James Gandolfini: R.I.P.

James Gandolfini passed away today at the age of 51. Way too young.

Deadline reports that Gandolfini was in Italy when he died after suffering a massive heart attack on Wednesday (June 19). The actor was in the Mediterranean to attend the 59th Taormina Film Festival in Sicily, where he was due to take part in a festival event over the weekend with Italian director Gabriele Muccino.

Gandolfini became a Hollywood legend after winning the role of Tony Soprano in the hit HBO series in 1999. The role won him three Emmy awards during the show's six-season run. Gandolfini was also in Get Shorty and other TV shows and films.

The actor is survived by wife Deborah Lin, their 8 month old daughter and his teenage son from a previous marriage.

R.I.P., Tony!

VINCE FLYNN: R.I.P.

This sad news just in. Thriller author Vince Flynn has died at the age of 47. Diagnosed with Stage III metastatic prostate cancer in 2010, Flynn succumbed.

The Mitch Rapp story begins with American Assassin, followed by Kill Shot, Transfer of Power, The Third Option, Separation of Power, Executive Power, Memorial Day, Consent to Kill, Act of Treason, Protect and Defend, Extreme Measures, Pursuit of Honor and The Last Man.

Mystery to Me: New Madison, WI Mystery Bookstore

A new bookstore, Mystery to Me, Madison, WI, opened last weekend. Joanne Berg bought Booked for Murder's inventory and shelving last February. According to The Isthmus,  "Mystery to Me won't be quite as odd and esoteric as Booked, but by sleuthing some of the challenges the old shop faced, Berg may have uncovered the key to independent bookselling in Madison."

According to ShelfAwareness:

Mystery to Me features bright-green paint, which "makes the store feel more sleek and less kooky than the cheerfully messy Booked for Murder," the paper wrote. "Whereas Booked featured a faux-antique radio set playing big-band music, Mystery to Me has a flat-screen TV mounted on a wall. Berg plans to use it to connect with authors over Skype."
 
Mystery to Me will partner with the nearby public library branch, which may hold events at the store.
 
Mystery to Me is adding sections for young and YA readers. For adults, the inventory is now arranged alphabetically, with separate sections only for new arrivals and signed copies.
 
Mystery to Me will order any book, mystery or not, and for a time, each purchase at the store comes with a free "mystery book" wrapped in white paper.

Read more about Joanne Berg and her ideas for the new bookstore HERE.

Facebook page for Mystery and Me