Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (120620)

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.

Recreating 1860s New York City for Copper

Last week we featured what we now believe to be the first in a series of videos in which the executive producers of Copper discuss making the show.

This week's discussion centers on recreating New York City as it was in the 1860s. "We are being as accurate as we possibly can," says Tom Fontana. "But you never let the history get in the way of the drama."

Tom Weston-Jones stars as Kevin Corcoran, an intense, rugged Irish-immigrant cop working the city's notorious Five Points neighborhood. Corcoran is struggling to maintain his moral compass in a turbulent post-Civil War world while on an emotional and relentless quest to learn the truth about the disappearance of his wife and the death of his daughter.

Copper premieres on BBC America on August 19th, 2012.

Teaser Trailer for Breaking Dawn Part 2

A second teaser trailer — the first was only 10 seconds long, so we didn't feature it — for the final film of "The Twilight Saga", Breaking Dawn Part 2, has been released by the studio. We have embedded it below.

The film is marketed as "the astonishing conclusion to the series, [which] illuminates the secrets and mysteries of this spellbinding romantic epic that has entranced millions." We're sure no hyperbole at all by the studio is intended here.

Based on the fourth and final novel in the "Twilight" series of young adult thrillers by Stephenie Meyer, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 opens in theaters November 16th, 2012.

Please Welcome Novelist Chuck Van Soye

We are delighted to welcome debut novelist Chuck Van Soye as our guest blogger today.

Chuck's first thriller is the spy novel The China Oil Plot: Operation Ace in the Hole (Outskirts Press, April 2012 trade paperback and ebook editions).

Today Chuck talks to us about how he came to write his book.

— ◊ —

I didn't study to be a writer. After all, I was preparing to be a chemical engineer, and surely wouldn't be doing much writing in that career, I thought. But writing simply caught up and grabbed me when I was least prepared to defend myself.

Photo provided courtesy of
Chuck Van Soye

When my first employer, Sun Oil, imposed an austerity program that limited my career growth, I jumped ship, and landed in the lap of McGraw-Hill, who sought a chemical engineer that could be trained as a writer-editor for Chemical Engineering magazine. After a few years, I fled to Du Pont to become the founding Editor of The Journal of Teflon. Thus, I became hooked on writing, and made my living exclusively on this skill for seven years.

But the grass always looks greener elsewhere, and I went cold turkey on writing to move into the exciting world of industrial raw material sales, using my engineering skills in support of several multimillion-dollar customer accounts.

Four decades later, I retired from my sales engineer and marketing career. Yet, something stirred deep within me. I was still hooked! When I couldn't stand it any longer, I succumbed, and began tapping the keyboard. For awhile, I satisfied my craving by writing short articles for various online contests. Eventually I settled down and wrote my first book, Pondering Life's Imponderables. And then another, Confessions and Misadventures of Charlie the Fisherman. But these books were nonfiction. They weren't really the novel I knew I had buried within me and just had to write.

So, in October 2011, I sat down in front of my computer, and stared at the empty screen. After awhile, I recalled a harrowing personal Army experience involving my Colt .45 sidearm and decided to fictionalize my true-life actions in the character of 2nd Lt. Bret Lee, who eventually became a hero and spy. And Chapter One of The China Oil Plot came into being.

I don't know how other authors write their books. I suspect most plan precisely how the plot plays out well before they put the first word on paper. I had Chapter One, but no more. Not even the faintest idea where to go next.

After reading it aloud to my wife, and getting her encouragement to go on, I pondered for days where the story should go from there, and then started typing. Chapter Two was the result. But again it was a dead end. More pondering and Chapter Three sprang forth. And from then on, the book wrote itself, chapter by chapter.

I have to admit that I owe a lot of my story line to being asleep in bed. Often, during the wee dark hours of the night, under the influence of a sleep state half way between dreaming and dozing, a phrase or sentence or two would wiggle into my thoughts. At other times, an entire scenario would come alive, and I'd have to force myself to arise, stumble to the desk, and jot some notes in the dark so as to thwart morning forgetfulness.

By the time I typed Chapter Twelve, I finally realized the way that the book was heading, and started to really plan ahead. The ultimate end plot leapt into view, and I simply had to get it on paper before the vision disappeared. Voila! Three months and 27 more chapters later, The China Oil Plot existed in manuscript form. I sparred with myself and my wife which of the two best title ideas should be selected, and finally decided on both, with "Operation Ace in the Hole" ending up as a subtitle.

Some of my friends have asked me why most of "The China Oil Plot" activity centers within the country of Venezuela. "Was I born there, or did I visit there for an extended vacation?" they queried.

"No," I would respond to each questioner, "I've never been in Venezuela."

"Well, how could you write a book having almost all the action taking place in Caracas?" was the typical response.

"I spent a lot of time on Google, and in Wikipedia, MapQuest, Ask and dozens of other websites," was my reply. I now confess, I couldn't have written the book without the internet.

— ◊ —

Chuck Van Soye serves as unpaid Director of Marketing for "Trekking the Planet," a nonprofit world expedition underway to make geography come alive for 55,000 children in 850 classrooms in 20 countries. He also continues updating his recidivism/reentry-oriented blog, The-Slammer.org, whenever he can find worthy additions to pen or is able to twist the arm of another guest commentator. When time occasionally permits, he gets out in his boat to do a little fishing.

Chuck, who is now 80, shares his life with his wife of 54 years, two sons and two grandchildren. He lives in Key West, FL.

— ◊ —

About The China Oil Plot: Operation Ace in the Hole:

After 20 years working for the U.S. Army Research Center, Bret Lee, a 44-year-old chemical engineer, retires to look for work in private industry, only to learn that in the tough 2010 economy, he's unable to find a job in his chosen field. But thanks to a quasi-government contact from his past, he's offered a high-paying job with a Venezuelan fertilizer company just outside Caracas. There's only one catch: he has to become a spy.

Bret and his Chinese wife, Chu-Lin, accept the challenge, and both become enmeshed in the military, political, and diplomatic aspects of life within the most dangerous city of the world. With help from the local CIA and guidance from Washington, Lee uncovers an international plot that could throw all of Latin America into turmoil, and that could strangle strategic oil shipments to the U.S.

Life gets even more intense when he finds himself locked up by SEBIN, the intelligence arm of the Venezuelan government. In a high-stakes game of poker, sometimes a player who has an ace card that only he can see, his "ace in the hole," will confidently bet big money that he will be the winner of that hand of the game.

In the 21st century game of international petroleum supply, China puts big money and a lot more on the table to ensure that it will be the ultimate winner in obtaining Venezuela's oil production. But the new American spy also has an "ace in the hole," and his card trumps China's.

Blood Russian by R. D. Zimmerman is Today's Fourth Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Blood Russian by R. D. Zimmerman 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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Blood Russian by R. D. Zimmerman
Publisher: ScribblePub

Originally published in 1987 by Ballantine, this stand-alone thriller is by the author of the "Alex Phillips" and "Todd Mills" mystery series.

About Blood Russian (from the publisher): Boris wasn't cut out to be a smuggler. He just wanted to write a novel, and smuggling a truckload of hot auto parts out of Leningrad would, he hoped, give him cash to start a new life. But it wasn't that simple. Seemingly out of nowhere, a mysterious psychopath begins stalking Boris, and instead of trying to buy a little freedom, Boris is suddenly fighting for his life …

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.

Deadly Nightshade by Cynthia Riggs is Today's Third Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Deadly Nightshade by Cynthia Riggs 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.

— ◊ —

Deadly Nightshade by Cynthia Riggs
A Victoria Trumbull Mystery
Publisher: The Story Vault

Originally published by Minotaur Books in 2001, this mystery — the first of ten to date in the series — introduces the amateur sleuth living on Martha's Vineyard.

About Deadly Nightshade (from the publisher): Victoria Trumbull has lived most of her ninety-two years on the Island. Martha's Vineyard, its magic and its history, is part of the texture of her life. Like other Islanders, she knows the sounds of the sea in calm and stormy weather — and she knows the sounds that do not belong. One evening while Victoria waits on the dock for her granddaughter to return with the harbormaster, she hears a chilling scream followed by a splash and the sound of tires skidding on sand. She investigates and discovers a mutilated body floating on the outgoing tide.

With her granddaughter, Domingo the harbormaster, a swarm of Island characters, and a few mysterious visitors, Victoria manages to get in a good bit of detective work. However, she isn't able to prevent further homicide. As the tension mounts, Victoria concocts a scheme to reveal the killer, yet still has time to prepare her traditional Saturday night supper of Boston baked beans.

Meanwhile, summer visitors bask on the beach, sail Island waters, and shop in the Island stores, oblivious to the death and disorder murder has brought to the the native Islanders' lives.

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.

Mortal Deception by Lizbeth Lipperman is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Mortal Deception by Lizbeth Lipperman 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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Mortal Deception by Lizbeth Lipperman
Publisher: The Story Vault

About Mortal Deception (from the publisher): A mix of deceit and lies rocks the world of a dying child, an ex-cop on a mission to clear her dead husband's name and an anesthesiologist who desperately wants out of a loveless marriage. To save her nephew's life, the young widow seduces the doctor accused of murdering his wife. But even as she collects evidence that proves he's the killer, she can't stop her heart from falling for him. Until the game turns deadly …

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.

Tainted Souls by Steven J. Wangsness is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Tainted Souls by Steven J. Wangsness 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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Tainted Souls by Steven J. Wangsness
Publisher: Ploughshare Point

About Tainted Souls (from the publisher): Detective Rick Frost washes up in the sleepy Los Angeles exurb of Santa Isidora after being cashiered by the LAPD. An everyday murder investigation draws Frost into a web of corruption that stretches from the salons of Beverly Hills to the Green Zone of Baghdad and quickly pits him against powerful forces that even the Feds fear to disturb. Before it’s over, Frost will face an agonizing decision: to bring the guilty to justice, he must risk the life of the woman he loves.

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 Eagle Has Landed by Jack Higgins is Today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Eagle Has Landed by Jack Higgins as today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal. The deal price of $1.99 is valid only for today, Wednesday, June 20, 2012.

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The Eagle Has Landed by Jack Higgins
A Liam Devlin Thriller
Publisher: Open Road

First published in 1975, this classic World War II thriller was adapted into a film of the same title in 1976 starring Michael Caine.

About The Eagle Has Landed (from the publisher): In November of 1943, an elite team of Nazi paratroopers descends on British soil with a diabolical goal: to abduct Winston Churchill and cripple the Allied war effort. The mission, ordered by Hitler himself and planned by Heinrich Himmler, is led by ace agent Kurt Steiner and aided on the ground by IRA gunman Liam Devlin.

As the deadly duo executes Hitler’s harrowing plot, only the quiet town of Studley Constable stands in their way. Its residents are the lone souls aware of the impending Nazi plan, and they must become the most unlikely of heroes as the fate of the war hangs in the balance.

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 Wednesday, June 20, 2012 only.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Kindle Daily Deal.

New Savages Featurette

A featurette for the action thriller Savages has been released by the studio; we've embedded it below. It's basically the film's trailer deconstructed and intercut with brief commentary by the principal actors.

Directed by Oliver Stone from a screenplay adapted from the 2010 crime novel by Don Winslow, co-written by Stone, Winslow, and Shane Salerno, the film features an all-star ensemble cast of Taylor Kitsch, Blake Lively, Aaron Johnson, John Travolta, Benicio Del Toro, and Salma Hayek.

Savages opens in theaters July 6th, 2012.

The Mystery Bookshelf: The Zurich Conspiracy by Bernadette Calonego

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.

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The Zurich Conspiracy by Bernadette Calonego
AmazonCrossing (Trade Paperback)
Publication Date: June 2012
ISBN-13: 978-1-61109-093-2

About The Zurich Conspiracy (from the publisher): Thirty-something Josefa Rehmer is as smart and ambitious as they come, qualities that have earned her the enviable position of events manager at Loyn, an exclusive Zurich leather accessories company. But when Werner Schulmann is appointed to be her new supervisor, Josefa’s professional ambitions are dealt a serious blow. After all, it was Schulmann’s sexual harassment that nearly derailed her career years earlier. Unable to stomach the thought of working for such a man, Josefa resigns, abandoning Loyn for another local firm. But when Schulmann is murdered and Loyn’s CEO commits suicide, Josefa begins to suspect that something other than sexual impropriety is plaguing her former company. She sets out to uncover the truth and soon realizes the two deaths are just the tip of the iceberg. As she digs deeper, Josefa finds herself caught in a complex and dangerous web of blackmail, corporate espionage, and murder. And if she’s not careful, she will be the next one to take the fall.

(Originally published in 2005 as Nutze deine Feinde.)

— ◊ —

About the author: Bernadette Calonego was born in Switzerland and grew up on the shores of Lake Lucerne. She was just eleven years old when she published her first story, a fairytale, in a Swiss newspaper. She went on to earn a teaching degree from the University of Fribourg, which she put to good use in England and Switzerland before switching gears to be a journalist. After several years working with the Reuters news agency and a series of German newspapers, she moved to Canada and began writing fiction. Visit her website at BernadetteCalonego.com.

Purchase Options for The Zurich Conspiracy:

Review: Barnstorming by Laura Crum

We've just published our Review of Barnstorming by Laura Crum. A Gail McCarthy Mystery. Perseverance Press Trade Paperback, April 2012.

Our rating:

Available to purchase from …

Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (120619)

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.

Critics' Choice Television Awards Telemystery Winners

The Second Annual Critics' Choice Television Awards were handed out last night, with Sherlock taking home two awards, for Best Movie/Miniseries and Benedict Cumberbatch for Best Actor in a Movie/Miniseries.

Breaking Bad won for Best Actor in a Drama Series (Bryan Cranston) and Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Giancarlo Esposito).

Homeland won for Best Drama Series and Best Actress in a Drama Series (Claire Danes).

Other telemystery series getting awards include Archer for Best Animated Series and Southland for Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series (Lucy Liu).

Beware of Rekall: New Viral Posters for Total Recall

A series of competing viral posters for the action thriller Total Recall have been released by the studio.

In one set, the tagline is "Beware of Rekall. Don't let them blow your mind."

In the other set, the tagline is "Tell us your fantasy. We'll make it real."

There are even competing websites: NoRekall.org and WelcomeToRekall.com, both of which are really well done.

Total Recall is a remake of the 1990 film that stars Arnold Schwarzenegger. Both are based on the 1966 short story "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale" by Philip K. Dick.

The new version stars Colin Farrell as factory worker Douglas Quaid. Even though he's got a beautiful wife (Kate Beckinsale), who he loves, the mind-trip promised by Rekall, the company that can turn your dreams into real memories, sounds like the perfect vacation from his frustrating life — a memory as a super-spy might be just what he needs. But when the procedure goes horribly wrong, Quaid becomes a hunted man. Finding himself on the run from the police — controlled by Chancellor Cohaagen (Bryan Cranston), the leader of the free world — Quaid teams up with a rebel fighter (Jessica Biel) to find the head of the underground resistance (Bill Nighy) and stop Cohaagen. The line between fantasy and reality gets blurred and the fate of his world hangs in the balance as Quaid discovers his true identity, his true love, and his true fate.

Total Recall opens in theaters August 3rd, 2012.