Death of a Loveable Geek by Maria Hudgins is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Death of a Loveable Geek by Maria Hudgins 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.

— ◊ —

Death of a Loveable Geek by Maria Hudgins
A Dotsy Lamb Travel Mystery
Publisher: Five Star

This is the second mystery to feature the ancient medieval history professor from Virginia.

About Death of a Loveable Geek (from the publisher): The body of young Froggy Quale lies, covered by a blue tarp, in the pasture behind Castle Dunlaggan in the Scottish Highlands. Froggy was the on-site pollen and spore expert at the nearby archaeological dig and a graduate student who doesn't seem to have had an enemy in the world.

Dotsy Lamb and her friend Lettie are boarding at the castle while Dotsy works at the dig. They and the other guests are cared for in the ancient castle by its owners, William and Maisie Sinclair.

Suspicion for Froggy's murder falls on his roommate, Van Nguyen, a graduate student from America. Dotsy has become fond of both Froggy and Van and is sure Van can't be the killer. When the dig's director dies from poison mushrooms, Dotsy sees connections to the magic mushroom party at the dig and to ownership of castle lands.

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.

Guise and Dolls by Deb Baker is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Guise and Dolls by Deb Baker 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.

— ◊ —

Guise and Dolls by Deb Baker
A Gretchen Birch, Dolls to Die For Mystery
Publisher: Berkley

This fourth (and presumably final) book in this series of mysteries was originally published in 2008 as Ding Dong Dead.

About Guise and Dolls (from the publisher): All’s well in Phoenix—Gretchen’s business is thriving, she’s dating a gorgeous detective, and an anonymous donor has given the PhoenixDollers a historic house to turn into a doll museum. But as the doll club members rehearse a play for the fundraiser, Gretchen’s kooky “psychic” Aunt Nina becomes convinced the house is haunted. Gretchen scoffs, but strange, creepy things do seem to be happening: A woman’s body—a long-lost friend of Gretchen’s mother—is found lying atop a grave in the cemetery; a note with the words “Die, Dolly, Die” is left on Gretchen’s car; and the Birch women make an eerie discovery in the house. Still, even with Nina’s warnings of danger, Gretchen intends to get to the bottom of this. And she’d better, or it’ll be she and her friends who will be history …

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.

Mystery Bestsellers for the Week Ending March 02, 2012

A list of the top 15 mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending March 2nd, 2012 has been posted by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books.

Vince Flynn's 12th Mitch Rapp thriller Kill Shot retains its spot atop the list as this week's bestselling crime novel.

Two new titles debut this week.

— ◊ —

Coming in at number 10 is the latest Alex Delaware thriller, Victims by Jonathan Kellerman.

Unraveling the madness behind L.A.’s most baffling and brutal homicides is what sleuthing psychologist Alex Delaware does best. Not since Jack the Ripper terrorized the London slums has there been such a gruesome crime scene. By all accounts, acid-tongued Vita Berlin hadn’t a friend in the world, but whom did she cross so badly as to end up arranged in such a grotesque tableau? One look at her apartment–turned–charnel house prompts hard-bitten LAPD detective Milo Sturgis to summon his go-to expert in hunting homicidal maniacs, Alex Delaware. But despite his finely honed skills, even Alex is stymied when more slayings occur in the same ghastly fashion … yet with no apparent connection among the victims. And the only clue left behind—a blank page bearing a question mark—seems to be both a menacing taunt and a cry for help from a killer baffled by his own lethal urges.

Under pressure to end the bloody spree and prevent a citywide panic, Milo redoubles his efforts to discover a link between the disparate victims. Meanwhile, Alex navigates the secretive world of mental health treatment, from the sleek office of a Beverly Hills therapist to a shuttered mental institution where he once honed his craft—and where an unholy alliance between the mad and the monstrous may have been sealed in blood. As each jagged piece of the puzzle fits into place, an ever more horrific portrait emerges of a sinister mind at its most unimaginable—and an evil soul at its most unspeakable.

Purchase Options:

— ◊ —

One spot lower at number 11 is the new historical novel of suspense The Technologists by Matthew Pearl.

Boston, 1868. The Civil War may be over but a new war has begun, one between the past and the present, tradition and technology. On a former marshy wasteland, the daring Massachusetts Institute of Technology is rising, its mission to harness science for the benefit of all and to open the doors of opportunity to everyone of merit. But in Boston Harbor a fiery cataclysm throws commerce into chaos, as ships’ instruments spin inexplicably out of control. Soon after, another mysterious catastrophe devastates the heart of the city. Is it sabotage by scientific means or Nature revolting against man’s attempt to control it?

The shocking disasters cast a pall over M.I.T. and provoke assaults from all sides—rival Harvard, labor unions, and a sensationalistic press. With their first graduation and the very survival of their groundbreaking college now in doubt, a band of the Institute’s best and brightest students secretly come together to save innocent lives and track down the truth, armed with ingenuity and their unique scientific training.

Led by “charity scholar” Marcus Mansfield, a quiet Civil War veteran and one-time machinist struggling to find his footing in rarefied Boston society, the group is rounded out by irrepressible Robert Richards, the bluest of Beacon Hill bluebloods; Edwin Hoyt, class genius; and brilliant freshman Ellen Swallow, the Institute’s lone, ostracized female student. Working against their small secret society, from within and without, are the arrayed forces of a stratified culture determined to resist change at all costs and a dark mastermind bent on the utter destruction of the city.

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.

Review: Clawback by Mike Cooper

Read our … Review of Clawback by Mike Cooper. A Silas Cade Mystery. Viking Hardcover, March 2012.

Available to purchase from …

New TV Spot for The Hunger Games

A new 60-second television spot (embedded below) has been released by the studio for The Hunger Games … which also received a PG-13 rating "intense violent thematic material and disturbing images — all involving teens."

Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the evil Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic, The Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which "Tributes" must fight with one another until one survivor remains.

Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson). If she's ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Adapted from the bestselling novel by Suzanne Collins, who co-wrote the adapted screenplay with Billy Ray and director Gary Ross, The Hunger Games opens in theaters March 23rd, 2012. "The world will be watching."

Harlequin Worldwide Mystery Titles for March 2012

Harlequin.com has released the list of March 2012 titles for its Worldwide Mystery imprint, your partner in crime. Amateur sleuths, traditional cozies, police procedurals and private-eye fiction, written by award-winning authors.

For more information about the book from Harlequin.com, click on the title or cover.

— ◊ —

Island Life by Michael W. Sherer
Non-Series

Jack Holm begins to find out when his wife of twenty years doesn't return to their suburban Seattle home after a trip to the mall. Her absence is not unusual, given her job as a flight attendant, and it's a respite from recent marital discord. But after a few days with no word, Jack's relief turns to worry … then fear.

When he finally reports his wife missing, his world begins to crumble. The police suspect him of foul play. Children and Family Services think he's an abuser. And someone is spying on his teenage daughter and ten-year-old son. Facing life as a single dad, Jack tries to help his kids deal with their mother's disappearance, but when he's arrested on suspicion of murder, he stands to lose it all.

Abandoned by friends and family, and with the evidence mounting, Jack knows that the only way to stay ahead of the law and keep his children out of foster care is to find out what really happened to his wife. But the path to the truth may end up putting Jack and all the people he loves in mortal danger.

— ◊ —

Dead Silent by Shirley Wells
A Dylan Scott Mystery (2nd in series)

Despite the statistics of cold cases, Dylan Scott wants to believe that Sam Hunt is alive. Not only because her father, Dylan's client, is desperate to find his missing daughter before he dies of cancer, but also because by all accounts Sam was a lovely girl—devoted to her younger stepsisters, well liked at her job, in love with her boyfriend.

But not everything is as it appears in sleepy Dawson's Clough. Soon questions arise about the violent past of Sam's boyfriend, and the rumored affair that the missing young woman was supposedly having with her boss. Plus, Dylan can't shake the feeling that Sam's stepfather is keeping secrets. And when someone tries to scare him off the case, Dylan is more determined than ever to find out who wanted Sam silenced and why. But the truth turns out to be worse than anyone could have expected …

— ◊ —

Bean There, Done That by Sandra Balzo
A Maggy Thorsen Mystery (3rd in series)

When Maggy Thorsen's ex-husband's trophy wife shows up at her door, pleading for help, Maggy could have said no. But perhaps her maternal instincts overpowered reason—after all, Rachel was barely older than Maggy's college-age son. Or maybe she felt compassion for teary wife number two having suspicions of an affair. Either way, Maggy finds herself stuck in the middle of a marital mess not her own when Rachel's body washes up on the shores of Lake Michigan and her cheating ex, Ted Thorsen, is suspect number one.

Maggy knows Ted is a hound dog, but he's not a killer. And they have a son to protect. So in between whipping up lattes at her coffeehouse, Uncommon Grounds, she takes it upon herself to dig through Ted's dirty laundry—again. But will a double caramel macchiato be liquid courage enough to go after a killer who vows Maggy won't live long enough to brew another cup?

— ◊ —

Birthdays Can Be Murder by Joyce Cato
A Jenny Starling, Traveling Chef Mystery (1st in series)

Hired to cater the swanky birthday soiree of wealthy twins Alicia and Justin Greer, chef Jenny Starling arrives at their estate just in time for murder. It seems a servant was found floating in the goldfish pond, but lovely, spoiled Alicia won't let that wreck her party. And luckily for the birthday girl, Jenny is not one to back down from any challenge. Not even when the body count rises.

But she begins to rethink her resolve when a champagne toast leaves Justin dead on the floor and his sister clinging to life. The party guest list of friends, enemies and jilted lovers is a ready-made set of suspects, and in a quaint village where secrets are everybody's business, the Greers' multitude of scandals whet everyone's appetite. With her reputation hanging perilously in the balance, Jenny searches for someone who had both motive and opportunity to poison the bubbly—before this party becomes the death of her.

— ◊ —

Murder at Spouter's Point by Leslie Wheeler
A Miranda Lewis Mystery (3rd in series)

History writer Miranda Lewis arrives in Rhode Island looking forward to a weekend with old friends, which includes plans to attend Native American ceremonies and partake in some fun at the casino. But tensions and terror mount when the body of her friend's fiancé washes up on shore, brutally murdered with a whaling tool. Miranda's romantic partner, Native American activist Nate Barnes, is caught in the middle when suspicion falls upon a close friend, who has conveniently disappeared.

Determined to help Nate clear his friend's name, Miranda's keen eye for detail spots scattered clues to a deeper mystery. What she finds in the victim's scandalous past leads Miranda to believe her girlfriend's brother may be the real bad guy. That is, until she discovers a shocking, seemingly impossible coincidence. When a second murder occurs, Miranda realizes she's neck-deep in dangerous waters—and the target of a deranged killer.

— ◊ —

Death is Disposable by Evan Marshall
An Anna Winthrop, Hidden Manhattan Mystery (1st in series)

As New York Sanitation Department garage supervisor, Anna Winthrop thought she'd seen it all, until a homeless man she'd befriended is found murdered behind her apartment building. And Anna's taking this personally. The man had asked for her help, but was killed before he could tell her why. So now she wants answers. She immediately delves into the poor man's life, following the trail of slim clues left behind, and makes a shocking discovery about his past, only leading to more questions.

As Anna pieces together a puzzle that spans upscale art galleries, homeless shelters and encampments in abandoned subway tunnels, she realizes that her friend's life was much bigger and more complicated than she ever would have thought. But the true motive for the murder is the most bizarre revelation of all—and makes this crime much more personal than she could have imagined.

— ◊ —

The Mystery Bookshelf: Bent Road by Lori Roy

The Mystery Bookshelf, where you can discover a world of mystery and suspense, is pleased to feature a new crime novel we recently received from the publisher.

— ◊ —

Bent Road by Lori Roy
Plume (Trade Paperback)
Publication Date: March 2012
ISBN-13: 978-0-452-29759-3

About Bent Road (from the publisher): For twenty years, Celia Scott has watched her husband, Arthur, hide from the secrets surrounding his sister Eve's death. But when the 1967 Detroit riots frighten him even more than his Kansas past, he convinces Celia to pack up their family and return to the road he grew up on, Bent Road, and the same small town where Eve mysteriously died. And then a local girl disappears, catapulting the family headlong into a dead man's curve …

On Bent Road, a battered red truck cruises ominously along the prairie; a lonely little girl dresses in her dead aunt's clothes; a boy hefts his father's rifle in search of a target; and a mother realizes she no longer knows how to protect her children. It is a place where people learn: Sometimes killing is the kindest way.

— ◊ —

About the author: Lori Roy was born and raised in the Midwest where she attended and graduated from Kansas State University. After working for several years in Kansas City, she turned her focus to writing, winning the Ed Hirschberg Award for Excellence in Florida Writing. She currently lives with her family in west central Florida. Bent Road is her first novel. For more information about the author, visit her website at LoriRoy.com.

Purchase Options for Bent Road: