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Dear %%First Name%%,

Busy, busy, busy

Sorry for the long delay in email newsletters but it's been busy in the first two weeks of the year. A quick trip to Washington was a perfect antidote to the holidays and allowed us to catch the Turner and Hopper shows at the National Gallery before they closed. Right after that it was inventory time (yes, we really do count all the books in the store). Finally, last Sunday we treated ourselves and the staff to a showing of the Metropolitan Opera's Macbeth, simulcast in HD at a local theater. We were just knocked out by both the performance and the theater experience. If you're a fan of opera and don't live in New York we heartily recommend that you check out these movie theater simulcasts.

Well, enough about us--let's move on to news of mystery.

This Week's Special

This Week's Special is 20% off on the latest in a series set in Tibet and featuring a former Beijing police detective. A fascinating picture of a country whose culture is under constant political pressure from China.

Nancy Pickard back in print

We received a note the other day from author Nancy Pickard to let us know that her publisher had reissued all ten of her splendid Jenny Cain mysteries as print-on-demand trade paperbacks. This is wonderful news as this was long one of Mary Alice's favorite series. Jenny Cain is the director of a community foundation in a small city and the series allowed Pickard to construct excellent mysteries that also addressed various social issues that the foundation involved itself in. The character also evolved in interesting ways through the series until its logical culmination in the final book, Twilight.

If you're unfamiliar with the series, try the first: Generous Death. Also newly available are the first two of her Marie Lightfoot series set in Florida and featuring a true crime writer.

December MLB Best Sellers

The December Best Seller list was heavily influenced by holiday buying trends, including several Christmas mysteries as well as other non-mystery titles that were popular. Local author Kathleen George led the hardcover list with her new Pittsburgh-set mystery Afterimage as a result of a well-timed publication party on December 11.

Staff Picks for January

Available now on the site are our Staff Picks for January including a diverse selection of mysteries that we've enjoyed. Oddly, three out the four picks this month have historical settings--perhaps a trend?

December-January MLB News available for download

The December 2007-January 2008 issue of the MLB News is available for download. The printed version is at the printer and will likely go into the mail on Monday, January 7.

For full information about the MLB News and the Masters of Mystery program, please see our Newsletter page.

Gift Certificate

Did you receive an MLB Gift Certificate this holiday? Are you wondering if you can use it online?

We can't really answer the first question but the answer to the second question is yes. Simply place your order at www.mysterylovers.com and in the special instructions note that you are using a gift certificate and tell us the amount and the control number. If your order is more than the amount of the gift certificate please provide a credit card that we can use fo the balance. If it's less, we'll issue a credit for the difference and send the credit slip with your order.

Incidentally, if you didn't receive an MLB Gift Certificate but wish you had, we invite you to forward this email to anyone who might get you one next time.

New arrivals

Plenty of new arrivals since our last email including new books by Minettte Walters, Deborah Crombie, C.J. Box, Steve Hockensmith, Michele Martinez and many others. You'll find the complete list at New Arrivals.

Bleeding Kansas by Sara Paretsky--signed copies

Sara Paretsky has a new novel out, Bleeding Kansas, and we've got a limited number of signed copies. Although her new book is not in the V.I. Warshawski series, it's not even a mystery but rather a straight novel, fans will certainly enjoy this compelling tale of two Kansas families. Set in the area of Paretsky's own birth, it reflects the history of Kansas in it's central characters: two families who have been there since the 1850's when Bloody Kansas referred to the slavery vs. anti-slavery battles of the era. The novel, however, is quite contemporary as current events batter the descendants of these pioneers and force them to face truths they would rather avoid.

Please order signed copies early as we have only a limited number.

Rita Mae Brown - February 5

We're getting set for our event on February 5 at 7 pm with Rita Mae Brown. She'll be here with The Purrfect Murder, latest in her Sneaky Pie series. Tickets are $5 and the event is a benefit for Animal Friends, a no-kill animal shelter here in Pittsburgh. They'll be bringing cats, dogs and rabbits that are available for adoption.

If you can't make it to the event but would like a signed book, you can order it on the website and we'll be sure to get it signed and even personalized if you wish.

Winter Coffee & Crime Series

Our Winter Coffee & Crime Series kicks off on January 23 with four diverse and talented authors appearing in this long-running Saturday morning author breakfast series. Here's what's coming up:

Upcoming Events

Jan. 26 - Coffee & Crime with Steve Berry
Feb. 5 - Rita Mae Brown

Our best wishes for a splendid New Year for you and your loved ones,
Richard, Mary Alice and the MLB Staff

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