Promotional Poster for Stoker

A promotional teaser poster for the suspense thriller Stoker has been released by the studio (right; click for larger image).

India Stoker (Mia Wasikowska) was not prepared to lose her father and best friend Richard (Dermot Mulroney) in a tragic auto accident. The solitude of her woodsy family estate, the peace of her tranquil town, and the unspoken somberness of her home life are suddenly upended by not only this mysterious accident, but by the sudden arrival of her Uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode), whom she never knew existed. When Charlie moves in with her and her emotionally unstable mother Evie (Nicole Kidman), India thinks the void left by her father's death is finally being filled by his closet bloodline. Soon after his arrival, India comes to suspect that this mysterious, charming man has ulterior motives. Yet instead of feeling outrage or horror, this friendless young woman becomes increasingly infatuated with him.

Directed by Park Chan-wook from an original screenplay by Wentworth Miller, Stoker opens in limited release in the US on March 1st, 2013.

Telemystery: Production Update for Adaptation of Louise Penny's Still Life

Last June we reported that Louise Penny's multiple award-winning debut novel Still Life was being adapted into a two-hour made-for-television movie for CBC.

Today CBC News has an update on the production, which is underway in Montreal.

Nathaniel Parker — who many of you will recognize as Inspector Lynley from the long-running series of mysteries adapted from Elizabeth George's novels — stars as Chief Inspector Armand Gamache with the Sûreté du Quebec.

Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (121030)

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, which includes a list of both the Top 100 Paid and Top 100 Free Kindle Mysteries and Thrillers.

Review: Münster's Case by Håkan Nesser

A Mysterious Review of …

Münster's Case by Håkan Nesser. A Van Veeteren Mystery.

Review summary: The titular case is interesting on its own merits, but the investigation moves along very slowly and very methodically, with little of substance happening — or even being revealed — over much of the first half of the book. The latter chapters, however, are riveting and well worth the pathway taken to get there. (Click here for text of full review.)

Our rating:

Münster's Case
Håkan Nesser
A Van Veeteren Mystery
Pantheon (August 2012)

Publisher synopsis: For Waldemar Leverkuhn the day could not have begun more auspiciously. He and three of his friends, all retirees, have just won the lottery. It's a modest sum when split four ways—certainly not enough to lift Waldemar out of the plain apartment he shares with his quiet, weary wife — but it's enough for the old men to toast their good luck with a blowout at their favorite bar. The celebration ends, however, with Waldemar drunk, stumbling, belligerent, and eventually dead in his own bed, stabbed twenty-eight times in the chest with a carving knife.

Taking charge of the case is Intendent Münster, Chief Inspector Van Veeteren's longtime right-hand man, and his beguiling colleague Ewa Moreno. They seem to have a surefire lead with the disappearance of one of Waldemar's friends on the same night as the murder, but after a cursory look into his whereabouts produces more questions than answers, the investigation suddenly seems to solve itself when Marie-Louise Leverkuhn, Waldemar's wife, confesses to the crime and calmly resigns herself to her fate. The case is, but all accounts, closed. That is, until one of the Leverkuhns' neighbors in the same unassuming block of apartments goes missing and turns up — spectacularly, gruesomely — in pieces around the city.

      

MystereBooks: Two Novels of Horror and Suspense by Sarah Langan, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature two novels of horror and suspense by Sarah Langan, now available at a special price, courtesy of the publisher, HarperCollins.

We generally don't include horror novels on our site, but with tomorrow being Halloween, we thought it might make for an interesting and not entirely inappropriate change of pace.

Sarah Langan is a three-time Bram Stoker Award winner, twice for her novels — one of which is included in this promotion — and once for a short story.

The ebook format of these titles were listed at $0.99 each from the listed vendors (below) 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.

Authors on Tour: A Conversation with Jen Estes

with Jen Estes

We are delighted to welcome crime novelist Jen Estes to Omnimystery News today, courtesy of Partners in Crime Tours. We encourage you to visit all of the host sites on her current book tour; you can find her schedule here.

Jen is the author of the "Cat McDaniel" mysteries. The second book in the series is Curveball (Camel Press, October 2012 trade paperback and ebook formats).

We recently had a chance to talk to Jen about her new book.

Audrey's Door by Sarah Langan is Today's Fifth Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Audrey's Door by Sarah Langan as today's fifth free mystery ebook (A Novel of Suspense; Kindle, Kobo, and iTunes formats).

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.

Cover Her Body by Eleanor Sullivan is Today's Fourth Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Cover Her Body by Eleanor Sullivan as today's fourth free mystery ebook (A Singular Village Mystery; Kindle format only).

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.

82 Desire by Julie Smith is Today's Third Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature 82 Desire by Julie Smith as today's third free mystery ebook (A Skip Langdon Mystery; Kindle format only).

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.

China Trade by S. J. Rozan is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature China Trade by S. J. Rozan as today's second free mystery ebook (A Lydia Chin and Bill Smith Mystery; Kindle format only).

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.

Mounting Storm by William Thompson Ong is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Mounting Storm by William Thompson Ong as today's free mystery ebook (Kindle format only).

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.

Review: Death and the Maiden by Frank Tallis

A Mysterious Review of …

Death and the Maiden by Frank Tallis. A Max Liebermann Mystery.

Review summary: This murder mystery is a compelling combination of whodunit and opera, with components of the latter incorporated into the plot. The fact that both lead investigators are musicians themselves adds to the appeal and provides a calming balance to the gravity of the murder and its aftermath. (Click here for text of full review.)

Our rating:

Death and the Maiden
Frank Tallis
A Max Liebermann Mystery
Random House (October 2012)

Publisher synopsis: Ida Rosenkranz is top diva at the Vienna Opera, but she's gone silent for good after an apparent laudanum overdose. Learning of her professional rivalries and her scandalous affairs with older men, Detective Inspector Oskar Rheinhardt and Dr. Max Liebermann suspect foul play instead. Their investigation leads them into dark and dangerous conflicts with Gustav Mahler, the opera's imperious director, who is himself the target of a poison pen campaign, and Karl Lueger, Vienna's powerful and anti-Semitic mayor. As the peril escalates, Rheinhardt grows further into his role as family man, while Liebermann finds himself at odds with his inamorata, Amelia, who's loosening both her corset and her tongue in the new feminist movement.

      

Telemystery: Casting News for A&E's Those Who Kill

Earlier this year we reported that A&E had acquired the US development rights to the Danish crime drama Den som dræber (Those Who Kill). Today we're learning that Chloë Sevigny (Big Love, Hit & Miss) has been cast in the lead role of Boston Homicide Detective Catherine Jensen, a forensic profiler with a deep understanding of serial killers.

The original Danish drama, which aired only one season, was based on a concept by crime novelist Elsebeth Egholm, who is probably best known for her series of thrillers featuring journalist Benedicte Svendsen, none of which have (yet) been translated into English.

Professor Layton and The Miracle Mask, New This Week for Nintendo DS

London's most famous puzzle master will need to call on his legendary intellect and dig deep to unravel the mysteries plaguing a city in Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask, the fifth game — and the second in the "prequel" trilogy — in this popular series for the Nintendo DS, which is being released this week in the US.

Upon receiving a cryptic letter from a childhood friend, Professor Layton is called to the carnival city of Monte d'Or to investigate a mysterious villain known as the Masked Man.

With his assistant Emmy and apprentice Luke in tow, the team arrives in town with a carnival in full swing — only to witness the Masked Man crashing the party!

Step into the shoes of a young Layton as the investigation turns to the discovery of a mysterious artifact, and the disappearance of his friend Randall Ascot 18 years ago. Is there some connection between these events and the chaos gripping Monte d'Or today?

Brimming with colorful animation and quirky characters, this lively whodunit is a charmingly unique puzzle-adventure sure to entertain players of all ages!

Watch a trailer for the game, which is ESRB rated E10+ (mild violence), below.

New Poster for Hansel and Gretel, Witch Hunters

A new poster for the action thriller Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters has been released by the studio (right; click for larger image). The tagline: "Classic tale. New twist."

The storyline catches up with Hansel (Jeremy Renner) and Gretel (Gemma Arterton) fifteen years after the traumatic incident involving a gingerbread house. The siblings have evolved into vengeful bounty hunters dedicated to exterminating witches. Over the years, they have became expert hunters, famous for their proficiency at tracking and taking down their prey. Although still recovering from their ordeal, their work is relatively easy as for an unknown reason harmful spells and curses do not work well against them.

The Mayor of Augsburg recruits them to rid the town and nearby forests of an evil sorceress (Famke Janssen), who is planning to sacrifice many local children at the witches' gathering during the upcoming "Blood Moon" night in two days time. To make things worse, the duo also has to deal with the brutal Sheriff Berringer (Peter Stormare), who has taken power in Augsburg and conducts a very indiscriminate witch-hunt of his own.

Directed by Tommy Wirkola from a screenplay co-written with Dante Harper, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters opens in theaters January 25th, 2013. The studio released a trailer last month, but we don't recall featuring it then, so we've embedded it below.

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