CBS Orders Second Season of Unforgettable after Canceling the Series
It doesn't happen often, but a television network has uncanceled — we're reasonably sure that isn't a word, but does accurately describe the action — a series. Specifically, and in this instance, CBS has changed its mind about Unforgettable, and has ordered 13 episodes to air during Summer 2013.
The series stars Poppy Montgomery as Carrie Wells, an enigmatic former police detective with a rare condition that makes her memory so flawless that every place, every conversation, every moment of joy and every heartbreak is forever embedded in her mind. It's not just that she doesn't forget anything — she can't; except for one thing: the details that would help solve her sister's long-ago murder.
A&E Renews Longmire for a Second Season
A&E has renewed Longmire for a second season.
The western crime drama, based on characters created by Craig Johnson, stars Robert Taylor as Wyoming Sheriff Walt Longmire.
Longmire currently airs on Sundays on A&E.
BBC One Trailer for Wallander Season 3
Earlier today we mentioned that the pilot episode of Endeavour is premiering on PBS's Masterpiece Mystery! this weekend. Later in the season, the third season of Wallander premieres — September 16th — but our British cousins will have already seen it by then, since the premiere date in the UK is July 8th.
Toward that end, BBC One has released a short, 40-second, trailer for the season, embedded below, with scenes from the episodes very effectively paired with a cover of Simon & Garfunkel's The Sound of Silence.
Based on characters created by Swedish crime novelist Henning Mankell, Kenneth Branagh stars as homicide detective Kurt Wallander in this BBC crime drama.
This Week's Bestselling Mystery and Suspense Television and Film Video on Demand (120629)
Here is this week's list of the top bestselling mystery and suspense television and film videos available to download from Amazon Instant.
We're using a script to embed an RSS feed from Amazon.com, which is frequently updated, but if you cannot see the box below — or have scripts blocked — you can use this link to see the relevant page on Amazon.com.
Endeavour Airs on Masterpiece Mystery, Sunday July 1st
The Inspector Morse prequel Endeavour airs this Sunday, July 1st, on PBS's Masterpiece Mystery! (Check your local listings.) Originally airing as a stand-alone episode, it is now considered a pilot for the series, as ITV has commissioned four additional episodes to air in 2013.
Shaun Evans stars as the young Endeavour Morse, who was played by John Thaw in the original series. The character was created by crime novelist Colin Dexter, who will act as a consultant to the new series.
It is 1965, and a 15-year-old Oxford schoolgirl, last seen waiting alone in the rain at a bus stop on early Sunday morning, has disappeared and is presumed dead. The hunt for Mary Tremlett draws rookie Detective Endeavour Morse, the conflicted young detective on the verge of resignation, back to the university he'd suddenly left only a few years before. Stuck between town and gown, he is patronized by his arrogant old rival, now ascending the ivory tower, and scorned by a DS contemptuous of the "college boy". Only the former opera diva Rosalind Stromming, wife of an Oxford tutor with a murky connection to the missing girl, can offer him solace as he tries to navigate a hostile supervisor, the ghosts of his past, and a mystery that deepens with another tragic death. Discredited and at a dead-end, the solitary and cerebral Endeavour drives his first Jaguar, drinks his first pint and, to the sublime strains of opera, fights for the truth as he forges the identity that will someday become Inspector Morse.
Watch a teaser trailer for the episode below.
USA Orders Graceland to Series
USA Network has ordered Graceland to series. We're not entirely sure this is a "telemystery" even though it features agents from the FBI, DEA, and U.S. Customs. The premise is they are forced to live together — undercover — in a beach house in Southern California. What exactly they're doing there is still a bit of a mystery to us.
Here's the official description of the show, which sounds more drama-ish than crime drama-ish:
Daniel Sunjata stars as the house's senior FBI agent Paul Briggs, who has a legendary past but traded in his suit and tie for a more zen existence. Aaron Tveit plays Mike Warren, a freshly minted FBI agent just out of the Academy and dripping wet behind the ears. Vanessa Ferlito stars as strong-willed DEA agent Catherine "Charlie" Lopez; Brandon Jay McLaren plays Dale Jakes, a quick-tempered U.S. Customs agent, and Manny Montana plays FBI agent Joe "Johnny" Tuturro, the fun-loving prankster of the house. The series pilot also stars Scottie Thompson as Lauren Kincaid, a loyal and determined DEA agent dealing with the repercussions of her wounded partner, along with Courtney B. Vance as Quantico Section Chief special agent Sam Campbell and Jay Karnes as DEA group supervisor Gerry Silvo.
Graceland is created by Jeff Eastin, who is also responsible for White Collar, one of our favorite series, so we're willing to follow along here for a while.
TNT Renews Rizzoli & Isles for a 4th Season
TNT announced today that Rizzoli & Isles has been renewed for a 15-episode fourth season.
"Rizzoli & Isles has proven itself to be a strong and enduring hit, not only in terms of the great storylines and performances, but also in terms of the show's stellar ratings," said Michael Wright, head of programming for TNT. "We're thrilled that Rizzoli & Isles will continue to be a vital part of the TNT lineup."
Based on characters created by crime novelist Tess Gerritsen, the series stars Angie Harmon as Boston homicide detective Jane Rizzoli and Sasha Alexander as medical examiner Maura Isles.
Rizzoli & Isles is currently airing on Tuesdays on TNT.
Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (120629)
Here is today's list of the top bestselling free Kindle mysteries, suspense novels and thrillers.
We're using a script to embed an RSS feed from Amazon.com, which is updated hourly, but if you cannot see the box below — or have scripts blocked — you can use this link to see the relevant page on Amazon.com.
French Political Thriller Les Hommes de l'Ombre being Adapted for US Television
Endemol Studios is adapting the French political thriller Les Hommes de l'Ombre ("The Men of Shadows" or maybe "The Shadow Men") for US television under the working title of Kingmakers. The 6-episode series aired earlier this year on France 2, with a second season having already been commissioned.
The storyline follows the aftermath of the assassination of the President of France. An early election is scheduled, and two men are vying for the position. But the key roles are the men behind the men, the "shadow men", who will do anything to get their respective candidate elected.
"Les Hommes de l'Ombre offers a unique and ambitious format to develop a relevant, timeless and compelling American drama with original characters that bring the audience behind the scenes of high-stakes politics, starting with a presidential political campaign," said Endemol's CEO Philippe Maigret.
Death Before Facebook by Julie Smith is Today's Fourth Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature Death Before Facebook by Julie Smith as today's fourth free mystery ebook.
This title was listed as free as of the date and time of this post. Prices are subject to change without notice. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of purchase will be the price paid for the book. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your transaction.
— ◊ —
Death Before Facebook by Julie Smith
A Skip Langdon Mystery
Publisher: booksBnimble
Originally published in 1994 as New Orleans Beat, the author has renamed this fourth in series to the present title.
About Death Before Facebook (from the publisher): An unclassified death on the coroner's daily record is nothing special: a healthy young man found dead after an apparent fall from a ladder. Yet in a neglected old house set inside a jungle of greenery, Detective Skip Langdon listens to an unusually listless mother talk about her son's death and his empty life … and wonders. It seems the shy thirty-one-year-old victim, Geoff Kavanagh, was a computer genius who often frequented the TOWN, a computer network of some 10,000 faceless voices. Within this extraordinary community, strangers achieve an odd type of intimacy, sharing the darkest of secrets.
Skip learns that Geoff confessed his own deep secret: he saw his father murdered. Now the TOWN believes Geoff, too, was murdered--and Skip must follow the electronic trail of a killer …
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.
Inadvertent Disclosure by Melissa F. Miller is Today's Third Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature Inadvertent Disclosure by Melissa F. Miller 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.
— ◊ —
Inadvertent Disclosure by Melissa F. Miller
A Sasha McCandless Mystery
Publisher: Brown Street Books
Tiny dynamo Sasha McCandless returns in this second mystery of the series.
About Inadvertent Disclosure (from the publisher): It's been six months since an airplane crash altered the course of attorney Sasha McCandless's professional and personal life. She's busy building her solo law practice and tending her budding relationship with federal air marshal Leo Connelly, who helped her stop a madman. When Sasha drives from Pittsburgh to rural Clear Brook County to argue a run-of-the-mill discovery motion, she finds a town bitterly divided over the issue of hydrofracking the Marcellus Shale beneath it. Outsiders from the oil and gas industry and environmental activists threaten to rip apart the fabric of the small town. Then the town's only judge is murdered, and Sasha can't just walk away. But, as she works to find the killer, she must race to save the town before it fractures beyond repair.
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.
