Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Smartphone Mystery Applications


It seems that everything in the world needs a mobile application (app) these days and mystery authors and shows are no different. With the return of BBC Sherlock, comes the introduction of a new game app, called Sherlock:The Network. To be introduced in the U.S. today, this application lets you mobilize Sherlock's homeless network to help solve cases and respond to text messages. 

Released in England a few weeks ago to rave reviews, the Sherlock app sounds cool, but the thought of it made me want to check in elsewhere in the mystery world to see what mobile apps were already available. 



Many best selling authors like Janet Evanovich, David Baldacci, Steve Berry and Michael Connolly have their own mobile apps. Most of these apps list their books with descriptions, offer the author's biography and provide character extras. Some have fan walls, excerpts or video trailers. 




One of the most interesting of the applications was one tied to a specific book, Marisha Pessl's, NIGHT FILM. This application gives you access to video, audio, photos and character journals when you scan certain images from the book. The extras were well done and compelling. There's a photo of the app on an iPad below. You scan different photos in the book that have the special bird symbol and that reveals the extra for that photo. It could be a diary, an audio file, a video or more pictures. 







Other mystery oriented applications include one entirely devoted to Hercule Poirot, called simply, POIROT. This app lists all of the Hercule Poirot novels, short stories, TV shows and movies, providing a brief description of each. It also lets you keep track of which you've read/watched and what's on your to do list.




There is one app that seems more successful than the others and that is the app for Walking Dead. This app lets you take a photo of yourself and then turns the photo of you into a zombie. You can then share your brand new zombie photo on social media channels. This has gotten a ton of traction, successfully littering Facebook with zombie photos for the Walking Dead season finale.



What do you think? Do you use mystery apps? Will you try the new Sherlock app? Any of the others? The jury is still out on all of these apps for me. 

4 comments:

  1. Hi Deb,
    These apps sound like fun. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Cathi. I'm having a lot of fun with the Sherlock app.

      Delete
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    ReplyDelete
  3. Sherlock Logic puzzle game. Sort of silly graphics yet astounding game. Trust a greater amount of EK games could be found! Been playing from old plate days!
    ~Jacob.

    ReplyDelete