The Departed (Single-Disc Widescreen Edition)

• Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson and Mark Wahlberg star in Martin Scorsese's new crime drama "The Departed." "The Departed" is set in South Boston where the state police force is waging an all-out war to take down the city's top organized crime ring. The key is to end the reign of powerful mob boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) from the inside. A young rookie, Billy Costigan (Leonar

Love can never die.

Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the deadâ€"or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?

The year is 2195. The place is New Victoriaâ€"a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political! unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horribleâ€"until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.

But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the deadâ€"and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, thereâ! €™s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will w! in, sepa rating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.

In Dearly, Departed, romance meets walking-dead thriller, spawning a madly imaginative novel of rip-roaring adventure, spine-tingling suspense, and macabre comedy that forever redefines the concept of undying love.

Acclaim for Nearly Departed in Deadwood...

"Nearly Departed In Deadwood was a contemporary mystery romance with a touch of paranormal that kept me enthralled with goosebump-creepiness and belly aching laughter." ***** FIVE STARS! ~Escape Between the Pages Book Reviews
 
"It's no wonder Ann won an award for this story. Her storytelling capabilities are tremendous."  ***** FIVE STARS! ~ParaYourNormal Book Reviews

"Ann Charles weaves a fun romp of humor, romance, mystery, and the occult. The pages are brimming with eccentric small town characters." ~Angela Spencer, Reviewer for Ri! se Reviews

"I loved the sexual tension that Charles portrayed and built along with a phenomenal plot." ~Immortality and Beyond Book Reviews

"With colorful characters and witty dialogue, this is a book sure to please all fans of mystery, romance and the paranormal." ~The Pen & Muse Book Reviews

"If you like romantic mysteries with a tinge of paranormal creepiness, this one is well worth your time." ~To Publish or Not to Publish Book Reviews

"Mystery, humor, and romance--Nearly Departed in Deadwood is a fabulous book from a talented author! ~Jacquie Rogers, award-winning author of Much Ado About Marshals

Full of thrills and chills, a fun rollercoaster ride of a book!" ~Susan Andersen, New York Times Bestselling author of Burning Up

"An exciting, fast-moving story with fantastic characters and a riveting plot." ~John Foxjohn, bestselling author of Tattered Justice

WINNER of the 20! 10 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense!!
WI NNER of the 2011 Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart Award for Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements!

"Ann Charles has written an intriguing mystery laced with a wicked sense of humor.  Watch out Stephanie Plum, because Violet Parker is coming your way." ~Deborah Schneider, RWA Librarian of the Year 2009 & author of Promise Me

* * *

The first time I came to Deadwood, I got shot in the ass.--Violet Parker

Little girls are vanishing from Deadwood, South Dakota, and Violet Parker's daughter could be next.  She's desperate to find the monster behind the abductions.  But if she's not careful, Violet just might end up as one of Deadwood's dearly departed.

* * *

More acclaim for Nearly Departed in Deadwood...

"Nearly Departed in Deadwood will keep you glued to your chair even if you have to go to the bathroom." ~Norman W Wilson PhD, Reviewer for Novelspot Book R! eviews

"... a delightful mix of on the edge suspense and laugh-out-loud humor.  Ann Charles is a star in the making!" ~Gerri Russell, award-winning author of Seducing the Knight

If you laughed and cringed your way through Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, you are going to love Nearly Departed in Deadwood!

And don't forget to pick up the second book in the Deadwood Mystery series, OPTICAL DELUSIONS IN DEADWOOD:  "Hilarious, original, and genuinely wonderful!" --Hank Phillippi Ryan, Anthony, Agatha and Macavity winning author

Nearly Departed in Deadwood Cover Art by C.S. Kunkle; Cover design by Kathy Thomas and Mona Weiss

Want more mystery, laughs, and suspense? Check out Ann Charles' newest ebook, DANCE OF THE WINNEBAGOS, available now! This is the first book in her new Jackrabbit Junction Mystery series, starring Claire Morgan, Violet Parker's childhood frie! nd from Rapid City, South Dakota.

Acclaim for Nearly Departed in Deadwood...

"Nearly Departed In Deadwood was a contemporary mystery romance with a touch of paranormal that kept me enthralled with goosebump-creepiness and belly aching laughter." ***** FIVE STARS! ~Escape Between the Pages Book Reviews
 
"It's no wonder Ann won an award for this story. Her storytelling capabilities are tremendous."  ***** FIVE STARS! ~ParaYourNormal Book Reviews

"Ann Charles weaves a fun romp of humor, romance, mystery, and the occult. The pages are brimming with eccentric small town characters." ~Angela Spencer, Reviewer for Rise Reviews

"I loved the sexual tension that Charles portrayed and built along with a phenomenal plot." ~Immortality and Beyond Book Reviews

"With colorful characters and witty dialogue, this is a book sure to please all fans of mystery, romance and the paranormal." ~The Pen & Muse Book Reviews

"If you like romantic mysteries with a tinge of para! normal creepiness, this one is well worth your time." ~To Publish or Not to Publish Book Reviews

"Mystery, humor, and romance--Nearly Departed in Deadwood is a fabulous book from a talented author! ~Jacquie Rogers, award-winning author of Much Ado About Marshals

Full of thrills and chills, a fun rollercoaster ride of a book!" ~Susan Andersen, New York Times Bestselling author of Burning Up

"An exciting, fast-moving story with fantastic characters and a riveting plot." ~John Foxjohn, bestselling author of Tattered Justice

WINNER of the 2010 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense!
WINNER of the 2011 Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart Award for Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements!

"Ann Charles has written an intriguing mystery laced with a wicked sense of humor.  Watch out Stephanie Plum, because Violet Parker is coming your way." ~Deborah Schneider, RWA Librarian ! of the Year 2009 & author of Promise Me

* * *

The first time I came to Deadwood, I got shot in the ass.--Violet Parker

Little girls are vanishing from Deadwood, South Dakota, and Violet Parker's daughter could be next.  She's desperate to find the monster behind the abductions.  But if she's not careful, Violet just might end up as one of Deadwood's dearly departed.

* * *

More acclaim for Nearly Departed in Deadwood...

"Nearly Departed in Deadwood will keep you glued to your chair even if you have to go to the bathroom." ~Norman W Wilson PhD, Reviewer for Novelspot Book Reviews

"... a delightful mix of on the edge suspense and laugh-out-loud humor.  Ann Charles is a star in the making!" ~Gerri Russell, award-winning author of Seducing the Knight

If you laughed and cringed your way through Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, you are going to love Nearly Departed in Deadwood!

And don't forget to pick up the second book! in the Deadwood Mystery series, OPTICAL DELUSIONS IN DEADWOOD:  "Hilarious, original, and genuinely wonderful!" --Hank Phillippi Ryan, Anthony, Agatha and Macavity winning author

Nearly Departed in Deadwood Cover Art by C.S. Kunkle; Cover design by Kathy Thomas and Mona Weiss

Want more mystery, laughs, and suspense? Check out Ann Charles' newest ebook, DANCE OF THE WINNEBAGOS, available now! This is the first book in her new Jackrabbit Junction Mystery series, starring Claire Morgan, Violet Parker's childhood friend from Rapid City, South Dakota.

Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson and Mark Wahlberg star in Martin Scorsese's new crime drama "The Departed." "The Departed" is set in South Boston where the state police force is waging an all-out war to take down the city's top organized crime ring. The key is to end the reign of powerful mob boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) from the inside. A young rookie, Bil! ly Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) is assigned to infiltrate Cost! ello's m ob. While Billy is working to gain Costello's trust, another young cop, Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) is among a handful of elite officers whose mission is to bring Costello down. But what his superiors don't know is that Colin is working for Costello, keeping the crimeboss one step ahead of the police. Each man becomes deeply consumed by his double life, gathering information about the plans and counter-plans of the operation he has penetrated. But when it becomes clear to both the gangsters and the police that they have a mole in their midst, Billy and Colin find themselves in constant danger of being caught-and each must race to uncover the identity of the other man in time to save himself.Martin Scorsese makes a welcome return to the mean streets (of Boston, in this case) with The Departed, hailed by many as Scorsese's best film since Casino. Since this crackling crime thriller is essentially a Scorsese-stamped remake of the acclaimed 2002 Hong Kong thriller ! Infernal Affairs, the film was intensely scrutinized by devoted critics and cinephiles, and while Scorsese's intense filmmaking and all-star cast deserve ample acclaim, The Departed is also worthy of serious re-assessment, especially with regard to what some attentive viewers described as sloppy craftsmanship (!), notably in terms of mismatched shots and jagged continuity. But no matter where you fall on the Scorsese appreciation scale, there's no denying that The Departed is a signature piece of work from one of America's finest directors, designed for maximum impact with a breathtaking series of twists, turns, and violent surprises. It's an intricate cat-and-mouse game, but this time the cat and mouse are both moles: Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) is an ambitious cop on the rise, planted in the Boston police force by criminal kingpin Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a hot-tempered police cadet who's been artificially! disgraced and then planted into Costello's crime operation as! a seemi ngly trustworthy soldier. As the multilayered plot unfolds (courtesy of a scorching adaptation by Kingdom of Heaven screenwriter William Monahan), Costigan and Sullivan conduct a volatile search for each other (they're essentially looking for "themselves") while simultaneously wooing the psychiatrist (Vera Farmiga) assigned to treat their crime-driven anxieties.

Such convenient coincidences might sink a lesser film, but The Departed is so electrifying that you barely notice the plot-holes. And while Nicholson's profane swagger is too much "Jack" and not enough "Costello," he's still a joy to watch, especially in a film that's additionally energized by memorable (and frequently hilarious) supporting roles for Alec Baldwin, Mark Wahlberg, and a host of other big-name performers. The Departed also makes clever and plot-dependent use of cell-phones, to the extent that it couldn't exist without them. Powered by Scorsese's trademark use of well-chosen so! undtrack songs (from vintage rock to Puccini's operas), The Departed may not be perfect, but it's one helluva ride for moviegoers, proving popular enough to become the biggest box-office hit of Scorsese's commercially rocky career. --Jeff Shannon