Telemystery: NBC Developing Crime Drama Featuring Young Thomas Edison

Last night we reported on two crime drama projects, one each at ABC and CBS … but we missed NBC's most recent project (via Deadline).

Titled Edison and set in 1880s New York City, the storyline follows a young Thomas Edison, who works as a consultant for the police department and "uses his inventor instincts and retro-cool devices to deconstruct crime scenes and pioneer new technology."

Daniel C. Connolly (Longmire) will write the script and co-executive produce.

Superior Justice by Tom Hilpert is Today's Fifth Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Superior Justice by Tom Hilpert as today's fifth 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.

— ♦ —

Superior Justice
Tom Hilpert
Publisher: Tom Hilpert

Jonah Borden is not your typical Lutheran pastor, and he takes pains to make sure everyone knows it. He's a tough-guy, thinks-he's-funny, rock-music-playing, gourmet-cooking, painfully-moderate-drinking, hard-boiled man of the cloth. He is even available for a bit of romance, under the right circumstances.

Doug Norstad, a member of Jonah Borden's church, is arrested for a vigilante killing. Norstad shares his true alibi with Borden, under the privileged status of religious confession. Knowing now that the man is innocent, Borden must prove it somehow, without divulging his secret. Along the way he uncovers a twisted series of murders and cover ups. Before it is all over, Borden himself has been bribed, beaten, shot, and arrested for murder. Even worse, he may be falling in love.

  

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.

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

Chalk Valley by D. L. Johnstone is Today's Fourth Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Chalk Valley by D. L. Johnstone 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.

— ♦ —

Chalk Valley
D. L. Johnstone
Publisher: D. L. Johnstone

In a remote mountain valley in British Columbia, a human monster preys on innocent lives. After teenagers discover the body of a missing girl in Chalk Valley, searchers find the remains of two more victims secreted deep in the woods. A serial killer is at work.

Chalk Valley police detective John McCarty is picked to lead a task force to find the murderer. But inexperience, politics and McCarty’s own inner demons quickly overwhelm him and the investigation falters.

Meanwhile, on a dark, lonely highway many miles from Chalk Valley, RCMP Sergeant Dave Kreaver comes across a van crashed at the side of the road. The driver is anxious to leave the scene. But Kreaver discovers an unconscious teenaged girl in the van. Kreaver feels in his gut that the driver could be the serial killer everyone’s looking for, but his inquiries are ignored. The task force is in well over its head, buried by thousands of leads and potential suspects. His supervisors tell him to back off and let the task force do its job.

Kreaver is in a deadly cat and mouse game with a murderous psychopath, a race against time with innocent victims in play. Operating alone and without official sanction, can he stop the Chalk Valley Killer before he claims more lives?

  

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.

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

Phoenix Splinter by Branli Caidryn is Today's Third Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Phoenix Splinter by Branli Caidryn 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.

— ♦ —

Phoenix Splinter
Branli Caidryn
Publisher: Battle King Press

Nineteen-year-old Keith Groenewald is an escaped experiment from Area Fifty-One. Harbored by a secret society, Veluz, Keith develops his telekinetic abilities, making him a key weapon for their covert missions. While working as part of an elite mercenary force, Keith is unsettled by rumors that Veluz may have orchestrated the experimentation that gave him his powers.

With each passing mission he learns his purpose goes far beyond that of a corporate pawn or mercenary-for-hire. His very existence is other worldly, not just alien, but something far more profound.

As he delves deeper into Veluz and their sinister goals of worldwide economic and political dominance, he pulls away from friends, family, and his hopes for a normal life — only to discover that every truth has its price and this one may cost him everything.

  

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.

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

Off the Grid by Mark Young is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Off the Grid by Mark Young 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.

— ♦ —

Off the Grid
Mark Young
A Gerrit O'Rourke Mystery
Publisher: Kindle Direct Publishing

Murders, bombings and a cryptic message force police detective Gerrit O’Rourke to live Off the Grid for his own survival — and that of the nation.

MIT educated, Force Recon trained, Gerrit joined the Seattle police department seven years ago after his parents perished in a car bomb in that city. A government-sanctioned coalition recruits Gerrit to retrieve information vital to U.S. interests, where he discovers the murdered body of a scientist dumped in a Vienna, Austria hotel room. This discovery — coupled with an intercepted message about a covert operation called Project Megiddo — hurls Gerrit into an international thriller that forever changes his world.

Others emerge to aid in Gerrit’s fight. Alena Shapiro, a former Mossad agent — whose parents fled their Russian homeland to resettle in Israel — seems to watch over Gerrit like a guardian angel. Joe Costello, a cyber security specialist who promises to unlock the secrets of Gerrit’s tragic history. Hank "Redneck" Riley, a reformed Aryan racist — making amends for his past — uses his unusual skills to give these crusaders an edge against an unyielding foe. Finally, Willy Williams, former banger from San Francisco, elevates his street skills to become a formidable computer hacker.

Facing overwhelming odds, Gerrit and his small band of fighters struggle within the shadows of a global conflict. Advanced technologies are the tools; global supremacy the goal. Gerrit must learn to fight and survive in an Orwellian future that begins today.

  

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.

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

Isle Royale by John Hamilton is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Isle Royale by John Hamilton 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.

— ♦ —

Isle Royale
John Hamilton
Publisher: RavenFire Media

The year: 1924. The place: Isle Royale, a remote island on Lake Superior. Clarence MacDougal, keeper of Wolf Point Lighthouse, stands ready to guide sailors through treacherous waters.

One storm-tossed night, French-Canadian bootleggers arrive. The gang’s leader is Sean LeBeck, former lover of Collene MacDougal — the lightkeeper’s wife. LeBeck is determined to rescue Collene from her dreary life and rekindle their old passion, even if it means taking her off the island by force.

The lightkeeper’s son, Ian, escapes during the storm, only to stumble upon a hidden cove, home of the last remaining members of the Coast Guard cutter "Chippewa". A dark secret forced the crew to banish themselves. Given one last chance at redemption, the ancient mariners set out on stormy Lake Superior in a desperate attempt to save the day.

  

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.

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

Telemystery: ABC, CBS Order Crime Drama Projects

Two more Telemystery-ish network projects to report on tonight.

First from CBS, which is developing a crime drama titled Solve For X in which a game developer in San Francisco consults for a local police task force. Ilene Chaiken (The L Word) will write the initial script and executive produce. (Chaiken was also behind the last year's Quean project that was abandoned as being too similar to story elements of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.)

The second project is from ABC, which has ordered a script for Wrongful Death. The setting for this crime drama is Florida, where a former cop-turned-felon-turned-Tampa insurance adjuster reluctantly teams with an energetic but unpolished millennial at a private investigation firm to investigate wrongful deaths. Donald Todd (Samantha Who?, Hart of Dixie) with write and executive produce the script.

Both these news items (1, 2) first appeared on The Hollywood Reporter.

Telemystery: Your Fall 2012 Schedule for Wednesday, September 26th

Here is your Telemystery Fall 2012 Schedule for Wednesday, September 26th, 2012 (all times are ET/PT) …

At 9 PM on CBS is the eighth season opener for Criminal Minds. In an episode titled "The Silencer", when a Texas prisoner escapes during a transfer, he leaves behind victims with his unique trademark, sewing their mouths shut, a signature the BAU remembers as unique to the unsub "The Silencer". While they investigate who he was and who he's become, the BAU also gets to know the newest member of the team (Jeanne Tripplehorn as Alex Blake).

Also at 9 PM is the two hour premiere of the fourteenth season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: the first hour is titled "Lost Reputation" and second "Above Suspicion". The SVU squad is reeling from the fallout after Captain Cragen wakes up with a dead escort — a potential witness in an SVU case — in his bed. Tensions run high at the precinct as the detectives contend with District Attorney Paula Foster's investigation of Cragen, as well as the arrival of a tough new captain, Steven Harris. Brian Cassidy treads an increasingly narrow line as an undercover cop in Bart Ganzel's escort organization, as Detective Nick Amaro struggles with the case and his marriage.

At 10 PM, CSI returns with its thirteenth season opening episode, "Karma to Burn". D. B. Russell's granddaughter was kidnapped in last season's finale cliffhanger and now he leads the CSI team on a hunt to find her. Guest stars include Peri Gilpin as D. B.'s wife Barbara, Enrique Murciano as Detective Carolos Moreno, and Conor O'Farrell as former undersheriff Jeffrey McKeen.

Finally, though not a new episode per se, ABC is airing a one-hour recap of the first season of Revenge titled "The First Chapter". Revenge airs its second season premiere on Sunday, September 30th at 9 PM.

This Week's New Games of Mystery and Suspense — and more — from Big Fish Games (120925)

Here is this week's list of new games — many of which include elements of mystery and suspense — available to purchase and download from Big Fish Games.

We're using a script to embed an RSS feed from Big Fish Games, which is updated daily, but if you cannot see the box below — or have scripts blocked — you can use this link to see the relevant page on BigFishGames.com.

Three Character Posters for Thriller Argo

Three character posters from the true story-inspired thriller Argo have been released by the studio (right, below; click for slightly larger images). The taglines: "The missiong was a movie." "The movie was a cover." "Hollywood bought the plot."

Directed by Ben Affleck from a screenplay by Chris Terrio, Argo is based on former CIA technical operations officer Tony Mendez's account of the rescue of six U.S. diplomats from Tehran, Iran during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis.

The film stars Ben Affleck as Tony Mendez (right), John Goodman as scriptwriter John Chambers (below left), and Alan Arkin as producer Lester Siegel (below right) together with Bryan Cranston, Kyle Chandler, and Victor Garber.

Argo opens in theaters October 12th, 2012.

Telemystery: USA Renews Covert Affairs and White Collar

USA Network announced today that both Covert Affairs and White Collar have been renewed.

Covert Affairs, which is currently airing its third season — though on a short break; it returns on October 16th — has been picked up for a fourth season of 16 episodes. The series has typically aired during the summer and fall.

White Collar, which recently concluded the first half of its fourth season, has been given an order of 16 episodes for its fifth season. The series typically airs in two phases, the first half during the summer and the remaining episodes during the winter (after the first of the year).

We've updated this information to our new Telemystery Scoresheet, a list of all US series that are currently, or soon will be, airing on the networks.

Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (120925)

Here is today's list of the Bestselling Free Kindle Crime Fiction: the top nine mysteries, novels of suspense, 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 click on the image to the right or use this link to see the relevant page on Amazon.com.

New Hardcover Mysteries for October 2012

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

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

Tasha Alexander (Lady Emily Ashton, 7th) •  V. C. Andrews (Kindred Series, 2nd) •  C. C. Benison (Father Tom Christmas, 2nd) •  Michael A. Black (Leal and Hart, 3rd) •  Alison Bruce (Gary Goodhew, 4th) •  JoAnna Carl (Lee McKinney, Chocoholic, 12th) •  Joelle Charbonneau (Rebecca Robbins, 3rd) •  Laura Childs (Carmela Bertrand, Scrapbooking, 10th) •  Patricia Cornwell (Kay Scarpetta, 20th) •  Justin Cronin (Passage Trilogy, 2nd) •  Jeanne M. Dams (Dorothy Martin, 12th) •  Nelson DeMille (John Corey, 6th) •  James D. Doss (Charlie Moon, 17th) •  Elizabeth J. Duncan (Penny Brannigan, 4th) •  Ruth Dudley Edwards (Robert Amiss, 12th) •  Loren D. Estleman (Sherlock Holmes Short Stories •  Duncan Falconer (John Stratton, 8th) •  Jasper Fforde (Thursday Next, 7th) •  Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain (Murder, She Wrote, 38th) •  Dalton Fury ("Delta Force", 2nd) •  Rick Gavin (Nick Reid, 2nd) •  Barbara Hambly (Benjamin January, 10th) •  David Handler (Berger and Mitry, 9th) •  Charlaine Harris (Aurora Teagarden, 7th) •  Ellen Hart (Jane Lawless, 20th) •  Keigo Higashino (Manabu Yukawa, Detective Galileo, 2nd) •  Susan Hill (Simon Serrailler, 7th) •  Bill James (Harpur and Iles, 29th) •  David James (Amanda Thorne, 2nd) •  Iris Johansen (Eve Duncan and Joe Quinn, 14th) •  Darynda Jones (Charlotte "Charley" Davidson, 4th) •  Solomon Jones (Michael Coletti, 3rd) •  Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis (Nina Borg, 2nd) •  Todd Keisling (Donovan Candle, 2nd) •  Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga ("The Walking Dead", 2nd) •  Michael Lister (John Jordan, 5th) •  G. M. Malliet (Max Tudor, 2nd) •  Archer Mayor (Joe Gunther, 23rd) •  Keith McCarthy (Eisenmenger-Fleming, 9th) •  Jo Nesbø (Harry Hole, 9th) •  James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein (Daniel X, 5th) •  Anne Perry (Christmas Novellas, 11th) •  Brent Pilkey (Jack Warren, 3rd) •  Stella Rimington (Liz Carlyle, 7th) •  Imogen Robertson (Harriet Westerman, 3rd) •  Patrick Robinson (Mack Bedford, 4th) •  Michael Robotham (Joe O'Loughlin, 5th) •  John Sandford (Virgil Flowers, 6th) •  Alexander McCall Smith (Isabel Dalhousie, Sunday Philosophy Club, 9th) •  Sally Spencer (Monika Paniatowski, 5th) •  Shirley Tallman (Sarah Woolson, 5th) •  Patrick Taylor (Irish Country, 7th) •  Jane Tesh (David Randall, Grace Street, 2nd) •  Charles Todd (Holiday Tale •  M. J. Trow (Kit Marlowe, 3rd) •  Jeri Westerson (Medieval Noir, 5th) •  Lis Wiehl and Pete Nelson (East Salem Trilogy, 2nd) •  David Wong (David and John, 2nd) •  Sheila York (Lauren Atwill and Peter Winslow, 3rd)

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

Claude Berube (Connor Stark) •  John Billheimer (Lloyd Keaton) •  Carolyn Hart (Nela Farley) •  Andrew Hunt (Art Oveson) •  David Mark (Aector McEvoy) •  Peter May ("Isle of Lewis Trilogy") •  D. J. McIntosh ("The Mesopotamian Trilogy") •  Tim O'Mara (Raymond Donne) •  Mark Sullivan (Robin Monarch)

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

Dale Allan •  Piero Degli Antoni •  Albert Ashforth •  Iain Banks •  Robert Olen Butler •  Max Byrd •  Dorothy Cannell •  David Carnoy •  Reed Farrel Coleman •  Matthew J. Costello •  Mark Z. Danielewski •  Ted Dekker •  Louise Erdrich •  Felix Francis •  John Grisham •  Gerald Hammond •  William Heffernan •  Sheridan Hough •  Victoria Jenkins •  John Kerr •  Thomas M. Kostigen •  Dennis Lehane •  Donna Leon •  Jo-Ann Mapson •  Wil Mara •  John Martel •  Val McDermid •  Linda McDonald •  Peter Murphy •  Michael Newton •  Josh Pahigian •  James Patterson and Marshall Karp •  Andrew Rosenheim •  Robert J. Seidman •  Beth Tashery Shannon •  B. A. Shapiro •  Robin Sloan •  Richard Smolev •  Eva Maria Staal •  Larry D. Thompson •  Eliza Wood

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

The Poisoned Pencil, a New YA Imprint from Poisoned Pen Press

Yesterday we briefly mentioned that Poisoned Pen Press was creating a new young adult imprint, The Poisoned Pencil. Today we received the full press release from the publisher with more details.

"Our goal with The Poisoned Pencil is to publish young adult mysteries that are fast-paced and relevant to today's teens — books that adults will also want to read," said publisher Jessica Tribble. The Poisoned Pencil is particularly interested in works with off-beat approaches and narrative choices that reflect the complexity and ambiguity of today's world.

Veteran editor Ellen Larson will serve as editor of The Poisoned Pencil. And with the first books expected to be published in Fall 2013, the new imprint is actively seeking manuscripts of between 45,000 to 90,000 words in all traditional mystery forms.

"Anything goes," says Larson. "As long as the protagonist is between the ages of 12 and 18, it's young adult. I'm excited to begin reviewing submissions, seeing what's out there, and building our list."

For more information about submitting manuscripts, see The Poisoned Pencil submission page on the publisher's website.

Members of the news media wishing to request additional information about The Poisoned Pencil are kindly asked to contact Maryglenn McCombs by phone: (615) 297-9875, or by email: maryglenn@maryglenn.com.

Please Welcome Stephen Jared

by Stephen Jared

We are delighted to welcome actor and novelist Stephen Jared as our guest.

Stephen's second novel is the mystery Ten-A-Week Steale (Solstice Publishing, March 2012 trade paperback and ebook formats), set in the early years of Hollywood. And early Hollywood is the subject of his post today. (All photos are provided courtesy of Stephen Jared, and may be clicked on to see a larger image.)

— ◊ —

Los Angeles started as other Southwest American cities. There was nothing unusual about her birth. It was Hollywood that eventually dressed her up in funny clothes, gave her personality. When great barns were erected and cameras began to grind, riches came and depravity followed, the likes of which had perhaps not been seen since the days of ancient Rome (one of the silent era's favorite settings).

Cecil B. DeMille's office is still around from this time, exactly as it was. After running away from stage disappointments and creating a career as master of the cinematic spectacle, DeMille worked at an office on Vine, just south of Hollywood Boulevard. It has since been moved to Highland, across from the Hollywood Bowl where it remains today as part of a sad little museum (the nearby blind palm reader gets more foot-traffic).

Walk a block south and there's a movie theater built ninety years ago to resemble an Egyptian temple. The first premiere at the Egyptian was Robin Hood. Douglas Fairbanks shot his epic swashbuckler only two boulevards south of the theater. His studio is still there and for many years I've driven by, always imagining I could see the Robin Hood castle rising into the clouds high above studio walls. Back when Fairbanks was king of Hollywood, his playgrounds were visible from miles away.

Tragically, while Manhattan and the nation's capital flaunt their history, Los Angeles hides hers. She insists on obsessively transforming herself to appear young and trendy. She disguises herself as a Vanity Fair for giants. But if you travel on foot beneath billboards and wall adverts you might discover a few places where she hides her relics.

While Mann's Chinese Theater, the Hollywood sign, and various movie studios have been re-contextualized into our modern era, there are many lesser known locations that have maintained the aesthetics of their times; these are the places that intrigue me the most.

When Douglas Fairbanks separated from Mary Pickford, he stayed at the Trianon Apartments. The French Normandy building is still there, looking exactly as it did then. Both Ronald Reagan and James Cagney lived for a time at the Montecito. The first Academy Awards ceremony was held at The Roosevelt Hotel in 1929, and while renovations have occurred, the Spanish-style hotel continues to serve as a portal to an earlier Hollywood.

The Alto Nido Apartments was home to Fatty Arbuckle for three years, and still stands only a couple doors up from where Nathanael West wrote The Day of the Locust (Personally, I hate West. Judging from his most famous novel where he demeans marginal figures among the Hollywood community, he would've hated me. He's lucky he's not around today cause I'd punch his lights out.).

I've lived in Los Angeles for over twenty years, and have been reading about Hollywood's history most of my life. My new novel, Ten-A-Week Steale, began with a single inspiration: to write a story that accurately resurrected Hollywood during the 1920s. All locations are real. Steale's apartment still stands (barely).

In fact, in my research, I discovered two silent film actresses lived at the Leland Avenue apartment during the 1920s. Classic films and action-oriented pulps influenced me a great deal as to story and characterizations. But the first inspiration was my love of this extraordinary city.

Occasionally, I catch her looking at me. "Do you know who I am?" she asks. "How much do you know about my past?" Truthfully, it's hard for me to see beyond the beauty she once was.

— ◊ —

As an actor Stephen Jared has appeared in numerous feature films and television series, as well as commercials for both radio and television. His writings, including articles and interviews, have appeared in various publications. In 2010, he self-published his first book, an adventure novel titled Jack and the Jungle Lion, which received an honorable mention in the 2011 Hollywood Book Festival. He lives in Pasadena, California.

You can learn more about the author and his books at StephenJared.com, or find him on Facebook and Twitter.

— ◊ —

Ten-A-Week Steale
Stephen Jared

He returned from the war … to a town
full of lies!

Returned from the Great War, living in 1920s Hollywood, Walter Steale is hired as muscle by his politician brother while a platinum blond, renowned for playing empty-headed nymphets in the flickers, rekindles his faith in the world. But before long, lies stack up around his work, and Steale finds himself on the front lines of corruption.

Once he confronts his brother, Steale's dirty work is used against him to protect powerful state leaders. Forced into the life of a fugitive, with the secret love of a film star at his side, the former GI fights to expose the state's true enemies while hiding in the shadows of a thriving new metropolis where everyone is dancing fast, chased by sorrow, drugged by the dream of change.