Review: Murder in the Rue Dumas by M. L. Longworth

A Mysterious Review of …

Murder in the Rue Dumas by M. L. Longworth. An Antoine Verlaque and Marine Bonnet Mystery.

Review summary: This is a delightful academic-themed, village-style mystery, with characters that are interesting in and of themselves … but also, and maybe more so, from an interpersonal perspective. Steady but sure, this is a winning crime novel. (Click here for text of full review.)

Our rating:

Murder in the Rue Dumas
M. L. Longworth
An Antoine Verlaque and Marine Bonnet Mystery
Penguin (September 2012)

Publisher synopsis: Antoine Verlaque is stumped. The director of theology at the Université d'Aix was just about to name the recipient of an elite fellowship, as well as his own successor, when his lips were sealed permanently. Yet Verlaque isn't convinced that any of the academics are capable of murder. Aided by Bonnet, Verlaque turns Provence upside down, uncovering a world far more complicated than university politics.

      

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!

No extra notes this week so … let's get 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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Gunshot Straight by Lou Berney.

Putting Lipstick on a Pig by Michael Bowen. A Rep and Melissa Mystery (3rd).

The Bone Chamber by Robin Burcell.

The Drop Edge of Yonder by Donis Casey. An Alafair Tucker Mystery (3rd).

King City by Lee Goldberg. Check out the special Whispersync offer asssociated with this title.

Death of a Kitchen Diva by Lee Hollis. A Hayley Powell, Food and Cocktails Mystery (1st).

Is Skin Deep, Is Fatal by H. R. F. Keating.

The Animal Hour by Andrew Klavan.

The Hollow House by Janis Patterson.

Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet by Joanne Proulx.

Shiver of Fear by Roxanne St. Claire.

Death in North Beach by Ronald Tierney. A Carly Paladino and Noah Lang Mystery (2nd).

Bullet Beach by Ronald Tierney. A Deets Shanahan Mystery (10th).

Good to the Last Kiss by Ronald Tierney.

The Witch and the Borscht Pearl by Angela Zeman. A Mrs. Risk Mystery (1st).

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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.

Reviews of Mystery and Suspense Books for Kids, New This Week on Book Trends (121020)

Book Trends, a review site for young adult's and children's books, published several new book reviews this past week. We're presenting here a summary of those in the mystery/suspense/thriller category.

Summer at Forsaken Lake by Michael D. Bell. Lexile measure: 770L. Reviewed by a 6th grade student, who writes, "Thrilling, interesting, and suspenseful. … I found myself wanting to keep reading because I could not wait to know what would happen next." (Read the full review of this novel of suspense here.)

Secrets of Shakespeare's Grave by Deron R. Hicks. Lexile measure: 720L. Reviewed by a 6th grade student, who writes, "Do you like to read books about adventure, action and mystery? Well then [this] is the book for you!" (Read the full review of this mystery here.)

For more reviews of children and young adult books of all genres, visit Book Trends; their reviews will amaze you! You can also follow Book Trends on Twitter.

The Specter by Jonas Saul is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Specter by Jonas Saul 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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The Specter
Jonas Saul
Publisher: Imagine Press

The police don't take a stripper gone missing too seriously, so Aaron Stevens must investigate his sister's disappearance himself.

As he uncovers connections between a series of brutal murders that have Toronto police baffled, Aaron gets too close to the truth and finds himself targeted by a billionaire who doesn't care how many people have to die to keep his secret hidden.

With unlimited resources, The Specter eliminates anyone who dares threaten his empire. Aaron's amateur sleuthing and martial arts expertise shouldn't present any problems, but when money and power do battle against family ties and passion, all the rules go out the window.

  

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.

The Day I Left by Jason Korolenko is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Day I Left by Jason Korolenko 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 Day I Left
Jason Korolenko
Publisher: MightyRed Publications

Jarrod Nelson, a twenty-something American studying in France, is in love with his professor's sister, Caroline. But the professor's sudden, violent death drives a wedge between the lovers, and Jarrod finds himself struggling with demons he thought he'd buried long ago.

How far will Jarrod go to win Caroline back? And how far will Caroline go to stay away?

  

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.

Going Organic Can Kill You by Staci McLaughlin is Today's Nook Daily Find

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Going Organic Can Kill You by Staci McLaughlin as today's Barnes & Noble Nook Daily Find.

The deal price of $2.99 is valid only for today, Saturday, October 20, 2012.

Note: The price has been matched by Amazon.com for today only.

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Going Organic Can Kill You
Staci McLaughlin
A Dana Lewis, Blossom Valley Mystery
Kensington

This is the first mystery in this series.

Welcome to Blossom Valley, CA, home of the O'Connell Organic Farm and Spa, complete with its new marketing maven, Dana Lewis, former Blossom Valley resident and unapologetic junk food connoisseur — and soon to be sleuth.

As Dana readjusts to life back home with her recently widowed mother, her latest career move isn't exactly a piece of cake. In fact, it's all tofu fish sticks, stuffed squash blossoms, and enough wheat grass shots to scream bloody murder — especially when Dana discovers the body of Maxwell Mendelsohn, Hollywood producer and opening weekend guest, deader than a yoga corpse pose.

While Dana pens the Spa's blog and balances the attentions of the local police and reporter Jason Forrester, her escalating job duties now include finding clues, motives and suspects. One thing's for certain, she better act fast before all this healthy living kills her.

 

Important Note: This book was listed at the price mentioned above 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.

Cinemystery: Warner Bros. Acquires Film Rights to Mickey Spillane Novels

Warner Bros. has acquired the feature film rights to the "Mike Hammer" novels by Mickey Spillane.

Spillane introduced the New York City PI in 1947 in I, the Jury, and went on to write twelve more books in the series. Max Allan Collins has recently completed several of Spillane's unfinished manuscripts, and acts as his literary executor. Collins is listed as being an executive producer on the studio's film project.

This wouldn't be the first time that Mike Hammer has appeared on screen. Indeed, there are some eight or so films that have featured the character, and two television series, one starring Darren McGavin as the PI from the late 1950s and the other starring Stacy Keach from the mid-1980s and again in the mid-1990s.

Deadline has no further information about the studio's intent here, but we'd be guessing that any new "Hammer" film would be given a 21st century setting.

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I, the Jury
Mickey Spillane
A Mike Hammer Mystery (1st in series)
Dutton/Signet (1947)

PI Mike Hammer investigates the murder of his friend, Jack Williams, a former cop who served with Hammer.

      

New IMAX Poster for Skyfall

A new, exceptionally elegant, IMAX poster for Skyfall has been released by the studio (right; click for larger image).

The number 12:01 in the upper right refers to the "12:01 program"; those attending the Skyfall opening midnight shows will receive an exclusive, limited edition print featuring Daniel Craig as the iconic James Bond.

In Skyfall, Bond's loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.

Skyfall opens in theaters on November 9th, 2012 … but one day earlier for IMAX.

Telemystery: CBS Orders Two Crime Drama Projects

The Telemystery pilot updates seem to coming at a fast and furious pace, so we're combining today's news into a single post.

CBS has ordered a project set in New Orleans titled The Big Easy. (Not the most original of titles; a crime drama of the same title, based on a movie of the same title, aired on USA Network in the mid-1990s. We suspect this is at best a "working title".) The series is centered on a paranormal investigator, who has a dark side. (Don't they all.) The project is being written by Liz Garcia and Josh Harto, formerly of Memphis Beat.

CBS has also ordered Darkness Falls, a police procedural of sorts, in which an FBI psychologist and a homicide specialist "journey into small communities around the country to solve the darkest, most twisted single murders." The folks behind the CBS drama Criminal Minds will develop the project.

Deadline first reported on these projects (here and here).

Review: Mother's Day Out by Karen MacInerney

A Mysterious Review of …

Mother's Day Out by Karen MacInerney. A Margie Peterson Mystery.

Review summary: This is a fast-reading, breezy, and at times really quite funny mystery, which is far more about an engaging character than a plot that tends to rely on an overly complicated sequence of twists and turns. (Click here for text of full review.)

Our rating:

Mother's Day Out
Karen MacInerney
A Margie Peterson Mystery
Karen MacInerney (June 2012)

Publisher synopsis: Life is pretty typical for stay-at-home mom Margie Peterson. She's got a peanut-butter-covered wardrobe, an attorney husband who's always at the office, and a mother-in-law who keeps slipping her books like "Sex Secrets of Happy Wives." Then she lands a part-time job at a seedy P.I. firm — and her humdrum suburban life is turned upside-down.

By the end of her first day, Margie's totaled her minivan, submitted a picture of a naked man in Saran Wrap to the school newsletter, and accidentally participated in a drag queen contest. When she finds a dead transvestite in the “Princesses’” room of a gay bar, she decides it may be time to hang up her hat and start planning Tupperware parties. Then she picks up the drag queen’s phone … and discovers the last call the dead man made was to Margie’s own house.

      

Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (121019)

Here is today's list of the Bestselling Free Kindle Crime Fiction: the top nine mysteries, novels of suspense, 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 click on the image to the right or use this link to see the relevant page on Amazon.com, which includes a list of both the Top 100 Paid and Top 100 Free Kindle Mysteries and Thrillers.

The Bone House by Stephen R. Lawhead is Today's Nook Daily Find

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Bone House by Stephen R. Lawhead as today's Barnes & Noble Nook Daily Find.

The deal price of $2.99 is valid only for today, Friday, October 19, 2012.

Note: The price has been matched by Amazon.com for today only.

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The Bone House
Stephen R. Lawhead
The Bright Empires
Thomas Nelson

This is the second book in this series.

Kit Livingstone met his great-grandfather Cosimo in a rainy alley in London where he discovered the truth about alternate realities.

Now he's on the run — and on a quest — trying to understand the impossible mission he inherited from Cosimo: to restore a map that charts the hidden dimensions of the multiverse. Survival depends on staying one step ahead of the savage Burley Men.

The key is the Skin Map — but where it leads and what it means, Kit has no idea. The pieces have been scattered throughout this universe and beyond.

Mina, from her outpost in seventeenth-century Prague, is quickly gaining both the experience and the means to succeed in the quest. Yet so are those with evil intent who, from the shadows, are manipulating great minds of history for their own malign purposes.

Those who know how to use the ley lines have left their own world behind to travel across time and space—down avenues of Egyptian sphinxes, to an Etruscan tufa tomb, into a Bohemian coffee shop, and across a Stone Age landscape where universes collide — in this, the second quest to unlock the mystery of The Bone House.

 

Important Note: This book was listed at the price mentioned above 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.