Special Offer: Poisoned Pen Press Mysteries, $2.99 or less, Some Free!

Regular readers of Omnimystery News know we're big fans of Poisoned Pen Press. We've been reading — and reviewing — their mystery books for many years now.

More recently, the publisher has embraced the transition to digital editions of their books, introducing new readers to their authors by offering a select number of titles, mostly first in series and more or less changing on a monthly basis, for just 99 cents. (You can see a current list by using this link.)

This month, however, and for the first time, the publisher is offering a handful of "first in series" for free. Sort of. As Jessica Tribble, Poisoned Pen Press's publisher, explained in an e-mail to us, "It turns out that Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon all force us to set the price to no less than $0.99." But not so with Apple and its iBookstore (via iTunes).

So, with that in mind, we want to summarize what titles are currently available as of the date and time of this post at these discounted prices, free or in some cases 99 cents. Important note: Prices can and do change without prior notice. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of the sale is the price of the book. And, as Jessica concluded in her e-mail, "I don't know how long we're going to be offering these wonderful series at these prices, but enjoy them while they last."

• The "Faye Longchamp" mysteries by Mary Anna Evans. One of the few series for which we've read (and reviewed) every book. Highly recommended. Artifacts is free from iTunes; 99 cents elsewhere (as shown). The second and third in the series are $2.99 or less.

Artifacts 
Mary Anna Evans
Series: A Faye Longchamp Mystery (1st)

Relics 
Mary Anna Evans
Series: A Faye Longchamp Mystery (2nd)

Effigies 
Mary Anna Evans
Series: A Faye Longchamp Mystery (3rd)

• The "Constable Molly Smith" mysteries by Vicki Delany. In the Shadow of the Glacier is free from iTunes; 99 cents elsewhere (as shown). The second in the series is $2.99 or less. (We've submitted a "price match" request to Amazon for the latter book, so by the time you read this it might be lower than its current price. Click on the "Constable Molly Smith" link above to check.)

In the Shadow of the Glacier 
Vicki Delany
Series: A Molly Smith Mystery (1st)

Valley of the Lost 
Vicki Delany
Series: A Molly Smith Mystery (2nd)

• The "Prioress Eleanor" mysteries by Priscilla Royal. Wine of Violence is free from iTunes; 99 cents elsewhere (as shown). The second and third in the series are $2.99 or less.

Wine of Violence 
Priscilla Royal
Series: A Prioress Eleanor Mystery (1st)

Tyrant of the Mind 
Priscilla Royal
Series: A Prioress Eleanor Mystery (2nd)

Sorrow Without End 
Priscilla Royal
Series: A Prioress Eleanor Mystery (3rd)

• The "Phryne Fisher" mysteries by Kerry Greenwood. This seems to be a bonus, not announced by the publisher! Cocaine Blues is free from iTunes; 99 cents on Amazon; higher elsewhere. The second and third in the series are $2.99 or less (as indicated).

Cocaine Blues 
Kerry Greenwood
Series: A Phyrne Fisher Mystery (1st)

Flying Too High 
Kerry Greenwood
Series: A Phyrne Fisher Mystery (2nd)

Murder on the Ballarat Train 
Kerry Greenwood
Series: A Phyrne Fisher Mystery (3rd)

Important note: Prices can and do change without prior notice. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of the sale is the price of the book.

Winners of the 2012 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Announced

We're not exactly sure when the winners and finalists of the 2012 Next Generation Indie Book Awards were announced, but we don't think it was too long ago. Recognizing independent authors and publishers worldwide, the awards are given in many categories, including two of interest to us: Mystery and Suspense/Thriller …

• Mystery: A Deadly Affection by Cuyler Overholt (Copper Bottom Press).

• Suspense/Thriller (tie): Picture of Lies by C. C. Harrison (Five Star); and Writ of Mandamus by Rick Robinson (Headline Books).

In addition, the Grand Prize Fiction winner was also a mystery: The Parsifal Pursuit, the second book in the "Bourke Cockran Jr. and Mattie McGary" historical series by Michael McMenamin and Patrick McMenamin.

The Silent Wall by Peter Rabe is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Silent Wall by Peter Rabe 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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The Silent Wall by Peter Rabe
Publisher: Prologue Books

A prolific writer of crime fiction from the mid-1950s through the mid-1970s, The Silent Wall is one of this author's final works, probably written in the late 1980s and first published over 20 years after the author's death in 1990.

About The Silent Wall (from the publisher): Matty Matthews has been to the town of Forza d’Aguil before. Stationed there with a small group of soldiers during WWII, it was here that Matty fell in love with Rosanna. It was a sweet, short-lived affair until the soldiers unexpectedly got orders to pull out. Matty never got to say goodbye. Now he’s back in Sicily, drawn to the mountain town after all these years. But the citizens of Forza d’Aguil are easy to offend, and when Matty inadvertently crosses Pino, the Mafioso sabotages his leaving. Trapped in Forza d’Aguil, hemmed in on all sides by the oppression of the town and its silent citizens, he’s stuck in the middle of Mafia country with no way out. He has only the help of the innkeeper Vinciguerra, a man he can’t understand, and the passion of the sweet Sophia. Or is she part of the sinister web, too?

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 Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness is Today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal

MystereBooks is pleased to feature A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness as today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal. The deal price of $2.99 is valid only for today, Sunday, June 10, 2012.

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A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
The All Souls Trilogy
Publisher: Penguin

About A Discovery of Witches (from the publisher): Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries — and she is the only creature who can break its spell.

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 Sunday, June 10, 2012 only.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Kindle Daily Deal.

Review: Deadly Policy by Mitzi Kelly

We've just published our Review of Deadly Policy by Mitzi Kelly. A Silver Sleuths Mystery. Avalon Books Hardcover, April 2012.

Our rating:

Available to purchase from …

Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (120609)

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.

MystereBooks: This Week's Update of Kindle Books Priced $2.99 or Less (120609)

Every month Amazon publishes a list of 100 Kindle books priced $3.99 or less. We thought we'd take that idea and improve on it, publishing a list of 100 Kindle mystery books priced $2.99 or less and updating it every week!

Here is our general criteria for selecting titles to include: books from major or specialty publishers of crime fiction and those written by authors familiar to us. There are far more than 100 to choose from, so we use our best judgment to narrow it down.

We have many new titles to cover today, so let's get started!

• Poisoned Pen Press is offering the first three titles in three of its mystery series — Kerry Greenwood's "Phyrne Fisher", Mary Anna Evans's "Faye Longchamp", and Priscilla Royal's "Prioress Eleanor" — at discounted prices; the first title in each is only 99 cents!

• It's rare to find a Michael Connelly "Harry Bosch" mystery at a discounted price, but the third in the series is available from Little, Brown for only $2.99 (undoubtedly for a very limited time only).

• There are a couple of pre-orders this week: Icon, a new thriller by J. Carson Black (Thomas & Mercer, June 12th) and a reissue of Matthew Dunn's first Will Cochrane mystery, Spycatcher (William Morrow, June 26th), which includes the first seven chapters of the next in the series, Sentinel. We're not sure if you need to pre-order these books to take advantage of the special pricing or not, but wanted to make you aware of them.

• Our featured specialty crime publisher this week is Down & Out Books, which also publishes the e-editions of CrimeSpree Magazine. We're highlighting those titles that fit the category — $2.99 or less — and include mysteries by J. L. Abramo and Lono Waiwaiole.

Shown below are some of the new titles we added today; click on the cover or title to purchase the Kindle edition.

Important Note: Prices can and do change without prior notice! We strongly urge you to confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of purchase is the price of the book.

Catching Water in a Net by J. L. Abramo.
A Jake Diamond Mystery (1st).

Clutching at Straws by J. L. Abramo.
A Jake Diamond Mystery (2nd).

Counting to Infinity by J. L. Abramo.
A Jake Diamond Mystery (3rd).

The Black Stiletto by Raymond Benson.
A Judy Cooper "Black Stiletto" Mystery (1st).

Icon by J. Carson Black.

Whole Lotta Trouble by Stephanie Bond.

The Concrete Blonde by Michael Connelly.
A Harry Bosch Mystery (3rd).

High Spirits by Alice Duncan.

Hungry Spirits by Alice Duncan.

Spycatcher by Matthew Dunn.
A Will Cochrane Mystery (1st).

Artifacts by Mary Anna Evans.
A Faye Longchamp Mystery (1st).

Relics by Mary Anna Evans.
A Faye Longchamp Mystery (2nd).

Effigies by Mary Anna Evans.
A Faye Longchamp Mystery (3rd).

City of Veils by Zoë Ferraris.

Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood.
A Phryne Fisher Mystery (1st).

Flying Too High by Kerry Greenwood.
A Phryne Fisher Mystery (2nd).

Murder on the Ballarat Train by Kerry Greenwood.
A Phryne Fisher Mystery (3rd).

666 Park Avenue by Gabriella Pierce.
A Jane Boyle Mystery (1st).

The Dark Glamour by Gabriella Pierce.
A Jane Boyle Mystery (2nd).

Vanishing Point by Danielle Ramsay.

Wine of Violence by Priscilla Royal.
A Prioress Eleanor Mystery (1st).

Tyrant of the Mind by Priscilla Royal.
A Prioress Eleanor Mystery (2nd).

Sorrow Without End by Priscilla Royal.
A Prioress Eleanor Mystery (3rd).

Top Producer by Norb Vonnegut.

Wiley's Lament by Lono Waiwaiole.
A Wiley Mystery (1st).

Wiley's Shuffle by Lono Waiwaiole.
A Wiley Mystery (2nd).

Wiley's Refrain by Lono Waiwaiole.
A Wiley Mystery (3rd).

Dark Paradise by Lono Waiwaiole.

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.