Getting Sassy by D. C. Brod is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Getting Sassy by D. C. Brod as today's free mystery ebook.

This title was listed as free as of the date and time of this post. 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.

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Getting Sassy by D. C. Brod
A Robyn Guthrie Mystery
Publisher: Tyrus Books

This first in a series by the author of the Quint McCauley mysteries introduces freelance reporter and amateur sleuth Robyn Guthrie. (This is a repeat freebie last offered in December 2011.)

About Getting Sassy (from the publisher): With her nearly broke and practically homeless mother about to land on her doorstep, Robyn Guthrie learns that desperation can play havoc with a daughter's scruples. Otherwise, why would she even consider kidnapping a goat and holding it for ransom?

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.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Free Kindle Edition Download Link.

B&N Free Nook Book Download Link.

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

Mr. E. Reviews Margin Call

Purchase/Rental Option(s)

This drama with tension — not a thriller as I have come to understand the term — set in the days before the Lehman Brothers collapse of 2008 has some terrific performances, but is paced so erratically that I found it hard to remain engaged in its paper-thinly plotted storyline.

Read the full text of our review at Mr. E. Reviews Margin Call.

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

Crime Novelist Dorothy Gilman Has Died

Photo credit: Corey Lowenstein

Crime novelist Dorothy Gilman, author of the popular Mrs. Pollifax spy mysteries as well as many other novels of mystery and suspense, has died at her home in Rye Brook (NY). She was 88.

Ms. Gilman wrote the first of her Mrs. Pollifax books, The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax, in 1966 and went on to feature the character in 13 subsequent tales of espionage. Emily Pollifax was a 60-something suburban widow and grandmother looking to travel the world, the perfect cover for her role as an agent with the CIA. The books are set in exotic locales in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.

The character was featured in a film adapted from the first book in the series, 1971's Mrs. Pollifax—Spy starring Rosalind Russel in the title role. In 1999 CBS produced a made-for-television movie also based on this book, which stars Angela Lansbury.

Two years ago, Dorothy Gilman was honored by the Mystery Writers of America as their 2010 Grand Master.

(Related article: New York Times.)

Reviews of Mystery and Suspense Books for Kids, New This Week on Book Trends (120204)

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.

Sammy Keyes and the Night of Skulls by Wendelin Van Draanen. A Sammy Keyes Mystery. Lexile measure: 770L. Reviewed by 7th grade student, who writes, "The book is a mystery, and contains a lot of suspense and surprises. It keeps you on the edge of your seat and you cannot guess what will happen next. Plus, the characters in this book are a very unique group of kids. They are interested in being detectives and are actually really good at it." (Read the full 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.

Yellow Medicine by Anthony Neil Smith is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Yellow Medicine by Anthony Neil Smith as today's second free mystery ebook.

This title was listed as free as of the date and time of this post. 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.

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Yellow Medicine by Anthony Neil Smith
Publisher: Bleak House/Anthony Neil Smith

About Yellow Medicine (from the publisher): Deputy Billy Lafitte is not unfamiliar with the law — he just prefers to enforce it, rather than abide by it. But his rule-bending and bribe-taking have gotten him kicked off the force in Gulfport, Mississippi, and he's been given a second chance — in the desolate, Siberian wastelands of rural Minnesota. Now Billy's only got the local girls and local booze to keep him company. Until one of the local girls — cute little Drew, bassist for a psychobilly band — asks Billy for help with her boyfriend. Something about the drugs Ian's been selling, some product he may have lost, and the men who are threatening him because of it. Billy agrees to look into it, and before long he's speeding down a snowy road, tracking a cell of terrorists, with a severed head in his truck's cab. And that's only the start.

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.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Free Kindle Edition Download Link.

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

Thrilled to Death by L. J. Sellers is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Thrilled to Death by L. J. Sellers as today's free mystery ebook.

This title was listed as free as of the date and time of this post. 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.

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Thrilled to Death by L. J. Sellers
A Wade Jackson Mystery
Publisher: Spellbinder Press

This is the second mystery to feature the Eugene (Oregon) police detective.

About Thrilled to Death (from the publisher): Monday morning, a young mother disappears after a doctor’s appointment. Monday evening, a young socialite leaves a risqué lounge and never makes it home. Detective Jackson lands both cases, but at first he can't find signs of foul play. When the socialite turns up dead, his investigation uncovers her dirty secrets, which complicates everything. The case runs into even bigger trouble with a suspect who hasn’t left his house in a year. Jackson must push all the boundaries to find the connection and answer the question: Where is the other missing woman?

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.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Free Kindle Edition Download Link.

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

Well-Offed in Vermont by Amy Patricia Meade is Today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Well-Offed in Vermont by Amy Patricia Meade as today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal. The deal price of $1.99 is valid only for today, Saturday, February 04, 2012.

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Well-Offed in Vermont by Amy Patricia Meade
A Stella and Nick Thornton Mystery
Publisher: Midnight Ink

This first in a new series is by the author of the Marjorie McClelland mysteries.

About Well-Offed in Vermont (from the publisher): In bucolic small-town Vermont, tapestries expert Stella Thornton Buckley feels out of her element—and not just because she’s fresh from Manhattan. Mere hours after moving to maple syrup country, she and her husband, Nick, find a dead man, Allen Weston, in a well on their property. The police investigation forces the couple out of their lovely vintage farmhouse and—since the motels are packed with leaf-peepers — into a less than luxurious deer camp. Instead of mourning the loss of electricity and running water, Stella and Nick drive their Smart car all over the Vermont hamlet to question the quirky locals about Weston, a shrewd businessman who rubbed a lot of folks the wrong way.

Stella and Nick may never shed their flatlander reputation in this close-knit community, but can they get enough information from the taciturn townspeople to help Sheriff Mills solve the murder and sew up the investigation?

Important Note: Amazon.com updates its Kindle book deal every day at approximately midnight PT. The title referenced above is available at a discounted price for Saturday, February 04, 2012 only.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Kindle Daily Deal.

Katherine Heigl to Star in Thrillers Face Blind, possibly Happytime Murders

With One for the Money not doing terrific box office business, it's unlikely there will be Two for the Dough, but Katherine Heigl — who stars as bounty hunter Stephanie Plum in the film adaptation of Janet Evanovich's comic mystery novel — is still looking to star in movies in our preferred genre, albeit somewhat edgier ones.

Heigl has reportedly signed on to star in the thriller Face Blind as a psychologist suffering from prosopagnosia — face blindness — and is targeted by a stalker, who, of course, she cannot recognize. (This sounds suspiciously similar to last year's Faces in the Crowd starring Milla Jovovich … but maybe we're quibbling here.)

More interestingly, she's also being associated with Brian Henson's "puppet noir" film Happytime Murders, the storyline of which involves the puppet cast of the 1980s kids TV show "The Happytime Gang" that gets murdered one by one, with a disgraced LAPD homicide detective-turned-private eye puppet taking on the case.

We'll keep you posted if either of these projects moves forward.

(Related articles: Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter.)

Review: Those Who Love Night by Wessel Ebersohn

Read the full text of our review at Mysterious Reviews: Those Who Love Night by Wessel Ebersohn.

New Character Posters for the Thiller Red Lights

Earlier this week we featured an English-language trailer for the psychological/paranormal thriller Red Lights.

Today four new character posters for the film have surfaced (below; click on each for a larger version).

The film stars Sigourney Weaver as Professor Margaret Matheson who, together with her assistant Tom Buckley (Cillian Murphy) dissect and disprove phenomena from the metaphysical world. Elizabeth Olsen is a student at the university where Matheson teaches. Robert De Niro plays Simon Silver, one of the most gifted psychics of all time, who Matheson tried — but failed — to prove as a fraud 30 years ago, and who has suddenly come out of retirement … but why and to what end is unknown.

Red Lights is written and directed by Rodrigo Cortés will open in Spain on March 2nd, 2012; a US release date has not yet been set.

The taglines on the posters are, respectively, "How much do you want to believe?", "Do you believe?", "There is no escape from your own mind", and "Not everything can be explained".

Simon Said by Sarah R. Shaber is Today's Sixth Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Simon Said by Sarah R. Shaber as today's sixth free mystery ebook.

This title was listed as free as of the date and time of this post. 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.

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Simon Said by Sarah R. Shaber
A Simon Shaw Mystery
Publisher: St. Martin's Press/Bella Rosa Books

The winner of the 1996 St. Martin's Press Best Traditional Mystery Contest, this is the first book (in a series of five) to feature Raleigh (NC) history professor Simon Shaw.

About Simon Said (from the publisher): Forensic historian Simon Shaw likes his murders old and cold, and his first case fits the bill. An archeologist friend has found a skeleton with a bullet hole in its skull under historic Bloodworth House, and Simon investigates with his usual doggedness until he discovers that the corpse is Anne Bloodworth, an heiress who disappeared in 1926. Shaw feels compelled to find out who killed her. But this turns out to be more than an academic exercise when someone who wants to hide past secrets tries to murder him!

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.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Free Kindle Edition Download Link.

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

Rock & Roll Homicide by R. J. McDonnell is Today's Fifth Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Rock & Roll Homicide by R. J. McDonnell as today's fifth free mystery ebook.

This title was listed as free as of the date and time of this post. 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.

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Rock & Roll Homicide by R. J. McDonnell
A Jason Duffy Mystery
Publisher: Killeena Publishing

San Diego PI Jason Duffy is introduced in this mystery, of which we said, "Filled with insider details of the entertainment industry, music and mystery fans alike will be thrilled with Rock & Roll Homicide."

About Rock & Roll Homicide (from the publisher): Just as the rock band Doberman’s Stub was about to reach stadium tour status, its leader was brutally murdered when his headphones exploded during a recording session. The widow, who inherits $5 million, is the San Diego Police Department’s number one suspect. She hires Jason Duffy, a 27-year-old PI in his first year of private practice, in spite of his background as a former musician.

Jason learns that the victim was also a very skilled contract negotiator, who was in the middle of an acrimonious renegotiation with the record company at the time of his death. He also finds that the record company has a very unhealthy tie to the Russian Mafia.

As an inexperienced detective, Jason does not yet have the contacts within the police department to gather vital information. He is forced to mend fences with his estranged father, an opinionated ex-SDPD detective.

Read our review of Rock & Roll Homicide by R. J. McDonnell.

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.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Free Kindle Edition Download Link.

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

Dead Angler by Victoria Houston is Today's Fourth Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Dead Angler by Victoria Houston as today's fourth free mystery ebook.

This title was listed as free as of the date and time of this post. 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.

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Dead Angler by Victoria Houston
A Loon Lake Mystery
Publisher: Tyrus Books

This repeat freebie (from December 2011) is the first title in a series of 11 mysteries (to date) that feature retired dentist and fly fisherman Paul "Doc" Osborne.

About Dead Angler (from the publisher): Retired dentist Paul Osborne hasn't fly fished since his wife died. He hasn't had a woman tell him what to do since then either. But in the company of Lewellyn Ferris, he's relearning both. And when he and his lady instructor find a well-dressed body floating in the moonlight, Paul adds deputy to his list of experiences …

Whether the death is accidental — or accidentally on purpose — Lewellyn is determined to tell in the truth. She enlists Pail and his walleye-expert buddy, Ray, to help her get to the bottom of the murky mystery. Whoever thought small-town retirement could be this dangerous?

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.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Free Kindle Edition Download Link.

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

Ding Dong the Diva's Dead by Cat Melodia is Today's Third Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Ding Dong the Diva's Dead by Cat Melodia as today's third free mystery ebook.

This title was listed as free as of the date and time of this post. 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.

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Ding Dong the Diva's Dead by Cat Melodia
A Deborah de Lille Mystery
Publisher: Camel Press

About Ding Dong the Diva's Dead (from the publisher): Deborah de Lille is an opera singer in the least grand sense. Debbie doesn't foresee a future beyond Handel Messiahs and low-budget tours … until her agent finagles her a minor role with a small-town company. The artists assembled for this production of Offenbach s spooky opera, Tales of Hoffmann, have more than opera on their minds. Their games of love are not for the faint of heart, and the cutthroat atmosphere may have become literal. How far are they willing to go to advance their careers and even the score?

The singer Debbie replaced died under suspicious circumstances, and after another minor player bows out suddenly, she is also given her role. Now she has two small roles that no one in their right mind would kill for. So, either someone isn't in their right mind, or the close calls threatening Debbie's safety are all unlucky coincidences. Add to the mix three preening tenors, a sexy lesbian director, a vengeful conductor, an obscenely rich and Hollywood-handsome general director, a fading Italian pop star, a trio of bitchy leading sopranos, an ambitious understudy, countless attention-starved underlings, an anti-opera terrorist group, a resident ghost, and Debbie's kooky and dysfunctional friends and family, and you have an opening night that promises to genuinely thrill and chill.

Read our review of Ding Dong the Diva's Dead by Cat Melodia.

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.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Free Kindle Edition Download Link.

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

A Witch Among Friends by Dale Whisman is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature A Witch Among Friends by Dale Whisman as today's second free mystery ebook.

This title was listed as free as of the date and time of this post. 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.

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A Witch Among Friends by Dale Whisman
A Carl Jacobs Mystery
Publisher: Deadly Niche Press

Written by a licensed private investigator himself, this is the second mystery in this series to feature PI Carl Jacobs.

About A Witch Among Friends (from the publisher): A boiling witch's brew of sex, murder, infidelity, and deceit, with Carl Jacobs caught in the undertow, and the safety and well being of a little girl at stake — a burning stake.

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.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Free Kindle Edition Download Link.

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