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Dear %%First Name%%,

We need your help

We've just finished up the worst January we've had in many years. Weather was probably a factor and who knows what else. In any case, we've got to bring up our February sales numbers and your support is key.

Take a look at our New Arrivals and you're sure to find a couple of great new books that you're dying to read. Valentines Day is coming up: how about a book instead of a card? Nancy Martin's Foxy Roxy, Nancy Pickard's Scent of Rain and Lightning or Lisa Scottoline's Think Twice are a few recent suggestions.

Our February Staff picks is another source of good ideas as well as the archive of picks from previous months.

The Edgar Award nominees were recently announced and they provide an excellent source for suggestions.

Shipping is free on any order of $10 or more so there is no reason to delay. Thanks for previous support and thanks for thinking of us now.

Michael Sims launches 2011 Coffee & Crime

Our 2011 season of Coffee & Crime author breakfasts begins with Michael Sims on Saturday, February 5 at 10 am.

Sims is the editor of the Penguin Book of Victorian Women in Crime, a fascinating anthology that features now-forgotten female heroines of crime stories of the era. You'll meet Loveday Brooks, Lady Molly of the Yard and dozens of other feisty sleuths in this entertaining collection that also sheds light on the changing role of women in the Victorian period.

Cost of the event is $5 and includes breakfast, talk and signing. You can purchase tickets online, by phone or at the store.

February Staff Picks

With the weather so bad across so much of the country what could be a better antidote than books to read while you hole up waiting for spring.

Our February Staff Picks will give you a few ideas that range from traditional mystery, foreign settings and even a speculative novel.

On the left side of the page you'll see an archive of picks from previous months--a good place to find some new authors.

William Tapply's real last book

We had previously announced Bill Tapply's Outwitting Trolls as the last book by the wonderful author. Well, happily, we were wrong. The Nomination is a political thriller just out that is truly our friends last book.

Edgar Award nominations announced

The Mystery Writers of America have announced the nominees for the 2011 Edgar Awards. We've got the full list of nominees for Best Novel, Best First Novel and Best Paperback Original.

We're very happy to see that Laura Lippman was nominated for I'd Know You Anywhere. Special congrats also to nominees Tana French for Faithful Place and Steve Hamilton for The Lock Artist both of whom have visited MLB in the past.

MLB Best Sellers of 2010

We've compiled the list of MLB Best Sellers for 2010 and we're ready to share the results.

Our hardcover list is topped by two Pittsburgh authors: Nancy Martin for Our Lady of Immaculate Deception (now in paperback as Foxy Roxy) and Kathleen George for her Edgar-nominated The Odds. Michael Ayoob and Dennis Palumbo, both with books set in Pittsburgh also made the list.

Unsurprisingly, all three of Stieg Larsson's novels made it onto the list but Brigid of Kildare by Heather Terrell was the number one trade paperback. The last of Kathy Haines's Rosie Winter novels, When Winter Returns, was number 4. Although that series is finished, Kathy will be back in July with a young adult mystery with a wartime setting.

We had so many paperback best sellers that in addition to the top 10 we added another section of paperbacks that had significatn sales.

We hope you enjoy our MLB Best Sellers of 2010 and use it to find many new authors to try.

Help is here

By which we mean Kathryn Stockett's marvelous book The Help. We're pleased to offer Brtiish editions of the paperback at $15.95. US edition available May.

During our epic journey just completed we listened to the unabridged audio version which is a wonderful production involving three narrators. We were entranced by this book which tells some marvelous stories of life in Mississippi in 1961 as the civil rights movement begins to upend everyone's assumptions about life and their place in it.

New Arrivals

What a week for New Arrivals with March books arriving from most of our major publishers.

Plenty of choices from the likes of Brad Parks, Alex Berenson, Lisa Scottoline, Kate White, Dana Stabenow and many others.

New books arrive every day. Check our New Arrivals page often for everything new at MLB.

New Arrivals--from Britain

Some notable New British Arrivals include two books from Jo Nesbo featuring Oslo police inspector Harry Hole. Snowman is here in paperback while the following book, Leopard, has just been published in hardcover.

In addition, Jim Kelly's new series with cops Peter Shaw and Roger Valentine gets a new addition with Death Toll.

Linda Fairstein on March 9--now at the store

We're pleased to welcome Linda Fairstein to MLB on Wednesday, March 9 at 7 pm. Linda will be here with the latest of her Alexandra Cooper novels, Silent Mercy.

Due to scheduling issues Linda's event will now be held at the store and there is no charge. If you have already paid for the event we'll deduct that from your purchases that evening.

We will have all of Linda's books available for sale at the event. Please do not bring copies of Silent Mercy purchased elsewhere to our event.

Signed first editions

What's on the website now

Here's what you can find at www.mysterylovers.com:

Find us on Facebook

We've broken the 900 fan barrier on our Facebook page.

Come visit us at facebook.com/mysterylovers where you can join the 966 folks who are already our fans.

Upcoming Events

Feb. 5 - Michael Sims
Mar. 9 - Linda Fairstein
More events...

Keep warm and keep reading

Richard, Mary Alice and the MLB Staff

Did we mention that we won a Raven Award?

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