Scraps of Paper by Kathryn Meyer Griffith is Today's Third Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Scraps of Paper by Kathryn Meyer Griffith as today's third free mystery ebook (An Abigail Sutton and Frank Lester Mystery; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, February 15, 2013 at 7:30 AM ET. 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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Scraps of Paper
Kathryn Meyer Griffith
An Abigail Sutton and Frank Lester Mystery
Publisher: Kathryn Meyer Griffith

Abigail Sutton's beloved husband walks out one night, doesn't return, and two years later is found dead, a victim of a long ago crime. It's made her sympathetic to the missing and their families.

Starting her new life, Abigail moves to small town and buys a fixer-upper house left empty when old Edna Summers died. Once it was also home to Edna's younger sister, Emily, and her two children, Jenny and Christopher, who, people believe, drove away one night, thirty years ago, and just never came back.

But in renovating the house Abigail finds scraps of paper hidden behind baseboards and tucked beneath the porch that hint the three could have been victims of foul play.

Then she finds their graves hidden in the woods behind the house and with the help of the eccentric townspeople and ex-homicide detective, Frank Lester, she discovers the three were murdered. Then she and Frank try to uncover who killed them and why … but in the process awaken the ire of the murderer.

  

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.

Snowbound by Blake Crouch is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Snowbound by Blake Crouch as today's second free mystery ebook (Non-Series; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, February 15, 2013 at 7:20 AM ET. 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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Snowbound
Blake Crouch
Non-Series
Publisher: Minotaur Books

For Will Innis and his daughter, Devlin, the loss was catastrophic. Every day for the past five years, they wonder where she is, if she is — Will's wife, Devlin's mother—because Rachael Innis vanished one night during an electrical storm on a lonely desert highway, and suspected of her death, Will took his daughter and fled.

Now, Will and Devlin live under different names in another town, having carved out a new life for themselves as they struggle to maintain some semblance of a family.

When one night, a beautiful, hard-edged FBI agent appears on their doorstep, they fear the worst, but she hasn't come to arrest Will. "I know you're innocent," she tells him, "because Rachael wasn't the first … or the last."

Desperate for answers, Will and Devlin embark on a terrifying journey that spans four thousand miles from the desert southwest to the wilds of Alaska, heading unaware into the heart of a nightmare, because the truth is infinitely worse than they ever imagined.

Read our review of Snowbound by Blake Crouch.

  

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.

A Lonely Resurrection by Barry Eisler is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature A Lonely Resurrection by Barry Eisler as today's free mystery ebook (A John Rain Thriller; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, February 15, 2013 at 7:10 AM ET. 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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A Lonely Resurrection
Barry Eisler
A John Rain Thriller
Publisher: Barry Eisler

Previously published as Hard Rain (US title) and Blood from Blood (UK title).

All John Rain wants is to get out of the killing business. But with his discretion, his reliability, and his unique talent for death by "natural causes", no one is willing to let him just retire. So when an old nemesis from the Japanese national police force comes to him with a new job — eliminate Murakami, a killer even more fearsome than Rain himself — Rain knows he can't refuse.

Aided by an achingly desirable half Brazilian, half Japanese exotic dancer he knows he shouldn't trust, Rain pursues his quarry through underground no-holds-barred fight clubs, mobbed-up hostess bars, and finally into the heart of a shadow war between the CIA and the yakuza. It's a war Rain can't win, but also one he can't afford to lose — a war where the distinctions between friend and foe and truth and deceit are as murky as the rain-slicked streets of Tokyo.

  

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.

Mystery Bestsellers for the Week Ending February 15, 2013

A list of the top 15 Mystery Hardcover Bestsellers for the week ending February 15th, 2013 has been posted by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn remains a solid number one on our list, with three new titles debuting this week (position in brackets).

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[9]: The Dinner
Herman Koch

It's a summer's evening in Amsterdam, and two couples meet at a fashionable restaurant for dinner. Between mouthfuls of food and over the polite scrapings of cutlery, the conversation remains a gentle hum of polite discourse — the banality of work, the triviality of the holidays. But behind the empty words, terrible things need to be said, and with every forced smile and every new course, the knives are being sharpened.

Each couple has a fifteen-year-old son. The two boys are united by their accountability for a single horrific act; an act that has triggered a police investigation and shattered the comfortable, insulated worlds of their families. As the dinner reaches its culinary climax, the conversation finally touches on their children. As civility and friendship disintegrate, each couple show just how far they are prepared to go to protect those they love.

            

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[11]: Guilt
Jonathan Kellerman

Alex Delaware (28th)

A series of horrifying events occur in quick succession in the same upscale L.A. neighborhood. A backyard renovation unearths an infant's body, buried sixty years ago. And soon thereafter in a nearby park, another disturbingly bizarre discovery is made not far from the body of a young woman shot in the head. Helping LAPD homicide detective Milo Sturgis to link these eerie incidents is brilliant psychologist Alex Delaware. But even the good doctor's vast experience with matters both clinical and criminal might not be enough to cut down to the bone of this chilling case — and draw out the disturbing truth.

Backtracking six decades into the past stirs up tales of a beautiful nurse with a mystery lover, a handsome, wealthy doctor who seems too good to be true, and a hospital with a notorious reputation — all of them long gone, along with any records of a newborn, and destined for anonymity. But the specter of fame rears its head when the case unexpectedly twists in the direction of the highest echelons of celebrity privilege. Entering this sheltered world, Alex little imagines the macabre layer just below the surface — a decadent quagmire of unholy rituals and grisly sacrifice.

Before their work is done, Alex and Milo must confront a fanatically deranged mind of such monstrous cunning that even the most depraved madman would shudder.

            

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[13]: Ghostman
Roger Hobbs

When a casino robbery in Atlantic City goes horribly awry, the man who orchestrated it is obliged to call in a favor from someone who's occasionally called Jack. While it's doubtful that anyone knows his actual name or anything at all about his true identity, or even if he's still alive, he's in his mid-thirties and lives completely off the grid, a criminal's criminal who does entirely as he pleases and is almost impossible to get in touch with.

But within hours a private jet is flying this exceptionally experienced fixer and cleaner-upper from Seattle to New Jersey and right into a spectacular mess: one heister dead in the parking lot, another winged but on the run, the shooter a complete mystery, the $1.2 million in freshly printed bills god knows where and the FBI already waiting for Jack at the airport, to be joined shortly by other extremely interested and elusive parties.

He has only forty-eight hours until the twice-stolen cash literally explodes, taking with it the wider, byzantine ambitions behind the theft. To contend with all this will require every gram of his skill, ingenuity and self-protective instincts, especially when offense and defense soon become meaningless terms. And as he maneuvers these exceedingly slippery slopes, he relives the botched bank robbery in Kuala Lumpur five years earlier that has now landed him this unwanted new assignment.

            

Cinemystery: Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp, the Inspiration for the Die Hard Film Franchise

With the fifth "Die Hard" movie A Good Day To Die Hard opening today, we thought we'd take a look back at the book — that's right, the book — that started it all.

Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp was first published in 1979 by W. W. Norton and is the inspiration for the first "Die Hard" film. It is actually a sequel to The Detective, which was published over a decade earlier. The storyline involves an NYPD detective — Joe Leland — who is in Los Angeles to visit his daughter, waiting to meet up with her after her company's annual Christmas Party, when terrorists take over the building. The original film, Die Hard, makes some character changes but the overall plot remains the same.

Read more about the original book, below, and check out all four previous "Die Hard" films available on DVD and Blu-ray disc.

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Nothing Lasts Forever
Roderick Thorp

High atop a Los Angeles skyscraper, an office Christmas party turns into a deadly cage-match between a lone New York City cop and a gang of international terrorists.

A dozen heavily armed terrorists have taken hostages, issued demands, and promised bloodshed all according to plan. But they haven't counted on a death-defying, one-man cavalry with no shoes, no backup, and no intention of going down easily.

As hot-headed cops swarm outside, and cold-blooded killers wield machine guns and rocket launchers inside, the stage is set for the ultimate showdown between anti-hero and uber-villains. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good fight to the death. Ho ho ho!

      

Poisoned Pen Press Invites Aspiring Mystery Novelists to Write, Win, Publish

Last month we mentioned that entries were now being accepted for the second annual Discover Mystery Award Contest, sponsored by Poisoned Pen Press.

We now have a few more details to report.

This first book contest is specifically intended for unpublished writers trying to break into the mystery genre. The award will include a $1000 cash prize, the Discover Mystery title, and a publishing contract from Poisoned Pen Press.

Writers unpublished within the mystery genre are invited to submit their original mystery fiction manuscripts of between 60,000 and 90,000 words. Entries must be received by 11:59 PM Pacific on March 30th, 2013. The Discover Mystery Award will be announced on May 31th, 2013.

Entries submitted for the Discover Mystery Award will be judged by members of the Poisoned Pen Press editorial staff, along with a celebrity guest judge … who we have exclusively learned is crime novelist Earlene Fowler!

Jessica Tribble, Publisher at Poisoned Pen Press, stated, "Poisoned Pen Press is always looking to discover something new, which is why we launched the Discover Mystery Award last year. We were overwhelmed both by the volume and quality of submissions we received. While the competition was stiff, we were thrilled to publish No Regrets, No Remorse by Ronald Sharp, the winner of the first annual Discover Mystery Award. And now we are looking for the next winner. We can't wait to see what we discover."

Visit the contest page for a complete list of the entry requirements and guidelines.

Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (130214)

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.

The Ninth District by Douglas Dorow is Today's Fifth Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Ninth District by Douglas Dorow as today's fifth free mystery ebook (A Jack Miller Thriller; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, February 14, 2013 at 7:50 AM ET. 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 Ninth District
Douglas Dorow
A Jack Miller Thriller
Publisher: Douglas Dorow

The Federal Reserve has never been robbed.

FBI Special Agent Jack Miller, pulled into a high-profile case to mentor a new agent, finds himself in a clash with the toughest opponent of his career. The chase culminates in the bowels of the city, in the storm sewers and tunnels beneath The Ninth District Federal Reserve of Minneapolis.

  

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.

A Man Overboard by Shawn Hopkins is Today's Fourth Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature A Man Overboard by Shawn Hopkins as today's fourth free mystery ebook (A Mystery Thriller; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, February 14, 2013 at 7:40 AM ET. 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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A Man Overboard
Shawn Hopkins
A Mystery Thriller
Publisher: Shawn Hopkins

When Jack's mother-in-law sends him and Stacey on a two-week cruise, they're determined to make the most of it, to forget about the cancer and its cold grip on their future.

Planning to revisit the earlier days of their marriage, and the unbridled romance that defined it, they'll lose themselves in paradise while building the resolve needed to endure the coming hell.

At least that was his plan …

Instead, he'll be cast into an ocean of deceit and dark conspiracy that will throw into doubt all that he holds dear in this world, putting to the test just how much a man's love can truly endure.

  

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.

Elly's Ghost by John R. Kess is Today's Third Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Elly's Ghost by John R. Kess as today's third free mystery ebook (A Thriller; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, February 14, 2013 at 7:30 AM ET. 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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Elly's Ghost
John R. Kess
A Thriller
Publisher: John R. Kess

Jay Tessier returns home from Afghanistan yearning for the solitude of his beloved Montana forests. Suddenly, he finds himself on the run when he disrupts the attempted kidnapping of pop star Elly Wittenbel.

Jay's survival and combat skills as a Force Recon Marine, or "Ghost", are tested as Elly and Jay flee through the vast wilderness while the FBI investigates her disappearance. The two must learn to trust each other despite their completely different backgrounds. Jay and Elly's relationship grows as he deals with the effects of war and losing his best friend, and she strives to overcome a drug addiction and to regain control of her chaotic 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.

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

Playing with Poison by Cindy Blackburn is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Playing with Poison by Cindy Blackburn as today's second free mystery ebook (A Jessie Hewitt, Cue Ball Mystery; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, February 14, 2013 at 7:20 AM ET. 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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Playing with Poison
Cindy Blackburn
A Jessie Hewitt, Cue Ball Mystery
Publisher: Cindy Blackburn

Pool shark Jessie Hewitt usually knows where the balls will fall and how the game will end.

But when a body lands on her couch, and the cute cop in her kitchen accuses her of murder, even Jessie isn't sure what will happen next.

  

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.