Trespasser by Paul Doiron. A Mike Bowditch Mystery. Minotaur Books Hardcover, June 2011.
The overall plot is nicely crafted, and the Maine setting during "mud season" adds an atmospheric backdrop to the narrative, but it is the strongly developed character of Mike Bowditch that lifts this crime novel into the top tier of murder mysteries published this summer.
Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Trespasser by Paul Doiron.
Purchase Options:
We're always on the lookout for new mystery, suspense and thriller books, and with this series of recurring posts, we're looking at Indie Mysteries, books published by small, independent publishers, or self-published, that recently caught our eye ... and may be of interest to you too. Most of these titles, selected primarily from the Smashwords website, are ebook only, though some may also be available in a print format.
Two of titles listed below are included in Smashwords' July Summer Sale. Visit the website to see more books available for up to 100% off (yes ... that means free!), including many in the "Mystery and Detective" and "Thriller and Suspense" categories.
— ◊ —
Dressed for a Kill
by Brian Bianco
Non-Series
Self Published (Ebook)
July 2011
To Chicago Trib reporter Miles Fischer, it was just another rape and murder trial, until the two convicted felons are found dead in the muddy parking lot of a rundown bar just days after their surprising acquittal. His curiosity turns to suspicion after searching the archives where he discovers two more cases similar to the one in Tweeksbury. Is it a coincidence? Miles doesn't think so.
In fact, he believes he knows who the killer is after a chance encounter. Miles draws the ire of the FBI and becomes tight-lipped when confronted to disclose what he knows after publishing an article connecting all three. He wants the story and the glory that goes with it, and believes he is the only one who can identify the killer. He sets his sights on Seattle and creates a game of cat-and-mouse with the FBI and an ex-cop turned private investigator, who is after the same thing but for different reasons. What he and the private investigator don't realize is just how deadly this game is about to become.
Dressed for a Kill was originally published in trade paperback in 2009 by BookSurge.
This title is included in Smashwords' July Summer Sale. Use coupon code SSW25 at checkout to receive 25% off the purchase price.
Also available in a Kindle edition.
Mind Switch
by Lorne L. Bentley
A Fred Harris Mystery
1st in series
The Fiction Works (Ebook)
July 2011
Fred Harris, a Southern Florida police lieutenant, is faced with two mass killings. Despite political pressures to seek an accelerated conviction, Fred believes the crime is more complex than it first appears. His investigation leads him to an ominous downtown organization staffed with extraordinary personnel, each possessing exceptional extra sensory abilities.
Also available in a Kindle edition.
The Affairs of Men
by Rick Nichols
A John Logan Thriller
2nd in series
Seven Realms Publishing (Ebook)
July 2011
Private Investigator John Logan has always been haunted by the tragic mission years before that took the lives of his black-ops team. But when he sees one of his former teammates alive in downtown Coral Bay, with a young woman by his side, and a horde of Russian hit men on his tail…Logan realizes that there was more to the ill-fated mission than he originally believed.
Driven by the need to search for his missing friend, his investigation is sidetracked when a beautiful architect asks him to look into her spouse’s suspicious activities. In spite of his rule against doing domestic cases, Logan agrees and uncovers far more than he could have ever suspected as both cases begin to intertwine. With the beautiful and tough Teri Johnson, and enigmatic Mason Killian by his side, Logan peels back the layers of a lethal plan that could have deadly consequences for the people of Coral Bay. As the danger rises, Logan will be forced to visit those places he had sworn off forever, dark shadows of his heart not seen since the death of his beloved Shikira.
Also available in a Kindle edition.
Murder in Maui
by R. Barri Flowers
A Leila Kahana Mystery
1st in series
Self Published (Ebook)
July 2011
Maui County homicide detective and composite sketch artist Leila Kahana is the protagonist. A Hawaiian native, Leila follows in the footsteps of her grandfather who was the County of Maui police chief. She is tough, smart, sexy, and outspoken.
Leila’s partner is Detective Sergeant Blake Seymour, separated from his wife and pushing to make lieutenant.
Leila and Seymour investigate the execution-style murder of two prominent doctors in an upscale condominium. Larry Nagasaka and Elizabeth Racine are found lying naked in bed in a pool of their own blood. It is learned that they are married, but not to each other, and that the doctors belong to a prestigious medical association.
Assisting the detectives in the case are fellow members of the homicide squad, Detectives Trent Ferguson and Rachel Lancaster, run by Lieutenant Paul Ortega who is contemplating retirement. As they interview suspects and collect evidence, more doctors belonging to the medical association are murdered, making it clear to all that they have a ruthless and determined serial killer on their hands.
Leila, attempting to step out of the shadow of her grandfather and prove her worth to a skeptical Polynesian mother, is determined to solve this case, made more difficult as all the victims have skeletons in their closets.
This title is included in Smashwords' July Summer Sale. Use coupon code SSW25 at checkout to receive 25% off the purchase price.
Also available in a Kindle edition.
— ◊ —
For more recently published Indie Mysteries, visit the Smashwords Mystery and Detective category page or the Thriller and Suspense category page.
Tomorrow, Sunday July 17th, the first of three weekly episodes of Zen air on PBS's Masterpiece Mystery! (Check your local listings for times.)
Based on a character created by crime novelist Michael Dibdin, Zen stars Rufus Sewell as Italian police detective Aurelio Zen. All three of the episodes to be aired are adapted from novels in the series.
Zen, the sometimes cool, sometimes bumbling, but always impeccably stylish murder squad detective is saddled with an "unfortunate" reputation for integrity, and it hasn't exactly helped his career. Nor is his personal life thriving. In spite of advances from female suspects as and colleagues alike, he is pushing 40 and living with his doting mother after a failed marriage.
In the opening episode, titled "Vendetta" (and based on the second book in the series), Zen is handed a chance to play politics and salvage his career when a debauched billionaire construction magnate is murdered in his heavily fortified mountain retreat. Zen is driven to find something it seems only he wants — the truth. Well, the truth and the murder squad's new secretary, Tania Moretti.
Meanwhile, a vengeful killer is making his way to Rome, brutally executing those who sent him away to prison for murder. The final target of his vendetta: Aurelio Zen.
Watch a preview for the series below.
Book Trends, a review site for young adult and children books, published several new book reviews this past week. We're presenting here a summary of those in the mystery/suspense/thriller category.
Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey. A stand-alone thriller, recommended for readers aged 13 and older. Lexile measure: HL590L. Reviewed by a 6th grade student, who writes, "What I liked about Jasper Jones is the diversity of the story. It switches between a mystery to the life of Charlie Bucktin and back. However, sometimes it drags on with too many descriptions, making Jasper Jones boring at times. But for the most part, it is packed with action, so Jasper Jones can never be too boring." (Read the entire review 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.
Last month we learned that Tom Cruise was being considered for the role of Jack Reacher in a film adaptation of One Shot, the 9th book in a series of crime novels by Lee Child. There was a considerable amount of discussion — debate — online as to whether he was right for the part, what with Reacher being (according to his own biography on the author's website) 6'5", 220-250 lbs. with 50" chest ... and Tom Cruise being, well, not.
Still, the author supported the choice, saying in part that, "Reacher's size in the books is a metaphor for an unstoppable force, which Cruise portrays in his own way." And now we're learning tonight that the studio producing the film adaptation and the actor have closed a deal. Production is expected to begin early this fall.
About One Shot: Six shots. Five dead. One heartland city thrown into a state of terror. But within hours the cops have it solved: a slam-dunk case. Except for one thing. The accused man says: You got the wrong guy. Then he says: Get Reacher for me.
And sure enough, Jack Reacher is coming. He knows this shooter — a trained military sniper who never should have missed a shot. Reacher is certain something is not right — and soon the slam-dunk case explodes.
Now Reacher is teamed with a beautiful young defense lawyer, moving closer to the unseen enemy who is pulling the strings. Reacher knows that no two opponents are created equal. This one has come to the heartland from his own kind of hell. And Reacher knows that the only way to take him down is to match his ruthlessness and cunning — and then beat him shot for shot.
(Source: Deadline|Hollywood)
MystereBooks is pleased to feature County Line by Bill Cameron 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.
— ◊ —
County Line by Bill Cameron
Non-Series
Tyrus Books
Note: Earlier this week we featured County Line as a free Nook Book, which as of the date of this post, it still is; it's now available as a free Kindle edition.
About County Line (from the publisher): When the steadfast Ruby Jane Whittaker drops out of sight, dogged ex-cop Skin Kadash sets out to discover what drove the woman he loves to leave her life behind so suddenly and without explanation. The discovery of a dead man in her apartment followed by an attack from a mysterious stalker leads Skin first to California, then across the country on a desperate journey deep into Ruby Jane's haunted past — and toward an explosive confrontation which will determine if either has a future.
Download Link(s):
Richard Castle's Deadly Storm won't hit bookstores until September 21st, but you can get a preview of several pages from the graphic novel on EW.com.
The storyline features Castle's fictional private investigator Derrick Storm, who leaves Manhattan behind when he enters the globe-hopping intrigue of the CIA. (Just to remind everyone, Richard Castle is a fictional writer, a character on the ABC crime drama Castle, who has written several crime novels featuring NYPD homicide detective Nikki Heat ... having bumped off previous series character Derrick Storm in the premiere episode of the show. So we have a real actor playing a fictional writer, who writes real books featuring a fictional character. This graphic novel, incidentally, is a prequel. No matter how you slice it, it's entertainingly complicated and very clever marketing for both the television series and the published books.)
And if you're at Comic-Con next weekend, Richard Castle — that is, Nathan Fillion — will be in Room 6BCF from 11:45 to 12:45 on Sunday, July 24th.
A new trailer for the film Blitz, adapted from crime thriller of the same title by Ken Bruen, has been released by the studio We've embedded it below.
In the book, the fourth in the Detective Sergeant Tom Brant series, the cops are on the trail of a serial killer, known as "The Blitz", who has been targeting police officers. Jason Statham plays Brant in the film.
Blitz was released theatrically a month or so ago in Europe, but will go straight to video here in the US; the scheduled release date is August 23rd, 2011 (DVD and Blu-ray disc).
(Source: Yahoo! Movies)
A list of the top 15 mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending July 15th, 2011 has been posted by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books.
No change at the top, with Janet Evanovich's 17th numbered Stephanie Plum mystery, Smokin' Seventeen still the bestselling mystery in the country. Two titles move up into the top 15.
— ◊ —
Moving up 10 positions to number 8 is the 9th Rizzoli & Isles mystery, The Silent Girl by Tess Gerritsen.
Every crime scene tells a story. Some keep you awake at night. Others haunt your dreams. The grisly display homicide cop Jane Rizzoli finds in Boston’s Chinatown will do both.
In the murky shadows of an alley lies a female’s severed hand. On the tenement rooftop above is the corpse belonging to that hand, a red-haired woman dressed all in black, her head nearly severed. Two strands of silver hair — not human — cling to her body. They are Rizzoli’s only clues, but they’re enough for her and medical examiner Maura Isles to make the startling discovery: that this violent death had a chilling prequel.
Nineteen years earlier, a horrifying murder-suicide in a Chinatown restaurant left five people dead. But one woman connected to that massacre is still alive: a mysterious martial arts master who knows a secret she dares not tell, a secret that lives and breathes in the shadows of Chinatown. A secret that may not even be human. Now she’s the target of someone, or something, deeply and relentlessly evil.
Cracking a crime resonating with bone-chilling echoes of an ancient Chinese legend, Rizzoli and Isles must outwit an unseen enemy with centuries of cunning — and a swift, avenging blade.
Purchase Options:
— ◊ —
Alice LaPlante's debut suspense novel, Turn of Mind, moves up to number 14 on the list.
As the book opens, Dr. Jennifer White’s best friend, Amanda, who lived down the block, has been killed, and four fingers surgically removed from her hand. Dr. White is the prime suspect and she herself doesn’t know whether she did it. Told in White’s own voice, fractured and eloquent, a picture emerges of the surprisingly intimate, complex alliance between these life-long friends — two proud, forceful women who were at times each other’s most formidable adversaries. As the investigation into the murder deepens and White’s relationships with her live-in caretaker and two grown children intensify, a chilling question lingers: is White’s shattered memory preventing her from revealing the truth or helping her to hide it?
Purchase Options:
— ◊ —
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.
The Girl Who Disappeared Twice by Andrea Kane. Non-series. Mira Books Hardcover, May 2011.
This exciting novel of suspense introduces a remarkable cast of characters, a company of experts with specialized skills called Forensic Instincts, whose presence takes a rather ordinary kidnapping story and elevates it into an extraordinary investigative tale.
Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: The Girl Who Disappeared Twice by Andrea Kane.
Purchase Options:
SyFy's sci-fi thriller Haven returns this Friday, July 15th, at 10 PM (ET/PT).
The series, loosely adapted from the novella The Colorado Kid by Stephen King, stars Emily Rose as shrewd and confident FBI agent Audrey Parker, who has a lost past, and arrives in the small town of Haven, Maine on a routine murder investigation. Before long, her natural curiosity lands her in the epicenter of activity in this curious enclave, which turns out to be a longtime refuge for people that are affected by a range of supernatural afflictions.
We have no episode information about the second season opener, which is tantalizingly titled "A Tale of Two Audreys".
The Emmy nominations were announced this morning, and we've collected those that fall under the category of "prime time crime" below.
The Closer: Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series (Mary McDonnell)
Dexter: Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Michael C. Hall), Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series (Julia Stiles)
Harry's Law: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Kathy Bates), Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (Paul McCrane)
Justified: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Timothy Olyphant), Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Walton Goggins), Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Margo Martindale), Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (Jeremy Davies)
The Killing: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Mireille Enos), Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Michelle Forbes), Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (Veena Sud), Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (Patty Jenkins)
Law & Order SVU: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Mariska Hargitay)
Luther: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries (Idris Elba)
Sherlock: Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries (Steven Moffat), Outstanding Music Composition (David Arnold and Michael Price)
True Blood: Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series (Alfre Woodard)
The following series received technical nominations: Burn Notice (Sound Mixing), The Cape (Prosthetic Makeup), CSI NY (Sound Editing), Dexter (Single-Camera Picture Editing, Sound Mixing), Fringe (Interactive Media), Hawaii Five-O (Stunt Coordination), The Killing (Casting, Single-Camera Picture Editing), Sherlock (Single-Camera Picture Editing, Special Visual Effects), Southland (Stunt Coordination), True Blood (Art Direction, Makeup, Sound Editing), The Walking Dead (Prosthetic Makeup, Sound Editing, Special Visual Effects)
Omnimystery News is pleased to welcome Ray Flynt, author of the political thriller Kisses of an Enemy (May 2011 Trade Paperback, 978-0-615-48130-2), which earlier this week was featured on the Huffington Post as one of the five best summer indie beach reads.
Today Ray writes about plot and character development. And he's also providing our readers with an opportunity to win an autographed copy of his book. Visit Mystery Book Contests, click on the "Ray Flynt: Kisses of an Enemy" contest link, enter your name, e-mail address, and this code (6718) for a chance to win! (One entry per person; contest ends 07/28/2011.)
— ◊ —
Photo provided courtesy of
Ray Flynt
Every writer knows that, even in fiction, the action has to seem real. As I created the character of Dave O'Brien, the protagonist in Kisses of an Enemy, I was nervous about a few scenes. Dave is chief of staff to Congressman Noah Sebring. He hasn't had much success with anything else in his life (marriage, fatherhood, relationships) but he's at the top of his political game and driven to rise even higher. However, late at night—from the privacy of his bedroom—I had him trolling Internet chat rooms for sexual thrills. That was before the latest Washington DC sex scandal involving a Congressman tweeting images of his erect penis. Once more, real life has taken a bizarre turn that is two or three steps ahead of what any writer would feel comfortable fictionalizing. I had nothing to worry about.
Kisses of an Enemy is a tale of political suspense set on Capitol Hill, but at the heart of the story is a struggle for power. After all, isn't that what Washington, DC is all about; getting power, holding on to it, trying to take it away from the other guy? I developed my love of politics from my father during many kitchen table conversations. He also engendered a healthy cynicism about politicians, and which I've reinforced in my own observations over the last twenty-five years working in Washington, DC and Pennsylvania's state capital.
I've discovered that plotting and character development are the aspects of writing most important to me. I write the kind of story that I enjoy reading. Since mystery/suspense is my genre, developing a complex—at times intersecting—plot, while keeping the reader guessing with page-turning twists and turns is my goal. I figure my job is to entertain, and if the reader has fun, I've scored a hit.
You will recall the tragic case, a few years back, of the Congressional intern who was having an affair with a congressman, and her body was later discovered in Rock Creek Park. For the plot of Kisses of an Enemy I tried to re-imagine how a Congressional aide would deal with threats after an intern was kidnapped.
Another challenge of writing a DC-based story with a contemporary feel is that the average reader is familiar with the real Washington politicians. I refer to the President, Vice President, and Speaker only by their positions, believing that if the novel mentioned President Obama, it would lock the story in time. If I had referenced President James Whitfield (not a bad sounding name for a president) the reader might have a more difficult time suspending disbelief.
On the other hand, creating fictional members of Congress is less daunting. Surveys show that a majority of Americans can't name their own representative. Another deliberate choice was to not assign political parties to the politicians. Why? Our politics has become so polarizing that I feared sticking a party label on characters could alienate at least half the readers. Remember, this is a story about power, and neither party has a monopoly on grasping for power. Recently, a friend of mine, who has worked as a staffer and lobbyist on Capitol Hill on and off for the last fifty years read my book. In what I considered high praise, she said, “You certainly got the Hill right.”
While it has been a long time since “Mr. Smith” came to Washington, it's my belief that we all try to hold on to the notion that our elected representatives are there to accomplish the public good. Not giving away any of the plot, there is a scene late in the book in which a Congressman is eulogized. That scene was my effort at grasping for the too-often elusive “idealism” of politics.
If you like following the machinations of politicians in Washington, DC, I think you'll enjoy Kisses of an Enemy. You can read the first four chapters at www.rayflynt.com/kisses_of_an_enemy.
— ◊ —
Ray Flynt is the CEO of a Washington DC-based national social service association. He is the author of Kisses of an Enemy, a tale of political suspense. A native of Pennsylvania, Ray's first mystery novel, Unforgiving Shadows was published in 2005 by Five Star, featuring series detective Brad Frame. Transplanted Death, the next in the Brad Frame series, will be published in late 2011.
Ray is a member of Mystery Writers of America. He lives in Anne Arundel County, Maryland with his wife and their two cats. Learn more about the author and his books at RayFlynt.com.
— ◊ —
About Kisses of an Enemy: Congressional chief of staff Dave O'Brien is salivating at the prospects for advancement in the wake of a tragic plane crash that has opened the way for his boss, Congressman Noah Sebring, to take over the powerful chair of the House Appropriations Committee. But Dave has a problem: he's received a threatening e-mail accompanied by a photo of a young intern, bound and gagged.
The missing girl's father, unhappy with Dave's explanations about his daughter's whereabouts, hires a reporter, Nick DaPrato, to go to Washington and “shake things up.” DaPrato has his own credibility issues, since his newspaper fired him for making up sources on an exposé of local corruption. As the battle for the chairmanship heats up, Dave tries to protect his job, while Nick struggles to keep the search for the intern on the front burner in this epic tale of duplicity and deceit in the nation's capital.
Kisses of an Enemy is available in Trade Paperback and popular eBook formats (Kindle edition, Nook Book).
For a chance to win a signed copy of Kisses of an Enemy, courtesy of the author, visit Mystery Book Contests, click on the "Ray Flynt: Kisses of an Enemy" contest link, enter your name, e-mail address, and this code (6718) for a chance to win! (One entry per person; contest ends 07/28/2011.)
Yesterday we announced that Warner Bros. had released a new trailer for Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows exclusively on the Apple iTunes trailers website.
Today, the studio has uploaded the trailer to YouTube, and we're pleased to embed it below.
The film, which stars Robert Downey Jr. as the consulting detective, and Jude Law as his partner in crime (solving) Dr. John Watson, opens in theaters December 16th, 2011.
MystereBooks is pleased to feature County Line by Bill Cameron 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.
— ◊ —
County Line by Bill Cameron
Non-Series
Tyrus Books
About County Line (from the publisher): When the steadfast Ruby Jane Whittaker drops out of sight, dogged ex-cop Skin Kadash sets out to discover what drove the woman he loves to leave her life behind so suddenly and without explanation. The discovery of a dead man in her apartment followed by an attack from a mysterious stalker leads Skin first to California, then across the country on a desperate journey deep into Ruby Jane's haunted past — and toward an explosive confrontation which will determine if either has a future.
Download Link(s):
Like and Follow Omnimystery News on Facebook to see more television and film mystery news as well as additional new and discounted mysterebooks!
