Agent 6, a Leo Demidov Thriller by Tom Rob Smith, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Agent 6 by Tom Rob Smith, now available at a special price, courtesy of the publisher, Grand Central.

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 (08/05/2013 at 4:00 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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Agent 6 by Tom Rob Smith
A Leo Demidov Thriller (3rd in series)
Publisher: Grand Central

Leo Demidov is no longer a member of Moscow's secret police. But when his wife, Raisa, and daughters Zoya and Elena are invited on a "Peace Tour" to New York City, he is immediately suspicious.

Forbidden to travel with his family and trapped on the other side of the world, Leo watches helplessly as events in New York unfold and those closest to his heart are pulled into a web of political conspiracy and betrayal — one that will end in tragedy.

In the horrible aftermath, Leo demands only one thing: to investigate the killer who destroyed his family. His request is summarily denied. Crippled by grief and haunted by the need to find out exactly what happened on that night in New York, Leo takes matters into his own hands. It is a quest that will span decades, and take Leo around the world — from Moscow, to the mountains of Soviet-controlled Afghanistan, to the backstreets of New York — in pursuit of the one man who knows the truth: Agent 6.

  

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.

Review: Corrupt Practices by Robert Rotstein

A Mysterious Review of Corrupt Practices by Robert Rotstein. A Parker Stern Legal Thriller.

Review summary: This legal thriller has an interesting, diverse cast of characters that provides both interest and intrigue. The storyline is written in a manner that is simultaneously upbeat and unsettling, a combination that is quite effective in engaging the reader in a case, which is satisfyingly complicated but not confusing. A terrific start to this series. (Click here for text of full review.)

Our rating:

Corrupt Practices
Robert Rotstein
A Parker Stern Legal Thriller
Seventh Street Books (June 2013)

Publisher synopsis: Parker Stern's legal career is on the rise. But when his mentor Harmon Cherry commits suicide, Parker gets stage fright so severe that he becomes paralyzed whenever he steps into a courtroom.

Rich Baxter, an ex-colleague, calls from jail and asks Parker to represent him. Baxter has been charged with embezzling millions from his church, a powerful cult that Parker despises. At their first meeting, Baxter surprises Parker by claiming that Harmon Cherry did not commit suicide, but was murdered by someone connected to the church. Parker doesn't believe it until Baxter is found hanging in his cell.

Ultimately, Parker agrees to represent Baxter's father in a lawsuit brought by the church. In the process of representing his client and uncovering the truths behind the deaths of his friends, Parker must overcome his own long-buried secrets and deep-seated fears.

      

The Dying Hours by Mark Billingham, New in Bookstores This Week

Today's new hardcover mystery title, scheduled to be published this week by Atlantic Monthly Press, is The Dying Hours by Mark Billingham.

For a list of more new hardcover mysteries published this month, visit our New Mysteries page for August 2013. For new paperback mysteries, visit The Mystery Bookshelf where a selection of August 2013 mysteries, novels of suspense, and thrillers are shelved.

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The Dying Hours
Mark Billingham
Series: Tom Thorne (10th)

It's been twenty-five years since Tom Thorne last went to work wearing the "Queen's cloth" but now, having stepped out of line once too often, he's back in uniform. He's no longer a detective, and he hates it.

Still struggling to adjust, Thorne becomes convinced that a spate of suicides among the elderly in London are something more sinister. His concerns are dismissed by the Murder Squad he was once part of and he is forced to investigate alone.

Now, unable to trust anybody, Thorne risks losing those closest to him as well as endangering those being targeted by a killer unlike any he has hunted before. A man with nothing to lose and a growing list of victims. A man who appears to have the power to make people take their own lives.

      

Castle Cape, a Sheridan McKenna Mystery by C. L. Withers, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Castle Cape by C. L. Withers, now available at a special price, courtesy of the publisher, C. L. Withers.

The ebook format of this title was priced at $0.99 from the listed vendors (below) as of the date and time of this post (08/05/2013 at 2:00 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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Castle Cape by C. L. Withers
A Sheridan McKenna Mystery (1st in series)
Publisher: C. L. Withers

From the moment Anchorage Police Detective Sheridan McKenna begins his unsanctioned investigation into the brutal killing of his mentor Sergeant Aaron Campion he finds himself pitted against a trio of formidable opponents, all locked in a deadly battle to uncover the startling answers to a sixty-year-old mystery.

The FBI wants McKenna behind bars, Chechen terrorists want him dead, and hidden in the shadows a legendary Russian SVR agent gone rogue watches patiently while manipulating the actions of all involved. With the Alaskan wilderness as the savage playing field, any mistake may prove lethal and McKenna can trust no one, except for a courageous and devoted canine partner from his past.

  

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: Yesterday's Echo by Matt Coyle, Available this Month at a Special Price

Every month Amazon releases a new selection of Kindle books priced $3.99 or less.

Today's featured title from the Mystery & Thrillers category is Yesterday's Echo by Matt Coyle. This Kindle book was listed at $2.99 as of the date and time of this post, Monday, August 05, 2013 at 1:30 PM ET, and should be available at this price through the end of the month.

More information about the book is below; if other vendors have priced-matched this title, links to their sites are also shown.

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Yesterday's Echo by Matt Coyle
A Rick Cahill Mystery
Publisher: Oceanview Publishing

Rick Cahill was never convicted of his wife's murder, but he was never exonerated either. Not by the police. Not by the media. Not even by himself. Eight years later, police suspicion and his own guilt remain over his responsibility in his wife's death.

When he meets Melody Malana, a beautiful yet secretive TV reporter, he sees a chance to love again. When she is arrested for murder and asks Rick for help, the former cop says no, but the rest of him says yes and he grasps at a chance for redemption. But Rick's attempt to help turns terribly wrong, and he becomes a suspect in the murder and the target of a police manhunt.

On the run, Rick encounters desperate people who'll kill to keep their pasts buried. Before Rick can save himself and bring down a murderer, he must confront the truth about his own past and untangle his feeling for a woman he can never fully trust.

  

Click on the Amazon button to see also the special Whispersync offer associated with this title.

Important Note: 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.

Telemystery: Midsomer Murders and Strike Back, New This Week on DVD

Telemystery, your source for one of the most comprehensive listings of crime drama, amateur sleuth, private investigator, mystery and suspense television series, mini-series and made-for-television movies, now available on or coming soon to DVD, Blu-ray disc, or Video-on-Demand, is profiling two series from our site being released this week.

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Midsomer Murders
Set Twenty-Two

The cozy villages of Midsomer County reveal their most sinister secrets in these contemporary British television mysteries. Inspired by the novels of Caroline Graham, the series stars Neil Dudgeon as the capable Detective Chief Inspector John Barnaby, with Jason Hughes as his earnest, efficient partner, Detective Sergeant Ben Jones.

Four episodes are included in this set …

"The Sleeper under the Hill" — Barnaby and Jones investigate a group of Druids in Midsomer Mow.

"The Night of the Stag" — Local bootleggers come under suspicion after the disappearance of a government inspector.

"A Sacred Trust" — Vandalism and violence send shock waves through Midsomer's cloistered nunnery.

"A Rare Bird" — The detectives investigate whether competition between ornithology enthusiasts led to murder.

    

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Strike Back
Season Two

This one-hour drama is centered on two members of a top-secret British anti-terrorist organization known as Section 20: Michael Stonebridge (Philip Winchester), a married Brit who has moved from field work to training recruits; and Damien Scott (Sullivan Stapleton), a U.S. Delta Force operative, discharged on the eve of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, who made the most of his second chance to help Section 20 bring down an international terrorist last season.

With characters based on the novel of the same title by Chris Ryan, this second season originally aired on Cinemax from August through October 2012. The third season premieres later this week on Friday, August 9th.

    

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Visit the Telemystery website to discover more television mystery series currently available on and coming soon to DVD, Blu-ray disc, or video on demand.

Save $40 on the Kindle Fire HD 7" Tablet

Amazon.com has discounted the popular Kindle Fire HD 7" tablet by $40 "for a limited time only". As with many of these promotions from Amazon, we're not exactly sure how "limited" that time is as we can't find any mention of how long this promotion will last.

Use this link to visit the Kindle Fire HD page. All four variations of the device include the discount: 16 GB and 32 GB, with or without Special Offers. And at the current price, the HD version is the same price as the standard Kindle Fire!

New Mystery/Suspense from Carina Press: The Mysterious Case of Mr. Strangeway by Karina Cooper

Carina Press is a digital-first imprint from Harlequin, publishing books in an interesting and diverse selection of genres including contemporary romance, steampunk, gay/lesbian fiction, science-fiction, fantasy, and — but of course — mystery and suspense.

One new title is being released this week: The Mysterious Case of Mr. Strangeway by Karina Cooper (listed under Steampunk).

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The Mysterious Case of Mr. Strangeway
Karina Cooper
A St. Croix Chronicles Novella

Although I have only been part of Society for two years, I am already desperate to escape its confines and eager for adventure. The world my deceased parents have left me is nothing more than a gilded prison, and I will do anything to escape the boredom, even become a collector of bounties.

My name is Cherry St. Croix, and I may be young, but I am old enough to know when I am in over my head. My first collection seemed easy: Mr. Strangeway's debts have come due, and the purse for his capture is hefty. Yet the wastrel remains one step ahead of me, and my efforts are hampered by another collector after the same coin. What's more, a simple hunt becomes the forefront of a conspiracy that leads me on a chase through London's low-class streets.

Not only does my pride demand success, but the well-being of many rests upon the choices I make — failure is not an outcome I can live with.

      

A Conversation with Financial Thriller Writer Mike Cooper

with Mike Cooper

We are delighted to welcome thriller writer Mike Cooper to Omnimystery News today.

Mike's second book to feature tough-guy financial auditor Silas Cade is Full Ratchet (Viking; July 2013 hardcover, ebook, and audio formats).

We recently had the opportunity to chat with Mike about the character and the series.

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Omnimystery News: We were introduced to Silas Cade when we read the first book in the series, Clawback, where the character is described as one whose logo might be "a green eyeshade crossed by a 9mm Glock." Is that the character we'll see in Full Ratchet?

Photo provided courtesy of
Mike Cooper

Mike Cooper: When we are young, we never expect to grow up; when we grow up, we never expect to change; and when we get old, we can't believe the children we used to be. So it is with Silas Cade. Silas has appeared in several short stories and two novels so far, and at this relatively early point of his career, I see him as exactly the same person forever. But people do evolve, like it or not. Aging, unavoidable, is the least of it. Will Silas find the right woman and stick with her? Will his martial skills fade as younger, faster, hungrier opponents appear? Will he tire of life at the shadowy margins, unable to live fully in everyone else's world?

Maybe. Maybe not. Finding out keeps the series interesting for me.

OMN: Tell us something about your new book that isn't mentioned in the publisher synopsis.

MC: What is it about Pittsburgh? When I started writing Full Ratchet my editor and I had agreed that Silas had to get out of Manhattan for a while, and western Pennsylvania seemed like an interesting destination. (I've never been there, but that's a good thing! — it frees me from the constraint of real street names, real topography, real people. I can write the setting to fit the story.)

But then it turns out that Pittsburgh is hot. Shale oil has created a boom economy, drawing workers from all over the US and abroad. The city has undergone a striking, nationally recognized revitalization, clawing itself out of post-industrial Rust Belt decay. And to top it all off, the Jack Reacher movie is set in Pittsburgh!

I wasn't jumping on a bandwagon, honest. Silas was there first, dammit.

OMN: Tweet a summary of the book.

MC: Hitman accountant!

OMN: Are any of the characters in the book based on real people?

MC: Funny you should ask that, because the first draft of Full Ratchet contained a character modeled after a famous, beloved, nationally known figure. Except in my version, he (or she — I'm not telling) was venal, corrupt and ruthless. The contrast amused me to no end, and passed my editor, but Penguin's legal department took a dimmer view. Apparently there's this thing called libel, and changing a name plus a few minor facts isn't enough to hold off the lawyers.

Silas, however, is totally me. Ex-special forces, ex-Wall Street, as quick with a quip as a gun and never at a loss for something to say … Pretty much all I need to do to write these books is transcribe my life.

OMN: What advice would you give to new writers?

MC: Here's the great thing about the ongoing publishing revolution: it's really, really easy to publish!

Here's the bad thing: it's really, really easy … okay, you know.

My books are infinitely better for being edited by smart, engaged, hardworking editors. Much as I'd like to think I can craft propulsive plots, scintillating characters and snappy dialogue all on my own, I can't — just like most other authors. If you're not one of the rare few who can, then get a good editor and take your time. Revise. Rework. Rewrite.

In the long run, you'll have more — and happier — readers.

OMN: Silas Cade is hard on bankers. Billionaire financiers are assassinated, investment-manager hot shots are blown up, private equity moguls are gunned down. Given the incredible damage these guys have done to the world economy … why aren't we seeing it happen in real life?

MC: Two reasons, I think. First, all this stuff is complicated. The mechanisms are difficult to follow, and very well-funded propaganda constantly obscures the villains. Who really understands financial derivatives? — mostly, the people who use it to rip you off, not the victimized 99%.

But second, and more important, we're still a nation of laws. We resolve issues peacefully. We don't resort to mob justice, shoot people just because we don't like them or are afraid of them, or violently attack those we disagree with.

I really hope that's true. I really hope it stays true.

OMN: What's next for you?

MC: A standalone, as it happens, quite different in that (so far) nobody dies. Silas will return, but for now I'm working with different characters, different motivations and a very different kind of crime. It's a nice diversion.

— ♦ —

Mike Cooper is the pseudonym of a former jack-of-all-trades. Under a different name he has received wide recognition, including a Shamus Award, a Thriller nomination, and inclusion in Best American Mystery Stories. Mike lives outside Boston with his family.

For more information about the author, please visit his website at MikeCooper.com or find him on Facebook and Twitter.

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Full Ratchet
Mike Cooper
A Silas Cade Thriller

Silas Cade is a tough-guy auditor, who employs a brand of financial reform that comes with plenty of firepower. Needing a respite from Wall Street, Cade jumps at a job opportunity in western Pennsylvania — but finds that Main Street is just as dirty.

The job seems easy enough — check out a Pittsburgh manufacturer and file a report — but Cade quickly discovers corruption at every level. His revelations catch the attentions of hair-trigger Russian mobsters and a blonde assassin named Harmony. Cade's estranged brother is dragged into the fray as the tension builds to bullet-riddled showdowns across defunct steel mills, forests, and Appalachian fracking fields.

        

The Golden Crystal by Nick Thacker is Today's Third Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Golden Crystal by Nick Thacker as today's third free mystery ebook (A Historical Thriller; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, August 05, 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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The Golden Crystal
Nick Thacker
A Historical Thriller
Publisher: Turtleshell Press

In 1791, two men began planning the layout for the nation's capitol city. One is shunned and resigns in disgrace, and the other is all but forgotten. Years later, an original copy of the plans — long thought to have been destroyed — is found, with hastily marked notations by Thomas Jefferson and George Washington.

During the second World War, American military scientists discover some fascinating properties of the hydrogen atom and its link to an ancient mystical number. The exact findings are never published, but a national laboratory is built in 1943 to further their research in covert silence. America is told it is a defense project, code-named "The Manhattan Project".

An ego-maniacal entrepreneur and his company, Vilocorp, will stop at nothing to build the "perfect" human specimen. His firm's research has been getting closer every day, but they seem to have uncovered a horrific, ancient secret that has been locked away for thousands of years.

Now, it's up to Bryce to understand the mystery surrounding the events and ancient symbolism before Vilocorp unleashes a hellish fury upon the earth; one that hasn't been seen for ages …

  

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.

White Line by Peter Wilben is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature White Line by Peter Wilben as today's second free mystery ebook (A Joe Grace Thriller; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, August 05, 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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White Line
Peter Wilben
A Joe Grace Thriller
Publisher: Orchard Wall Publishing

Scandal … On his first business assignment overseas, enigmatic ex-commando Joe Grace stumbles across a minefield of murderous activity linked to the savagery of the drugs trade.

Sex and Drugs … Out of a job, his career in ruins, Joe walks the red-hot, cocaine-ridden streets of Madrid where somewhere, somehow he must find the answer and clear his name.

Slaughter … Caught in a terrifying web of terrorism and violence that runs from Washington D.C to the Pyrenees, Joe stares into the face of the ultimate nightmare.

  

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.

Every Reasonable Doubt by Pamela Samuels Young is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Every Reasonable Doubt by Pamela Samuels Young as today's free mystery ebook (A Vernetta Henderson Legal Thriller; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, August 05, 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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Every Reasonable Doubt
Pamela Samuels Young
A Vernetta Henderson Legal Thriller
Publisher: Goldman House Publishing

When attorneys Vernetta Henderson and Neddy McClain are tapped to take on the biggest case of their careers, they are less than thrilled about working together. Their strained relationship, however, is the least of their problems. Their socialite client — charged with the brutal murder of her husband — is demanding an immediate dismissal of the case. But a ruthless prosecutor is determined to make sure that doesn't happen.

Forced to fight a common enemy, the two women close ranks and, in the process, develop a bond that sees them through the uncertainties of trial, the pain of betrayal and pressures neither could have imagined.

  

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.