Friday, October 31, 2014

Prosecco Pink, A Franki Amato Mystery by Traci Andrighetti, New This Week from Gemma Halliday

Prosecco Pink by Traci Andrighetti

Gemma Halliday Publishing is a boutique publisher of light-hearted mystery, romantic suspense and romantic comedy novels, perfect for popping into your beach bag for a weekend away or cozying up beside a warm fire for a quiet night in.

We've selected one of their recently published titles to feature here today …

Prosecco Pink by Traci Andrighetti

A Franki Amato Mystery (2nd in series)

Publisher: Gemma Halliday Presents

Price: $0.99 (as of 10/31/2014 at 4:30 PM ET).

Prosecco Pink by Traci Andrighetti, Amazon Kindle format

Important Note: Price(s) verified as of the date and time shown. Price(s) are subject to change at any time. Please confirm the price of the book before purchasing it.

For Franki Amato, life in New Orleans is anything but "The Big Easy." When she met handsome bank executive Bradley Hartmann, she knew she'd finally found a man she could trust. But she can't say the same for his sexy new secretary, who is about as trustworthy as Mata Hari and every bit as seductive. Meanwhile, Franki's best friend and employer, Veronica Maggio, has named her the lead investigator in the murder of a gorgeous cosmetics CEO who was found lying dead in the master bedroom of a historic plantation home.

Now the pressure is on Franki to figure out what a bottle of pink lip gloss and the legend of a pink diamond have to do with the bizarre killing. The problem is that the plantation is notorious for being haunted, and Franki is less than enthusiastic about the prospect of meeting a ghost. Adding to her stress, her Sicilian grandma is up to her usual meddling antics — this time planning Franki's engagement to Bradley before he's even considered popping the question. As Bradley grows distant and plantation employees begin dropping like Southern belles during a sweltering summer, Franki turns to a psychic with a phobia of ghosts to solve the mysterious murders and her own relationship fears.

Prosecco Pink by Traci Andrighetti

New This Week: Lost, A Novel of Suspense by Richard Barre

Lost by Richard Barre

Omnimystery News is pleased to present a mystery, suspense, or thriller ebook that we recently found by sleuthing (as it were) through new or recently reissued titles from independent publishers during October 2014 and priced $4.99 or less …

Lost by Richard Barre

A Novel of Suspense

Publisher: Down & Out Books

Price: $4.99 (as of 10/31/2014 at 3:30 PM ET).

Lost by Richard Barre, Amazon Kindle format

Important Note: Price(s) verified as of the date and time shown. Price(s) are subject to change at any time. Please confirm the price of the book before purchasing it.

Who hasn't dreamed it? Lost in today's siren-scream world, coming apart at the seams, the chance to ditch the pressure and find … yourself.

For the fragmenting Metcalfs — long-adrift Ben, world-class sailor Kate, coming-of-age Shay — a friend's sailboat, warm breezes, and tropical waters is a dream come true.

Until the nightmare finds them …

Lost by Richard Barre

The Handsome Man's De Luxe Café by Alexander McCall Smith, New in Bookstores during October 2014

The Handsome Man's De Luxe Café by Alexander McCall Smith

Today's featured new hardcover mystery, suspense, or thriller title scheduled to be published during October 2014 is …

The Handsome Man's De Luxe Café by Alexander McCall Smith, a Precious Ramotswe, No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Mystery (15th in series)

Publisher: Pantheon

The Handsome Man's De Luxe Café by Alexander McCall Smith, Amazon Kindle format  The Handsome Man's De Luxe Café by Alexander McCall Smith, Nook format  The Handsome Man's De Luxe Café by Alexander McCall Smith, iTune iBook format  The Handsome Man's De Luxe Café by Alexander McCall Smith, Kobo format

For a list of more new hardcover titles to be published this month, visit our New Mysteries page for October 2014. For new paperback mysteries, visit The Mystery Bookshelf where a selection of October 2014 mysteries, novels of suspense, and thrillers are shelved.

More about our featured title, below …

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency often helps people find things they have lost. But they have never had to help a client find herself — until now …

A kindhearted brother and sister have taken in a woman known only as "Mrs." — a woman with no memory of her name or of how she came to Botswana. And so it's up to Precious Ramotswe and her new co-director, Grace Makutsi, to discover the woman's identity.

Meanwhile, motherhood proves to be no obstacle to Mma Makutsi's professional success. As she settles into her role as partner at the agency, she also launches a new enterprise of her own: the Handsome Man's De Luxe Café, a restaurant for Gaborone's most fashionable diners. But even Miss 97 Per Cent isn't fully prepared for the temperamental chefs, drunken waiters, and other challenges that come with running one's own business. Help may come from an unexpected source, if only Mma Makutsi can swallow her pride and ask.

And next door to the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni is all too familiar with the difficult decisions of business owners. He is finally forced to make a tough choice, one that will bring major changes to both Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors and the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency — and that will require all of Mma Ramotswe's finesse and patience to sort out.

With sympathy and indefatigable good humor, Mma Ramotswe and her friends see one another through these major changes and discover along the way what true friendship really means.

The Handsome Man's De Luxe Café by Alexander McCall Smith

A Special Halloween Flow Chart from Minotaur Books

Berkley Prime Crime

Today is, of course, Halloween and Minotaur Books has produced a themed flowchart to help you select one (or more) of its mystery and suspense titles. (Click on the image, below, for a larger version.)

We've enjoyed many of these books ourselves, and you really can't go wrong with any of them. So have fun finding the perfect mystery for you!

And Happy Halloween!

— ♦ —

Halloween Flow Chart from Minotaur Books

Treacherous Tart by Ellie Grant, New on the Mystery Bookshelf during October 2014

Treacherous Tart by Ellie Grant

New on the Mystery Bookshelf during October 2014 …

Treacherous Tart by Ellie Grant

A Maggie Grady, Pie in the Sky Mystery (2nd in series)

Publisher: Pocket Books

Treacherous Tart by Ellie Grant, Amazon Kindle format

To see more new paperback titles scheduled to be published this month, visit The Mystery Bookshelf for October 2014. For new hardcover mysteries, visit New Mysteries where for a list of October 2014 mysteries, novels of suspense, and thrillers is provided.

More about our featured title, below …

A modern-day Lothario is shot dead, and it's up to Maggie to clear her aunt and partner-in-pie from the suspect list …

It's Christmastime at Pie in the Sky, Aunt Clara's pie shop, and she has a new beau, Donald Wickerson, who loves her Marvelous Mince Pies.

Unfortunately, it seems that this holiday, Donald might only be interested in Aunt Clara for her money. Ryan and Maggie research his background and find he's had several wives who met with unfortunate "accidents" that left him wealthier. Now they have to convince Aunt Clara that her boyfriend is after more than just her pie recipes.

When Donald stumbles into Pie in the Sky and dies after being shot, Aunt Clara is devastated — and also a suspect, since everyone in Durham knows about Donald from Ryan's newspaper article. Now Maggie and Ryan will have to prove that someone else in the long list of people he'd wronged finally got the courage to end his life.

Treacherous Tart by Ellie Grant

Organized for Homicide, A Kate McKenzie, Organized Mystery by Ritter Ames, Now Available at a Special Price

Organized for Homicide by Ritter Ames

Omnimystery News is always searching for newly discounted mystery, suspense, thriller and crime novels for our readers to enjoy. Today, we're pleased to present the following title, now available at a special price courtesy of the publisher, Gemma Halliday …

Organized for Homicide by Ritter Ames

A Kate McKenzie, Organized Mystery (2nd in series)

Publisher: Gemma Halliday

Price: $0.99 (as of 10/31/2014 at 1:00 PM ET).

Organized for Homicide by Ritter Ames, Amazon Kindle format

Important Note: Price(s) verified as of the date and time shown. Price(s) are subject to change at any time. Please confirm the price of the book before purchasing it.

Organization expert Kate McKenzie is looking forward to her newest consignment: organize the cross-country move for a divorced father and his two children. But when a dead body turns up, Kate's carefully organized plans are thrown into chaos. Was it an accident? Or murder?

Kate aims to find out and ends up falling more emotionally involved than she'd expected when the victim's teenaged daughter becomes the police's lead suspect. As a mother herself, she just can't let the girl not only lose a mother but possibly lose her freedom and future as well.

While the police follow the chain of evidence, Kate follows her gut, leading her on a dangerous investigation that could result in more than one death if she doesn't watch her step …

Organized for Homicide by Ritter Ames

Death of a Jaded Samurai, A Yin-Yang Mystery by Diane Bator, New This Week from Gemma Halliday

Death of a Jaded Samurai by Diane Bator

Gemma Halliday Publishing is a boutique publisher of light-hearted mystery, romantic suspense and romantic comedy novels, perfect for popping into your beach bag for a weekend away or cozying up beside a warm fire for a quiet night in.

We've selected one of their recently published titles to feature here today …

Death of a Jaded Samurai by Diane Bator

A Yin-Yang Mystery (1st in series)

Publisher: Gemma Halliday Presents

Price: $0.99 (as of 10/31/2014 at 12:30 PM ET).

Death of a Jaded Samurai by Diane Bator, Amazon Kindle format

Important Note: Price(s) verified as of the date and time shown. Price(s) are subject to change at any time. Please confirm the price of the book before purchasing it.

Gilda Wright thinks she's landed a dream job managing a karate school. Sure, her boss, Sensei Mick Williams, is almost as demanding as he is sexy, but Gilda is inspired by the strength of people around her and hopes to absorb some of that into her own life. But when Gilda finds the body of one of the instructors, laying in the dojo with a sword through his chest, suddenly Gilda must find her own inner strength and fast!

The police see everyone as a suspect, including her boss, and it's up to Gilda to find out what really happened. She follows the clues of the missing scroll of the Four Possessions of the Samurai down a deadly path, filled with lies, deceit, and poisoned ninja stars! If she doesn't watch her step, she just may become the killer's next sparring partner.

Death of a Jaded Samurai by Diane Bator

Please Welcome Mystery Author Lauren Carr

Omnimystery News: Guest Post by Lauren Carr
with Lauren Carr

Lauren Carr is always such a delightful guest to host here on Omnimystery News, and when we asked if she might be willing to write something for us to coincide with Halloween, she very graciously agreed.

She thought the setting for her Mac Faraday mystery The Murders at Astaire Castle (Acorn Book Services; July 2013 trade paperback and ebook formats) would be an ideal backdrop to her guest post for us today, which she titles, "What Is It About Halloween That Makes Us Crazy?"

— ♦ —

Lauren Carr
Photo provided courtesy of
Lauren Carr

My family has a Halloween tradition. Of course, it includes watching It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. I think every family has that tradition. It's right up there with Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown.

I've had to have seen the Great Pumpkin children's special at least forty-five times (that's how long ago it premiered on CBS) and still, at that moment when the moon is full and that dark figure rises up out of the pumpkin patch, I can feel my heart beating away with fright-filled anticipation.

Linus faints.

The eerie figure turns out to be a beagle, who has no candy to give to all the faithful boys and girls.

Sally demands restitution for missing out on her Halloween candy.

Believe me. This is a scary time of year. I think it has to do with the chilling fingers that seem to reach out of the dark windy weather to prick our skin to make goose bumps. The dying trees and falling leaves contribute to the eerie scene to turn our mood in the direction of spooky.

Even more bizarre is our yearning to be scared.

We aren't so anxious to get the stuffing scared out of us during the summer. Can you imagine sunning yourself on the beach when a wolf man strolls up to you from the water's edge to breathe down on you? Most likely, you won't be thrilled when you yell, "Stop blocking my sun, Fur-Face!"

It has something to do with the setting.

Wait two months.

When the weather turns cold, the leaves drop from the trees, the wind kicks up, and the moon turns full — you won't only be looking out for the wolf man or vampire or Great Pumpkin — you're hoping for one. If you're lucky, all of them to come give your heart a good jump start.

Some of us aren't quite so excited about being scared or maybe we scare ourselves too much.

Every year, our church has a trunk or treat, in which our members will decorate their vehicles and line them up on the soccer field for the children to gather their Halloween candy. Some of the volunteers will dress up in costume.

Last year, I was dressed up like a farmer in overalls. My husband, Jack, went as himself. He's much too distinguished to dress up in costume. As always, his gray beard was nicely trimmed and he was clad in his winter coat and gloves to keep him warm on that cold autumn night.

We had decorated the back of our SUV with fake giant spiders and spider webs. At the end of the evening, half of the vehicles had left as the time wore on and the children dwindled down to only a few stragglers or late comers.

Then, it was time to go home.

Most of the outdoor lights shut off. The only light left to illuminate the field was that cast by the headlights of the few remaining vehicles.

Leaving Jack alone, I had left the back of the SUV to go talk to some friends on the other side of the field when I saw a young mother and a little girl dressed up as Little Red Riding Hood, complete with a cape hurrying along the line of vehicles left to get whatever candy was left.

"Jack," I called back to our SUV, "we got one more."

A moment later, there was a high pitched scream. Her red cape flapping behind her, Little Red Riding Hood went flying across the field — screaming the whole way.

Her mother was right behind her. "I told you that some of them would be scary!"

Not far behind them, my husband was running with his arms outstretched offering the bowl of candy. "Wait, little girl! Don't you want some candy?"

Apparently, Jack was in the front of the SUV when he heard me call. As the girl approached the back of the vehicle, he came out of the shadows. With his beard and dark coat, she thought he was the …

(Wait for it!)

Big Bad Wolf!

Now poor Jack is banned from Trunk or Treat. He's still waiting to get mad about it.

Admittedly, I am not a paranormal fan. I may be the only reader in America who has not read a vampire romance. Yet, when October rolls around, I'm craving a little something extra in the whodunits I devour. That was why I wrote The Murders at Astaire Castle, a mystery with a touch of paranormal.

In this Mac Faraday mystery, Spencer's police chief, David O'Callaghan, learns the hard way to never tell Mac to stay away from the south end of Spencer's mountaintop — even though he owns the property. It doesn't take long for Mac to find out what lies on the other side of the stone wall and locked gate, on which hangs a sign warning visitors to Keep Out!

Topping the list of the ten most haunted places in America, Astaire Castle is associated with two suicides, three mysterious disappearances, and four murders since it was built almost a century ago — and Mac Faraday owns it!

In spite of David's warning, Mac can't resist unlocking the gate to see the castle that supposedly hasn't seen a living soul since his late mother had ordered it closed up after the double homicide and disappearance of Damian Wagner, a world-famous master of horror novels.

What starts out as a quick tour of a dusty old castle turns into another Mac Faraday adventure when Astaire Castle becomes the scene of even more murders. Mac is going to need to put all of his investigative talents to work to sort out this case that involves the strangest characters he has run into yet — including a wolf man.

No, we're not talking about Gnarly … or my husband.

— ♦ —

Lauren Carr is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She also passes on what she has learned in her years of writing and publishing by conducting workshops and teaching in community education classes.

The owner of Acorn Book Services, Lauren is also a publishing manager, consultant, editor, cover and layout designer, and marketing agent for independent authors. This year, several books, over a variety of genre, written by independent authors will be released through the management of Acorn Book Services, which is currently accepting submissions. Visit the Acorn Book Services website for more information.

Lauren lives with her husband, son, and three dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV. For more information about the author and her work, please visit her website at MysteryLady.net, read her Literary Wealth blog, or find her on Facebook.

— ♦ —

The Murders at Astaire Castle by Lauren Carr

The Murders at Astaire Castle
Lauren Carr
A Mac Faraday Mystery

Never tell Mac Faraday not to do something …

Spencer's police chief, David O'Callaghan, learns this lesson the hard way when he orders Mac Faraday to stay away from the south end of Spencer's mountaintop — even though he owns the property. It doesn't take long for Mac to find out what lies on the other side of the stone wall and locked gate, on which hangs a sign warning visitors to Keep Out!

Topping the list of the ten top haunted places in America, Astaire Castle is associated with two suicides, three mysterious disappearances, and four murders since it was built almost a century ago — and Mac Faraday owns it!

In spite of David's warning, Mac can't resist unlocking the gate to see the castle that supposedly hasn't seen a living soul since his late mother had ordered it closed up after the double homicide and disappearance of Damian Wagner, a world-famous master of horror novels.

What starts out as a quick tour of a dusty old castle turns into another Mac Faraday adventure when Astaire Castle becomes the scene of even more murders. Mac is going to need to put all of his investigative talents to work to sort out this case that involves the strangest characters he has run into yet — including a wolf man. No, we're not talking about Gnarly.

Amazon.com Print/Kindle Format(s)  BN.com Print/Nook Format(s)

The Peacekeeper's Photograph by M. L. Doyle is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

The Peacekeeper's Photograph by M. L. Doyle

Omnimystery News is pleased to feature …

The Peacekeeper's Photograph by M. L. Doyle

A Lauren Harper Mystery

Publisher: Vine Hill Road Press

… as today's free mystery ebook.

The Peacekeeper's Photograph by M. L. Doyle, Amazon Kindle format

This title was listed for free as of October 31, 2014 at 7:00 AM ET. Prices are subject to change without notice. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of the purchase will be the price paid for the book. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your transaction.

For a summary of all of today's featured titles, plus any that may have appeared before and are repeat freebies, visit our Free MystereBooks page. This page is updated daily, typically by 8 AM ET.

More on today's free book, below.

Master Sergeant Lauren Harper, an African-American career soldier, always has her eye on the mission, especially when on a deployment to a war-torn country like Bosnia. While Harper is dedicated to her mission, she's not a super combat operative trained to kill people with her bare hands. She is a smart, but human military professional caught in an impossible situation.

When Specialist Virginia Delray, a soldier under Harper's authority, is murdered, military investigators need a speedy resolution. Delray is Harper's roommate and the young southern girl's incompetence had sparked Harper's temper more than once for everyone to witness. For the investigators, the shortest route to closing the case could lead directly to Harper.

When investigators find evidence of an attraction between Harper and her commanding officer, Colonel Neil McCallen — an attraction the married man returns but has never acted on — covering up an illicit affair becomes the motive the investigators searched for.

Harper's freedom hinges on the answer to one question: If she didn't kill Delray, who did?

With help from British Special Operations soldier, Sergeant Major Harry Fogg, Harper learns Delray's murder is only one piece in a much larger conspiracy. The details come into focus, first on life at a remote NATO base, then on misery in the aftermath of war, and finally on the brutal truth.

The Peacekeeper's Photograph by M. L. Doyle

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith is Today's Kobo Daily Deal

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

Omnimystery News is pleased to feature Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith as today's Kobo Daily Deal.

The deal price of $2.99 is valid only for today, Friday, October 31, 2014.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

0

Publisher:

Price: $2.99 (as of 10/31/2014 at 6:40 AM ET).

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith, Kobo format

Important Note: Price(s) verified as of the date and time shown. Price(s) are subject to change at any time. Please confirm the price of the book before purchasing it.

Indiana, 1818. Moonlight falls through the dense woods that surround a one-room cabin, where a nine-year-old Abraham Lincoln kneels at his suffering mother's bedside. She's been stricken with something the old-timers call "Milk Sickness."

"My baby boy … " she whispers before dying.

Only later will the grieving Abe learn that his mother's fatal affliction was actually the work of a vampire.

When the truth becomes known to young Lincoln, he writes in his journal, "henceforth my life shall be one of rigorous study and devotion. I shall become a master of mind and body. And this mastery shall have but one purpose … " Gifted with his legendary height, strength, and skill with an ax, Abe sets out on a path of vengeance that will lead him all the way to the White House.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith is Today's Nook Daily Find

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith

Omnimystery News is pleased to feature Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith as today's Nook Daily Find.

The deal price of $2.99 is valid only for today, Friday, October 31, 2014, and has been price-matched by Amazon.com.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith

0

Publisher: Quirk Books

Price: $2.99 (as of 10/31/2014 at 6:30 AM ET).

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith, Amazon Kindle format  Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith, Nook format

Important Note: Price(s) verified as of the date and time shown. Price(s) are subject to change at any time. Please confirm the price of the book before purchasing it.

A mysterious plague has fallen upon the quiet English village of Meryton — and the dead are returning to life! Feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet is determined to wipe out the zombie menace, but she's soon distracted by the arrival of the haughty and arrogant Mr. Darcy.

What ensues is a delightful comedy of manners with plenty of civilized sparring between the two young lovers — and even more violent sparring on the blood-soaked battlefield.

Can Elizabeth vanquish the spawn of Satan? And overcome the social prejudices of the class-conscious landed gentry?

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith

Five Lou Mason Legal Thrillers by Joel Goldman is Today's Kindle Daily Deal

Motion To Kill by Joel Goldman

Omnimystery News is pleased to feature Five Lou Mason Legal Thrillers by Joel Goldman as today's Kindle Daily Deal.

The deal price of $1.99 each is valid only for today, Friday, October 31, 2014. We're hightlighting the first book in the series in this post.

Motion To Kill by Joel Goldman

A Lou Mason Legal Thriller (1st in series)

Publisher: Joel Goldman

Price: $1.99 (as of 10/31/2014 at 6:10 AM ET).

Motion To Kill by Joel Goldman, Amazon Kindle format

Important Note: Price(s) verified as of the date and time shown. Price(s) are subject to change at any time. Please confirm the price of the book before purchasing it.

Dead and bloated. That's how the sheriff found attorney Lou Mason's senior partner, Richard Sullivan. A dead partner is bad for business. Real bad.

Mason's Kansas City law firm, Sullivan & Christenson, specializes in doing whatever it takes to protect their well-heeled clients. Soon after Mason refuses Sullivan's pitch to cross the line for a major client, Sullivan turns up dead and Mason finds himself surrounded by partners he can't trust.

Caught in the crosshairs of a killer, Mason fights to save his life, uncovering high-level corruption and taking on the mob.

Motion To Kill by Joel Goldman

Today's Mystery and Suspense Update from Big Fish Games (141031)

Big Fish Games

Here is today's mystery and suspense update from Big Fish Games …

• The New Release is Silent Nights: Children's Orchestra (Collector's Edition).

• The current Catch of the Week is Silent Scream II: The Bride, just $2.99 through Sunday, November 02, 2014 only.

• Today's Special Deal — One Day Halloween Sale: All games are Two for the Price of One! Use coupon code TRICK for Collector's Edition games and use coupon code TREAT for Standard games. Offer valid October 31st, 2014 only until 11:59 PM PT.

Visit the Omnimystery Entertainment Network for more games of mystery and suspense!

— ♦ —

Silent Nights: Children's Orchestra (Collector's Edition)

The New Release is Silent Nights: Children's Orchestra (Collector's Edition)

You rose from the ashes of a family tragedy to become a famous French soprano. Now your daughters are following in your musical footsteps, and you couldn't be more proud. But on the night of a prestigious concert in Italy, a fire breaks out, and a mysterious masked man leads your children away! Follow a trail of secrets and deception to find the masked man and save your daughters before they fall victim to a dangerous experiment. You'll need all your talent to decipher clues and solve complex puzzles in this exciting Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game!

This is a special Collector's Edition release full of exclusive extras you won't find in the standard version, including: Learn the secret of your family's violin in the bonus game; Wallpapers, concept art, and more; Gorgeous music tracks from the game; and an Available Strategy Guide.

A sample version is available to download and play for free for one hour.

— ♦ —

Silent Scream II: The Bride

The current Catch of the Week is Silent Scream II: The Bride

Jessica would never imagine that her big day would turn out to be a nightmare; they had an accident and Jonathan McNealy, her husband, is missing. Things just got more and more bizarre when she encountered a mysterious girl who seemed to be leading her to Jonathan. Jessica had a feeling that the girl was connected to Jonathan. Did she cause the car accident in the first place? Return to the abandoned mansion and search for clues.

A sample version is available to download and play for free for one hour. Also available for  Mac.

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Dead Days of Summer, An Annie Darling, Death on Demand Mystery by Carolyn Hart, Now Available at a Special Price

Dead Days of Summer by Carolyn Hart

Omnimystery News is always searching for newly discounted mystery, suspense, thriller and crime novels for our readers to enjoy. Today, we're pleased to present the following title, now available at a special price courtesy of the publisher, HarperCollins …

Dead Days of Summer by Carolyn Hart

An Annie Darling, Death on Demand Mystery (17th in series)

Publisher: HarperCollins

Price: $3.99 (as of 10/30/2014 at 4:00 PM ET).

Dead Days of Summer by Carolyn Hart, Amazon Kindle format

Important Note: Price(s) verified as of the date and time shown. Price(s) are subject to change at any time. Please confirm the price of the book before purchasing it.

Annie Darling, owner of the Death on Demand mystery bookstore, is understandably upset. It isn't like her p.i. husband Max to abruptly disappear — and homicide is definitely not his style. But when his car is found abandoned on a remote road with a brutally slain, once-beautiful young woman nearby and the murder weapon stashed in the trunk, Annie's worst fears seem justified.

The police have Max all but tried and convicted — except for Chief Billy Cameron, whose unshakable belief in his friend's innocence prompts his removal from the case. And as a media circus descends on tiny Broward's Rock, Annie will have to place her own life in jeopardy to clear her husband's name. But time is running out — and she has only one slim chance to unmask a killer who just may have committed the perfect crime.

Dead Days of Summer by Carolyn Hart

Death Takes Passage, A Jessie Arnold, Alaska Mystery by Sue Henry, Now Available at a Special Price

Death Takes Passage by Sue Henry

Omnimystery News is always searching for newly discounted mystery, suspense, thriller and crime novels for our readers to enjoy. Today, we're pleased to present the following title, now available at a special price courtesy of the publisher, HarperCollins …

Death Takes Passage by Sue Henry

A Jessie Arnold, Alaska Mystery (4th in series)

Publisher: HarperCollins

Price: $3.99 (as of 10/30/2014 at 3:00 PM ET).

Death Takes Passage by Sue Henry, Amazon Kindle format

Important Note: Price(s) verified as of the date and time shown. Price(s) are subject to change at any time. Please confirm the price of the book before purchasing it.

History is repeating itself on hundred years later on Alaska's breathtaking Inside Passage. Re-creating the famous Voyage of 1897, the Spirit of '98 is setting sail from Skagway, Alaska, en route to Seattle, Washington, carrying two tons of Yukon gold. Alaska State Trooper Alex Jensen and his love, famous female "musher" Jessie Arnold, are among the excited participants. The Grim Reaper is a passenger as well.

Dressed in period coustoume, Gold Rush buff Alex Jensen is only too happy to be representing the Troopers on this historic journey through a giant maze of scenic straits, harbors, and inlets. But the strange disappearance — and probable death — of a crew member pulls Alex rudely back to the present. As the only law officer in the vicinity, it is now his duty to unravel a twisted skein of lies, greed, and lethal shipboard secrets — before the Spirit's fateful encounter with murderers abroad a stolen ketch writes a grim new chapter in Alaska's history.

Death Takes Passage by Sue Henry

The Final Silence by Stuart Neville, New in Bookstores during October 2014

The Final Silence by Stuart Neville

Today's featured new hardcover mystery, suspense, or thriller title scheduled to be published during October 2014 is …

The Final Silence by Stuart Neville, a Jack Lennon Mystery (3rd in series)

Publisher: Soho Crime

The Final Silence by Stuart Neville, Amazon Kindle format  The Final Silence by Stuart Neville, Nook format  The Final Silence by Stuart Neville, Kobo format

For a list of more new hardcover titles to be published this month, visit our New Mysteries page for October 2014. For new paperback mysteries, visit The Mystery Bookshelf where a selection of October 2014 mysteries, novels of suspense, and thrillers are shelved.

More about our featured title, below …

Belfast, Northern Ireland: Rea Carlisle has inherited a house from an uncle she never knew. It doesn't take her long to clear out the dead man's remaining possessions, but one room remains stubbornly locked. When Rea finally forces it open, she discovers inside a chair, a table — and a leather-bound book, its pages filled with locks of hair, fingernails: a catalogue of victims.

Horrified, Rea wants to go straight to the police but her family intervenes, fearing that scandal will mar her politician father's public image. Rea turns to the only person she can think of: disgraced police inspector Jack Lennon. He is facing suspension from the force and his new supervisor, DCI Serena Flanagan, is the toughest cop he's ever met. But a gruesome murder brings the dead man's terrifying journal to the top of the Belfast police's priority list.

The Final Silence by Stuart Neville

The Killer Next Door by Alex Marwood, New on the Mystery Bookshelf during October 2014

The Killer Next Door by Alex Marwood

New on the Mystery Bookshelf during October 2014 …

The Killer Next Door by Alex Marwood

A Novel of Suspense

Publisher: Penguin Books

The Killer Next Door by Alex Marwood, Amazon Kindle format

To see more new paperback titles scheduled to be published this month, visit The Mystery Bookshelf for October 2014. For new hardcover mysteries, visit New Mysteries where for a list of October 2014 mysteries, novels of suspense, and thrillers is provided.

More about our featured title, below …

Everyone who lives at 23 Beulah Grove has a secret. If they didn't, they wouldn't be renting rooms in a dodgy old building for cash — no credit check, no lease. It's the kind of place you end up when you you've run out of other options. The six residents mostly keep to themselves, but one unbearably hot summer night, a terrible accident pushes them into an uneasy alliance.

What they don't know is that one of them is a killer. He's already chosen his next victim, and he'll do anything to protect his secret.

The Killer Next Door by Alex Marwood

Murder on the Orient Express, A Hercule Poirot Mystery by Agatha Christie, Now Available at a Special Price

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

Omnimystery News is always searching for newly discounted mystery, suspense, thriller and crime novels for our readers to enjoy. Today, we're pleased to present the following title, now available at a special price courtesy of the publisher, William Morrow …

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

A Hercule Poirot Mystery

Publisher: William Morrow

Important Note: Price(s) verified as of the date and time shown. Price(s) are subject to change at any time. Please confirm the price of the book before purchasing it.

Just after midnight, a snowstorm stops the Orient Express dead in its tracks in the middle of Yugoslavia. The luxurious train is surprisingly full for this time of year. But by morning there is one passenger less. A "respectable American gentleman" lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside …

Hercule Poirot is also aboard, having arrived in the nick of time to claim a second-class compartment — and the most astounding case of his illustrious career.

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

Please Welcome Mystery Author Peggy Hanson

Omnimystery News: Guest Post by Peggy Hanson
with Peggy Hanson

We are delighted to welcome author Peggy Hanson to Omnimystery News.

Peggy is the author of two mysteries in her series featuring international correspondent Elizabeth Darcy — Deadline Istanbul and Deadline Yemen — and is working on a third.

In her guest post for us today, Peggy tells us more about the character and the series, and gives us a hint on what else she is working.

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Peggy Hanson
Photo provided courtesy of
Peggy Hanson

The Elizabeth Darcy series — a kind of cross-breed between mystery and thriller — features a Washington journalist who goes to various countries on short assignments. The issues she faces range from global threats like terrorism and arms smuggling to murders down the hall in the hotel. (The hybrid nature of the series made it hard to fit into a niche for several years, until publishers began to stop thinking strictly in terms of "niche.")

Elizabeth's name deliberately conjures up Jane Austen, a particular favorite of mine. Her profession has the familiar feel of my years as a reporter and correspondent for the Voice of America. The cats she meets are probably cats I have known. Elizabeth's view of life is a bit wry and ironic. She doesn't take life too seriously. So the reader is encouraged to "go with the flow" and travel with Elizabeth as she encounters unexpected situations.

The countries Elizabeth visits are dear to me, and inspired the series. The first draft of Deadline Istanbul was written while I lived in Indonesia. Deadline Yemen had its start during a tenure in India. After a space of about twenty years, I finally took the final steps to getting the mysteries published, with the help of the amazing Wildside Press and editor Carla Coupe. And great book group, and classes at the Writer's Center in Bethesda, especially ones by Noreen Wald.

Deadline Indonesia is underway but will not come out for another year because I am starting a new series, the "Mary Matthews Missionary Sleuth" series, starring my great Aunt Mary, who spent thirty-two years educating girls in Macedonia from 1888-1929. Her collection of diaries and letters, often from war years, has been donated to Mount Holyoke College, where she is listed in the class of 1885 — and where as an alumna she was awarded the Medal of Honor. The first book in that series I am calling Unholy Death on the Orient Express (there will be numerous religious figures aboard, as well as diplomats and a journalist.) It turns out I have to make all this up, as bare bones facts are all that Aunt Mary left of her journey to the unknown Orient when she was only twenty-three. The rest of the books in the series will be based on incidents and people she talks about in her diaries. I want Unholy Death to come out in time for the grand opening of the Mount Holyoke Mary L. Matthews collection next year in South Hadley, Massachusetts.

Back to the "Deadline" series: Why did I choose Elizabeth Darcy as my protagonist? It was obvious, I thought. It allowed me to revisit places I had loved, to put myself on a street and conjure memories of what it looked like, smelled like, felt like. I wrote the first drafts when I had been away from both Turkey and Yemen for a long time, though I had visited Turkey often over the years. Starting in 2004, I began to revisit Yemen, too. Some of my most amazing adventures happened on those trips back, though there had been changes from when I lived there in the 1970s.

Putting the "Deadline" series into first person came naturally. I put myself into the role of my reader, and it came naturally to bring that reader along for the exploration. There are writers who know exactly what's going to happen in their plots and plan them out with care; I can only admire them and feel a touch of envy. I start on Page One with a scene that I know I will rewrite ten times, or fifty times. It's important to get started. I know Elizabeth pretty well by now, so I try to see through her eyes what is going on, why she is in a certain country, how she feels. And then I start making trouble for her!

My son Jeff has said he finds my series autobiographical. Not true! I shout. It is perhaps inevitable, at least for a novice writer, that my protagonist shares many of my values, curiosities, and approaches to life. Most of the plots have absolutely nothing to do with anything I've ever encountered — though some of them, like the terrorist honey network in Deadline Yemen relate indirectly to items you might once have found in a newspaper.

I cannot say I've ever based a character on anyone I've known. The characters come up to me as I devise a scene, we greet each other, and then they begin to act and interact, putting me in my place as an observer. And I am as surprised as they are about what might be around the next corner!

Somewhere around the third of the book, I begin to get an idea of what the plot will be, and then I start to rewrite earlier scenes to make them fit. With luck, ensuing scenes will carry on the general idea. More characters emerge as they are needed. Some come in even when they're not needed. Some will eventually have to be killed off for clarity. Some, of course, have already been killed or have "doom" written over their heads. This is a murder mystery, after all! (There have been cases, such as in Deadline Istanbul, where I killed a character, couldn't sleep, and decided to resurrect him the next day.)

Elizabeth Darcy doesn't change all that much over the series. Her situations change around her. She comes in contact with new people in each book, though occasionally a character from a previous book will make an appearance. Since I fooled around with the books for so long, and had so many life experiences during that time, I decided not to saddle Elizabeth with a definite age. She is a woman, that's all. And when it comes right down to it, age doesn't determine what a person can experience. I have personally had adventures during varying eras of my life. I can only hope I dealt with them more maturely as I aged!

I do take liberties with facts in the "Deadline" series, but I try to be true to the actual feel of the place. For example, I needed an airport in the northern Yemeni city of Sa'da for my plot. So I endowed Sa'da with an airport. The wonderful emir's palace hotel, the Dar al Hamd, is no longer a hotel in Sana'a, but I stayed in it earlier and wanted it to play a role. What I am saying is that, while I know the countries well that I write about and most of the places described are real, the books cannot be taken as guidebooks for the present.

My life is complex and rich, both complementing the writing and competing with it. I sometimes lead groups to Turkey and I travel often with girlfriends (we call ourselves the "Turkish Delights") or with my husband, an international economist. I have four children and six grandchildren. I have two lively cats. Our house is full of books and oriental carpets. Woops, getting off into other interests!

In short, I am a mystery writer and an exceedingly busy 74-year-old with not a moment to waste. So much to do. So little time. And so much joy in doing what I love, which almost always includes writing.

— ♦ —

Peggy Hanson is a veteran traveler who has lived in developing countries more than twenty years. She was a Peace Corps volunteer, a journalist with the Voice of America, and a teacher of English as a Foreign Language. She loves to share her travel adventures and does so in blogs and in her books.

For more information about the author, please visit her website at PeggyHansonAuthor.com, or find her on Facebook and Twitter.

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Deadline Istanbul by Peggy Hanson

Deadline Istanbul
Peggy Hanson
An Elizabeth Darcy Mystery

Elizabeth Darcy is in the world's most intriguing city to cover for old friend and fellow correspondent Peter Franklin, found dead in the Bosphorus. She's convinced it wasn't an accident. But uncovering secrets can be a dangerous business. Are spies involved? Criminals? Where does religion become politics, and vice versa? And who are those men following her?

Danger stalks her through the ancient streets. Elizabeth will be lucky to return safely to Washington. Fortunately, she has her Jane Austen book and the cat Sultana to hold onto — as long as that comfort lasts!

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— ♦ —

Deadline Yemen by Peggy Hanson

Deadline Yemen
Peggy Hanson
An Elizabeth Darcy Mystery

Called to Yemen to help her old friend Halima, correspondent Elizabeth Darcy combines work with the chance to repay an old debt. But the narrow, mysterious streets are populated with armed men and veiled women; who can tell friend from foe? Her first priority is to help Halima's young brother Ali, who has become involved with religious extremists. But murder dogs her footsteps, and she is under police surveillance.

Abducted along her investigative trail, Elizabeth is drawn into the terrorists' web. She must work with two men — one Yemeni, one British — who are on a mission of their own. What are their plans? And why have they all ended up in the remote Hadhramaut wadi where the Incense Road once began? Elizabeth pieces together the plot, hoping she's in time to save Halima and Ali. But can she save herself as well?

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