New Carina eBook Mysteries for May 2011

Each month, Omnimystery News is pleased to present new mystery and suspense titles from Carina Press, an ebook only publisher. Links are provided to purchase the ebook from, where available, Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble, Kobo Books, or the Apple iBookstore; click on the banner to the right to be taken to the CarinaPress.com website to browse for other titles.

New ebooks of mystery and suspense for May 2011 from Carina Press include:

— ◊ —

South of Salem by Janni Nell
An Allegra Fairweather Mystery (2nd in series)

My mother thinks my job is crazy. I'm a paranormal investigator; she's Nancy Reagan crossed with Martha Stewart. She's always preferred my sister, Lily, who is following in her perfect footsteps.

But this time Mom needs my special skills. She believes my stepfather is possessed. I admit he's not his usual dapper, charming self, but sleepwalking doesn't sound that weird. Until the sleepwalking spreads through the family and cousin Donna walks right out of her apartment window to her death. Then my sister goes missing and I have to find herandsolve the mystery before Lily and her unborn child are harmed.

Normally I would have assistance, but my right hand, a hunky angel I've nicknamed Casper, has business of his own to take care of—business that might take him out of my life forever. The stakes are too high for me to lose, but I'm not sure I can do it alone ...

— ◊ —

The Shoeless Kid by Marcelle Dubé
Non-series

Kate Williams figures her new job as a small-town police chief will be a welcome change of pace. She's unprepared for the deep internal rivalries that are tearing the department apart. Then there's the case of a maybe-kidnapped six-year-old. She's tempted to write off the homeless man who walks into her police station with nothing more than a crazy story and a kid's high-top sneaker, but then a child actuallydoesgo missing.

It turns out his name is Josh Hollister and no one has seen him. Now Kate must investigate his disappearanceandtransform a station full of resentful police officers into a strong, cohesive unit. When Josh's mother disappears, too, Kate is determined to find a way to work with her team. Will they put the pieces of the puzzle together in time to save Josh?

— ◊ —

Endless Night by Maureen A. Miller
Non-series

After witnessing a murder, Megan Summers ran until she reached the remote coastal village of Victory Cove. She has a new name, but she knows it's only a matter of time before the murderer catches up with her.

Jake Grogan has come to town to unravel the mystery of his heritage. Instead of finding his grandmother at Wakefield House, he discovers an attractive stranger who will do anything to get him off her doorstep. Trapped by a storm, he's forced to stay the night with Megan—a woman who keeps a handgun under her bed and closes herself off from the outside world.

Jake tries to dig deeper into his past, but he's distracted by his fear for Megan's safety and his growing feelings for her. Danger is drawing near and he'll do anything to keep her safe. Will it be enough to help them survive the endless night?

— ◊ —

Courting Death by Carol Stephenson
A Legal Weapons Mystery (2nd in series)

After watching a murderer walk free on a technicality, Nicole Sterling left the state attorney's office to start a criminal law practice. She lets her partners handle the assault and murder files while she specializes in white-collar crime. With her own mother's life slowly slipping away before her eyes, Nicole has had about all she can take of death.

But when a client is accused of killing her own baby, Nicole is drawn in to the case. Also looking for answers is Detective Sam Bowie, a man as infuriating as he is sexy. Sparks fly between them, but the last thing Nicole has room in her life for is a romantic entanglement.

Their investigation reveals that Nicole's client could be just one of many innocent victims of a horrific conspiracy. Now, she must put her own life on the line to uncover the truth—and risk her heart—if she's to have a future with Sam.

— ◊ —

Protective Custody by Wynter Daniels
Non-series

Shocked by the brutal crime she witnesses through the window of her small office, Megan Jackson calls the police and is devastated when they question the truth of her story. With no body and no evidence of a crime, she's written off as a nutcase.

Megan suspects the killer saw her face. Terrified, she calls the only person she can trust—her ex-boyfriend and former police officer, Will McCoy.

Despite a devastating breakup, Will jumps at the chance to help the woman who broke his heart. When the killer ramps up the stakes, Will is forced to take her into hiding—where the passion they once shared reignites, deeper and hotter than ever. But can Will keep Megan alive long enough to win back her heart?

— ◊ —

Carina Press, a division of Harlequin, is a digital-first publisher offering ebooks in a variety of genres, including mystery. eBooks from Carina can be read on the Apple iPad, Amazon Kindle, Sony Reader, B&N Nook, Kobo eReader BlackBerry and mobile phones.

For more mystery, suspense and thriller ebooks, visit MystereBooks.com.

Mr. E. Reviews Murdoch Mysteries Season 3

Available on

Old-fashioned police work -- with a hint of "modern" forensic science -- is the key to solving murders in this light crime drama set in late 19th century Toronto. The cohesive group of core characters work well together and are a pleasure to watch, but the solidly written plots are what elevate this series into "must see" television for mystery enthusiasts.

Read the full text of our review at Mr. E. Reviews Murdoch Mysteries Season 3.

— ◊ —

Mr. E. Reviews is your source for mystery, suspense, thriller, and crime drama reviews of television and film.

Review: The Trinity Six by Charles Cumming

The Trinity Six by Charles Cumming. Non-series. St. Martin's Press Hardcover, March 2011.

The most appealing aspect of this nuanced, smartly written thriller is the unexpected path the storyline takes, keeping the reader on edge as to what will happen next. The cat-and-mouse element, involving three separate parties playing off each other, is especially well handled.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: The Trinity Six by Charles Cumming.

Purchase Options:  |  |  | 

Read the first chapter(s) of The Trinity Six below. Use the Aa settings button to adjust text size, line spacing, and word density.

Too Close to Home by Lynette Eason is Today's Featured Free Kindle Mystery

MystereBooks is pleased to feature a mystery title that is currently available in Kindle eBook format for free from Amazon.com. We don't know how long it will be offered at this special price (typically only until a certain number of downloads have been completed), so download it today!

— ◊ —

Too Close to Home by Lynette Eason
A Women of Justice Mystery
Revell (Kindle eBook)
Download Link

About Too Close to Home (from the publisher): Samantha Cash is the FBI's secret weapon. Her methods are invisible, and she never stops until the case is closed. When missing teens begin turning up dead in a small Southern town, Samantha is assigned to help local chief Connor Wolfe find the killer. And he has two problems with that. There's her faith -- in God and herself. And then there's the fact that she looks exactly like his late wife. As they get close to an answer, the case becomes personal. The killer seems to be taking an interest in Connor's 16-year-old daughter, who thinks her dad is getting way too protective. Can't a girl just have some fun?

Read our Review of Too Close to Home by Lynette Eason at Mysterious Reviews.

Mystery Bestsellers for May 06, 2011

A list of the top 15 mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending April 22nd, 2011 has been posted by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books.

No change at the top, with Michael Connelly's 4th Mickey Haller legal thriller, The Fifth Witness, retaining the number one spot this week. Two new titles enter the list this week.

— ◊ —

The 11th Southern Vampire mystery featuring Sookie Stackhouse, Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris, debuts at number 8.

With her knack for being in trouble's way, Sookie witnesses the firebombing of Merlotte's, the bar where she works. Since Sam Merlotte is now known to be two-natured, suspicion falls immediately on the anti-shifters in the area. Sookie suspects otherwise, but her attention is divided when she realizes that her lover Eric Northman and his "child" Pam are plotting to kill the vampire who is now their master. Gradually, Sookie is drawn into the plot-which is much more complicated than she knows ...

— ◊ —

Debuting in 11th position is the tenth Women's Murder Club thriller, The 10th Anniversary by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro.

Detective Lindsay Boxer's long-awaited wedding celebration becomes a distant memory when she is called to investigate a horrendous crime: a badly injured teenage girl is left for dead, and her newborn baby is nowhere to be found. Lindsay discovers that not only is there no trace of the criminals -- but that the victim may be keeping secrets as well.

At the same time, Assistant District Attorney Yuki Castellano is prosecuting the biggest case of her life -- a woman who has been accused of murdering her husband in front of her two young children. Yuki's career rests on a guilty verdict, so when Lindsay finds evidence that could save the defendant, she is forced to choose. Should she trust her best friend or follow her instinct?

Lindsay's every move is watched by her new boss, Lieutenant Jackson Brady, and when the pressure to find the baby begins interfering with her new marriage to Joe, she wonders if she'll ever be able to start a family.

— ◊ —

For more mystery books news, please 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.

Review: The Informant by Thomas Perry

The Informant by Thomas Perry. A Butcher's Boy Mystery. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Hardcover, May 2011.

This exciting, fast-paced novel has its fair share of victims but at some point one has to wonder, is the Butcher Boy really that good or are his adversaries really that inept? Possibly the best way to experience this thriller is to simply sit back and enjoy the ride, and not dwell too much on the details of the plot as it goes racing by.

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: The Informant by Thomas Perry.

Purchase Options:  |  |  | 

Read the first chapter(s) of The Informant below. Use the Aa settings button to adjust text size, line spacing, and word density.

The Woman in Black Starring Daniel Radcliffe to be Distributed in US by CBS Films

Other than a minimalist international poster (right) and a scant 45 second or so teaser trailer (below), we haven't heard much recently -- until today, that is -- about the film The Woman in Black, adapted from the supernatural thriller by Susan Hill and starring Daniel Radcliffe in his first major role since the end of the Harry Potter series.

We're now learning that US distribution rights have been acquired by CBS Films, with a release date to be announced. The film opens in the UK in February, 2012.

The storyline follows a young lawyer, Arthur Kipps (Radcliffe), who is ordered to travel to a remote village and sort out a recently deceased client's papers. As he works alone in the client's isolated house, Kipps begins to uncover tragic secrets, his unease growing when he glimpses a mysterious woman dressed only in black. Receiving only silence from the locals, Kipps is forced to uncover the true identity of the woman in black on his own, leading to a desperate race against time when he discovers her true intent.

The Woman in Black, published in 1983, was previously adapted in 1987 as a stage play and in 1989 as a BBC made-for-television drama.

(Source: Deadline|New York.)

Indefensible by Pamela Callow is eHarlequin's Friday Freebie

We're always happy to see a mystery or suspense novel featured on Freebie Fridays at eHarlequin. For those of you unfamiliar with it, if you purchase any two books on Fridays at eHarlequin.com, you receive the featured title free! (eBooks are excluded from this promotion.)

Pamela Callow's second Kate Lange mystery, Indefensible, is free with the purchase of any two or more other books tomorrow, Friday May 6th. It will automatically be added to your shopping cart. In our review of Indefensible, we called the book "a superbly plotted and suspenseful thriller, with solid characters and a riveting, dynamic storyline."

Click on the banner above to start shopping!

About Indefensible (from the publisher): When Elise Vanderzell plummets from her bedroom balcony one gorgeous summer night, her children awaken to a nightmare.

Their mother is dead.

Their father is charged with her murder.

Lawyer Kate Lange knows all about nightmares. She's survived the darkest period of her troubled life and the wounds are still raw. Now she's been handed a case that seems utterly unwinnable: defending her boss, high-profile lawyer Randall Barrett. A prosecutor's dream suspect, Randall is a man who was cuckolded by his ex-wife. A man who could not control his temper. A man who had argued bitterly with the victim the previous day in full view of the children.

With limited criminal law experience, Kate finds herself enmeshed in a family fractured by doubt. Randall's teenage son is intent on killing him. His daughter wants only to feel safe again. And the entire legal community would like nothing better than to see Randall receive a public comeuppance. As Kate races to stay a step ahead of the prosecution, a silent predator is waiting for the perfect time to deal the final blow.

New Warner Bros. Archive DVDs: Pilots for Harry-O and Search

New on DVD this week from the Warner Bros. archives ...

In March 1973, ABC aired a made-for-television movie titled Such Dust as Dreams Are Made On, starring David Janssen as Harry Orwell, a Los Angeles cop forced into retirement and setting up a private investigation practice in San Diego. The intent was for the movie to serve as a pilot for a potential series. The network wasn't quite satisfied with the result and after a bit of retooling, a second made-for-television movie was filmed, Smile Jenny, You're Dead, which aired in February 1974 and led to the series Harry O being scheduled for the 1974/1975 television season. (Subsequent airings of this movie were shown as Don't Call the Police.)

Warner Bros. has now made this second pilot available as a made-to-order DVD. The plot follows Harry on the trail of the lowlife who murdered his pal’s son-in-law, but is also notable for featuring a young Jodie Foster as Liberty Cole, a pre-teen who sets up home on Harry's beachfront property.

Somewhat inexplicably, the series Harry O, which ran for two seasons on ABC, has not been made available on DVD.

Hugh O'Brian stars as Hugh Lockwood, a high-tech private eye, in the made-for-television film Probe, which led to a series featuring the character titled Search. The series ran for one season (1972/1973) on NBC.

Lockwood is fitted with a hipster ring that is a camera, transmitting images and sounds of his surroundings; and a scanner, detecting telltale changes in pulse or other biometric readings of himself and the people around him. The ring and more electronic devices – some embedded – keep Lockwood linked with his mission director (played by Burgess Meredith) at Probe Control, where experts and banks of computers provide instant mission-critical warnings, intel, even language translations.

Warner Bros. has now made this telefilm available as a made-to-order DVD. The plot follows Lockwood on a quest to recover priceless diamonds lost since World War II.