MystereBooks: This Week's Update of Kindle Crime Fiction Priced $2.99 or Less

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.

And just a reminder … as we add new titles, older ones are removed from the list. These books aren't likely to be repeated, so we encourage you to check in frequently!

Just a few notes before we get to today's list …

• With the first of the month occurring since our last update, there is a new selection of 100 Kindle books priced $3.99 or less for October 2012. We've tried not to duplicate any titles here.

• We've added a new publisher to check each week: Premier Digital. The link to the left is for their entire catalog of titles priced $2.99 or less; we've added a few of the mysteries and thrillers to our list this week.

• Poisoned Pen Press has been very generous in discounting many of their books to $2.99 or less for much of this year. But we've begun to see a few of the titles having the prices increased, sometimes just a dollar or two, but still. If you haven't already checked out their extensive selection of discounted titles, use this link to see all the books this publisher has lowered to $2.99 or less.

• There are a handful of titles to pre-order; we've made a note of these next to their title.

And now on to our update! Below are listed the new $2.99 or less titles we added today; click on the cover or title for more information or 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.

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Tainted Innocence by Joss Alexander.

Trunk Music by Michael Connelly. A Harry Bosch Mystery (5th).

Winter of Secrets by Vicki Delany. A Molly Smith Mystery (3rd).

The Benedict Arnold Connection by Joseph DiMona. A George Williams Thriller.

Last Man at Arlington by Joseph DiMona. A George Williams Thriller.

To the Eagle's Nest by Joseph DiMona. A George Williams Thriller.

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

Arctic Fire by Stephen Frey. Pre-Order.

Intrusion by Arlene Kay.

The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor by Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga.

No Money Down by Julie Moffett. A Lexi Carmichael Mystery (3rd).

Cat on the Edge by Shirley Rousseau Murphy. A Joe Grey Mystery (1st).

Dance of Flames by Janni Nell. An Allegra Fairweather Mystery (3rd).

The Jerusalem Puzzle by Laurence O'Bryan.

Cold Vengeance by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. A Pendergast Thriller (11th).

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

Dead Calm by Shirley Wells. A Dylan Scott Mystery (4th).

The Killing Circle by Chris Wiltz. A Neal Rafferty Mystery (1st).

A Diamond Before You Die by Chris Wiltz. A Neal Rafferty Mystery (2nd).

The Emerald Lizard by Chris Wiltz. A Neal Rafferty Mystery (3rd).

Shoot the Money by Chris Wiltz.

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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.

Scofflaw Blues by Marc Krulewitch is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Scofflaw Blues by Marc Krulewitch 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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Scofflaw Blues
Marc Krulewitch
A Jules Landau Mystery
Publisher: Marc Krulewitch

Begin with a murdered parking officer, the alleged victim of a lunatic towed one too many times. Add a bizarre client with a pile of cash who knows more than he's willing to admit. Throw in a fanatical tabloid journalist on the scent of an epic scandal. Blend in handfuls of apathetic cops, greedy politicians, corporate corruption, Russian mafia, conveniently dead witnesses, and then top it off with the victim's lovely niece. Mix thoroughly to create a perplexing murder case for Chicago private eye Jules Landau.

  

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.

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

White Cell by B. Regan Asher is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature White Cell by B. Regan Asher 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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White Cell
B. Regan Asher
Publisher: B. Regan Asher

Jim Kincaid is one of the most infamous hackers in the world though his true identity remains unknown. An aloof 30 year old Catholic with some unusual religious observances, he hardly dates, preferring to socialize with a few close friends, and spends most of his free time in his apartment hacking from his elaborate server room. In contrast to other hackers, Jim’s heightened sense of morality does not allow him to use his technical proficiency for financial gain; instead, he is a benevolent hacker, seeking out and destroying new viruses, helping, rather than hurting, the internet community.

Consumed though he is by his hobby, Jim’s hacking exploits have recently become too expensive to support. The bills and statements that arrive at his apartment every day remain unpaid. And now the banks are calling. If Jim can not find more funds he will lose everything.

Backed into a corner and without any alternative, Jim considers an illegal option. He knows that he can use his hacking capabilities to steal funds and solve his financial woes. But, even as he plans the theft, he recognizes that to succumb to this easy solution would have him reverse a lifetime of honest and benevolent work.

Then, through a chance conversation with an acquaintance at work, Jim is given the opportunity to borrow the money he so desperately requires. Though his best friend Ben is against the loan, Jim decides to borrow the money without truly understanding where it has come from. When he does discover who has lent him the money, he finds that he is in more trouble than he was without it. He becomes entangled with the Mafia and then with a terrorist kidnapping and a federal law enforcement agency. With help from Ben and through his own ingenuity Jim must find a way out of a complex predicament that is beginning to threaten his friends and family. And he must also discover the secret in his past that will explain so much.

  

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.

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

Winners of the 2012 Shamus Awards Announced

Bouchercon 2012 is underway in Cleveland this week — Crime Fiction Rocks! — and that means still more award presentations!

Last night the Shamus Awards winners were announced honoring the best in the private eye genre as selected by the Private Eye Writers of America.

• Best PI Hardcover: A Bad Night's Sleep by Michael Wiley (Minotaur Books)

• Best First PI Novel: The Shortcut Man by P. G. Sturges (Scribner)

• Best PI Paperback Original: Fun & Games by Duane Swierczynski (Mulholland Books)

• Best PI Short Story: "Who I Am" by Michael Z. Lewin (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine)

In addition The Hammer — a special award recognizing a series character — was handed out to Max Allan Collins for his PI Nathan Heller.

Special thanks to The Rap Sheet for notifying us of the results.

Three TV Spots for Alex Cross

Alex Cross opens in two weeks and today the studio, Summit Entertainment, uploaded three TV spots to its YouTube channel; we've embedded them below.

Tyler Perry stars as Alex Cross, a young homicide detective/psychologist, as he meets his match in a serial killer (Matthew Fox). The two face off in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse, but when the mission gets personal, Cross is pushed to the edge of his moral and psychological limits in this taut and exciting action thriller.

Directed by Rob Cohen from an adapted screenplay by Marc Moss and Kerry Williamson from the novel by James Patterson, Alex Cross opens in theaters October 19th, 2012.

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Alex Cross
James Patterson
An Alex Cross Thriller (12th in series)

Alex Cross was a rising star in the Washington, DC, Police Department when an unknown shooter gunned down his wife, Maria, in front of him. The killer was never found, and the case turned cold, filed among the unsolved drive-bys in D.C.'s rough neighborhoods.

Years later, still haunted by his wife's death, Cross is making a bold move in his life. Now a free agent from the police and the FBI, he's set up practice as a psychologist once again. His life with Nana Mama, Damon, Jannie, and little Alex is finally getting in order. He even has a chance at a new love.

Then Cross's former partner, John Sampson, calls in a favor. He is tracking a serial rapist in Georgetown, one whose brutal modus operandi recalls a case Sampson and Cross worked together years earlier. When the case reveals a connection to Maria's death, Cross latches on for the most urgent and terrifying ride of his life.

      

Telemystery: Fox Orders Project Adapted from Midnighters Trilogy by Scott Westerfeld

Fox has ordered a script for potential series adapted from the "Midnighters" trilogy for young adults by Scott Westerfeld.

Chris Fedak (Chuck) will write the screenplay with Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage (Gossip Girl, Hart of Dixie) co-executive producing.

The premise of the series will center on a group of people, who were all born at midnight and have the ability to access the 25th hour of the day.

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The Secret Hour
Scott Westerfeld
The Midnighters Trilogy (1st in series)

A few nights after Jessica Day arrives in Bixby, Oklahoma, she wakes up at midnight to find the entire world frozen, except for her and a few others who call themselves "midnighters". Dark things haunt this midnight hour, dark things with a mysterious interest in Jessica. The question is … why?

A compelling tale of dark secrets, midnight romance, eerie creatures, courage, destiny, and unexpected peril.

      

New Poster for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2

A new poster for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 has been released by the studio (right; click for larger image). The tagline: "The epic finale that will live forever." (We're not sure if this is a domestic poster or an international one; we're leaning towards the latter.)

This fifth and final — or is it??? — film in the series is based on the young adult thrillers by Stephenie Meyer (more about Breaking Dawn below). Directed by Bill Condon from an adapted screenplay by Melissa Rosenberg, Breaking Dawn Part 2 opens in theaters November 16th, 2012.

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Breaking Dawn
Stephenie Meyer
The Twilight Saga (4th and final in series)

To be irrevocably in love with a vampire is both fantasy and nightmare woven into a dangerously heightened reality for Bella Swan. Pulled in one direction by her intense passion for Edward Cullen, and in another by her profound connection to werewolf Jacob Black, a tumultuous year of temptation, loss, and strife have led her to the ultimate turning point. Her imminent choice to either join the dark but seductive world of immortals or to pursue a fully human life has become the thread from which the fates of two tribes hangs.

Now that Bella has made her decision, a startling chain of unprecedented events is about to unfold with potentially devastating, and unfathomable, consequences. Just when the frayed strands of Bella's life — first discovered in Twilight, then scattered and torn in New Moon and Eclipse — seem ready to heal and knit together, could they be destroyed … forever?

      

Click on the Amazon.com button to check out the special Whispersync offer associated with this title.

Telemystery: CBS Developing Second Sight, based on the BBC Crime Drama Series

CBS has ordered a crime drama project titled Second Sight, based on the BBC series of the same title that aired for two seasons in 2000 and 2001. Michael Cuesta (Homeland) and Carol Mendelsohn (CSI) will co-executive produce.

The original BBC series is available on DVD here in the US; more about it below together with a trailer from the distributor.

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Second Sight

His second sight is his second chance …

In this mystery thriller series created by award-winning writer Paula Milne, dynamic and successful Detective Chief Inspector Ross Tanner (Clive Owen) is investigating the brutal murder of a 19-year-old youth. Ambitious Detective Inspector Catherine Tully (Claire Skinner) is seconded to Tanner's team to assist with the case.

During the inquiry, Tanner discovers that he is losing his sight. At first, he is defiant about the diagnosis, insisting on a second opinion, but increasingly, he is unable to escape the appalling truth about his condition. Terrified, he tells no one. When Tully realizes the nature of his secret, she agrees to guard it — on certain conditions that will further her career.

As a disturbing side-effect of his diminishing sight, Tanner experiences bizarre visions and his other senses erupt to fill the growing black void. Instinctively, Tanner uses the hallucinations as clues to solving the murder, knowing that he must re-invent his methods and develop this "second sight" to keep working and survive.

  

Review: The Creeper by Tania Carver

A Mysterious Review of …

The Creeper by Tania Carver.

Review summary: There is very little to capture the reader's imagination in this serial killer thriller. The characters aren't very engaging or memorable, the plotline completely predictable. At best, it is suitable for train or subway commutes and the like, where one must quickly be able to bookmark a page on a moment's notice … and not mind doing so. (Click here for text of full review.)

Our rating:

The Creeper
Tania Carver
Pegasus Crime (August 2012)

Publisher synopsis: Suzanne Perry is having a vivid nightmare. Someone is in her bedroom, touching her, and she can't move a muscle. She wakes, relieved to put the nightmare behind her, but when she opens the curtains, she sees a Polaroid stuck to the window. A photo of her, sleeping, taken during the night. And underneath, the words: "I'm watching over you."

Her nightmare isn't over. In fact, it's just beginning. Detective Inspector Phil Brennan of the Major Incident Squad has a killer to hunt. A killer who stalks young women, insinuates himself into their lives, and ultimately tortures and murders them in the most shocking way possible.

But the more Phil investigates, the more he delves into the twisted psychology of his quarry, Phil realizes that it isn't just a serial killer he's hunting but something — or someone — infinitely more calculating and horrific. And much closer to home than he realized …