Wednesday, May 01, 2013

Firsts on the 1st: New Series Characters Being Introduced in May 2013 Mysteries

Mystery Books for May 2013 featuring New Series Characters

The Hidden Staircase Mystery Books recently updated its list of May 2013 hardcover mysteries as well as shelved new May paperbacks on The Mystery Bookshelf.

In this series of monthly posts, which we call Firsts on the 1st, we're introducing readers to new series characters who will make their mysterious American debut in print during May.

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Arctic Floor by Mark Aitken
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Title: Arctic Floor
Author: Mark Aitken
Series Character: Gerry Galen
Formats: Trade Paperback and ebook

What we know about the character: Gerry Gallen is a retired US Marine.

His first case: Gerry Gallen is searching for peace after years serving as a captain in the U.S. Marines special forces. But when Gallen agrees to lead a team or former soldiers looking after the personal security of an eccentric oil billionaire, he finds himself catapulted onto a rollercoaster of violence and double-crossing, where private intelligence operators and clandestine hit teams are commonplace.

Powerful U.S. and Russian interests are vying for the Arctic's valuable oil fields and it seems they'll stop at nothing to secure control of them, even if it means global catastrophe. Gallen and his men are faced with a choice between personal safety and saving the world. They can either walk away or go to the Arctic Floor.

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Storm Front by Richard Castle
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Title: Storm Front
Author: Richard Castle
Series Character: Derrick Storm
Formats: Hardcover and ebook

What we know about the character: Derrick Storm is the lead character in a series of mysteries written by Richard Castle and introduced on the ABC crime drama Castle.

(Editor's note: This is a tough call here. Strictly speaking, this is Derrick Storm's first appearance in a "real" book. On the show, Castle has written many bestsellers featuring the character … but none of them are "real" in the sense they've actually been published. Indeed, he reportedly killed off the character to concentrate on his "Nikki Heat" mysteries. It should also be noted that Derrick Storm has appeared in two graphic novels. So calling this his "first" case is, to be sure, a bit of a stretch.)

His first case: From Tokyo, to London, to Johannesburg, high-level bankers are being gruesomely tortured and murdered. The killer, caught in a fleeting glimpse on a surveillance camera, has been described as a psychopath with an eye patch. And that means Gregor Volkov, Derrick Storm's old nemesis, has returned. Desperate to figure out who Volkov is working for and why, the CIA calls on the one man who can match Volkov's strength and cunning — Derrick Storm.

With the help of a beautiful and mysterious foreign agent — with whom Storm is becoming romantically and professionally entangled — he discovers that Volkov's treachery has embroiled a wealthy hedge-fund manager and a U.S. senator. In a heated race against time, Storm chases Volkov's shadow from Paris, to the lair of a computer genius in Iowa, to the streets of Manhattan, then through a bullet-riddled car chase on the New Jersey Turnpike. In the process, Storm uncovers a plot that could destroy the global economy — unleashing untold chaos — which only he can stop.

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Death and the Courtesan by Pamela Christie
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Title: Death and the Courtesan
Author: Pamela Christie
Series Character: Arabella Beaumont
Formats: Trade Paperback and ebook

What we know about the character: Arabella Beaumont is a highly paid woman of pleasure in this historical series set in Regency London.

Her first case: Since the age of sixteen, Arabella Beaumont has been happily employed as a highly paid woman of pleasure. True, respectable ladies of the town would never deign to call at Lustings, her delightful home. Then again, Arabella has no desire to make dreary small talk and sip tea when she could be enjoying the company of amusing, intelligent, and extremely generous gentlemen.

But while Arabella's admirers are legion, she also has enemies. A paper knife stolen during one of her salons was discovered near the body of a former rival. Arabella was entertaining her wealthy benefactor on the night of the murder, but the engaged duke can't provide the alibi she desperately needs. It falls to Arabella and her resourceful sister, Belinda, to clear her good — or at least innocent — name. Utilizing all the talents in her arsenal, the irrepressible Miss Beaumont will endeavor to catch the real culprit, before the hangman catches up to her …

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Requiem Mass by Elizabeth Corley
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Title: Requiem Mass
Author: Elizabeth Corley
Series Character: Andrew Fenwick
Formats: Hardcover and ebook

What we know about the character: DCI Andrew Fenwick is a police officer in Sussex.

(Editor's note: This is the first book in the series to feature the character. However, it is the second to be published in the US with the second in the series being the first published by Minotaur Books in 2001.)

His first case: When Deborah Fearnside, a young wife and mother, goes missing, police interest is minimal. She would hardly be the first woman to abandon a tired marriage. Four weeks later it is DCI Andrew Fenwick, back from compassionate leave, who notices the set of coincidences that should have transformed a routine missing person's case into a suspected abduction. But by then it is too late for Debbie.

Twenty years ago, a young woman fell tragically to her death. The only people with her were four schoolfriends. One — or maybe all of them — is responsible. Now there's someone intent on letting them have their just deserts.

Fenwick is soon caught in a desperate race against time to find the murderer before he completes his brutal vendetta. As the death toll mounts, Fenwick stares failure in the face — unless he can draw the predator out of the shadows and into an unconventional and highly dangerous trap with the ultimate bait.

— ♦ —

You Cannoli Die Once by Shelley Costa
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Title: You Cannoli Die Once
Author: Shelley Costa
Series Character: Eve Angelotta
Formats: Mass Market Paperback and ebook

What we know about the character: Eve Angelotta is the head chef at her family-owned Italian restaurant outside Philadelphia.

Her first case: When Chef Eve Angelotta arrives to start cooking the special of the day, she doesn't expect to find a dead body on the floor. The victim, killed with Eve's favorite marble mortar, turns out to be her grandmother's boyfriend.

When Grandma Maria Pia's alibi falls apart and she's arrested for the murder, it's up to Eve and her cousins to find the real killer. With the help of handsome lawyer Joe Beck, they discover that Maria Pia's boyfriend wasn't everything he seemed. And now that murder is on the menu, they have to find the killer before he dishes up another victim!

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Yesterday's Echo by Matt Coyle
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Title: Yesterday's Echo
Author: Matt Coyle
Series Character: Rick Cahill
Formats: Hardcover and ebook

What we know about the character: Rick Cahill is a former Santa Barbara cop, now living in La Jolla (California).

His first case: Rick Cahill was never convicted of his wife's murder, but he was never exonerated either. Not by the police. Not by the media. Not even by himself. Eight years later, police suspicion and his own guilt remain over his responsibility in his wife's death.

When he meets Melody Malana, a beautiful yet secretive TV reporter, he sees a chance to love again. When she is arrested for murder and asks Rick for help, the former cop says no, but the rest of him says yes and he grasps at a chance for redemption.

But Rick's attempt to help turns terribly wrong, and he becomes a suspect in the murder and the target of a police manhunt. On the run, Rick encounters desperate people who'll kill to keep their pasts buried. Before Rick can save himself and bring down a murderer, he must confront the truth about his own past and untangle his feeling for a woman he can never fully trust.

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Grains of Truth by Lydia Crichton
Print and/or Kindle Edition

Title: Grains of Truth
Author: Lydia Crichton
Series Character: Julia Grant
Formats: Trade Paperback and ebook

What we know about the character: Julia Grant is an antiwar activist, working undercover for the US Government.

Her first case: While sitting alone along San Francisco's fabled waterfront, pacifist Julia Grant is startled by the greeting of a well-dressed stranger. Instantly her world is forever changed: Not only does he know her name, he knows where she's been. From the quagmire of the Middle East conflict, an operative planted within the Muslim Brotherhood has led U.S. Intelligence to suspect a new terrorist plot.

Enabled by The Patriot Act, federal agents exploit Julia's ill-fated relationship with a married Egyptologist to manipulate her into undertaking a "simple" mission to Cairo. Her misgivings about serving a government she fears are quickly justified when her contacts along the Nile are killed. As her involvement in clandestine affairs grows ever deeper, so does her confusion about the direction her life should take … if she survives this increasingly perilous "simple mission".

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Hour of the Red God by Richard Crompton
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Title: Hour of the Red God
Author: Richard Crompton
Series Character: Detective Mollel
Formats: Hardcover and ebook

What we know about the character: Detective Mollel is a police officer in Nairobi, Kenya.

His first case: Nairobi, 2007. In Africa's sprawling megacity, a small elite holds power over an impoverished, restless majority. Corruption, exploitation, and ethnic rivalry are part of everyday life. Amid claims of vote rigging and fraud, the presidential elections could be the spark that sets this city ablaze.

With chaos looming, few care about one dead prostitute. But Detective Mollel does. For Mollel is a former Maasai warrior, and the dead girl was a Maasai, too.

As he ventures from slums to skyscrapers, from suburbs to sewers, Mollel begins to realize that there is more at stake than just this murder. But even as he is forced to confront his turbulent past, he begins to doubt his warrior's instincts.

Can Mollel manage to find the killer and solve the case before the Red God consumes all?

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Animal, Vegetable, Murder by Judy Dailey
Print and/or Kindle Edition

Title: Animal, Vegetable, Murder
Author: Judy Dailey
Series Character: Sunny Day Burnett, Urban Farm
Format: Hardcover

What we know about the character: Sunny Day Burnett is a widow living in a suburban gated community of Seattle, her home surrounded with organic gardens.

Her first case: Gathering eggs for breakfast Sunny discovers a neighbor face down and dead in a patch of Swiss chard. Worse yet the murdered man is clutching a photograph of Sunny s recently deceased husband wearing little more than a pink feather boa and red stilettos. Stunned Sunny hides the picture and her husband s appalling fashion sense from the police but she can t hide herself from a killer more voracious than a gray garden slug. Soon long-buried secrets are popping up like dandelions. Sunny must resolve her past if she wants a future. But time is running out and the day of harvest is near.

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Cold Killing by Luke Delaney
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Title: Cold Killing
Author: Luke Delaney
Series Character: Sean Corrigan
Formats: Trade Paperback and ebook

What we know about the character: Detective Inspector Sean Corrigan is with the South London Murder Investigation Team.

His first case: Detective Inspector Sean Corrigan finds the body of a brutally murdered young man in his own South London flat. Corrigan takes the case and soon finds himself embroiled in a deadly cat-and-mouse game with a ruthless and clever serial killer who changes his modus operandi each time he kills, leaving no useable forensic evidence behind …

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Cuts Through Bone by Alaric Hunt
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Title: Cuts Through Bone
Author: Alaric Hunt
Series Character: Rachel Vasquez and Clayton Guthrie
Formats: Hardcover and ebook

Winner of the 2012 PWA Best First Private Eye Novel Competition.

What we know about the character: Rachel Vasquez is an assistant to New York City private investigator Clayton Guthrie.

Her first case: At first, Rachel Vasquez found her new job working for private detective Clayton Guthrie promising. He got her a gun and a license and took her to target practice. But lately she's just been doing surveillance, and it's not her idea of an exciting time. She is contemplating quitting when Guthrie lands an intriguing case that will take all their wits and guts to solve.

Camille Bowman, a beautiful blond Columbia student and Manhattan heiress, is found dead, shot by a gun that belonged to her fiancé Greg Olsen, an Afghan war veteran. Guthrie is hired to prove Olsen's innocence, and fortunately he thinks Olsen smells clean. The detectives return to the scene of the crime where they see a vagrant who claims he heard the shots and picked the girl's wallet. Tiring of their questions, the vagrant flees, and Vasquez and Guthrie must track a man who's an expert at disappearing while also butting heads with the NYPD, cracking doors at Columbia University, and crawling through the city's subterranean tunnels.

To complicate matters, the murder could be part of a spree of killings being called the Barbiedoll murders, in which women are killed for no apparent reason and with no suspect in sight. The NYPD would like to pin them all on Olsen, and his life will depend on Guthrie and Vasquez catching the real culprit. In a race against time, the detectives gather clues that culminate in a bloody chase of one very determined and surprising killer.

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Deadly Inheritance by Janet Laurence
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Title: Deadly Inheritance
Author: Janet Laurence
Series Character: Ursula Grandison
Formats: Trade Paperback and ebook

What we know about the character: Ursula Grandison is an amateur sleuth.

Her first case: American Ursula Grandison accompanies Belle Seldon to visit her sister, Helen, Countess of Mountstanton, commissioned by their father, multi-millionaire Chauncey Seldon, to discover what is wrong with Helen's marriage and what has happened to her dowry. At decaying stately Mountstanton House, Ursula finds the Earl is a cold fish, the Dowager Countess of Mountstanton the mother-in-law from hell, and Helen has not forgiven her for stealing her great love.

Ursula discovers the drowned body of Polly, the nursemaid, thought to have deserted the household. Neither the Earl's brother, Colonel Charles Stanhope, nor Ursula believes Polly's death wsa an accident. Investigating against the Earl's wishes, they uncover a tangle of deception reaching into the past that threatens the reputation of the house of Mountstanton. After another death, Ursula fights to reveal the truth, to save Belle from dreadful scandal, and to fulfil Mr Seldon's commission, with a final shocking denoument.

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The Geneva Option by Adam LeBor
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Title: The Geneva Option
Author: Adam LeBor
Series Character: Yael Azoulay
Formats: Trade Paperback and ebook

What we know about the character: Yael Azoulay is a young member of the United Nations staff.

Her first case: Yael Azoulay does the United Nations' dirty work. Sent by the UN's Secretary General to eastern Congo to negotiate with Jean-Pierre Hakizimani, a Hutu warlord wanted for genocide, she offers a deal: surrender to the UN tribunal, in exchange for a short sentence and a return to politics.

The plan is to bring stability to the region so the West can exploit the region's mineral wealth. But Yael soon realizes that the UN is prepared to turn a blind eye to mass murder.

Yael finds herself on the run, hunted by the world's intelligence and law enforcement agencies — and haunted by her past — ultimately learning that salvation means not just saving other's lives but confronting her own inner demons.

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Heard it Through the Grapevine by Liz Lipperman
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Title: Heard it Through the Grapevine
Author: Liz Lipperman
Series Character: Lainey Garcia, Dead Sister
Formats: Trade Paperback and ebook

What we know about the character: Sisters Tessa and Lainey Garcia weren't on speaking terms. But now that Tessa's dead, her wisecracking ghost is making up for lost time.

Her first case: Lainey Garcia left Texas nine years ago after her sister Tessa married the only man Lainey ever loved. So when Tessa's house explodes, the last thing anyone expects is for her to appear to Lainey … as a ghost.

Formerly a part owner of the biggest vineyard in the region, Tessa's got the goods on every fake, floozy, and two-faced liar in town. But Tessa doesn't know who killed her, and she asks the remaining Garcia girls to uncover the truth. Setting out to fulfill their sassy sibling's wish from beyond the grave, the sisters discover a mile-wide list of suspects who wanted Tessa dead. Learning the hard way that killers don't like snoops, Lainey fears she'll be the next Garcia sent to the big vineyard in the sky.

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Wounded Prey by Sean Lynch
Print and/or Kindle Edition

Title: Wounded Prey
Author: Sean Lynch
Series Character: Bob Farrell and Kevin Kearns
Formats: Trade Paperback and ebook

What we know about the character: Bob Farrell is a retired San Francisco Police Inspector. Kevin Kearns is a rookie cop.

Their first case: A young girl is snatched in broad daylight from outside her school and later found brutally murdered and hanging from a tree.

When recently retired San Francisco Police Inspector, Bob Farrell, sees this on the news, he realises his worst nightmare has just come true. The same brutal killer a government agency stopped him from putting away twenty years before is once more on the loose.

As the killer wreaks a trail of blood and destruction across North America, Bob Farrell sets out to track him down.

But Farrell's not playing by the rules any more than the killer is, and soon the FBI have both of them in their sights …

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A Tine to Live, A Tine to Die by Edith Maxwell
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Title: A Tine to Live, A Tine to Die
Author: Edith Maxwell
Series Character: Cameron Flaherty, Local Foods
Formats: Hardcover and ebook

What we know about the character: Cameron Flaherty grows and sells organic produce in Massachusetts.

Her first case: It's harvest time in Westbury, Massachusetts, and novice farmer Cameron Flaherty hopes to make a killing selling organic produce. A colorful Locavore Club belongs to Cam's farm-share program. But when a killer strikes on her property, her first foray into the world of organic farming yields a bumper crop of locally sourced murder.

Her customer and eager volunteer, Brazilian Lucinda DaSilva, heads up the Locavore Club, and has vowed to eat only locally grown food for a year. Cam's Great-Uncle Albert, who gave her the farm, is an old-timer with modern sensibilities. Jake Ericsson, the Swedish chef and owner of the upscale The Market restaurant, flirts with Cam but then mysteriously withdraws his attentions.

Traditional farmer Bev Montgomery isn't happy with some of her customers migrating to Cam's organic produce and is devastated when her son is killed on Cam's farm. Girl Scout Ellie Kosloski, working on her Locavore badge, not only aids Cam with the harvest but also helps them both escape a nearly fatal encounter. And then there's the local militia group with its decidedly nonlocal agenda.

To clear her name, Cam has to dig up secrets buried deep beneath the soil of Produce Plus Plus Farm. And when the police don't make progress in the case, she has to catch a murderer whose motto seems to be, "Eat Local. Kill Local."

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Kneading to Die by Liz Mugavero
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Title: Kneading to Die
Author: Liz Mugavero
Series Character: Kristan Connor, Pawsitively Organic Gourmet Pet Food
Formats: Mass Market Paperback and ebook

What we know about the character: Kristan "Stan" Connor is a former corporate PR maven cooking up gourmet pet food and treats in the wake of her recent job loss.

Her first case: Maybe the best thing that ever happened to Kristan "Stan" Connor was losing her high-stress public relations job. Now there's plenty of time to spend in her sleepy new Connecticut town working on her dream: baking healthy, organic pet treats!

Before long the neighborhood dogs are escaping their yards to show up at Stan's doorstep, begging for the kinds of special homemade treats her Maine coon cat Nutty loves so much. And Stan's pet-loving neighbors are thrilled with the new organic options available to their furry family members. But not everyone loves Stan and her newfangled organic ways …

It seems Carole Morganwick, the town vet, is from the old school of pet care. But when Stan swallows her pride and brings a very unwilling Nutty in for a checkup, she not only finds Carole dead under a pile of kibble … but also that she's in the dog house as the prime suspect! Finding the real killer and clearing her name will require some seriously surreptitious sniffing around … and hopefully, curiosity won't kill this innocent cat!

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Foal Play by Kathryn O'Sullivan
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Title: Foal Play
Author: Kathryn O'Sullivan
Series Character: Colleen McCabe
Formats: Hardcover and ebook

Winner of the 2010 Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery Novel Competition.

What we know about the character: Colleen McCabe is the fire chief on North Carolina's Outer Banks.

Her first case: Colleen McCabe is enjoying an uneventful summer in North Carolina's Outer Banks supervising her firefighters, making rounds with her Border collie, Sparky, and keeping an eye on the wild horses escaped from the local sanctuary. But when a dead body washes up on shore, she knows trouble has arrived in Corolla.

Colleen is ready to start work on the investigation, but much to her irritation, her best friend, Sheriff Bill Dorman, makes it clear he doesn't want her butting her nose in or poking around. The stubborn Colleen, however, is not so easily deterred. When a man with a gun is spotted lurking around the lighthouse and her former school teacher's house explodes, she adds arson and a second suspicious death to her informal investigation. Colleen soon finds herself juggling her job, amorous advances from the town's developer, and intrusions from the local press, all while keeping information from Bill. Her secret sleuthing quickly comes to an end, however, when a bigger threat enters the picture.

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Gluten for Punishment by Nancy J. Parra
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Title: Gluten for Punishment
Author: Nancy J. Parra
Series Character: Toni Ryder, Baker's Treat
Formats: Mass Market Paperback and ebook

What we know about the character: Toni Ryder is a gluten-free baker in Oiltop, Kansas.

Her first case: Even though Toni is used to going against the grain by preparing allergy-safe, gluten-free products for her online bakery, Baker's Treat, opening a storefront in the middle of wheat country Kansas might be biting off more than she can chew. The town is already skeptical of her flour-free ways, but when a local wheat farmer is murdered outside her patisserie, skepticism turns into outright suspicion.

With the help of her eccentric grandmother, her handsome lawyer, and the sexy new widower in town, Toni is determined to find the real criminal before bad publicity and increasingly personal acts of vandalism shut her down. But when another suspect winds up dead, Toni realizes that this half-baked killer isn't just trying to get her to close shop — he's trying to make sure that she's made her last gluten-free cookie … forever.

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Isolated by Trevor Scott
Print and/or Kindle Edition

Title: Isolated
Author: Trevor Scott
Series Character: Keenan Fitzpatrick
Formats: Trade Paperback and ebook

What we know about the character: Keenan Fitzpatrick is a former Reno, Nevada sheriff.

His first case: When Keenan Fitzpatrick wins a free moose hunting trip to Newfoundland, Canada, he is happy to get away from his current job as a casino security officer. Shortly after arriving at the isolated hunting lodge forty miles from the nearest road, a man is shot to death. The other guests and guides immediately recruit Fitz to solve the murder.

But without any technology to run background on all of the characters at the lodge, Fitz must rely only on his personal skills to uncover the killer. With six days before anyone from the outside world will learn anything is wrong at the lodge, Fitz must stop the killer before everyone is murdered.

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For a list of more hardcover mysteries scheduled for publication during May, please visit our New Mysteries home page. If you're interested in new paperbacks, visit The Mystery Bookshelf, where you can discover a library of new mysteries, also updated with May 2013 releases. See also our regularly updated eBook site for new mysteries, suspense novels and thrillers, MysterEbooks.com.

Please also visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books where we are committed to providing readers and collectors of mystery books with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

Authors on Tour: Larry D. Thompson — Dead Peasants

Omnimystery News: Authors on Tour
with Larry D. Thompson

We are delighted to welcome novelist Larry D. Thompson to Omnimystery News, courtesy of Partners in Crime Tours, which is coordinating his current book tour. We encourage you to visit all of the participating host sites; you can find his schedule here.

Larry's new legal thriller is Dead Peasants (St. Martin's Press, October 2012 hardcover and ebook formats).

Today we are pleased to introduce you to Larry with an excerpt from his book.

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Dead Peasants by Larry D. Thompson

THE KNOCK AT THE DOOR OF THE RV WAS so soft that at first Jack thought it must have been the wind. It came again. He rose from his chair and opened the door. An elderly black lady who he recognized as June Davis stood at the bottom of the steps.
 "Mrs. Davis, I'm sorry. I didn't hear you at first. Please come in. It's chilly out there for early May." Jack went down a step and extended his hand to assist his visitor, then offered her something to drink.
 June perched on the edge of the cushioned bench that circled the table. "Water would be nice," she said in a soft voice.
 Jack went to the refrigerator and returned with a bottle. He twisted the cap a half a turn and handed it to her. She twisted the cap the rest of the way, took a small sip, replaced the cap and set it on the table.
 "How are you doing, Mrs. Davis? I mean since your husband died have you been managing okay?"
 "I'm fine, Mr. Bryant. My house is paid for and I get a little social security check. Besides, my kids look after me." She reached into her purse and retrieved an envelope which she slid across the table to Jack. "This came in the mail, addressed to me. I, I wasn't sure what to do with it; so, I called Miss Colby. She said I should take it to you."
 Jack picked up the envelope. The return address was the United States Postal Service. He opened it and found another envelope, this one torn and mangled with the addressee illegible. The letter from the postal service read, Dear Mrs. Davis: One of our sorting machines jammed and mangled this letter. We apologize for the problem. Your name was the only one we could make out on the letter, and we were able to get your address. Please handle as you see fit. Very truly yours.
 Jack looked at the mangled letter. It was from Euro Life Insurance Company, based on the Isle of Gibraltar. It stated that Euro had determined that one William Davis was married to June Davis. Under the terms of the policy, since it paid double indemnity in the event of an accidental death, the benefit was $400,000, payable to Allison Southwest. Jack looked through the documents a second time before he looked up.
 "Did you know that they had insured Willie for $400,000?"
 "Lawdy, no, Mr. Bryant. Willie only made $20,000 a year. Why would anyone insure him for that kind of money? Besides, he retired from Allison fifteen years ago."
 "Good question. Let me keep these papers and the check. I'll get back to you in a couple of days."

— ♦ —

Larry D. Thompson
Photo provided courtesy of
Larry D. Thompson

Larry D. Thompson is a veteran trial lawyer and has drawn on decades of experience in the courtroom to produce his legal thrillers, of which Dead Peasants is his third. After graduating from the University of Texas School of Law, Thompson founded the Houston trial firm where he still serves as managing partner. The proud father of three grown children, he lives and works in Texas but spends his summers in Colorado, where he crafts his novels and hikes the mountains surrounding Vail. His greatest inspiration came from Thomas Thompson, his brother, who wrote many best-selling true-crime books and novels.

— ♦ —

Dead Peasants by Larry D. Thompson

Dead Peasants
Larry D. Thompson

Jack Bryant, exhausted after a high-profile career as a lawyer, takes an early retirement in Fort Worth, Texas, where he plans to kick back, relax, and watch his son play football at TCU. But then an elderly widow shows up with a check for life insurance benefits and that is suspiciously made payable to her dead husband's employer, Jack can't turn down her pleas for help and files a civil suit to collect the benefits rightfully due the widow.

A chain of events that can't be stopped thrusts Jack into a vortex of killings, and he and his new love interest find themselves targets of a murderer.

Amazon.com Print and/or Kindle Edition  Barnes&Noble Print Edition and/or Nook Book  Apple iTunes iBookstore  Kobo eBooks

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Larry D. Thompson Book Tour

The Embroidered Corpse by Brian Kavanagh is Today's Third Featured Free MystereBook

The Embroidered Corpse by Brian Kavanagh

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Embroidered Corpse by Brian Kavanagh as today's third free mystery ebook (A Belinda Lawrence Mystery; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, May 01, 2013 at 7:30 AM ET. Prices are subject to change without notice. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of 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.

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The Embroidered Corpse by Brian Kavanagh

The Embroidered Corpse
Brian Kavanagh
A Belinda Lawrence Mystery
Publisher: Endeavour Press

In a quiet English village two bodies are discovered. Both murdered. But it is the manner of the death that most startles amateur detective Belinda Lawrence. They were both slain in a way that perfectly replicates the death a medieval English king. But why? There appears to be no motive for so elaborate a crime.

But after she stumbles across a mysterious ancient tapestry, Belinda Lawrence and her associate Hazel Whitby are drawn into a terrifying conspiracy involving a bizarre religious cult, an enigmatic academic, a group of secretive monks — and a mystery that dates back nearly a thousand years old.

And it soon becomes apparent that "The Embroidered Corpse" will not be the last dead body — Belinda's own life is at stake.

Amazon Kindle Book

Important Note: This book was listed for free on the date and time of this post. Prices can and do change without prior notice. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.

The Danger Next Door by Kris Langman is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

The Danger Next Door by Kris Langman

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Danger Next Door by Kris Langman as today's second free mystery ebook (An Anne Lambert Mystery; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, May 01, 2013 at 7:20 AM ET. Prices are subject to change without notice. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of 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.

— ♦ —

The Danger Next Door by Kris Langman

The Danger Next Door
Kris Langman
An Anne Lambert Mystery
Publisher: Post Hoc Publishing

When Anne Lambert first moves to London she's intent on enjoying her first experience living in a foreign country. Her busy new life takes a wrong turn, however, when a chance encounter with her next door neighbor drags her into the machinations of London's upper class.

Jimmy Soames is stinking rich and from one of England's oldest aristocratic families, but he's also an unloved alcoholic, barely acknowledged by his family and forgotten by his friends. When he's found floating in the Thames with a bashed-in skull he's neither mourned nor missed.

But someone needs to be blamed for his death. Jimmy was the eldest son and heir of Lord and Lady Soames, and millions are at stake. A patsy is needed, and Jimmy's family decides that Anne will fit the role nicely.

Amazon Kindle Book

Important Note: This book was listed for free on the date and time of this post. Prices can and do change without prior notice. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.

Beyond Midnight by Antoinette Stockenberg is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

Beyond Midnight by Antoinette Stockenberg

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Beyond Midnight by Antoinette Stockenberg as today's free mystery ebook (A Novel of Romantic Suspense; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, May 01, 2013 at 7:10 AM ET. Prices are subject to change without notice. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of 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.

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Beyond Midnight by Antoinette Stockenberg

Beyond Midnight
Antoinette Stockenberg
A Novel of Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Antoinette Stockenberg

First published by St. Martin's Press in 1996.

In 1692, Salem, Massachusetts was the setting for the infamous persecution of innocents accused of witchcraft. Three centuries later, little has changed. Helen Evett, widowed mother of two and owner of a prestigious preschool in town, finds her family, her fortunes, and her life's work threatened — all because she feels driven to protect the sweet three-year-old daughter of a man who knows everything about finance but not so much about fathering. Helen's feelings toward little Katie's handsome father are decidedly mixed, and it will take more than knocks in the night, perfumed air, and bone-chilling cold to convince her otherwise.

Nathaniel Byrne is willing to consider Helen's advice and help. But he does it grudgingly, because the woman is by far the most determined, pushy force he's ever encountered. Recently widowed, tormented by the circumstances, and at sea about being a single parent, Nat is not inclined to hand over his daughter to just any preschool — not when he has an accomplished, London-trained nanny who's more than willing to help make those decisions with him.

And the nanny herself? Peaches Bartholemew is as clever as she is beautiful, as efficient as she is soothing. Peaches can do anything. The trick, for Nat's dead wife, will be to keep her from doing it.

Amazon Kindle Book

Important Note: This book was listed for free on the date and time of this post. Prices can and do change without prior notice. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.

The Dark Winter by David Mark is Today's Nook Daily Find

The Nook Daily Find

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Dark Winter by David Mark as today's Barnes & Noble Nook Daily Find.

The deal price of $2.99 is valid only for today, Wednesday, May 01, 2013.

Note: The price has been matched by Amazon.com for today only.

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The Dark Winter by David Mark

The Dark Winter
David Mark
An Aector McEvoy Mystery
Plume

A series of suspicious deaths have rocked Hull, a port city in England as old and mysterious as its bordering sea. They have captured the attention of Detective Sergeant Aector McAvoy. He notices a pattern missed by his fellow officers, who would rather get a quick arrest than bother themselves with finding the true killer.

Torn between his police duties and his aching desire to spend more time with his pregnant wife and young son, McAvoy is an unlikely hero: a physically imposing man far more comfortable exploring computer databases than throwing around his muscle. Compelled by his keen sense of justice, he decides to strike out alone — but in the depths of the dark winter, it's difficult to forget what happened the last time he found himself on the wrong side of a killer's blade …

Barnes&Noble Nook Daily FindAmazon Kindle Daily Deal

Important Note: This book was listed at the price mentioned above on the date and time of this post. Prices can and do change without prior notice. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

Kiss Me Deadly by Susan Kearney is Today's Kindle Romantic Suspense Daily Deal

The Kindle Daily Deal

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Kiss Me Deadly by Susan Kearney as today's Amazon Kindle Romantic Suspense Daily Deal.

The deal price of $1.99 is valid only for today, Wednesday, May 01, 2013.

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Kiss Me Deadly by Susan Kearney

Kiss Me Deadly
Susan Kearney
A Novel of Romantic Suspense
Bell Bridge Books

Dedicated family attorney Amanda "Mandy" Newman may have survived an attempted drowning and, along with co-workers, just won the biggest lottery in history, but before she can collect, the ticket is stolen. Now, her co-workers are being murdered one by one.

She needs help, and that puts her between a rock and a hard man — the brother of a co-worker.

DEA officer Zack Taylor was a one-night stand who'd turned into so much more. Now that his family and Mandy are in danger, he is back in the picture. The attraction between them still simmers; Zack can feel it. But can he resist his desire for her long enough to discover her secret?

With her life on the line, the attraction between them should be kept on ice. After all, under the circumstances, a kiss could be deadly.

Amazon Kindle Daily Deal

Important Note: This book was listed at the price mentioned above on the date and time of this post. Prices can and do change without prior notice. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

The Vegas Knockout by Tom Schreck is Today's Kindle Daily Deal

The Kindle Daily Deal

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Vegas Knockout by Tom Schreck as today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal.

The deal price of $0.99 is valid only for today, Wednesday, May 01, 2013.

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The Vegas Knockout by Tom Schreck

The Vegas Knockout
Tom Schreck
A Duffy Dombrowski Mystery
Thomas & Mercer

Duffy Dombrowski just accepted a dream job: chief sparring partner for Russian heavyweight contender Boris Rusakov in Vegas. His obstinate basset hound, Al, and a few friends join Duffy for the ride — but before Duffy knows it, his trip turns into a nightmare. Someone's killing local Mexican workers, friends and relatives of Duffy's gym buddies. And to make matters worse, Duffy's got Boris's Russian mobster pals chasing him with murder on their minds.

Amazon Kindle Daily Deal

Important Note: This book was listed at the price mentioned above on the date and time of this post. Prices can and do change without prior notice. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

Today's Mystery and Suspense Update from Big Fish Games (130501)

Big Fish Games

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

• The New Release is Mysteries of the Undead.

• The Daily Deal is The Book of Desires, just $2.99 today only!

• The current Catch of the Week is Grim Tales: The Bride, just $2.99 through Sunday, May 05, 2013 only.

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Mysteries of the Undead

Today's New Release is Mysteries of the Undead

Explore the zombie island and break an ancient curse in this exciting and dangerous adventure! What caused the disaster? Was it a virus or magic? Many years ago a dark blight turned the citizens of a small island into bloodthirsty zombies. A research team from the floating laboratory Perseus is the only one capable of eliminating the threat of an epidemic.

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

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The Book of Desires

Today's Daily Deal is The Book of Desires

Explore an intriguing world in this thrilling Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game! Ashley had a horrible dream where she traveled to a strange world. When she awoke she realized it was just a nightmare, but her reality turns out to be just as scary. Help her escape with her life in this exciting adventure!

A sample version is available to download and play for free for one hour. You can purchase this game today only — Wednesday, May 01, 2013 — for $2.99.

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Grim Tales: The Bride

The current Catch of the Week is Grim Tales: The Bride

After your sister vanishes on her wedding day no one has any idea what happened to her, so it's up to you to find the truth! Some believe she drowned, but her body was never found. Return to the abandoned family mansion and search for clues. Explore your sister's memories to solve the mystery of her disappearance in this exciting Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game!

A sample version is available to download and play for free for one hour. You can purchase this game at the special price of $2.99 through Sunday, May 05, 2013.

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