Reviews of Mystery and Suspense Books for Kids, New This Week on Book Trends (130629)

Book Trends, a review site for young adult's and children's books, published several new book reviews this past week. We're presenting here a summary of those in the mystery/suspense/thriller category.

Sammy Keyes and the Showdown in Sin City by Wendelin Van Draanen. A Sammy Keyes Mystery. Lexile measure: 770L. Reviewed by a 6th grade student, who writes, "This book is for all audiences, but someone who is really in a problem and needs to figure some things out will especially appreciate the extremely intelligent information this book issues. Sammy Keyes and the Showdown in Sin City deserves five stars because it is full of action that will make you want to keep reading." (Read the full review of this middle grade mystery, here.)

For more reviews of children and young adult books of all genres, visit Book Trends; their reviews will amaze you! You can also follow Book Trends on Twitter.

Save $30 on a Kindle Fire HD!

Amazon.com has discounted the popular Kindle Fire HD 7" tablet by $30 "for a limited time only". We're not exactly sure how "limited" that time is as we can't find any mention of how long this promotion will last.

Use this link to visit the Kindle Fire HD page. All four variations of the device currently include the discount (as of the date and time of this post): 16 GB and 32 GB, with or without Special Offers. And at the current price, the HD version is just $10 more than the standard version!

If you've ever considered purchasing a Kindle Fire — and quite honestly, we were a tad reluctant at first but can't imagine doing without one today — this is a terrific opportunity to acquire one at a very attractive price.

Deep South Dead by Charlotte Moore is Today's Fourth Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Deep South Dead by Charlotte Moore as today's fourth free mystery ebook (A Hunter Jones Mystery; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, June 30, 2013 at 7:40 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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Deep South Dead
Charlotte Moore
A Hunter Jones Mystery
Publisher: Charlotte Moore

Looking for peace and quiet to write a novel, Hunter Jones left Atlanta for a job at a weekly newspaper in Merchantsville, Georgia, a town so small that everybody knows everybody else's business.

She quickly discovers that gossip travels faster than the press can run, and she's a bit of an outsider looking in until she goes to a grand old mansion for an interview with the president of the historical society, only to find that a murderer got there first.

Now, if she can only get Sheriff Sam Bailey to take her hunches seriously …

  

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.

Trainland by Richard Denoncourt is Today's Third Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Trainland by Richard Denoncourt as today's third free mystery ebook (A Suspense Thriller; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, June 30, 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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Trainland
Richard Denoncourt
A Suspense Thriller
Publisher: Self Land Publishing

Life used to be good for Jack Devins.

One of New York City's most in demand copy writers, Jack's life was a classic success story: degree from Columbia, adoring wife, happy family, a decent income.

After the sudden, accidental death of his four-year-old daughter, Kelly — an accident for which he blames himself — Jack's life plunges into a nightmare.

Because he still sees his daughter, skipping near the mouths of subway train tunnels, and a strange man covered in burn scars is stalking him, whispering promises of salvation — both his and Kelly's …

One night, Jack follows his dead daughter into one of the tunnels. What he finds there will change him forever, though not before pitting him against the demons of his past, and a danger that threatens the people he loves most.

  

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.

Revenge by Steve Ward is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Revenge by Steve Ward as today's second free mystery ebook (A Test Pilot's Daughter Thriller; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, June 30, 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.

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Revenge
Steve Ward
A Test Pilot's Daughter Thriller
Publisher: Steve Ward

Christina Matthews does it all. An obsessed fly-girl with the Right Stuff and True Grit finds love in the oddest place, the cockpit. A beautiful and brainy college girl born with jet-fuel in her blood is haunted by a gripping family tragedy and the violent murder of her best friend. The only thing she truly fears is sleep. Tortured by nightmares, this test pilot's daughter has to find a way to save her sanity or die. Mike Clark, call-name Lazer and a real Top Gun, looks to be the best kind of therapy.

With dreams of becoming an Astronaut-Commander, Christina struggles through heart-stopping perils in the cockpit and crash-lands on a deserted island. Without hope for rescue, she concocts an oddball plan to return survivors to civilization.

Risking her future at NASA, Christina delivers on a promise to a dying friend and faces her evil nemesis in the sky. Only by overcoming deep-seated fears can she exorcise her ghosts and pursue a lifelong dream of flying in space.

Will true love conquer Christina's curse, or will she auger in?

  

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.

Black Angel by Ira Berkowitz is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Black Angel by Ira Berkowitz as today's free mystery ebook (A Jackson Steeg Mystery; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, June 30, 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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Black Angel
Ira Berkowitz
A Jackson Steeg Mystery
Publisher: Ira Berkowitz

They called her The Bride. Young, homeless, and wearing a tattered wedding dress and veil matted with grime, she floated through the streets of Hell's Kitchen like a spectre. Until she wound up dead.

To everyone, including the NYPD, she was a throwaway. But not to Steeg. Her life was a nightmare, but her death demanded justice. There had to be a balancing of the books.

But with Steeg nothing is easy. His search for The Bride's killer is filled with blind alleys and potholes, but ultimately leads him to a vast international conspiracy that almost costs him his life.

  

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 One I Left Behind by Jennifer McMahon is Today's Kindle Daily Deal

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The One I Left Behind by Jennifer McMahon as today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal.

The deal price of $1.99 is valid only for today, Sunday, June 30, 2013.

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The One I Left Behind
Jennifer McMahon
A Novel of Suspense
William Morrow

The summer of 1985 changes Reggie's life. An awkward thirteen-year-old, she finds herself mixed up with the school outcasts. That same summer, a serial killer called Neptune begins kidnapping women. He leaves their severed hands on the police department steps and, five days later, displays their bodies around town. Just when Reggie needs her mother, Vera, the most, Vera's hand is found on the steps. But after five days, there's no body and Neptune disappears.

Now, twenty-five years later, Reggie is a successful architect who has left her hometown and the horrific memories of that summer behind. But when she gets a call revealing that her mother has been found alive, Reggie must confront the ghosts of her past and find Neptune before he kills again.

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 (130630)

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

• The New Release is Myths of the World: Chinese Healer Collector's Edition.

• The Daily Deal is Cursed Memories: The Secret of Agony Creek, just $2.99 today only!

• The current Catch of the Week is Fabled Legends: The Dark Piper, just $2.99 through Sunday, June 30, 2013 only.

• Today's Special Deal — This weekend only, all games are 50% off! Use coupon code BIG for Collector's Edition games and FISH for Standard Edition games at check-out to save 50% off the retail price. Offer ends June 30th, 2013 at 11:59 PM PT.

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

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Today's New Release is Myths of the World: Chinese Healer Collector's Edition

A great myth has enduring power … no matter where the story comes from. In this first game in the exciting new Myths of the World series, your story begins as a Chinese healer who’s brought to the Imperial City to save the Emperor’s son. But you uncover a devious plot and end up having to save yourself! Throughout the game, you’ll use your herbal kit to concoct powerful potions to summon spirits and heal the people you meet. There are also collectible cranes hidden everywhere, and achievements to earn as you play.

This is a special Collector's Edition release full of exclusive extras you won't find in the standard version, including: bonus game to track down Master Lei once and for all; integrated strategy guide; three bonus hidden-object puzzles; replay hidden-object puzzles and mini-games; and downloadable images.

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

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Today's Daily Deal is Cursed Memories: The Secret of Agony Creek

After waking up chained to the floor of a disgusting cabin, you must discover the secret of Agony Creek and escape before it's too late! Avoid a dangerous police officer, a mysterious phantom, and many more dangers in this incredible Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game! Figure out why the town was evacuated and learn about the founder's shady past.

A sample version is available to download and play for free for one hour. You can purchase this game today only — Sunday, June 30, 2013 — for $2.99.

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The current Catch of the Week is Fabled Legends: The Dark Piper

The Dark Piper strikes! The fiend unleashes infested rodents into the town of Hamelin using the magical Pied Piper Flute. As the Fabled Inspector, you are summoned by the duke to investigate and stop this mysterious figure. Defeat the Dark Piper before he leaves a trail of destruction all across Europe!

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, June 30, 2013.

New Trailer for Strike Back Season 3

Cinemax's original series Strike Back returns on August 9th with its third season premiere, and the pay cable network has just released a trailer for the season (embedded, below).

Based on characters created by thriller writer Chris Ryan, the series stars Philip Winchester and Sullivan Stapleton as Section 20 counterterrorism operatives Sergeant Michael Stonebridge and ex–Delta Force Damian Scott, who this season find themselves spanning the globe, from Columbia to Lebanon and on to Europe.

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A Conversation with Josh Shoemake, Author of the Willie Lee Mysteries

with Josh Shoemake

We are delighted to welcome novelist Josh Shoemake to Omnimystery News today.

Josh introduces a most unusual detective in his first book, Planet Willie (Opium Books; June 2013 trade paperback and ebook formats), and we recently had a chance to chat with him about it and his series character.

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Omnimystery News: Planet Willie is the first in a new series. Tell us a little bit about the central character and what direction you think the series will take.

Photo provided courtesy of
Josh Shoemake

Josh Shoemake: This is my first Willie Lee novel, but I imagine he's a character I'll want to come back to. It's a first person novel — Willie's telling his own story — and I just fell in love with his voice. He's funny, irreverent, and takes the sort of risks we all imagine we'd like to take. I like being Willie, and I don't imagine he'll develop significantly over time — he's just Willie. When you look at series — on the page or on the television — change is finite, I think. You assume an arc with change, and the story eventually must come to an end. Iconic characters, however, like Marlowe, or Willie, can just keep on going forever.

OMN: From the synopsis it doesn't seem like Planet Willie neatly fits into any single genre. As the author, how do you categorize the book?

JS: The genre is comic angel cowboy detective. What? That's not a genre. I had no idea … Really I don't think Willie fits into a genre at all, and that's his disadvantage and his advantage. People who love purely "hard-boiled" or "angel" stories may be disappointed, because he's more of a smorgasbord, but those who love good literary fiction bordering on the experimental, with a healthy dose of humor, will hopefully love Planet Willie.

OMN: Tell us something about the book that isn't mentioned in the synopsis.

JS: Willie's fond of inventing dance moves of his own. I'm talking about the Inadvisable Moonlanding. I'm referring to the Extravagant Chipmunk. And then of course ultimately the Great White Wildebeast, a combination of acrobatics and crowd roar and maybe too many bourbons that will never be repeated again except maybe in more intimate groups of two or three.

OMN: Is Willie Lee based in part on anyone you know?

JS: Absolutely not, though I'd like to think I share Willie's determination to live life to the fullest, a mission that becomes particularly important when you're a detective for the Paradise Police Department — and dead — and only get occasional chances at life back on earth.

OMN: Is the setting of the book, Paradise, a real place?

JS: I try to give a general sense of the place, and I've been to all of the places I describe, but since the book is a comedy, I think settings can be sketched rather than photographed.

OMN: Describe your writing environment.

JS: At my computer anywhere, everywhere I can disconnect from the world around me and get inside my own head. When the computer itself becomes a distraction, I'll take a notebook out to a café and write that way. Again, the change in routine is important.

OMN: Where might we find you when you're not writing?

JS: I'm interested in a lot, and have brief or extended flings with all sorts of hobbies, which probably comes through in Willie's eclectic tastes and interests.

OMN: What is the best advice you've received as an author?

JS: This is an impossible question to answer, since every author's analysis of what works is constantly evolving, but in a sense, I guess that would be my advice: set a rigid routine to help you get words on the page as often as possible, then adopt a new routine when the first routine becomes a routine.

OMN: Complete this sentence: "I am a writer, and so …"

JS: I am a writer, and so I am a mystery to myself.

OMN: How did you come up with the title Planet Willie? And what can you tell us about the book cover?

JS: The publisher worked with a great designer on the cover to get that explosive, comic book look. Then a writer friend gave me great advice for the title. Originally the title was Fallen Willie, a play on "fallen angel" that I thought was funny. But this writer friend repeated some advice he'd gotten from the advertising man and art collector Charles Saatchi: a title should never have a negative in it. "Fallen" was negative — and nothing about Willie's negative — so we went with Planet Willie.

OMN: Did any specific authors influence how and/or what you write today?

JS: I was a high school English teacher and headmaster, so my sensibilities have definitely remained literary. I love a heavy, European novel, and though Willie is absolutely not heavy or European, I do take great care with individual sentences as those authors do, and the crime writers I love the most are those with a literary sensibility rather than a pure plot sensibility — Chandler, Hammett, Thompson. The southern voice of Thom Jones in some of his short stories was also an inspiration.

OMN: Do you have any favorite literary series characters?

JS: Philip Marlowe is without a doubt my favorite detective. I'd hire him just to hear those great one-liners. How effective he might be at his job would be irrelevant to me. He'd be well worth the money for his sentences alone.

OMN: What kind of feedback do you get from your readers?

JS: I most enjoy receiving extravagant praise from my readers. Outrageous criticism comes second (but a distant second).

OMN: Create a Top 5 list for us on any subject.

JS: Top 5 Willie Lee smiles you might want to try in appropriate situations, with proper training:

1. The Heartstopper
2. The Smorgasbord
3. The Diligent Schoolboy
4. The Mozzarella
5. The Billboard Jesus

OMN: What's next for you?

JS: I have another book coming out at the same time as Planet Willie: Tangier: A Literary Guide for Travellers. It's a history of all the edgy writers who lived in Tangier, Morocco, especially Paul Bowles and a surprising number of characters from the Beat generation.

— ♦ —

Josh Shoemake was born in Virginia and is based in Paris and Marrakesh, Morocco. He attended Columbia University, taught literature at The American School of Tangier, and was headmaster of The American School of Marrakesh. To learn more about Josh and his work, visit his website at JoshShoemake.com or find him on Facebook and Twitter.

— ♦ —

Planet Willie
Josh Shoemake
A Willie Lee Mystery (1st in series)

Willie Lee is a highly unusual angel. Irreverent, hilarious, and politically incorrect to the extreme, he tends to make the most of his time on Planet Earth whenever he gets sent down as a detective in the Paradise Police Department, Lost Souls Division, to re-inhabit the body that was woefully lost to him when some misguided stranger put a bullet through the back of his pretty head, four years, eight months, and fifteen days ago.

Now Willie's on the trail of a beautiful art dealer named Fernanda Shore who may have stolen her father's prized painting and who's wandered far off the straight and narrow. Not that Willie's complaining. He's looking for any excuse to extend his investigation in any direction that enables him to prolong his time away from the boring clouds and back in his old body on earth. Which partially explains the belly dancers, the fine Western apparel, the Albanian terrorists, the cape, the bourbon, the nuns, and the cliffs of Acapulco.

Et cetera.

Because for Willie it's the et cetera that makes life worth living, as long and as hard as they'll let him. And in the meantime he might just figure out who shot him.

  

Fiduciary Duty by Tim Michaels is Today's Third Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Fiduciary Duty by Tim Michaels as today's third free mystery ebook (A Suspense Thriller; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, June 29, 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.

— ♦ —

Fiduciary Duty
Tim Michaels
A Suspense Thriller
Publisher: Tim Michaels

When everyman John Reynolds accepts a lucrative position at a Midwestern utility, he expects stability for his young family. But when his wife and son are suddenly killed at his office, he sets out for revenge against those responsible and soon finds himself in a game of cat and mouse with some of the most powerful people on the planet.

Hunted by law enforcement organizations around the world and crossing paths with a shadowy cartel on a dangerous mission of its own, Reynolds soon finds himself in the center of a deadly global conspiracy.

  

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.

Kitty Hawk and the Islandic Intrigue by Simon Jericho is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Kitty Hawk and the Islandic Intrigue by Simon Jericho as today's second free mystery ebook (A Kitty Hawk, Flying Detective Agency Mystery; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, June 29, 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.

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Kitty Hawk and the Islandic Intrigue
Simon Jericho
A Kitty Hawk, Flying Detective Agency Mystery
Publisher: Simon Jericho

Following in the footsteps of her hero Amelia Earhart, Kitty Hawk sets off on an epic flight around the world and arrives in Iceland's capital city of Reykjavik where she finds herself immersed in a beautiful alien world of volcanoes, Vikings, elves and trolls.

Before she knows it Kitty is plunged head first into an amazing adventure that sweeps her across a rugged landscape where humans and nature exist side-by-side in an uneasy truce and magical realms seem to lie just out of sight beneath the surface.

  

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.

What You See by Ann Mullen is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature What You See by Ann Mullen as today's free mystery ebook (A Jesse Watson Mystery; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, June 29, 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.

— ♦ —

What You See
Ann Mullen
A Jesse Watson Mystery
Publisher: Afton Ridge Publishing

At thirty-one, Jesse Watson had reached an impasse in her life. It was time for a change. Her job was unfulfilling and her love life was non-existent. Something had to give. Heeding her parents’ advice, she quit her job, gave up her apartment and moved with them to the mountains of Virginia. Her intentions were to find a job and eventually get a place of her own. All that changed the day she went to work for Billy Blackhawk, private eye and Cherokee Indian. Her secretarial skills could not prepare her for what she was about to encounter and her safe and secure life would never be the same.

While in search for a missing girl, a quiet, rural country life with its beautiful mountain scenery quickly becomes a place of danger, murder and mayhem. Jesse faces the wrath of a disturbed, dysfunctional family determined to save themselves at all cost, even to the point of turning on each other. Soon it becomes a race for time as Jesse realizes the life she saves might well be her own. What you see just may kill you.

  

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.

Today's Mystery and Suspense Update from Big Fish Games (130629)

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

• The Daily Deal is Dark Heritage: Guardians of Hope, just $2.99 today only!

• The current Catch of the Week is Fabled Legends: The Dark Piper, just $2.99 through Sunday, June 30, 2013 only.

• Today's Special Deal — This weekend only, all games are 50% off! Use coupon code BIG for Collector's Edition games and FISH for Standard Edition games at check-out to save 50% off the retail price. Offer ends June 30th, 2013 at 11:59 PM PT.

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

— ♦ —

Today's Daily Deal is Dark Heritage: Guardians of Hope

Professor Gordon Child was your favorite college professor and now he's summoned you, his star student, to the island of Cannon Rock. You arrive to find that Child has vanished and a madman has destroyed the island and murdered many of the residents! The few who are left think you're the only one who can save them … It's your destiny. But, uncovering the madman's true identity will challenge your skills and your assumptions. Solve mind-bending puzzles and search challenging hidden object scenes to help the islands move past their tragedy!

A sample version is available to download and play for free for one hour. You can purchase this game today only — Saturday, June 29, 2013 — for $2.99.

— ♦ —

The current Catch of the Week is Fabled Legends: The Dark Piper

The Dark Piper strikes! The fiend unleashes infested rodents into the town of Hamelin using the magical Pied Piper Flute. As the Fabled Inspector, you are summoned by the duke to investigate and stop this mysterious figure. Defeat the Dark Piper before he leaves a trail of destruction all across Europe!

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, June 30, 2013.

The Confession, an Ian Rutledge Mystery by Charles Todd, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Confession by Charles Todd, now available at a special price, courtesy of the publisher, HarperCollins.

The ebook format of this title was priced at $2.99 from the listed vendors (below) as of the date and time of this post (06/28/2013 at 2:00 PM 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.

— ♦ —

The Confession by Charles Todd
An Ian Rutledge Mystery (14th in series)
Publisher: HarperCollins

Declaring he needs to clear his conscience, a dying man walks into Scotland Yard and confesses that he killed his cousin five years earlier during the Great War. When Inspector Ian Rutledge presses for details, the man evades his questions, revealing only that he hails from a village east of London. With little information and no body to open an official inquiry, Rutledge begins to look into the case on his own.

Less than two weeks later, the alleged killer's body is found floating in the Thames, a bullet in the back of his head. Searching for answers, Rutledge discovers that the dead man was not who he claimed to be. What was his real name — and who put a bullet in his head? Were the "confession" and his own death related? Or was there something else in the victim's past that led to his murder?

The inspector's only clue is a gold locket, found around the dead man's neck, that leads back to Essex and an insular village whose occupants will do anything to protect themselves from notoriety. For notoriety brings the curious, and with the curious come change and an unwelcome spotlight on a centuries-old act of evil that even now can damn them all.

  

Important Note: This book was listed at the above mentioned price 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.