Enter to Win a Copy of Grandad, There's a Head on the Beach by Colin Cotterill

Crime novelist Colin Cotterill is the author of two mystery series, both set in Southeast Asia. His Dr. Siri Paiboun mysteries are set in mid-1970s Laos, while his newest series featuring former crime reporter Jimm Juree is set in contemporary rural Thailand.

The second book in this latter series, Grandad, There's a Head on the Beach (Minotaur Books, June 2012 hardcover and ebook editions) is scheduled to be published later this month and we're delighted to be able to give away, courtesy of the publisher, a copy to one of our readers. See entry details at the bottom of this post.

When Jimm Juree's mother sold the family house and invested in a rundown "holiday camp" at the southern end of Thailand on the Gulf of Siam, the family had little choice but to follow. Jimm Juree, who was well on her way to achieving her goal of becoming the primary crime reporter for the major daily newspaper in Chiang Mai, is less than thrilled to have lost her job as a reporter and to be stuck in the middle of nowhere where little of interest happens. So it is with mixed feelings that she greets the news that a head has washed up on the beach. It's tragic, of course, but this could be the sort of sensational murder that would get her a byline in a major daily and keep her toehold on her journalism career. Now all she has to do is find out who was murdered … and why.

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For a chance to win a hardcover edition of Grandad, There's a Head on the Beach, visit Mystery Book Contests and click on the Colin Cotterill: A Jimm Juree Mystery contest link, enter your name, e-mail address, and this code: 8809. (One entry per person. US residents only. Contest ends June 19th, 2012.)

Today's Amazon Local Deal: $30 off a Kindle Fire

Today's Amazon Local deal is a voucher worth $30 off the purchase of a Kindle Fire. This deal is available today, Saturday June 9th, 2012 only (while supplies last). Furthermore, the voucher must be redeemed by June 15th, 2012.

Here's the marketing copy from the deal — With built-in Wi-Fi, cloud-accelerated web browser, and easy access to over 20 million movies, TV shows, songs, magazines, books, and more, the Kindle Fire can't be beat … and today, it's yours for the discounted price of $169 — but we'll add that we absolutely couldn't be without our Kindle Fire. We were hesitant at first, not knowing what we'd do with it. After having it for several months, we find ourselves picking it up several times every day for general web browsing, playing the occasional app game, watching videos, and of course reading. We enthusiastically recommend it.

Raffles: A Perfect Wicket by is Today's Fourth Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Raffles: A Perfect Wicket by Richard Foreman 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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Raffles: A Perfect Wicket by Richard Foreman
A Raffles Novella
Publisher: Endeavour Press

See also our recent interview with Richard Foreman.

About Raffles: A Perfect Wicket (from the publisher): Bunny is worried for his great friend. Since the disappearance of Mary Flanagan Raffles has grown despondent, sick with boredom.

Thankfully a remedy is found, in the form of an invite to a party. The host is Lord Rosebery no less. Raffles considers the opportunity to be "a perfect wicket" in terms of the the spoils to be had, and hatches a plan to rob the former Prime Minister.

Yet Lord Rosebery has also invited another guest up from London, a senior policeman, who confesses to Bunny that he has been tipped off that a notorious burglar will be attempting to rob the house over the weekend of the party.

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 Kindle Edition Download Link.

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

The Ghosts of Havana by Mike Dennis is Today's Third Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Ghosts of Havana by Mike Dennis 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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The Ghosts of Havana by Mike Dennis
The "Key West Nocturnes" Series
Publisher: CreateSpace

About The Ghosts of Havana (from the publisher): What if two murders, spaced nearly fifty years apart, turn out to be linked to a safe deposit box, whose contents hold the key to decades-old secrets and threaten national security?

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 Kindle Edition Download Link.

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

A Dead Red Heart by R. P. Dahlke is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature A Dead Red Heart by R. P. Dahlke 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 Dead Red Heart by R. P. Dahlke
A Lalla Bains Mystery
Publisher: Dead Bear Publishing

This is the second mystery in the series; the third, A Dead Red Oleander, will be published this month.

About A Dead Red Heart (from the publisher): When a lovesick, homeless veteran litters her vintage red caddy with paper snowflakes, Lalla Bains, Aero Ag pilot, figures it's time for a showdown. Unfortunately, someone else has the same idea leaving Lalla with a dying man at her feet, and only his strange last words, "The more there is, the less you see," as a clue to his killer.

Compounding her life her tightwad, widowed father becomes a born-again ladies man, a disreputable competitor tries to push her out of business, and last but not least, her antennae twitches that the sultry redhead in Modesto's police department may be vying for Sheriff Caleb Stone's affections.

It soon becomes crystal clear that the police are totally off base on this murder investigation and someone else is going to have to suit up to solve this case. Someone who is just exasperating, pushy, and tenacious enough to get the job done — and that person will be none other than: Ms. Lalla Bains.

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 Kindle Edition Download Link.

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

Two Quilted Mysteries by Barbara Sullivan are Today's Featured Free MystereBooks

MystereBooks is pleased to feature the first two "Quilted" mysteries by Barbara Sullivan as today's set of free mystery ebooks.

These titles were 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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Unraveling Ada by Barbara Sullivan
A Rachel Lyons Mystery
Publisher: CreateSpace

About Unraveling Ada (from the publisher): Private Investigator Rachel Lyons discovers a corpse while hiking in the recently burned Cleveland County woods. At first it seems it was the Southern California wildfire that did the poor old man in. But then she sees his ravaged leg. A week later, while standing on the deck of her Escondido home listening to the hyenas laugh at the zebras, Lyons gets a phone call that starts her down a road toward hell. The trip changes her from a reasonably happy middle aged woman working a second career to a tortured soul searching for clues in the stitches of a quilt.

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 Kindle Edition Download Link.

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Ripping Abigail by Barbara Sullivan
A Rachel Lyons Mystery
Publisher: CreateSpace

About Ripping Abigail (from the publisher): Picking up the threads from the previous book in the series, this sequel delves into the seamy side of Southern California gang culture as bright, creative, 13-year-old Quilted Secrets member Abigail Pustovoytenko rebels against her homeschooling and enrolls herself in a high school where the local gangs are under pressure from mysterious forces and engaging in ever more violent acts. As Abigail draws unwanted attention by speaking up for the victims of the escalating gang activity, retired librarian-turned private investigator Rachel Lyons has her hands full trying to keep the rebellious, principled teenager safe while seeking to uncover the forces behind this eruption of gang violence that is overwhelming the high school and surrounding community.

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 Kindle Edition Download Link.

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

23 Classic Crime Novels are Today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal

MystereBooks is pleased to feature 23 Classic Crime Novels by as today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal. The deal price of $1.99 each is valid only for today, Saturday, June 09, 2012.

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23 Classic Crime Novels

Today's deal is a pretty amazing one: Twenty-three classic crime novels, most series titles, many of those first in series. There are plenty of stand-alones as well.

Here's a sample of some of the "first in series" titles available: Motor City Blue by Loren D. Estleman, which introduced Amos Walker; Under Cover of Daylight by James W. Hall, the first Thorn mystery; Lonely Hearts by John Harvey (Charlie Resnick); The Cater Street Hangman by Anne Perry (Charlotte and Thomas Pitt); A Cool Breeze on the Underground by Don Winslow (Neal Carey); Penance by David Housewright (Holland Taylor) — which won an Edgar Award for Best First Novel; and many more.

Important Note: Amazon.com updates its Kindle book deal every day at approximately midnight PT. The titles referenced above is available at a discounted price for Saturday, June 09, 2012 only.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Kindle Daily Deal.

Three New TV Spots for Savages

Three new television spots for the crime thriller Savages were released this week by the studio; we've embedded all three below.

Adapted from the novel by Don Winslow — who co-wrote the screenplay with director Oliver Stone and Shane Salerno — the film stars Aaron Johnson and Taylor Kitsch as Ben and Chon, best friends and small-time businessmen … who happen to raise some of the best marijuana ever developed. They also share a one-of-a-kind love with the extraordinary beauty Ophelia (Blake Lively). Life is idyllic in their Southern California town … until the Mexican Baja Cartel decides to move in and demands that the trio partners with them.

When the merciless head of the cartel, Elena (Salma Hayek), and her brutal enforcer, Lado (Benicio Del Toro), underestimate the unbreakable bond among these three friends, Ben and Chon — with the reluctant, slippery assistance of a dirty DEA agent (John Travolta) — wage a seemingly unwinnable war against the cartel.

And so begins a series of increasingly vicious ploys and maneuvers in a high stakes, savage battle of wills.

Savages opens in theaters on July 6th, 2012.

Special Offer: The Legend of Isis, 99 Cent Game Download, This Weekend Only

This weekend only, Big Fish Games is offering a popular mystery-themed game for just $0.99.

Customers can purchase The Serpent of Isis for just 99 cents by using the coupon code ISIS at checkout. This special price is available only through Sunday, June 10th, 2012.

In the early 1900s a legendary artwork, the Serpent of Isis, was stolen at the grand opening of the Egypt Museum in Cairo. Originally discovered by your grandfather, you have been searching for the missing masterpiece your entire adult life. One day, a mysterious letter arrives indicating that the person who possesses the artwork can be found on board the Mont Palu Express. Catch the train and solve the ancient mystery!

Watch a trailer for the game below. Discover more mysterious fun at Games of Mystery and Suspense.

True Blood Season 5 Premieres this Sunday, June 10th

The fifth season of True Blood premieres this Sunday, June 10th, on HBO.

Adapted from the "Southern Vampire" series of mysteries by Charlaine Harris, True Blood stars Anna Paquin as telepathic barmaid Sookie Stackhouse, "cursed" with the ability to listen in on people's thoughts, but tolerant of vampires, who have no brainwave activity.

Each season to date has been based, however loosely, on the books in the series. This new season is expected to follow the storyline of the fifth, Dead is a Doornail, a new tie-in version of which was recently published by Ace: "When small-town cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse sees her brother Jason’s eyes start to change, she knows he’s about to turn into a were-panther for the first time. But her concern becomes cold fear when a sniper sets his deadly sights on the local changeling population, and Jason’s new panther brethren suspect he may be the shooter. Now, Sookie has until the next full moon to find out who’s behind the attacks — unless the killer decides to find her first …"

Watch a trailer for the season below:

Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (120608)

Here is today's list of the top bestselling free Kindle mysteries, suspense novels and thrillers.

We're using a script to embed an RSS feed from Amazon.com, which is updated hourly, but if you cannot see the box below — or have scripts blocked — you can use this link to see the relevant page on Amazon.com.

Déjà Vu by Fern Michaels, Nancy Drew in Danger on Deception Island, are This Week's Amazon Deal Vote Winners

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Déjà Vu by Fern Michaels as this week's Amazon Deal Vote Winner. The deal price of $1.99 is valid this weekend only.

Also winning this week is the PC video game Nancy Drew: Danger on Deception Island, available to download for $4.99, also valid this weekend only.

Visit the deal page to see this week's winners in all four categories — Instant Video, MP3 Album, Kindle Book, and Game Download — and to vote for next week's winner.

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Déjà Vu by Fern Michaels
A Sisterhood Novel
Publisher: Zebra Books

About Déjà Vu (from the publisher): Thanks to a presidential pardon, the Sisterhood can put their fugitive days behind them and resume their lives in peace. Still, all the women admit that lately things are a little too calm and peaceful. Meeting up for the first time in months to celebrate Kathryn's birthday--in the City of Sin, no less--seems like the perfect antidote.

But before they can kick up their heels something too big to pass up is dropped into their laps. The time has come to deal with Enemy #1, a/k/a Hank Jellicoe. Wanted by the FBI, the CIA, and Homeland Security for starters, President Connor herself has run out of patience with their lack of results. Only the Sisterhood, with their special blend of guts, imagination, and friends in all places are capable of pulling off the impossible — of hunting down this monster and taking him out once and for all …

Important Note: Amazon.com updates its weekly deal vote winners every Friday. The title referenced above is available at a discounted price of $1.99 from Friday, June 08, 2012 through Sunday, June 10, 2012 only.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Weekly Deal Vote Winner.

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Nancy Drew: Danger on Deception Island

You, as Nancy Drew, are investigating a string of mysterious events on Deception Island. Try this adventure by foot, bike, and kayak! Navigate sea caves, boats, and the surrounding waters in your kayak. Hop on your bike to explore the Whale Center, Hot Kettle Cafe, and Lighthouse. Walk around town or hit the sandy beach to discover a lighthouse, build sandcastles and more!

The Case: When George's friend, Katie Firestone, invites Nancy to Deception Island in the San Juan Islands of the Pacific Northwest for a whale-watching excursion, the sleuth arrives to find Katie's tour boat heavily vandalized. A threatening note warns Katie to "stop meddling." As Nancy investigates, she learns that the town of Snake Horse Harbor is up in arms over an orphaned Orca whale that recently appeared in the channel and has apparently decided to stay. No one has yet figured out what pod she's from, and it seems that everyone has a different idea of what should be done about her. But one person seems to stand in way of everyone's plans: a meddling Katie Firestone! As Nancy begins to question her allies, a simple vandalism case begins to unfold into something more mysterious and sinister.

Important Note: Amazon.com updates its weekly deal vote winners every Friday. The game referenced above is available at a discounted price of $4.99 from Friday, June 08, 2012 through Sunday, June 10, 2012 only.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Weekly Deal Vote Winner.

Enter to Win a Les Roberts Saxon Mystery eBook

Omnimystery News is thrilled to be able to offer our readers a chance to win 1 of 3 ebook editions of Les Roberts' first mystery in the Saxon series, An Infinite Number of Monkeys, courtesy of Gray and Company. All six of the books in the series have recently been re-released as ebooks; you can read more about that here … which includes special pricing available through the end of June 2012.

To enter visit Mystery Book Contests, click on the Les Roberts: Saxon Mystery link, and enter your name, e-mail address, and this code — 4981 — in the form. A winner will be randomly selected from all eligible entries on each of the next three Fridays — June 15th, 22nd, and 29th, 2012. Winners can select between .mobi and .epub formats. (One entry per person; non-winning entries will automatically carry over to the next week. This giveaway ends June 29th, 2012.)

An Infinite Number of Monkeys, the winner of the 1986 St. Martin's Press Private Eye Novel Contest, introduces Saxon, a transplanted Easterner trying to make it as an actor in Los Angeles. To stay solvent (and sane) between roles, he runs an investigating agency. When someone takes a potshot at famous pulp detective writer Buck Weldon, Saxon agrees to help — especially after meeting Weldon's tall blonde daughter. Turns out, the writer's enemy list is longer than some of his novels and is headed by his agent, his publisher, and one of the biggest producers in Hollywood. Baffling leads involve a major cocaine dealer and a professor specializing in private eye literature. Saxon's investigation takes him from Westwood to Palm Springs and back to the San Fernando Valley before its violent culmination in a backwater Mexican village on the Baja peninsula.

Still Life with Murder by P. B. Ryan is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Still Life with Murder by P. B. Ryan 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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Still Life with Murder by P. B. Ryan
A Nell Sweeney, Gilded Age Mystery
Publisher: Berkley

Boston governess Nell Sweeney is introduced in this first in a series of historical mysteries.

About Still Life with Murder (from the publisher): Boston, 1868: The wealthy are enjoying the height of the Gilded Age, a time of opulence for many...but not all. Nell Sweeney, a young Irish immigrant, knows what it is to have nothing. But when she earns a coveted position as governess to the wealthy Hewitts, Nell discovers that deadly secrets often lurk beneath society's gilded surface.

The two eldest Hewitt boys were thought to have been killed in the Civil War some three years ago. But one winter's day, the family hears word that their William is, in fact, alive and in jail for having killed a man …

Enraged at his son's deception and convinced of his guilt, August Hewitt is determined to see William hang and thus forbids his wife from aiding Will in any way. But Viola Hewitt believes her son is innocent and begs Nell to help her exonerate him. With few leads and even less time, Nell must rely on her wits and her knowledge of the city's dark underbelly to uncover the truth...before the hangman's noose tightens around William Hewitt's throat …

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 Kindle Edition Download Link.

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

Stealing Trinity by Ward Larsen is Today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Stealing Trinity by Ward Larsen as today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal. The deal price of $0.99 is valid only for today, Friday, June 08, 2012.

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Stealing Trinity by Ward Larsen
Publisher: Oceanview Publishing

In our review of this book, we said, "Larsen strikes just the right balance, keeping the plot moving briskly forward but still providing time for readers to get to know the three primary characters yet not getting weighed down with potentially cumbersome historical minutiae."

About Stealing Trinity (from the publisher): When the balance of world power is at stake, the fight for control could be explosive. In the last days of WWII, the Third Reich makes a desperate grab to retrieve its most valuable asset, Die Wespe, a spy buried deep in the Manhattan Project. The man chosen for this mission is Alexander Braun — American born, Harvard educated, and a ruthless killer.

British Intelligence learns of the Nazi plan. Unable to convince their American counterparts of the magnitude of the threat, they dispatch Major Michael Thatcher to track down Braun.

The trail leads to Rhode Island, where Lydia Cole, a young heiress, has unwittingly taken Braun back into her life. Braun is forced to run, and there is one place where he must go — Los Alamos, home of the Manhattan Project.

On July 16, 1945, the world’s first atomic bomb is tested — code named Trinity. In the days that follow, four people — a tenacious British investigator, a determined young woman, a killer, and the spy who could compromise America’s greatest scientific endeavor — will have a fateful rendezvous, all vying for control of the secret that will shape the world.

Read our review of Stealing Trinity by Ward Larsen.

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 Friday, June 08, 2012 only.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Kindle Daily Deal.