Please Welcome Mystery Author Phyllis Smallman

by Phyllis Smallman

We are delighted to welcome back author Phyllis Smallman as our guest.

Phyllis's new mystery — the fifth in her Sherri Travis series — is Highball Exit (TouchWood Editions; October 2012 trade paperback and ebook formats). More good news! We hear she is currently working on the first book in a new series, Long Gone Man, coming in Fall 2013.

Today Phyllis writes about one of the most frequently asked questions of her. And she is giving one of our readers a chance to win a copy of Highball Exit; details below.

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One of the questions I'm always asked is, "Why do you write mysteries?"

Photo provided courtesy of
Phyllis Smallman

First of all, I love to read mysteries. Mysteries are epic adventures, life and death struggles to right wrongs, to see justice done and to discover truth. Often reluctant and unprepared, the hero or heroine goes on a quest, taking us with them.

Stories of crime explore the darker side of human nature, greed, anger; jealousy and love … all of these emotions are at the heart of a good mystery. We all fear being the victim of crime. Each of us feels as vulnerable to crime as we do to disease. Money won't protect you … nor does education … nor culture … and while we already know how dangerous the world is without mysteries to tell us, our fear holds us enthralled.

As I grow older a phrase comes back to me … . "things are going to hell in a handcart." From the bible to Star Wars, the fight against evil goes on. In fact the first crime stories appear in the bible … Cain murdering Able … Joseph being sold into slavery … the bible is full of tales of theft and murder, tales of the killing of babies. And you think identity theft is new? Think of Jacob stealing Esau's birthright. These stories tell us things are not getting worse, they were always like this and for me this is a comforting thought. We may not be winning but we're not losing either. It is a struggle that goes on day after day and generation after generation.

Crime is so central to life we name it like the Eskimos name snow, petty crime, blue collar crime, or major crime. I write mysteries because they contain all the drama of life.

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An award-winning author, Phyllis Smallman was a potter before turning to a life of crime. She was the first-ever recipient of the Crime Writers of Canada's Unhanged Arthur award, and was shortlisted for the Debut Dagger by the Crime Writers Association in the UK and nominated for the Malice Domestic Award in the US. Phyllis divides her year between Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, and a beach in Florida.

For more information about the author and her books, visit her website at PhyllisSmallman.com.

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Highball Exit
Phyllis Smallman
A Sherri Travis Mystery (5th in series)

Sherri Travis is three months behind on her mortgage and it will be last call for the Sunset Bar and Grill if she doesn't come up with some cash. So when Aunt Kay offers to pay Sherri to ask a few questions about Holly Mitchell's death, it sounds like easy money.

But it quickly descends into a dangerous world of drugs, sex workers, and perversion. Did Holly really take the highball exit, or was she murdered? And what happened to her baby?

          

For a chance to win a copy of Highball Exit, courtesy of the author, visit Mystery Book Contests, click on the "Phyllis Smallman: Sherri Travis Mysteries" contest link, enter your name, e-mail address, and this code — 4390 — for a chance to win! (One entry per person. Contest ends February 12th, 2013.)

The Twelfth Imam by Joel C. Rosenberg is Today's Third Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Twelfth Imam by Joel C. Rosenberg as today's third free mystery ebook (A David Shirazi Thriller; 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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The Twelfth Imam
Joel C. Rosenberg
A David Shirazi Thriller
Publisher: Tyndale House

As the apocalyptic leaders of Iran call for the annihilation of Israel and the U.S., CIA operative David Shirazi is sent into Tehran with one objective: use all means necessary to disrupt Iran's nuclear weapons program, without leaving American fingerprints and without triggering a regional war. At extreme personal risk, Shirazi executes his plan.

A native Farsi speaker whose family escaped from Iran in 1979, he couldn't be better prepared for the mission. But none of his training has prepared Shirazi for what will happen next. An obscure religious cleric is suddenly hailed throughout the region as the Islamic messiah known as the Mahdi or the Twelfth Imam. News of his miracles, healings, signs, and wonders spreads like wildfire, as do rumors of a new and horrific war.

With the prophecy of the Twelfth Imam seemingly fulfilled, Iran's military prepares to strike Israel and bring about the End of Days. Shirazi must take action to save his country and the world, but the clock is ticking.

  

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.

Eye of the Witch by Dana E. Donovan is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Eye of the Witch by Dana E. Donovan as today's second free mystery ebook (A Tony Marcella Mystery; Kindle, Kobo, and iTunes formats).

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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Eye of the Witch
Dana E. Donovan
A Tony Marcella Mystery
Publisher: CreateSpace

Detective Tony Marcella is brought out of retirement to team with his old partner, Carlos Rodriquez, as the two race against time to solve a mystery involving a string of suspicious deaths originally deemed suicides.

It's not enough that the clues in the deaths of three women seem to indicate who the next victim might be, but because of the ties that bind their pasts, every potential victim is also a potential suspect.

      

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.

In the Blood by Robert J. Sullivan is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature In the Blood by Robert J. Sullivan as today's free mystery ebook (A Sam Dane, Sci-Fi Thriller; 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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In the Blood
Robert J. Sullivan
A Sam Dane, Sci-Fi Thriller
Publisher: CreateSpace

When Sam Dane arrived on Procrustes he found a city given over to drunken debauchery, with the police overwhelmed by the manic festival and a killer leaving new victims day after day. Not speaking the language and unable to read clues on alien faces, Dane looks for any thread to follow back to the predator, human or alien.

Amid the chaos, where every action is colored by species, culture, alcohol, sex, violence, greed, ambition and politics, Dane works against time and the odds to keep the murders from destroying the city. He discovers that it's easier to bury bodies than secrets, and that there are worse crimes than murder.

  

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 Pain Scale by Tyler Dilts is Today's Kindle Daily Deal

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Pain Scale by Tyler Dilts as today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal.

The deal price of $1.99 is valid only for today, Tuesday, February 05, 2013.

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The Pain Scale
Tyler Dilts
A Danny Beckett Mystery
Thomas & Mercer

Long Beach homicide detective Danny Beckett returns from a year-long medical leave badly scarred and in constant pain, yet determined to prove he still has what it takes to do the job. He gets his chance when a call comes in that shocks even the toughest guys in the squad room: A California congressman's daughter-in-law and grandchildren have been brutally murdered in their upscale home.

At first glance, it looks like a robbery gone wrong, but Danny's not so sure. Something doesn't quite add up.

With state and local law enforcement in an uproar and the media circling like vultures, the pressure's on for Danny and his partner, Jennifer Tanaka, to solve this one. Too much is at stake … and not just politically. Even if they manage to crack the case, there's no guarantee the stress won't derail Danny's recovery. Because while the doctors can treat his physical pain, no one can erase the agony of the past that haunts every step he takes — and threatens to destroy his career once and for all.

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: Screenwriter to Adapt French Thriller Syndrome E

Paramount has tapped Mark Heyman (Black Swan) to adapt the bestselling French thriller Syndrome E for film, according to a report by Deadline.

The presumed first in a series, the novel introduces Lucie Hennebelle, a detective investigating the murder of a film restorer, who was working on a film that induced hysterical blindness in one of her friends. It was published in the US last August by Viking; read our review here.

No director or other production details were released by the studio.

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Syndrome E
Franck Thilliez

This is the story of beleaguered detective Lucie Hennebelle, whose old friend has developed a case of spontaneous blindness after watching an extremely rare — and violent — film from the 1950s. Embedded in the film are subliminal images so unspeakably heinous that Lucie realizes she must get to the bottom of it — especially when nearly everyone who comes into contact with the film starts turning up dead.

Enlisting the help of Inspector Franck Sharko — a brooding, broken analyst for the Paris police who is exploring the film's connection to five murdered men left in the woods, Lucie begins to strip away the layers of what is perhaps the most disturbing and powerful film ever made. Soon Sharko and Lucie find themselves mired in a darkness that spreads across politics, religion, science, and art while stretching from France to Canada, Egypt to Rwanda, and beyond.

      

Review: Reunion at Red Paint Bay by George Harrar

A Mysterious Review of …

Reunion at Red Paint Bay by George Harrar.

Review summary: This is a rather uniquely constructed mystery that explores the magnitude of one's lies, guilt, and denial. The plot gradually ramps up the suspense, shifting the focus from one character to another, all the while deftly keeping the truth hidden. A good story and well told. (Click here for text of full review.)

Our rating:

Reunion at Red Paint Bay
George Harrar
Other Press (January 2013)

Publisher synopsis: Red Paint calls itself "the friendliest town in Maine", a place where everyone knows one another and nothing too disturbing ever happens. Native son Simon Howe is a sturdy family man — a good father and husband — and owner-editor of the town's newspaper. Because there's rarely any real news, he runs stories about Virgin Mary sightings, high school reunions, and petty criminals.

One day Simon's predictable and peaceful life is disrupted by the arrival of an anonymous postcard, the first in a series of increasingly menacing messages. He tries to ignore them, but the implied danger becomes more real, threatening to engulf his wife and son as well. The Howe family becomes engaged in a full-scale psychological battle with their unidentified stalker — without even knowing it. Secrets from Simon's past are uncovered, escalating toward a tense and unexpected climax.

      

MystereBooks: Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane, now available at a special price, courtesy of the publisher, HarperCollins.

The ebook format of this title was priced at $2.99 from the listed vendors (below) 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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Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
Publisher: HarperCollins

This title is included on this month's list of 100 Kindle Books for $3.99 or less.

Summer, 1954. U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels has come to Shutter Island, home of Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane. Along with his partner, Chuck Aule, he sets out to find an escaped patient, a murderess named Rachel Solando, as a hurricane bears down upon them.

But nothing at Ashecliffe Hospital is what it seems.

And neither is Teddy Daniels.

Is he there to find a missing patient? Or has he been sent to look into rumors of Ashecliffe's radical approach to psychiatry? An approach that may include drug experimentation, hideous surgical trials, and lethal countermoves in the shadow war against Soviet brainwashing …

Or is there another, more personal reason why he has come there?

As the investigation deepens, the questions only mount:

• How has a barefoot woman escaped the island from a locked room?
• Who is leaving clues in the form of cryptic codes?
• Why is there no record of a patient committed there just one year before?
• What really goes on in Ward C?
• Why is an empty lighthouse surrounded by an electrified fence and armed guards?

The closer Teddy and Chuck get to the truth, the more elusive it becomes, and the more they begin to believe that they may never leave Shutter Island. Because someone is trying to drive them insane.

      

Important Note: This book was listed at the above mentioned price 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 and Suspense Films: Alex Cross and Deadfall, New This Week on DVD

Checking through our list of films currently scheduled for release this week on DVD and/or Blu-ray disc, we are pleased to feature two that fall into the mystery, suspense, thriller and/or adventure category …

Alex Cross starring Tyler Perry and Matthew Fox; and

Deadfall starring Eric Bana, Olivia Wilde, Sissy Spacek, and Kris Kristofferson.

See also a list of current mystery and suspense DVD, Blu-ray, or VOD deals on Amazon.com.

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Alex Cross (2012)

Directed by Rob Cohen from a screenplay by Kerry Williamson and Marc Moss, based on characters created by James Patterson and adapted in part from the 12th mystery in the series, Cross. Watch a trailer for the film below.

Film Synopsis (from the studio): Tyler Perry stars as homicide detective/psychologist Alex Cross 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.

Running time: 101 minutes. Rating: Rated PG-13 for violence including disturbing images, sexual content, language, drug references, and nudity.

Purchase/Rental Options

        

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Deadfall (2012)

Directed by Stefan Ruzowitzky from an original screenplay by Zach Dean. Watch a trailer for the film below.

Film Synopsis (from the studio): Siblings Addison (Eric Bana) and Liza (Olivia Wilde) are on the run from a casino heist gone wrong. When a car accident leaves their wheel man and a state trooper dead, they split up and make a run for the Canadian border in the worst of circumstances a near whiteout blizzard. While Addison heads cross-country, creating mayhem in his wake, Liza is picked up by ex-boxer Jay (Charlie Hunnam), en-route for a Thanksgiving homecoming with his parents, June (Sissy Spacek) and retired sheriff Chet (Kris Kristofferson). It's there the siblings are reunited in a terse and thrilling showdown that pushes the bonds of family to the limit.

Running time: 95 minutes. Rating: Rated R for strong violence, language and sexuality.

Purchase/Rental Options

          

Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (130204)

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.

Nominees for the 2013 Lefty Awards Announced

The nominees for the 2013 Lefty Awards have been anounced by the organizers of Left Coast Crime. Attendees to this year's conference in Colorado Springs (March 21st through 24th, 2013) will vote for the winners, which will be announced at a banquet on Saturday night.

The nominees are …

The Lefty (best humorous mystery):
• Cruising in Your Eighties Is Murder by Mike Befeler (Five Star)
• Swift Run by Laura DiSilverio (Minotaur Books)
• December Dread by Jess Lourey (Midnight Ink)
• Trail of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz (Simon & Schuster)
• The Girl Next Door by Brad Parks (Minotaur Books)
• Fit To Be Dead by Nancy Glass West (Southwest Publications)

The Bruce Alexander Memorial Historical Mystery Award:
• The Twelve Clues of Christmas by Rhys Bowen (Berkley Prime Crime)
• A City of Broken Glass by Rebecca Cantrell (Forge Books)
• Live by Night by Dennis Lehane (William Morrow)
• Dandy Gilver and an Unsuitable Day for a Murder by Catrona McPherson (Minotaur Books)
• Elegy for Eddie by Jacqueline Winspear (HarperCollins)

The Rocky (best mystery set Left Coast Crime geographical region):
• Buffalo Bill's Dead Now by Margaret Coel (Berkley Prime Crime)
• Hush Money by Chuck Greaves (Minotaur Books)
• Wicked Eddies by Beth Groundwater (Midnight Ink)
• Sonora Crossing by Darrell James (Midnight Ink)
• As the Crow Flies by Craig Johnson (Viking)

The Watson (best sidekick in a mystery)
• In a Witch's Wardrobe by Juliet Blackwell (Obsidian)
• Taken by Robert Crais (Putnam)
• Fun House by Chris Grabenstein (Pegasus)
• When the Past Haunts You by L. C. Hayden (CreateSpace)
• Brouja Brouhaha by Rochelle Staab (Berkley Prime Crime)

(Hat tip to Mystery Fanfare for alerting us to this list.)