Tuesday, August 02, 2016

Please Welcome Mystery Author Stan Schatt

Omnimystery News: Guest Post by Stan Schatt

We are delighted to welcome author Stan Schatt to Omnimystery News.

Stan's new paranormal mystery is Hello Again (May 2016 trade paperback and ebook formats) and in his guest post today he posits an intriguing question: "What do readers want?"

— ♦ —

Stan Schatt
Photo provided courtesy of
Stan Schatt

Supposedly Sigmund Freud's last words consisted of a question: "Women, what do they want?" I've been mulling a slightly different question: "Mystery readers: what do they want?"

According to the National Endowment for the Arts has published a depressing report that shows that the percent of Americans reading fiction has declined ever since 2008. Only around 47% of all readers choose fiction to read. Why the decline? Social media has to accept some responsibility. One study reported Americans spend an average of twenty-three hours a week twiddling their thumbs in various social media applications. It also could well be that fiction is a victim of too many entertainment choices chasing too few hours available for recreation.

Some researchers have focused on the measurable benefits of reading fiction. Recent psychological studies have pointed to gains in empathy. Readers who experience a character's particular emotion are more likely to recognize signs of that emotion on other people's faces. Philosophers tell us that readers of fiction can learn morality. Graphing Jane Austen, a 2012 tract, described the evolutionary roots of the social lessons fiction taught and claimed those lessons learned go way back to humanity's early days as hunter-gathers.

Of course these studies have focused on literary fiction, the kinds of books that target "serious readers." Bookstores generally proudly display their "literary books" in their most conspicuous locations while being very careful to segregate them from genre books such as mysteries, romances, and science fiction. Genre readers who visit bookstores and slink into the genre sections could be forgiven if they feel that they are slumming and revealing their secret pleasure much like an opera fan might feel if he visits a bluegrass festival and takes his shoes off to tap his feet to the music. It's almost like the way fans of certain types of porn must feel when adult bookstores point them to the curtained off area containing the "good stuff."

Literary scholars, and I hasten to admit I once was one of them, dismiss most genre novels as mere entertainment. That does not mean genre lovers aren't serious readers. When genre lovers find authors they like, they rarely are content until they collect a large stack of their novels. That can be challenging for a Michael Connelly fan, as an example, because he's been publishing a novel a year for the last couple of decades.

Since I write mysteries, I've been pondering a subset of the question I raised earlier: What do mystery readers want? Of course the first problem when answering a question like that is that there are multiple categories of mysteries. Just as Caesar found that Gaul was divided into three distinct parts, the mystery terrain fragments into such separate fiefdoms as cozies, police procedure, paranormal, detective/private eye, etc. Interestingly enough, readers tend to find their comfort zone and narrow rather than broaden their horizons as they zero in on the authors who provide them with exactly what they want. That's not to say some readers won't take a plunge into the deep end of the reading pool and try a different mystery type, but generally they come home to the tried and true. At least that's my experience reading hundreds of reader comments on various bulletin boards as well as reader reviews on Amazon.

I have dabbled in different types of mysteries, something that probably has hurt my sales and confused my readers. In doing so, I have learned some of the strict rules that readers expect authors to follow when writing stories in a specific category.

Let's start with police procedure novels. I have published A Reader's Guide to Michael Connelly's Novels. His devoted fans line up every year for the next Harry Bosch mystery. What do they expect? Harry is a kind-hearted first-rate detective who exhibits fearlessness, tenaciousness, a fine moral code, and a love for his daughter. Of course he also has his faults. He can be prickly disobeying orders, and he can't seem to hold on to a girlfriend. Connelly generally begins his novel with the call that Bosch receives, generally late at night. There is always pressure on Harry to take the easy out when it comes to solving the crime, but he never does so. His life usually is not in danger even though occasionally he sustains gunshot wounds; readers know he'll survive for his next book and adventure, and they find that comforting.

Connelly lets the readers follow Harry from one clue to the next. Sometimes he leaves red herrings that lead Harry astray, but there is a logical, rational road that Harry follows to capture the villain. Harry is no youngster anymore, but he still has love affairs. Connelly's readers have come to expect him to fall in love with an attractive middle-aged woman who is damaged in some way. Harry will enjoy some happiness, but it never will last. Similarly, readers expect Connelly to create at least one conflict between Harry and whoever happens to be his current partner because the crusty veteran will be far more committed to the "true detective's code" than a partner willing to cut corners. Readers now also expect an appearance by Harry's daughter. There will be at least one major disagreement, perhaps a slightly dangerous situation involving her, and then a resolution between the two. See how satisfying it is for a reader to know what to expect?

Fans of police procedure novels expect authenticity when it comes to police procedures, legal procedures, and forensics. Some authors who want to write this type of novel attend academies where they absorb this information from experts. I was fortunate enough to work for a large municipal police department and even co-author a book on some police procedures long before I ever thought of writing mysteries.

Recently I published Hello Again. It's a paranormal mystery in which a man starts to receive texts from his lover AFTER she dies. While the novel has the trappings of the supernatural, it is an old-fashioned mystery in which the paranormal does not play a role in the killer's capture.

My Frankie and Josh series of paranormal mysteries combine police procedures with a paranormal element. That's where it gets tricky. I feature a fearless female detective and a male tabloid reporter who has some psychic abilities. It also helps that he's a former Ranger who can take care of himself. He is the only one who can see a beautiful, sassy guardian angel.

In combining these two types of mysteries I found myself having to bend over backwards to follow the rules of police procedure novels. In other words, ultimately the police capture the bad guys through rational police work rather than through supernatural intervention. Readers of police procedure novels would feel cheated if a supernatural figure appeared in the last chapter to solve a crime

I've also been working on a cozy mystery set in a retirement home. Cozies keep all the violence off-stage and rely on a non-professional to solve the crime. In my novel the protagonist is a mystery writer much like Jessica Fletcher in Murder She wrote. Other cozies feature specialists in various fields. There is an entire class of cozies that feature an art critic while others feature cooking experts. Kathy Reich features a forensic anthropologist in her Bones series while the old TV series Quincy featured a medical examiner played by Jack Klugman.

The civilian protagonists in cozies generally have some kind of relationship with law enforcement so that they can learn key details in a case, details generally not made public. In Faye Kellerman's Peter and Rina series of mysteries Rina is an orthodox Jewish housewife who learns crime details from her LAPD detective husband. Faye Kellerman's husband, Jonathan, writes his own series of mysteries that features a psychiatrist who teams with an LAPD detective.

To add even more interest, cozies can feature various animals that "help" in solving a crime. There are several series that target cat lovers. Miranda James writes the Cat in the Stacks series while Claire Donally writes the Sunny and Shadow mystery series including Did Curiosity Kill the Cat Lady?

Other cosy mysteries target dog lovers. Susan Conant wrote A New Leash on Death, a novel that features Holly Winter, a dog expert. When a dog owner is murdered, she tracks the killer down using the victim's Malamute. Leslie O-Kane wrote Play Dead, one of her Allie Babcock dog mysteries.

Cozies also feature other types of creatures. Clea Simon wrote Parrots Prove Deadly: A Pru Marlowe Mystery featuring an animal psychic and a parrot worth interrogating. I published Jane Blond, International Spy, a cozy mystery that features a parrot that overhears a conversation in a foreign language and then repeats it to my young heroine.

What makes a mystery author's task so challenging is that each of these different types of mysteries have rules that need to be followed. I suppose it is very much like fans of various types of cuisine. Lovers of Szechuan Chinese food would be bound to express their dismay on Yelp if a restaurant claiming to serve that type of food holds the chili peppers and, perhaps even worse, adds various fruits to the stir fry.

When I mention rules, keep in mind that lovers of a cat mystery fully expect the cat to play a leading role in the next novel the author publishes and all subsequent novels. So, authors have to be very careful with their initial novels. When I wrote Silent Partner, the first of the Frankie and Josh novels, I never expected Pen-L to insist that I follow with two additional novels (A Bullet for the Ghost Whisperer and Death and Donuts). Readers have told me what they like and what they dislike about certain characters. I can't simply start over and recreate these characters. I'm stuck with them for better or worse. Thankfully, I like them.

Sigmund Freud might have been looking for a single sentence answer when he asked what women want, but the question of what mystery readers want is far more complicated. They stake out their territory and their favorite authors and expect to be entertained with characters they have learned to love to the point where they have become like members of their family. They also have come to expect the world in these novels to operate a certain way. Authors who deviate from the rules that govern these various worlds do so at their peril.

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Stan Schatt draws upon his experience in his writing. He has been an autopsy assistant, a police department administrator, a network manager, and a college professor. He spent many years as a futurist, responsible for forecasting future products and markets. He taught at the University of Southern California, the University of Houston, and Tokyo University. Schatt is the author of over 35 books. His fiction includes mysteries, science fiction novels, young adult novels, and juvenile fiction. His non-fiction includes books on career changing, American culture, telecommunications, and data communications. He has also written books on Michael Connelly and Daniel Silva.

For more information about the author, please visit his website at StanSchatt.com and his author page on Goodreads, or find him on Facebook and Twitter.

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Hello Again by Stan Schatt

Hello Again by Stan Schatt

A Paranormal Mystery

Publisher: CreateSpace

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

Texts from the dead are better left unread …

A dead lover wants company. Meanwhile, a no-nonsense detective who doesn't believe in ghosts teams up with a psychic who fears something very evil is stalking its prey.

A scientist finds that modern science can't explain what he's experiencing. Bill met the woman of his dreams, but now she's become his worst nightmare as her text messages become more demanding and threatening. How can he avoid her when she seems to know every step he takes?

When high-tech equipment fails to explain the mystery, he finds the only solution might be to meet her face-to-face.

Hello Again by Stan Schatt

Today's Selection of Daily Deals for Tuesday, August 02, 2016

Omnimystery News is pleased to feature a selection of today's Daily Deals found on Tuesday, August 02, 2016 at 7:30 AM ET …

Blind Spot by Nancy Bush

Blind Spot by Nancy Bush

A Novel of Suspense

Publisher: Zebra

Kindle Daily Deal Price: $1.99

Blind Spot by Nancy Bush, Amazon Kindle format

The crime scene at an Oregon rest stop is brutal beyond belief — a young man's lifeless body cut to ribbons, and his pregnant girlfriend left alive but comatose …

Psychologist Claire Norris is assigned to treat the survivor at a private mental hospital. But there are no clues to the identity of the catatonic "Jane Doe." A difficult job only becomes more complicated with the arrival of ex-homicide detective Langdon Stone, who questions Claire's every move.

Reluctantly working together, Claire and Lang begin to unravel the chilling truth about a twisted case — one with ties to a killer who is right in their midst, eager to see a mission of evil through to its terrifying end …

Blind Spot by Nancy Bush

How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny

How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny

An Armand Gamache Mystery (9th in series)

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Kobo Daily Deal Price: $2.99 (price-matched by Amazon)

How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny, Amazon Kindle formatHow the Light Gets In by Louise Penny, Kobo format

Christmas is approaching, and in Québec it's a time of dazzling snowfalls, bright lights, and gatherings with friends in front of blazing hearths. But shadows are falling on the usually festive season for Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. Most of his best agents have left the Homicide Department, his old friend and lieutenant Jean-Guy Beauvoir hasn't spoken to him in months, and hostile forces are lining up against him. When Gamache receives a message from Myrna Landers that a longtime friend has failed to arrive for Christmas in the village of Three Pines, he welcomes the chance to get away from the city. Mystified by Myrna's reluctance to reveal her friend's name, Gamache soon discovers the missing woman was once one of the most famous people not just in North America, but in the world, and now goes unrecognized by virtually everyone except the mad, brilliant poet Ruth Zardo.

As events come to a head, Gamache is drawn ever deeper into the world of Three Pines. Increasingly, he is not only investigating the disappearance of Myrna's friend but also seeking a safe place for himself and his still-loyal colleagues. Is there peace to be found even in Three Pines, and at what cost to Gamache and the people he holds dear?

How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny

For more deals that may have been found after this post was created, see our Daily Deals page on Omnimystery News for an updated list.

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

Today's Selection of Free MystereBooks for Tuesday, August 02, 2016

Omnimystery News is pleased to feature a selection of Free MystereBooks found on Tuesday, August 02, 2016 at 7:00 AM ET …

All-Butter ShortDead by H. Y. Hanna

All-Butter ShortDead by H. Y. Hanna

An Oxford Tearooom Mystery Prequel

Publisher: Wisheart Press

Price: FREE!

All-Butter ShortDead by H. Y. Hanna, Amazon Kindle format

A Killing Term by Robyn Sheffield

A Killing Term by Robyn Sheffield

A Hew Jones Mystery

Publisher: Endeavour Press

Price: FREE!

A Killing Term by Robyn Sheffield, Amazon Kindle format

Visiting Lilly by Toni Allen

Visiting Lilly by Toni Allen

A Jake Talbot Mystery

Publisher: Toni Allen

Price: FREE!

Visiting Lilly by Toni Allen, Amazon Kindle format

Saving Anna by Toni Allen

Saving Anna by Toni Allen

A Jake Talbot Mystery

Publisher: Toni Allen

Price: FREE!

Saving Anna by Toni Allen, Amazon Kindle format

Hill Country Greed by Patrick Kelly

Hill Country Greed by Patrick Kelly

A Joe Robbins Financial Thriller

Publisher: Chaparral Press

Price: FREE!

Hill Country Greed by Patrick Kelly, Amazon Kindle format

Missing Melissa by Alretha Thomas

Missing Melissa by Alretha Thomas

A Novel of Suspense

Publisher: Diverse Arts Collective

Price: FREE!

Missing Melissa by Alretha Thomas, Amazon Kindle format

Gruesome Events by Glenn Rogers

Gruesome Events by Glenn Rogers

A Mason Dakota Mystery

Publisher: Simpson and Brook

Price: FREE!

Gruesome Events by Glenn Rogers, Amazon Kindle format

The Raft by Christopher Blankley

The Raft by Christopher Blankley

A Barefoot Detective Mystery

Publisher: Christopher Blankley

Price: FREE!

The Raft by Christopher Blankley, Amazon Kindle format

Faith Against the Wolves by Jonathan Chateau

Faith Against the Wolves by Jonathan Chateau

A Travis Rail, Supernatural Thriller

Publisher: Jonathan Chateau

Price: FREE!

Faith Against the Wolves by Jonathan Chateau, Amazon Kindle format

For a summary of all of today's titles, plus any that may have been added since this post was created, visit our Free MystereBooks page. This page is updated daily, typically by 8 AM ET.

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

Monday, August 01, 2016

Dr. Knox, A Novel of Suspense by Peter Spiegelman, Now Available at a Special Price

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, Knopf …

Dr. Knox by Peter Spiegelman

Dr. Knox by Peter Spiegelman

A Novel of Suspense

Publisher: Knopf

Price: $1.99 (as of 08/01/2016 at 8:00 PM ET).

Dr. Knox by Peter Spiegelman, Amazon Kindle format

Adam Knox comes from a long line of patrician Connecticut doctors — a line he broke to serve with an NGO in the war-torn Central African Republic. His attempt to protect his patients there from a brutal militia ended in disaster and disgrace, and now he runs a clinic near Los Angeles's Skid Row, making ends meet by making house calls — cash only, no questions asked — on those too famous or too criminal to seek other medical care.

When a young boy is abandoned at his clinic, Knox is determined to find the boy's family and save him from the not-so-tender mercies of the child welfare bureaucracy. But Knox's search for the volatile woman who may or may not be the boy's mother leads him and his friend, a former Special Forces operator, into a labyrinth of human traffickers, Russian mobsters, and corporate security thugs; and squarely into the sights of a powerful, secretive, and utterly ruthless family that threatens to destroy Dr. Knox and everything — and everyone — he holds dear.

Dr. Knox by Peter Spiegelman

A complete list of today's featured titles can be found on the Discounted MystereBooks page on Omnimystery News.

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.

Review: The Four-Night Run by William Lashner

Mysterious Reviews: Reviews of New Mysteries, Novels of Suspense, and Thrillers

A Mysterious Review of The Four-Night Run by William Lashner.

Review summary: This is an interesting adventure, compressing a lot of action and emotional highs and lows into a short period of time. The cast of characters is diverse but well-drawn. The settings are characters unto themselves. Crossing several genres, this is an ambitious novel, but uneven in its delivery. A good read, but not a great one. (Click here for text of full review.)

Our rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Four-Night Run William Lashner

The Four-Night Run
William Lashner
Thomas & Mercer (May 2016)

Available from Amazon.comAvailable from Barnes & Noble

Publisher synopsis: J.D. Scrbacek has just won the biggest trial of his career, but even as he crows to the press, his entire life blows sky-high. Was the bomb meant for him, or for his mobster client? In this seaside casino town where the tables run hot and the tensions run high, the odds say the attorney is a marked man.

Alone and on the run, Scrbacek flees into the city's forgotten underbelly, a ruined corridor called Crapstown, where he is forced to confront the ghosts of his past, his present, and his future. Somewhere in the sordid stream of his own existence lie the answers he needs. But in order to emerge from the depths of Crapstown, Scrbacek must argue for his life before a jury of the forgotten and the damned. Is he lawyer enough to save his own skin?

The Silent Cry, A William Monk Mystery by Anne Perry, Now Available at a Special Price

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, Ballantine Books …

The Silent Cry by Anne Perry

The Silent Cry by Anne Perry

A William Monk Mystery (8th in series)

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Price: $1.99 (as of 08/01/2016 at 7:00 PM ET).

The Silent Cry by Anne Perry, Amazon Kindle format

Deep in London's dangerous slums, Victorians transact their most secret and shameful business. For a price, a man can procure whatever he wants. But for one such man, the price he pays is his life.

In sunless Water Lane, respected solicitor Leighton Duff lies dead, kicked and beaten to death. Beside him is the barely living body of his son, Rhys. The police cannot fathom these brutal assaults until shrewd investigator William Monk, aided by nurse-turned-sleuth Hester Latterly, uncovers a connection between them and a series of rapes and beatings of local prostitutes.

But then the case takes an even more shocking turn.

The Silent Cry by Anne Perry

A complete list of today's featured titles can be found on the Discounted MystereBooks page on Omnimystery News.

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.

New This Week: Cinnamon Nut Crunch Murder, A Donut Hole Cozy Mystery by Susan Gillard

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 August 2016 and priced $5.99 or less.

Visit our New Indie MystereBooks page for a complete list of titles featured today.

Cinnamon Nut Crunch Murder by Susan Gillard

Cinnamon Nut Crunch Murder by Susan Gillard

A Donut Hole Cozy Mystery (14th in series)

Publisher: Guardian Publishing

Price: 99¢ (as of 08/01/2016 at 6:30 PM ET).

Cinnamon Nut Crunch Murder by Susan Gillard, Amazon Kindle format

See all fourteen mysteries in the popular Donut Hole Cozy Series for $2.99 or less each on Kindle.

When Heather Shepherd hears that Detective Davidson's daughter, Tara, has just been found dead, she's horrified.

Her horror soon turns to shock, when Davidson turns up at Donut Delights and makes it clear that Heather is his prime suspect. Heather is set on finding the truth, armed with her new knowledge thanks to her forensics course, and her bestie and doggy Dave for company, she sets out to solve the mystery. But internal issues at the police station see Ryan kicked off the case, leaving Heather bare to the attentions of a non-too-please Davidson. She had to balance an influx of orders for Cinnamon Crunch donuts, and the mystery or she might end up losing it all.

Heather has to find her focus or she might be blinded by the facts in this case. Sleuthing has just become as complicated as her recipe for cinnamon crumbles.

Cinnamon Nut Crunch Murder by Susan Gillard

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.

The Christie Caper, A Death on Demand Mystery by Carolyn Hart, Now Available at a Special Price

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, Crimeline …

The Christie Caper by Carolyn Hart

The Christie Caper by Carolyn Hart

A Death on Demand Mystery (7th in series)

Publisher: Crimeline

Price: 99¢ (as of 08/01/2016 at 6:00 PM ET).

The Christie Caper by Carolyn Hart, Amazon Kindle format

In honor of Agatha Christie's one hundredth birthday, mystery bookstore owner Annie Laurance Darling plans a week-long celebration of mystery, treasure hunts, title clues, and Christie trivia. Yet even as the champagne is chilling and the happy guests begin arriving on Broward's Rock Island, Annie feels a niggling sense of doom. But the last thing she or her guests expect is that the scheduled fun and mayhem will include a real-life murder.

The unexpected arrival of Neil Bledsoe, the most despised book critic in America, was sure to raise a few hackles. An advocate of hard-boiled detection and gory true crime, Bledsoe drops a bombshell on the devoted Christie assemblage: He's penning a scurrilous biography of the grand dame of suspense herself. Before the first title clue is solved, no less than two attempts are made on Bledsoe's life.

Now Annie and her unflappable husband, Max Darling, find themselves trying to stop a murder in the making-only the first corpse isn't the one they're expecting … and it isn't the last.

The Christie Caper by Carolyn Hart

A complete list of today's featured titles can be found on the Discounted MystereBooks page on Omnimystery News.

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.

New This Week: Must Love Murder, A Sketchy Matchmaker Mystery by Etta Faire

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 August 2016 and priced $5.99 or less.

Visit our New Indie MystereBooks page for a complete list of titles featured today.

Must Love Murder by Etta Faire

Must Love Murder by Etta Faire

A Sketchy Matchmaker Mystery (1st in series)

Publisher: Etta Faire

Price: 99¢ (as of 08/01/2016 at 5:30 PM ET).

Must Love Murder by Etta Faire, Amazon Kindle format

Marcie hates men. All men, she doesn't discriminate. Her husband of 20 years left her for her younger boss, causing her to get fired. So, of course, that means all men are evil, love is a sham, and life should be enjoyed in comfy sweatpants with a gallon of Rocky Road by your side.

But with three kids and a junk drawer full of bills, Marcie needs a job fast. And her sketchy aunt is the only one hiring … for the matchmaking club she just started. She says it's a "totally legitimate business this time," though.

As if pretending to care about love wasn't hard enough, when her aunt's neighbor starts snooping into the "legitimate business" and ends up dead, her aunt becomes the main suspect.

And Marcie finds she needs to become the perfect match for murder …

Must Love Murder by Etta Faire

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.

Trouble Is My Business, Four Philip Marlowe Stories by Raymond Chandler, Now Available at a Special Price

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, Vintage Crime …

Trouble Is My Business by Raymond Chandler

Trouble Is My Business by Raymond Chandler

Four Philip Marlowe Stories

Publisher: Vintage Crime

Price: $1.99 (as of 08/01/2016 at 5:00 PM ET).

Trouble Is My Business by Raymond Chandler, Amazon Kindle format

In the four long stories in this collection, Marlowe is hired to protect a rich old guy from a gold digger, runs afoul of crooked politicos, gets a line on some stolen jewels with a reward attached, and stumbles across a murder victim who may have been an extortionist.

Trouble Is My Business by Raymond Chandler

A complete list of today's featured titles can be found on the Discounted MystereBooks page on Omnimystery News.

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.

New This Week: Something's Rotten in Paradise, A Mauy Mayhem Cozy Mystery by Aysia Amery

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 August 2016 and priced $5.99 or less.

Visit our New Indie MystereBooks page for a complete list of titles featured today.

Something's Rotten in Paradise by Aysia Amery

Something's Rotten in Paradise by Aysia Amery

A Mauy Mayhem Cozy Mystery (1st in series)

Publisher: Aysia Amery

Price: 99¢ (as of 08/01/2016 at 4:30 PM ET).

Something's Rotten in Paradise by Aysia Amery, Amazon Kindle format

Two people are dead, and gourmet caterer and part-time amateur sleuth Ginger Lee may be responsible for the demise of one of them. But something sure stinks like natto, because she knows she didn't mess up on this gig. Is someone trying to frame her?

With the help of her deceased kid sister Maile, Detective Pako Anzo, and a tatted dwarf's ghost, Ginger searches for the truth. Oh, and did I mention she sees dead people? Umm, and past lives too. Yup, she's an anomaly all right.

Something's Rotten in Paradise by Aysia Amery

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.

The Coffee Trader, A Novel of Suspense by David Liss, Now Available at a Special Price

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, Random House …

The Coffee Trader by David Liss

The Coffee Trader by David Liss

A Novel of Suspense

Publisher: Random House

Price: $1.99 (as of 08/01/2016 at 4:00 PM ET).

The Coffee Trader by David Liss, Amazon Kindle format

Amsterdam, 1659 — a mysterious world of trade populated by schemers and rogues, where deception rules the day …

On the world's first commodities exchange, fortunes are won and lost in an instant. Miguel Lienzo, a sharp-witted trader in the city's close-knit community of Portuguese Jews, knows this only too well. Once among the city's most envied merchants, Miguel has lost everything in a sudden shift in the sugar markets. Now, impoverished and humiliated, living on the charity of his petty younger brother, Miguel must find a way to restore his wealth and reputation.

Miguel enters into a partnership with a seduc-tive Dutchwoman who offers him one last chance at success — a daring plot to corner the market of an astonishing new commodity called "coffee." To succeed, Miguel must risk everything he values and test the limits of his commercial guile, facing not only the chaos of the markets and the greed of his competitors, but also a powerful enemy who will stop at nothing to see him ruined. Miguel will learn that among Amsterdam's ruthless businessmen, betrayal lurks everywhere, and even friends hide secret agendas.

The Coffee Trader by David Liss

A complete list of today's featured titles can be found on the Discounted MystereBooks page on Omnimystery News.

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.

Rage by Zygmunt Miloszewski, New on the Mystery Bookshelf during August 2016

New on the Mystery Bookshelf during August 2016 …

Rage by Zygmunt Miloszewski

Rage by Zygmunt Miloszewski, A Teodor Szacki Mystery (3rd in series)

Publisher: AmazonCrossing

Rage by Zygmunt Miloszewski, Amazon Kindle format

All eyes are on famous prosecutor Teodor Szacki when he investigates a skeleton discovered at a construction site in the idyllic Polish city of Olsztyn. Old bones come as no shock to anyone in this part of Poland, but it turns out these remains are fresh, the flesh chemically removed.

Szacki questions the dead man's wife, only to be left with a suspicion she's hiding something. Then another victim surfaces — a violent husband, alive but maimed — giving rise to a theory: someone's targeting domestic abusers. And as new clues bring the murderer closer to those Szacki holds dear, he begins to understand the terrible rage that drives people to murder.

Rage by Zygmunt Miloszewski

To see more new paperback titles scheduled to be published this month, visit The Mystery Bookshelf for August 2016. For new hardcover titles, visit New Mysteries where for a list of August 2016 mysteries, novels of suspense, and thrillers is provided.

The Bourne Identity, A Jason Bourne Thriller by Robert Ludlum, Now Available at a Special Price

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, Bantam …

The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum

The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum

A Jason Bourne Thriller (1st in series)

Publisher: Bantam

Price: $1.99 (as of 08/01/2016 at 3:00 PM ET).

The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum, Amazon Kindle format

His memory is a blank. His bullet-ridden body was fished from the Mediterranean Sea. His face has been altered by plastic surgery. A frame of microfilm has been surgically implanted in his hip. Even his name is a mystery.

Marked for death, he is racing for survival through a bizarre world of murderous conspirators — led by Carlos, the world's most dangerous assassin.

Who is Jason Bourne? The answer may kill him.

The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum

A complete list of today's featured titles can be found on the Discounted MystereBooks page on Omnimystery News.

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.

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