Devil's Moon by Matthew Marine is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Devil's Moon by Matthew Marine as today's free mystery ebook (A Murder Mystery; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, February 22, 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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Devil's Moon
Matthew Marine
A Murder Mystery
Publisher: Open Books Press

Secrets shrouded in a tourist town … An FBI agent tortured by his past … A murder the local police don't want solved …

Sedona, Arizona: A young woman is found mutilated in a police officer's basement, his confession scrawled on the wall above his lifeless body. The local police rule the case a murder-suicide, but the dead officer's sister isn't convinced. She persuades rundown FBI Agent Stuart Ransom to conduct an off-the-books investigation. With her help, Ransom realizes that the police appear to be hiding the truth behind the gruesome murder. Now he must question everything — from the case to his own beliefs — before his past becomes the killer's next target.

Read our review of Devil's Moon by Matthew Marine.

  

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.

Scrapbook of Secrets by Mollie Cox Bryan is Today's Nook Daily Find

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Scrapbook of Secrets by Mollie Cox Bryan as today's Barnes & Noble Nook Daily Find.

The deal price of $1.99 is valid only for today, Friday, February 22, 2013.

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

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Scrapbook of Secrets
Mollie Cox Bryan
A Cumberland Creek Mystery
Kensington

Cumberland Creek, Virginia, Annie can't help but feel that something's missing. But she finds solace in a local "crop circle" of scrapbookers united by chore-shy husbands, demanding children, and occasional fantasies of their former single lives. And when the quiet idyll of their small town is shattered by a young mother's suicide, they band together to find out what went wrong.

Annie resurrects her reporting skills and discovers that Maggie Rae was a closet scrapbooker who left behind more than a few secrets--and perhaps a few enemies. As they sift through Maggie Rae's mysteriously discarded scrapbooks, Annie and her "crop" sisters begin to suspect that her suicide may have been murder. It seems that something sinister is lurking beneath the town's beguilingly calm façade--like a killer with unfinished business …

 

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.

Tears of the Jaguar by A. J. Hartley is Today's Kindle Daily Deal

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Tears of the Jaguar by A. J. Hartley as today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal.

The deal price of $1.99 is valid only for today, Friday, February 22, 2013.

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Tears of the Jaguar
A. J. Hartley
Thomas & Mercer

Six months ago, museum curator Deborah Miller had never heard of Ek Balam, an obscure Mayan archaeological site known for its carved figures. Now here she is, having traded Atlanta’s urban jungle for a remote village in Mexico’s Yucatan, tasked with overseeing Ek Balam’s excavation.

But when a sudden rainstorm causes a partial collapse at the site, an unexpected treasure is unearthed: a collection of rough-cut rubies hidden from the world for hundreds of years — and very out-of-place in the Yucatan. It is a find of immeasurable value, one that Deborah vows to protect — and yet is powerless to prevent from being stolen soon after its discovery.

Determined to retrieve the stones, she sets out to trace their complex history across four centuries and two continents, from Mexico to northern England where the jewels once played a harrowing role in the Lancashire witch trials of 1612. But Deborah is not the only one searching for the stones; close on her heels are archaeologists, occultists, and one very determined arms dealer, all of whom will stop at nothing, not even murder, to claim the prize for themselves.

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 Bestsellers for the Week Ending February 22, 2013

A list of the top 15 Mystery Hardcover Bestsellers for the week ending February 22nd, 2013 has been posted by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn remains at the top of our list this week, though last week's featured title, The Dinner by Herman Koch, makes a strong move into second place.

Two new titles debut this week (position in brackets).

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[8]: Alex Cross, Run
James Patterson

Alex Cross (20th)

Top plastic surgeon Elijah Creem is renowned for his skills in the operating room, and for his wild, no-expense-spared "industry parties", bringing in underage exotic dancers and models for nights of drugs, champagne, and uninhibited sex. That is, until Detective Alex Cross busts one of Creem's lavish soirees and ruins his fun. Now Creem is willing to do anything to avoid going to jail.

But Alex doesn't have time to dwell on that case. A beautiful woman has been found murdered in her car, a lock of her hair viciously ripped off. Then a second woman is found hanging from a sixth-floor window with a brutal scar slashed across her stomach. When a third mutilated body is discovered, rumors of three serial killers on the loose send Washington D.C. into an all-out frenzy.

Alex is under so much pressure to solve these three grim cases that he hasn't noticed that someone else investigating him-someone so obsessed and so twisted that they'll do anything — ANYTHING — to get the vengeance they require.

            

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[15]: The Sound of Broken Glass
Deborah Crombie

Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James (15th)

In the past …

On a blisteringly hot August afternoon in Crystal Palace, once home to the tragically destroyed Great Exhibition, a solitary thirteen-year-old boy meets his next-door neighbor, a recently widowed young teacher hoping to make a new start in the tight-knit South London community. Drawn together by loneliness, the unlikely pair forms a deep connection that ends in a shattering act of betrayal.

In the present …

On a cold January morning in London, Detective Inspector Gemma James is back on the job now that her husband, Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid, is at home to care for their three-year-old foster daughter. Assigned to lead a Murder Investigation Team in South London, she's assisted by her trusted colleague, newly promoted Detective Sergeant Melody Talbot. Their first case: a crime scene at a seedy hotel in Crystal Palace. The victim: a well-respected barrister, found naked, trussed, and apparently strangled. Is it an unsavory accident or murder? In either case, he was not alone, and Gemma's team must find his companion — a search that takes them into unexpected corners and forces them to contemplate unsettling truths about the weaknesses and passions that lead to murder. Ultimately, they will begin to question everything they think they know about their world and those they trust most.

            

Today's Mystery and Suspense Update from Big Fish Games (130222)

Here is today's mystery and suspense update from Big Fish Games …

• The New Release is Hallowed Legends: Ship of Bones (Collector's Edition).

• The Daily Deal is Our Worst Fears: Stained Skin, just $2.99 today only!.

• The current Catch of the Week is Azada: In Libro, just $2.99 through Sunday, February 24, 2013 only.

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Today's New Release is Hallowed Legends: Ship of Bones (Collector's Edition)

You've just crash-landed near the village of Erlenbourg, where a ghostly figure has been stealing souls. Follow the trail of the mysterious woman in white and discover the secret behind her terrible task! Once you find the Book of Fire, you'll have fun matching its relics to the game world, in a special added feature of this game.

This is a special Collector's Edition release full of exclusive extras you won't find in the standard version, includeing: Integrated Strategy Guide; Bonus game sending the woman in white home again; Concept art and wallpaper; and Screensavers and soundtracks.

A sample version is available to download and play for free for one hour.

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Today's Daily Deal is Our Worst Fears: Stained Skin

Can a mysterious tattoo cure a phobia or will it turn Victor into a victim and make him crave for death? After waking up with no recollection of his past, Victor must figure out where the tattoo came from. Help a rugged detective solve this puzzle and save the day. Use your Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure skills to work your way through this incredibly spooky game.

A sample version is available to download and play for free for one hour. You can purchase this game today only — Friday, February 22, 2013 — for $2.99.

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The current Catch of the Week is Azada: In Libro

Save the three worlds contained inside of a magical book! After being approached by a notary and being informed of an inheritance, you travel off to Prague and find the magical book. One of Azadas guardians, Titus, informs you that you have been chosen to save the different worlds, so youre off on an incredible adventure! Stop an evil magician from conquering Azada and protect the guardians in this incredible Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game!

A sample version is available to download and play for free for one hour. You can purchase this game at the special price of $2.99 through Sunday, February 24, 2013.

MystereBooks: Gone with a Handsomer Man by Michael Lee West, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Gone with a Handsomer Man by Michael Lee West, now available at a special price, courtesy of the publisher, Minotaur Books.

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 (02/21/2013 at 3:30 PM 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.

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Gone with a Handsomer Man by Michael Lee West
A Teeny Templeton Mystery (1st)
Publisher: Minotaur Books

Take one out-of-work pastry chef … Add a whole lot of trouble … And stir like crazy!

Teeny Templeton believes that her life is finally on track. She's getting married, she's baking her own wedding cake, and she's leaving her troubled past behind. And then? She finds her fiancé playing naked badminton with a couple of gorgeous, skanky chicks.

Needless to say, the wedding is off. Adding insult to injury, her fiancé slaps a restraining order on her. When he's found dead a few days later, all fingers point to Teeny.

Her only hope is through an old boyfriend-turned-lawyer, the guy who broke her heart a decade ago. But dredging up the past brings more than skeletons out of the closet, and Teeny doesn't know who she can trust. With evidence mounting and the heat turning up, Teeny must also figure out where to live, how to support herself, how to clear her name, and how to protect her heart.

      

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.

MystereBooks: Bonnie, an Eve Duncan Mystery by Iris Johansen, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Bonnie by Iris Johansen, now available at a special price, courtesy of the publisher, St. Martin's Press.

The ebook format of this title was priced at $3.99 from the listed vendors (below) as of the date and time of this post (02/21/2013 at 2:30 PM 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.

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Bonnie by Iris Johansen
An Eve Duncan Mystery
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

The truth has eluded her for years … Now is she ready to face it?

When Eve Duncan gave birth to her daughter, she experienced a love she never knew existed. Nothing would stand in the way of giving Bonnie a wonderful life — until the unthinkable happened and the seven-year-old vanished into thin air. Eve found herself in the throes of a nightmare from which there was no escape.

But a new Eve emerged: a woman who would use her remarkable talent as a forensic sculptor to help others find closure in the face of tragedy. Now with the help of her beloved Joe Quinn and CIA agent Catherine Ling, Eve has come closer than ever to the truth.

But the deeper she digs, the more she realizes that Bonnie's father is a key player in solving this monstrous puzzle. And that Bonnie's disappearance was not as random as everyone had always believed …

      

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.

Nominees for the Annual Los Angeles Times Book Prizes Announced

The nominees for the 2013 Los Angeles Times Book Prizes, which honor the best books of 2012 in several categories, has been posted to the newspaper's website.

The nominees in the Mystery/Thriller category are …

• Broken Harbor by Tana French (Viking)
• Angelmaker by Nick Harkaway (Knopf)
• The Thief by Fuminori Nakamura (Soho Crime)
• The Expats by Chris Pavone (Crown)
• The Twenty-Year Death by Ariel S. Winter (Hard Case Crime)

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

Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (130221)

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.

Cinemystery: Distribution Update on Film Adaptation of The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen

Earlier this week TrustNordisk announced brisk international sales — though none to the US yet — of the film adaptation of Jussi Adler-Olsen's The Keeper of Lost Causes, the first in a series of mysteries featuring Copenhagen homicide detective Carl Mørck of the newly formed investigative division Department Q.

"The interest for this Scandinavian thriller franchise is incredible and since the promo screening last week, demand has been massive," said Rikke Ennis, CEO at TrustNordisk. "We are thrilled that international distributors share our strong belief in The Keeper of Lost Causes and its upcoming sequels."

Four films are planned, based on the first four books in the series. A fifth title was published this past December in the author's native Denmark. (Only the first two books have English translations available in the US, with the third to be published this coming May.)

Directed by Mikkel Nørgaard from an adapted screenplay by Nikolaj Arcel (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), The Keeper of Lost Causes is scheduled to open in TrustNordisk's domestic market on October 3rd, 2013.

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The Keeper of Lost Causes
Jussi Adler-Olsen
A Carl Mørck, Department Q Mystery

 Read our review of The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen.

Carl Mørck used to be a good homicide detective — one of Copenhagen's best. Then a bullet almost took his life. Two of his colleagues weren't so lucky, and Carl, who didn't draw his weapon, blames himself.

So a promotion is the last thing Carl expects.

But it all becomes clear when he sees his new office in the basement. Carl's been selected to run Department Q, a new special investigations division that turns out to be a department of one. With a stack of Copenhagen's coldest cases to keep him company, Carl's been put out to pasture. So he's as surprised as anyone when a case actually captures his interest. A missing politician vanished without a trace five years earlier. The world assumes she's dead. His colleagues snicker about the time he's wasting. But Carl may have the last laugh, and redeem himself in the process.

Because she isn't dead … yet.

      

Cinemystery: New Trailer for Film Adaptation of Elmore Leonard's Freaky Deaky

A new trailer for the direct-to-DVD release of the film adaptation of Elmore Leonard's Freaky Deaky has been released by the studio. We've embedded it below.

Chris Mankowski (Billy Burke) used to be on the Detroit Police bomb squad, but it's not until he's transferred to sex crimes that he gets a real taste of juggling dynamite. After falling for the lovely Greta Wyatt (Sabina Gadecki), he gets suspended for investigating the rich, powerful and drunk Woody Ricks (Crispin Glover). Taking matters into his own hands, Mankowski quickly realizes it won't be easy to get justice for Greta. From former Black Panther Donnell Lewis (Michael Jai White) to sexy ex-fugitive Robin Abbott (Breanne Racano) and her erstwhile bombing partner Skip Gibbs (Christian Slater), everyone wants something from Ricks. With all these unscrupulous deviants in the mix, one thing's for certain … it's gonna get freaky!

Directed by Charles Matthau from his own adapted screenplay, Freaky Deaky will be released on DVD on February 26th, 2013 but is available to pre-order. More about the book below the trailer.

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Freaky Deaky
Elmore Leonard

Way back when revolution was the thing, bombs were Robin Abbott and Skip Gibbs's bag — until their explosive "freedom of expression" was curtailed by some considerable prison time. Now the ex-SDSers are back out in the material world and looking to put their pyrotechnic skills to more profitable use.

Their target is Woody Ricks, a dope-addled Detroit "rich kid" and aging former fellow radical who Robin thinks ratted them out to the Feds. But Motown cop Chris Mankowski also has his eye on Woody — albeit on another matter entirely — and until his recent switch to Sex Crimes, Chris was the Bomb Squad's golden boy. So it's only fitting that he'll be around when the really nasty stuff starts going down … or blowing up.