Max by James Patterson is Today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Max by James Patterson as today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal. The deal price of $2.99 is valid only for today, Monday, October 17, 2011.

— ◊ —

Max by James Patterson
A Maximum Ride Fantasy Thriller (5th in series)
Little, Brown

About Max (from the publisher): Maximum Ride and the other members of the flock have barely recovered from their last Arctic adventure, when they are confronted by the most frightening catastrophe yet. Millions of fish are dying off the coast of Hawaii and someone — or something — is destroying hundreds of ships. Unable to discover the cause, the government enlists the flock to help them get to the bottom of the disaster before it is too late.

While Max and her team are exploring the depths of the ocean, their every move is being carefully tracked by Mr. Chu — a criminal mastermind with his own plans for the flock. Can they protect themselves from Mr. Chu's army of mercenaries and save the ocean from utter destruction?

Important Note: Prices can and do change without prior notice, so please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Kindle Daily Deal 10/17/2011 Download Link.

Mystery Godoku Puzzle for October 17, 2011

A new Mystery Godoku Puzzle has been created by the editors of the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books and is now available on our website.

Godoku is similar to Sudoku, but uses letters instead of numbers. To give you a headstart, we provide you a mystery clue to fill in a complete row or column (if you choose to use it!).

— ◊ —

This week's letters and mystery clue:

A D E I K M R S T

The second "Lost Slayer" tie-in novel to Buffy the Vampire Slayer has this title (9 letters).

We now have two weeks of our puzzles on one page in PDF format for easier printing. Print this week's puzzle here.

Previous puzzles are stored in the Mystery Godoku Archives.

Enjoy the weekly Mystery Godoku Puzzle from the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, and Thanks for visiting our website!

Professor Layton Returns for His 4th Mysterious Adventure in The Last Specter, New for Nintendo DS

Professor Layton is back with a puzzling prequel and the start of a second trilogy of adventures collectively known as "Professor Layton's London Life" in Professor Layton and the Last Specter.

Three years before the events in the Professor Layton and the Curious Village game, Professor Layton receives a letter from his old schoolmate Clark Triton telling him that a "mysterious giant" is destroying his town. The professor heads to the town of Misthallery to investigate, and is joined by Emmy, his new assistant. What is the meaning of all the destruction, and is it related to the village's folklore legend of a "specter?"

The unfolding story also details how Professor Layton and his apprentice, Luke Triton, met.

See also the other two games in this series, Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box and Professor Layton and the Unwound Future.

Professor Layton and the Last Specter is scheduled to be released on Monday, October 17th, 2011, for Nintendo DS. It is ESRB rated E10+, Everyone, 10 and older.

— ◊ —

Games of Mystery is your source for mystery-themed video, electronic and board games, parties for kids and adults, murder mystery weekends and mystery getaway vacations, and more mysterious fun!

Review: Trick of the Dark by Val McDermid

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Trick of the Dark by Val McDermid.

Sony to Adapt John Burdett's Sonchai Jitpleecheep Crime Novels?

File this under pure speculation.

Two days ago Sony registered dozens of domain names consisting of variations on book titles by John Burdett, with the notable exception of the first in the series, Bangkok 8, which was optioned separately back in 2007 by Millennium Films (though no film adaptation was ever made).

This is leading some to conclude that a deal has been struck between Sony and the author to adapt the subsequent books in the series, including the yet to be published fifth book, Vulture Peak (Knopf, January 2012 hardcover), though there has been no confirmation of such from the studio or the author.

Burdett's crime novels feature Royal Thai Police Detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep.

(Source: Fusible.)

Dead and Berried by Karen MacInerney is Today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Dead and Berried by Karen MacInerney as today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal. The deal price of $1.99 is valid only for today, Sunday, October 16, 2011.

— ◊ —

Dead and Berried by Karen MacInerney
A Natalie Barnes Mystery
Midnight Ink

This is the third mystery in this series, featuring the owner of the Gray Whale Inn on Cranberry Island, Maine.

About Dead and Berried (from the publisher): Developers have returned to Cranberry Island and this time they're planning to wipe out a natural cranberry bog, along with the island's namesake berries, to build a luxury subdivision. Natalie Barnes isn't sweet on the idea of commercial interests souring their cozy oasis, but the single innkeeper has other problems on her plate: a withering relationship with her best friend Charlene, the sudden appearance of her ex-fiancé with a tempting proposal, and eerie bumps in the night suggesting the Gray Whale Inn is haunted. Worst of all, there's a killer on the loose, picking off people like ripe fruit.

When Charlene's lover — the handsome chaplain with a stake in the development — is stabbed to death, Natalie promises to find the murderer for her grief-stricken friend … who's also the number-one suspect.

Important Note: Prices can and do change without prior notice, so please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Kindle Daily Deal 10/16/2011 Download Link.

Julius Katz Mysteries by Dave Zeltserman is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Julius Katz Mysteries by Dave Zeltserman as today's second free mystery ebook. 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 we urge you to download it while it is still available for free.

— ◊ —

Julius Katz Mysteries by Dave Zeltserman
A Julius Katz and Archie Collection of Short Stories
Top Suspense Books

About Julius Katz Mysteries (from the publisher): These award-winning Julius Katz mysteries have delighted thousands of mystery fans since first appearing on the pages of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine in 2009.

"Julius Katz" introduced readers to Boston's most brilliant, eccentric and possibly laziest detective, Julius Katz, as well as his sidekick, Archie, a tiny marvel of whizbang computer technology with the heart and soul of a hard-boiled PI.

In Julius and Archie's second adventure, "Archie's Been Framed", the little guy is framed for murder and Julius needs to use all his wits to keep his inimitable assistant out of the slammer.

"Julius Katz" attracted a devoted following from mystery readers when it first came out, and has since won the Shamus Award for best story from the Private Eye Writers of America, as well as the Derringer Award for best novelette from the Short Mystery Fiction Society. "Archie's Been Framed" won 1st place in Ellery Queen's Readers Choice Award, with their readers choosing it as their favorite story published by the magazine in 2010. If you haven't had a chance to meet Julius and Archie yet, now's your chance to get caught up in these charming, delightful and very unusual mystery stories.

Important Note: Prices can and do change without prior notice, so please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

Download Link(s):

Smashwords Free Book Download Link.

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

Provincetown Follies, Bangkok Blues by Randall Peffer is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Provincetown Follies, Bangkok Blues by Randall Peffer as today's free mystery ebook. 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 we urge you to download it while it is still available for free.

— ◊ —

Provincetown Follies, Bangkok Blues by Randall Peffer
A Cape Islands Mystery
Tyrus Books

This first in a series that currently numbers five introduces Michael DeCastro, a Massachusetts public defender on Cape Cod.

About Provincetown Follies, Bangkok Blues (from the publisher): Tuki Aparecio did not kill her lover. She did not burn down the Painted Lady — at least, not with fire. Tuki lit up the stage nightly, with her hair in braids and her glorious costumes; glittering, smoldering, singing her heart out for an audience who loved her. She brought the house down with her performances. But she's innocent of murder, innocent of arson.

How can Michael DeCastro possibly hope to defend this beautiful drag queen, who brings with her a whole pack of nasty little secrets, straight from Bangkok's notorious tenderloin district? She speaks in aphorisms, the wisdom of the Buddha combined with the lyrics of Whitney Houston. She is fascinating. And Michael can't let her go to jail.

Important Note: Prices can and do change without prior notice, so please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Free Kindle Edition Download Link.

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

Review: Murder Most Persuasive by Tracy Kiely

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Murder Most Persuasive by Tracy Kiely.

Case Histories Premieres Sunday, October 16th on Masterpiece Mystery!

The first of three episodes of Case Histories airs tomorrow, Sunday October 16th, on PBS's Masterpiece Mystery! Check your local listings for time(s). Episodes 2 and 3 will air, respectively, on the following two Sundays. The series was recently honored with a TV Dagger for best crime drama at this year's Crime Thriller Awards.

Based on a character created by crime novelist Kate Atkinson, the series stars Jason Isaacs as private investigator Jackson Brodie. Set in brooding, beautiful Edinburgh, the crimes are a mix of cold cases and fresh bloodshed that only a maverick ex-cop like Brodie can solve.

In the opening episode titled "Case Histories", which gives the series its title and is adapted from the first book in the series, Jackson takes on the cold case of a girl who went missing thirty years earlier. He is also talked into helping a grieving father find the man who murdered his daughter, and tracking down the niece of a mysterious seductress.

This episode will be available to watch online from October 17th through November 29th, 2011. The DVD for the series is released on November 8th.