The Devil Colony by James Rollins is Today's Kindle Daily Deal

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Devil Colony by James Rollins as today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal.

The deal price of $1.99 is valid only for today, Monday, January 14, 2013.

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The Devil Colony
James Rollins
A SIGMA Force Thriller
William Morrow

Deep in the Rocky Mountains, a gruesome discovery — hundreds of mummified bodies — stirs international attention and fervent controversy. Despite doubts about the bodies' origins, the local Native American Heritage Commission lays claim to the prehistoric remains, along with the strange artifacts found in the same cavern: gold plates inscribed with an unfathomable script.

During a riot at the dig site, an anthropologist dies horribly, burned to ashes in a fiery explosion in plain view of television cameras. All evidence points to a radical group of Native Americans, including one agitator, a teenage firebrand who escapes with a vital clue to the murder and calls on the one person who might help — her uncle, Painter Crowe, Director of Sigma Force.

To protect his niece and uncover the truth, Painter will ignite a war among the nation's most powerful intelligence agencies. Yet an even greater threat looms as events in the Rocky Mountains have set in motion a frightening chain reaction, a geological meltdown that threatens the entire western half of the U.S.

From the volcanic peaks of Iceland to the blistering deserts of the American Southwest, from the gold vaults of Fort Knox to the bubbling geysers of Yellowstone, Painter Crowe joins forces with Commander Gray Pierce to penetrate the shadowy heart of a dark cabal, one that has been manipulating American history since the founding of the thirteen colonies.

But can Painter discover the truth — one that could topple governments — before it destroys all he holds dear?

Read our review of The Devil Colony by James Rollins.

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.

Mystery Godoku Puzzle for January 14, 2013

A new Mystery Godoku Puzzle has been created by the editors of the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books and is now available on our website.

Godoku is similar to Sudoku, but uses letters instead of numbers. To give you a headstart, we provide you a mystery clue to fill in a complete row or column (if you choose to use it!).

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This week's letters and mystery clue:

A B G I J M N O R

James Church introduced this character, Inspector O's nephew, in the mystery A Drop of Chinese Blood. (9 letters).

We now have two weeks of our puzzles on one page in PDF format for easier printing. Print this week's puzzle here.

Previous puzzles are stored in the Mystery Godoku Archives.

Enjoy the weekly Mystery Godoku Puzzle from the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, and Thanks for visiting our website!

Mr. E. Reviews Premium Rush

Purchase/Rental Option(s)

This action thriller doesn't pretend to be anything more than it is, but a little more effort on the part of the screenwriter — a non-linear storyline trying to mask an obvious flaw in the premise does not make for a solid script — could have resulted in a much better film overall.

Read the full text of our review at Mr. E. Reviews Premium Rush.

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Mr. E. Reviews is your source for mystery, suspense, thriller, and crime drama reviews of television and film.

Review: Double Vision by F. T. Bradley

A Mysterious Review of …

Double Vision by F. T. Bradley. A Linc Baker Adventure.

Review summary: This is an action-packed adventure book that is sure to thrill and delight its intended audience, younger middle school-aged readers, both boys and girls. The Paris setting and inclusion of clues and ciphers to be solved enhance an already exciting storyline. (Click here for text of full review.)

Our rating:

Double Vision
F. T. Bradley
A Linc Baker Adventure
Harper (October 2012)

Publisher synopsis: Twelve-year-old Linc is a trouble-maker with a dilemma. His antics on a recent school field trip went way overboard, landing his already poor family with a serious lawsuit. So when two secret agents show up at his house, Linc is eager to take them up on their offer to make the lawsuit disappear. They just need one tiny favor.

Turns out Linc looks exactly like one of their top kid agents — an agent who's vanished during a vitally important mission. But no debriefing can prepare Linc for how dangerous the mission really is. It's too bad he isn't a black belt, a math genius, or a distance runner like his agent double. He'll need all those skills and more if he hopes to make it out of this mission alive …

      

Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (130113)

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; as an alternative, 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.

This Week's Amazon TV Deal of the Week: Hawaii Five-O, the Complete Original Series

This week's Amazon TV Deal of the Week is the complete original series of Hawaii Five-O.

• Hawaii Five-O

Filmed entirely on location in Hawaii, this crime drama followed the actions of Steve McGarrett (played by Jack Lord), head of an elite state police unit investigating "organized crime, murder, assassination attempts, foreign agents, felonies of every type".

The series premiered on CBS in September 1968 and ran for twelve seasons.

This week only, save 67% on Hawaii Five-O: The Complete Original Series. Offer ends January 19th, 2013.

Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (130112)

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; as an alternative, 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.

MystereBooks: This Week's Update of Kindle Crime Fiction Priced $2.99 or Less (130112)

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 special notes this week so so let's get to today's update!

Below are listed the new $2.99 or less titles we added either today or mentioned in separate posts earlier this week; 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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Guilt by Association by Marcia Clark. A Rachel Knight Legal Thriller (1st).

Shop Til You Drop … Dead by Carol Culver. A San Francisco Shopping Murder Mystery.

Mirror, Mirror by Les Edgarton.

The Saint Valentine's Day Murders by Ruth Dudley Edwards. A Robert Amiss and Baroness Jack Troutbeck Mystery (2nd).

The English School of Murder by Ruth Dudley Edwards. A Robert Amiss and Baroness Jack Troutbeck Mystery (3rd).

Clubbed To Death by Ruth Dudley Edwards. A Robert Amiss and Baroness Jack Troutbeck Mystery (4th).

Matricide at St. Martha's by Ruth Dudley Edwards. A Robert Amiss and Baroness Jack Troutbeck Mystery (5th).

The Pardon by James Grippando. A Jack Swyteck Legal Thriller (1st).

Carnival for the Dead by David Hewson.

Cannibal Reign by Thomas Koloniar.

The Sloth's Eye by Linda Lombardi. A Hannah Lilly, Zoo Mystery.

Shame by Alan Russell.

Nightwatcher by Wendy Corsi Staub.

Murder Most Academic by Alicia Stone. A Trinity Pierce Mystery.

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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.

Review: Ratlines by Stuart Neville

A Mysterious Review of …

Ratlines by Stuart Neville.

Review summary: This stand-alone succeeds more as an intriguing historical novel than as a suspenseful thriller. What's missing is some tension in the plot, an edge to the storyline. The whodunit element is nicely introduced but tends to take a back seat to the large cast of characters, each of which with their own storyline. (Click here for text of full review.)

Our rating:

Ratlines
Stuart Neville
Soho Crime (January 2013)

Publisher synopsis: Ireland 1963. As the Irish people prepare to welcome President John F. Kennedy to the land of his ancestors, a German national is murdered in a seaside guesthouse. Lieutenant Albert Ryan, Directorate of Intelligence, is ordered to investigate. The German is the third foreigner to die within a few days, and Minister for Justice Charles Haughey wants the killing to end lest a shameful secret be exposed: the dead men were all Nazis granted asylum by the Irish government in the years following World War II.

A note from the killers is found on the dead German's corpse, addressed to Colonel Otto Skorzeny, Hitler's favorite commando, once called the most dangerous man in Europe. The note simply says: "We are coming for you."

As Albert Ryan digs deeper into the case he discovers a network of former Nazis and collaborators, all presided over by Skorzeny from his country estate outside Dublin. When Ryan closes in on the killers, his loyalty is torn between country and conscience. Why must he protect the very people he fought against twenty years before? Ryan learns that Skorzeny might be a dangerous ally, but he is a deadly enemy.

    

All Due Respect by Vicki Hinze is Today's Sixth Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature All Due Respect by Vicki Hinze as today's sixth free mystery ebook (A Novel of Romantic Suspense; Kindle format only).

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.

For a summary of all of today's featured titles, plus any that may have appeared before and are repeat freebies, visit our Free MystereBooks page. This page is updated daily, typically by 8 AM ET.

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All Due Respect
Vicki Hinze
A Novel of Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Bell Bridge Books

Former Air Force scientist Dr. Julia Warner-Hyde went into hiding three years ago to escape her abusive ex-husband. Her new life as a small town school teacher is safe and peaceful — until her old lab partner, Dr. Seth Holt, arrives.

Terrorists have stolen the missile system Seth and Julia designed, and they fully intend to use it. Seth needs Julia's help to find, outwit and halt them, but he and she didn't part on the best of terms. He doesn't know that Julia has a secret enemy who might kill them both. Can she fight that threat and the terrorists — all while keeping Seth in the dark? How can she refuse to try, with millions of lives at stake?

  

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.

Three Days of Swine and Roses by Vladimir Brusiloff Jr. is Today's Fifth Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Three Days of Swine and Roses by Vladimir Brusiloff Jr. as today's fifth free mystery ebook (A Pignapping Mystery; Kindle format only).

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.

For a summary of all of today's featured titles, plus any that may have appeared before and are repeat freebies, visit our Free MystereBooks page. This page is updated daily, typically by 8 AM ET.

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Three Days of Swine and Roses
Vladimir Brusiloff Jr.
A Pignapping Mystery
Publisher: Vladimir Brusiloff Jr.

When he found two strange mini-pigs in his apartment, his first thought was "What the hell?". Hell was in fact not far away, only a few hours drive to the south of Moscow, Russia. Already by midday, he (and the pigs) would be there, in a gloomy castle owned by a malevolent Russian professor, who looks like a close relative of Satan.

An inheritance of 50 million Euros is at stake, so nobody is safe. The entire castle is enmeshed in a web of sinister plots and filled with all kinds of crooks who would stop at nothing to get their hands on the filthy lucre. Their modus operandi is "an eye for an eye and a swine for a swine", and the two little pigs are sure to become one huge problem there.

By evening, he will be on the brink of defeat: confused, devastated and blackmailed. There is nowhere else to retreat, even his forthcoming marriage is under threat. When the first stars appear in the sky, he decides to fight the good fight — for justice, for wedding bells and for mini-pigs.

And the first tough question to answer will be: Who did it, if there is no butler?

  

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.

Louisiana Lament by Julie Smith is Today's Fourth Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Louisiana Lament by Julie Smith as today's fourth free mystery ebook (A Talba Wallis Mystery; Kindle format only).

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.

For a summary of all of today's featured titles, plus any that may have appeared before and are repeat freebies, visit our Free MystereBooks page. This page is updated daily, typically by 8 AM ET.

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Louisiana Lament
Julie Smith
A Talba Wallis Mystery
Publisher: booksBnimble

They'd be Queen Latifah and Danny DeVito if this were a movie. Instead they're P.I.s Talba Wallis and Eddie Valentino — Talba's young, African-American, computer-brilliant, bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and a noted poet by night; Eddie's pushing seventy, white, hopelessly tech-challenged, and pretty much burned out. Somehow, they make it work — with Talba's tech-and-street smarts, and Eddie's old-school hard-earned savvy, they even complement each other.

One stormy day Talba gets an emergency call from Janessa, the sister she barely knows, and arrives to find a body floating in a swimming pool — the mortal husk of Allyson Brown, known in New Orleans literary circles as the Girl Gatsby. Like Gatsby, Allyson was one of those mysterious rich people who move to town, give amazing parties, and seem made of moonbeams.

Investigating, Talba finds the reality behind the Gatsby glamour. Allyson was a con artist who neglected her children, ignored her bills, and lied like a rug. But she wasn't the only bad actor on the local literary scene. Fellow poet Rashad leads Talba a merry chase, leaving a trail of clues in the form of poetry, while novelists engage in fisticuffs, unseemly preening, and unforgivable arrogance.

Before it's all over, Talba finds out just how seamy, petty, and downright murderous her fellow literati can be.

  

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.

When a Red Light Shines by David Wilson is Today's Third Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature When a Red Light Shines by David Wilson as today's third free mystery ebook (A Jack Edgerton Mystery; Kindle format only).

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.

For a summary of all of today's featured titles, plus any that may have appeared before and are repeat freebies, visit our Free MystereBooks page. This page is updated daily, typically by 8 AM ET.

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When a Red Light Shines
David Wilson
A Jack Edgerton Mystery
Publisher: Link Books Ltd.

Three years have passed, and two unsolved double murders in London still weigh heavily on the mind of Detective Chief Inspector Jack Edgerton. A member of the original investigation, he has moved on, but the murders remain unsolved as he fulfills his new role as the head of Scotland Yard’s elite murder investigation team.

London remains the vibrant 24/7 city as life goes on … November 2011 is a prosperous and productive period for the media as the political classes are embroiled in a battle to gain power as a public inquiry starts threatening to undermine the stability of the current Labour government. Allegations of corruption that cut right through to the very heart of government make for a dangerous situation. A web of lies and deceit evolves as sinister events slowly begin to unfold where a red light shines.

London is again thrown into turmoil as a series of murders are committed in the affluent suburbs reigniting fears of local residents. The killings have started once again but why should the world of politics concern Jack Edgerton? There is no refuge for any person implicated in this killing game.

  

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.