A killer plays a high-stakes game on the set of a live-broadcast reality television show where guests are trapped for six months in a “haunted” mansion. Alban Bane, detective and smart-mouthed single dad, is one of those well-defined characters you won’t quickly forget. He must solve the mysterious case—in spite of opposition from the state governor and Hollywood producers—while trying to save his family and solve the decade-old murder of his wife.
“Tongue-in-cheek thriller.” —Library Journal
“Reality TV, a murder, a cantankerous detective with a touch of House MD ... compels us to keep reading, and his prose style keeps us chuckling. An author to watch.” —Booklist
“A super-sleuth ... a multiplicity of games.” —Kirkus
“Promising ... sexy.” —Publishers Weekly
“Hugely cinematic thriller with dark comic moments.” —Films & Books Magazine
About the Author — Derek Armstrong
Derek Armstrong loves the controversial and the unique. He focuses on “high concept” but with a dash of black humor. Edgy dialogue and broad swipes at the zeitgeist are integral to Armstrong’s idiosyncratic writing. His other novels include MADicine, The Last Troubadour and The Last Quest.
LOGLINE A "delightfully sarcastic" and "House-like" detective takes on "creepy" reality television (quotes from various reviews). In this darkly humorous thriller, reality television becomes too real when a killer with a message preys on the contestants of America's number one TV show.
The Game Teasers
"An offbeat mystery features a reality TV show, a murder and a cantakerous detective... Armstrong... keeps us chuckling...a series to watch." Booklist "Dark tongue-in-cheek thriller" Library Journal "...suspenseful and rich with dark humor... in the thriller tradition of Weisman and Connolly." Foreword Reviews "Hugely cinematic thriller with hilarious dark comic moments." Films and Books Magazine "Promising... sexy..." Publishers Weekly "A super sleuth...a grisly gamester...a multiplicity of games..." Kirkus Read More Reviews...
Read a Sample
Some Banisms (a few Bane exchanges)
From the famous Live Snake Scene confrontation:
"Producers don't direct—I looked it up in my Idiot's Guide to TV."
Bane meets Abbey Chase:
"I'm the one plotting to overthrow the evil book publishers."
"Ah, you're an eavesdropper," Bane said.
"I'm a television producer." Her smile didn't alter... "Well, I must get to the control room. Tonight, we release scorpions in our guests' bedrooms." ...
"I guess television's not the art form it used to be..."
From the famous Abbey Chase confrontation:
"Are you always such a jerk?"
"I'm allowed to be a jerk. I have a badge."...
Later...
..."Really, Detective, what do you expect me to say to that?"
"I expect you to lie."...
... "So, my question about the Mafioso? Or are they triads? Biker gangs? You tell me. Not wholesome people, right?"...
From the famous Governor confrontation:
Governor Ritchie stared at Bane with appraising, cool eyes. "Why is that, Lieutenant Bane? I'm the governor. Your boss."
"Bosses and I don't get along... I didn't even vote for you."
"Bane, like it or not, I can have you fired."
"Really? Since you aren't on the state police force, I assume you mean you'll pressure my Colonel into firing me? Correct?" The Governor nodded. "Now, I thought extortion was against the law."
Please view the thrilling trailer for The Game. Click below:
SYNOPSIS In The Game, a killer plays a high-stakes game on the set of a live-broadcast reality television show where guests are trapped for six months in a “haunted” mansion. Thousands of miles away, a psychopath is executed by lethal injection in California–and dies with a secret that could save many lives. Only a comical detective who fears nothing--except his teenage daughters--can hope to understand what links these two seemingly unrelated crimes, without ever losing his zest for the game or his sense of humor.
The spree could be the work of a separatist group in Vermont who seek independence from the United States; or ruthless reality television producers juicing ratings on their hit show; perhaps the killers are vengeance-seeking parents; or are they underworld enforcers? In the world of The Game, the actual killer might be the least dangerous of all.
Don't miss the zany, thrilling world of The Game.
Reader Reviews
Chilling and Compelling, May 25, 2007 By D. Ronco "Author of PeaceMaker" (Eastern Pennsylvania) The Game is a perfect fit for this era of reality television. In Derek Armstrong's new novel, a serial killer is knocking off members of the cast and crew of Haunted Survivor, a top rated reality show. Alban Bane, the lead detective, discovers that these murders are virtual copycats of those committed by Tyler Hayden, a serial killer Bane arrested years earlier. The catch is that Bane had just witnessed Hayden's execution. From there the plot really gets complicated. And interesting. Although the story is complex, with twists and turns coming from all directions, Bane is the driving force that makes The Game compelling. I really like this character; he's intelligent, determined and very funny. Right up there with John Corey, Nelson DeMille's wisecracking NYPD detective. If you enjoy a dark thriller with an offbeat sense of humor, get in The Game.
Erika L. Morin (Missouri) Derek Armstrong's novel, The Game, was brilliant! Once I started, I couldn't put it down. When I did put The Game down I couldn't stand the suspense and had to come rushing back to see what happened next. This was a thrilling rollercoaster ride, one that I know I'll be riding again! Bane was a true character with his dark wit, quirky habits, and family man persona. With each new chapter his character grew. I absolutely loved the twists and turns of his life! This book is a must read. I'll be watching for Bane's next thrilling adventure in MADicine.
The Thriller is Definately a Thrill Ride!, July 3, 2007 By Kody C. Amick Derek Armstrong's, The Game is the perfect summer read. It's dark, satirical style makes it hard to put down. Who can resist the sleazy world of reality TV woven into a tight plot and riveting ending? Alban Bane, lead detective and single dad is one of those well-defined characters you won't quickly forget. Single dad with a smart mouth, Bane is called in on a gruesome case and he must face his own demons as he enters the set of Haunted Survivor, the latest TV reality game show. Get ready for headless corpses and bloody good prose. What I found particularly alluring is that The Game seemed to echo what's so creepy about reality TV, but he did so by making it so captivating, you couldn't help yourself but to keep reading. Thus, proving the point. The Game has movie deal written all over it.
The Rarest of All Genres, July 1, 2007 By John C. Darrin (Washington, DC) I ordered The Game from Amazon, and it arrived in Saturday afternoon's mail. I started reading Sunday morning, and I finished it before dinner. I think I stopped for lunch. The Game is the rarest of all fiction genres - the book you can't put down. You've got to love Alban Bane, always ready with the exact right thing to say, always willing to say it to whomever, whenever. Armstrong surrounds Bane with an entertaining and disparate cast of characters, from devious television producers to venal politicians to militia sociopaths to ... well, you get the point. And he drops this collage of personalities into an unusual premise, isolated in a menacing location. The action just keeps going, the scenes pile on, until you find yourself at the end. But how can that be, you think. There are 60 more pages. And the action keeps on going. My only criticism is that I wish the ending had been different. That way I wouldn't be waiting anxiously for the next episode of Alban Bane.
"Derek Armstrong is good," Michael Korda, Simon & Schuster VP.
"Original and different." Charles Spicer, St. Martin's Executive Editor.
"Clever thriller and a clever setting." Marjorie Braman, VP and Executive Editor, Harper Collins.
"The Game rocks," Dr. Audra Himes, Professor of literature.
"The Game is very strong and very marketable." Dave Shields, The Race.
“The Game is all mystery, and a marvelous psychological suspense drama. A great read.”
Gloria Piper, author Train to Nowhere
“Reality television as a backdrop to this high-pace suspense thriller is just brilliant.” Pat Brown, author L.A. Heat
IN USA: $24.95
New Canadian Pricing $26.95
FIC031000 FICTION/Thriller Pages 352 ISBN-13: 978-1-60164-001-7 ISBN-10: 1601640013 EAN: 9781601640017 LCCN 2006930183 Spring 2007 Kunati Cloth Hardcover US and International Distribution: Independent Publishers Group (IPG) Canadian Distribution: Canadian Manda GroupI
* Please give Canadian retailers time to adjust their pricing.
Derek Armstrong
Best known for historical thrillers and mystery thrillers, Derek Armstrong is also a screenwriter, publisher and well-known marketing guru. His defining signature style was described by Booklist as "brilliance in which Armstrong blends comedy, parody, and adventure in genuinely innovative ways." Armstrong is the creator of Alban Bane, featured in the Alban Bane thrillers The Game and MADicine, a character affectionately compared by critics to House M.D., the TV character. He is the author of the popular Song of Montségur historical trilogy, including The Last Troubadour and The Last Quest. He is also author of two non-fiction titles: Blogertize—A Leading Expert Shows How Your Blog Can Be A Money-Making Machine and The Persona Principle: How to Succeed in Business with Image-Marketing. Forthcoming in 2009 is a breakthrough Harry Potter competitor: Magick Inc.
Derek Armstrong has won many awards for advertising copywriting Internationally and wrote The Persona Principle (Simon & Schuster) with co-author Kam Wai Yu, now translated to five languages.
A "delightfully sarcastic" and "House-like"* detective takes on "creepy" reality television. In this darkly humorous thriller, reality television becomes too real when a killer with a message preys on the contestants of America's number one TV show.
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Thursday, January 31, 2008 at 08:08AM 
