Bad Publicity by Joanne Sydney Lessner is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Bad Publicity by Joanne Sydney Lessner as today's free mystery ebook (An Isobel Spice Mystery; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, August 27, 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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Bad Publicity
Joanne Sydney Lessner
An Isobel Spice Mystery
Publisher: Dulcet Press

In the world of PR, there's only one crime worse than killing a deal — killing a client.

Aspiring actress and office temp Isobel Spice finds a warm welcome at Dove & Flight Public Relations, thanks to her old school friend Katrina Campbell. However, the atmosphere chills considerably when Isobel unwittingly serves an important client a deadly dose of poisoned coffee. Her stalwart temp agent, James Cooke, rushes to her aid, but balks when he learns that the victim was the fraternity brother who got him expelled from college. News that Dove & Flight is being acquired by an international conglomerate quickly supplants the murder as the hot topic of office gossip, but Isobel is convinced the two events are related. When all roads of inquiry lead back to Katrina, Isobel is forced to consider the possibility that her friend's killer instincts go beyond public relations.

  

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.

Last Man Standing by Cindy Gerard is Today's Kindle Daily Deal

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Last Man Standing by Cindy Gerard as today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal.

The deal price of $1.99 is valid only for today, Tuesday, August 27, 2013.

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Last Man Standing
Cindy Gerard
A Black Ops Novel of Romantic Suspense
Pocket Books

Black Ops, Inc. operative Joe Green is determined to bring to justice the man responsible for former team member Bryan Tompkins's death. He's convinced the ambush that killed Bryan was no coincidence, but a setup. Unsure of the consequences of the battle he's about to start, Joe distances himself from both his Black Ops, Inc. team members and the woman he loves, Bryan's sister, Stephanie Tompkins.

But Stephanie knows there must be some reason Joe broke it off, and when she hears Joe's charged with a murder in Sierra Leone, she wastes no time in breaking him out of prison. Then they must unravel the mystery behind the ambush, and bring resolution to a long-ago betrayal …

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.

Today's Mystery and Suspense Update from Big Fish Games (130827)

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

• The New Release is Ashley Clark: Secret of the Ruby.

• The current Catch of the Week is Whispers, just $2.99 through Sunday, September 01, 2013 only.

Visit the Omnimystery Entertainment Network for more games of mystery and suspense!

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Today's New Release is Ashley Clark: Secret of the Ruby

Detective Ashley Clark is puzzled by a series of mysterious kidnappings. The only connection between these unusual disappearances is a brilliant, red ruby pendant. Could someone be using this sparkling ornament to send a clandestine message, or could this be the handiwork of an underground cult? Follow the clues to discover the ancient secrets held by the ruby pendant, and uncover the truth behind the bizarre kidnappings!

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

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The current Catch of the Week is Whispers

While doing some fieldwork Charlotte Davis has her soul captured by an evil sorcerer! Help her escape his terrifying clutches and return to her body! Escape from the sorcerer's home with the help of another captured spirit and use your willpower to return to your body in this incredible Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game. Travel through dangerous locations and make it home safely!

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, September 01, 2013.

The Flaming Luau of Death, a Madeline Bean, Catering Mystery by Jerrilyn Farmer, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Flaming Luau of Death by Jerrilyn Farmer, 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 (08/26/2013 at 6:00 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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The Flaming Luau of Death by Jerrilyn Farmer
A Madeline Bean, Catering Mystery (7th in series)
Publisher: HarperCollins

When Holly Nichols sets her wedding date, trendy L.A. party-planner Madeline Bean decides to throw her top assistant the hippest and most lavish bridal shower on the planet. The guests embark on a "destination" party to a fabulous and exclusive spa/resort in Hawaii. The salt-rubs! The paraffin pedicures! The dead body in the mud bath! Ew.

It doesn't help matters when Holly confesses to Maddie that she can't really go through with the upcoming wedding after all. In her effort to smooth the matrimonial path for her dear friend, Madeline must track down the mystery man Holly may have married ten years earlier and never actually got around to divorcing. How hard can that be?

Well, with the elusive gentleman in question running from a gang of rare vegetable smugglers, the bridal shower guests imbibing in one "Bridesmaid Mojito" too many, the current fiancé developing an allergy to scandal, and a murderer on the loose, it looks like anything but clear sailing down the aisle for one of Mad Bean's best employees.

      

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.

The Bone Thief, a Bill Brockton, Body Farm Mystery by Jefferson Bass, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Bone Thief by Jefferson Bass, 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 (08/26/2013 at 5:30 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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The Bone Thief by Jefferson Bass
A Bill Brockton, Body Farm Mystery (5th in series)
Publisher: HarperCollins

Dr. Bill Brockton has been called in on a seemingly routine case, to exhume a body and obtain a bone sample for a DNA paternity test. But when the coffin is opened, Brockton and his colleagues, including his graduate assistant Miranda Lovelady, are stunned to see that the corpse has been horribly violated.

Brockton's initial shock gives way to astonishment as he uncovers a flourishing and lucrative black market in body parts. At the center of this ghoulish empire is a daring and prosperous grave robber. Soon Brockton finds himself drawn into the dangerous enterprise when the FBI recruits him to bring down the postmortem chop shop — using corpses from the Body Farm as bait in an undercover sting operation.

As Brockton struggles to play the unscrupulous role the FBI asks of him, his friend and colleague medical examiner Eddie Garcia faces a devastating injury that could end his career. Exposed to a near-lethal dose of radioactivity, Dr. Garcia has lost most of his right hand and his entire left hand. Out of options, he embarks on a desperate quest: both of his ravaged hands will be severed at the wrist and replaced with those from a cadaver. But unless suitable ones are found soon, the opportunity will be lost.

As Brockton delves deep into the clandestine trade, he is faced with an agonizing choice: Is he willing to risk an FBI investigation — and his own principles — to help his friend? Will he be able to live with himself if he crosses that line? Will he be able to live with himself if he doesn't? And as the criminal case and the medical crisis converge, a pair of simpler questions arise: Will Dr. Garcia survive — and will Brockton?

      

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.

New Trailer for Sci-Fi Thriller Divergent, Adapted from the Novel by Veronica Roth

The first trailer has been released by Summit Entertainment for the sci-fi thriller Divergent (embedded, below).

Set in a future where people are divided into distinct factions based on their personalities, Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley) is warned she is Divergent and will never fit into any one group. When she discovers a conspiracy to destroy all Divergents, she must find out what makes being Divergent so dangerous before it's too late.

Directed by Neil Burger from an adapted screenplay by Vanessa Taylor and Evan Daugherty and based on the young adult dystopian thriller of the same title by Veronica Roth, Divergent opens in theaters March 21, 2014.

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A New MystereBook: Death at a Drop-In by Elizabeth Spann Craig

Here is a mystery, suspense, or thriller ebook that we recently found by sleuthing (as it were) through new or recently reissued titles from independent publishers …

Death at a Drop-In by Elizabeth Spann Craig is the fifth mystery in this cozy series, featuring retired schoolteacher retired school teacher Myrtle Clover, who lives in Bradley, North Carolina.

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Death at a Drop-In by Elizabeth Spann Craig
A Myrtle Clover Mystery
Publisher: Elizabeth Spann Craig

Cosette Whitlow is a society matron … if tiny Bradley, North Carolina, has one. She kindly volunteers for all the town's charities, but isn’t nearly as kind to her own family, neighbors, and friends. In fact, Cosette is emphatically disliked by much of the town — including octogenarian Myrtle Clover. And Myrtle knows that dislike in Bradley can quickly turn deadly.

No one seems surprised when Cosette’s body is discovered during a party she’s hosting — she was struck on the head with a croquet mallet. Wanting to restore order to the small town, Myrtle resolves to track down the killer — before the killer strikes again.

  

Crime Wave, a Maggie Thomas Mystery by Rose Pressey, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Crime Wave by Rose Pressey, now available at a special price, courtesy of the publisher, Magical Press.

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 (08/26/2013 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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Crime Wave by Rose Pressey
A Maggie Thomas Mystery (1st in series)
Publisher: Magical Press

Maggie Thomas doesn't know the first thing about being a private eye. She quickly discovers that running her uncle's faltering Miami Beach P.I. agency is nothing like watching detective show reruns. Even the private eye app on her iPhone can't help.

But Maggie's first case is surprisingly easy … or so she thinks until she stumbles on a dead body. With whizzing bullets, car chases, and spandex clad bodybuilders, Maggie wonders if she's in over her head. Jake Jackson, the dangerously charming cop, thinks Maggie needs to stick to snapping pictures of cheating husbands and leave the detective work to the professionals.

The danger escalates when another homicide victim washes up on the shore and now someone wants to stop Maggie from solving the murders. With the help of her knitting needle wielding, orthopedic shoe wearing assistant Dorothy Raye, Maggie must solve the case before she's the next victim of this crime wave.

  

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.

Telemystery: SyFy Orders Pilot for Adaptation of 12 Monkeys

SyFy has ordered a series pilot for an adaptation of the 1995 time travel thriller 12 Monkeys.

In the original film, Bruce Willis stars as a convicted criminal living in a post-apocalyptic future in which most of the Earth's surface is contaminated by a virus that was believed to have been released in 1996. He agrees to travel back in time to discover the source of the virus, an organization he later identifies as the Army of the Twelve Monkeys, led by a animal rights activist named Jeffrey Goines (Brad Pitt).

Filming of a screenplay by Terry Matalas and Travis Fickett (Terra Nova; Nikita) is expected to begin in November.

Halfhead, a Near-Future Thriller by Stuart B. MacBride, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Halfhead by Stuart B. MacBride, 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 (08/26/2013 at 3:00 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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Halfhead by Stuart B. MacBride
A Near-Future Thriller
Publisher: HarperCollins

There are worse things than the death penalty …

They call them halfheads: convicted criminals, surgically mutilated and lobotomized by the State, then sent out to do menial jobs in the community so everyone will know what happens when you break the law. There are no appeals, no reprieves, and no one ever comes back. Until now.

Dr. Fiona Westfield, one of the most prolific serial killers Glasgow has ever seen, is waking up. Surrounded by blood and death and darkness.

William Hunter has risen through the ranks since putting Westfield away; now he's Assistant Network Director, in charge of police actions. But a routine murder investigation is about to embroil him in an appalling conspiracy.
,br>The vast connurb blocks on Glasgow's deprived south side are ready to explode. Eleven years ago the VR riots killed millions — now someone wants to start them all over again. And Will is being dragged back into a past he desperately wants to forget …

    

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.

Gone With the Woof by Laurien Berenson, New in Bookstores This Week

Today's new hardcover mystery title, scheduled to be published this week by Kensington, is Gone With the Woof by Laurien Berenson.

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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Gone With the Woof
Laurien Berenson
Series: Melanie Travis (16th)

Despite Melanie's domestic demands — a toddler and a house full of Standard Poodles — helping Edward March pen his life story is an opportunity she can't pass up. Of course Edward turns out to be a growly old man who wants his book — "Puppy Love" — to consist mainly of his amorous encounters with women from the dog show community. It's juicy gossip, but not dangerous … until Andrew, Edward's son, pays Melanie an angry visit to stop her from working on the book. When Andrew suddenly turns up very dead, the victim of a seemingly intentional hit-and-run, the police are looking at Edward as Suspect No. 1. There was lots of bad blood between Andrew and his father, but Melanie is looking at the bigger picture. Would some of Edwards' ex-trysts have gone after Andrew to shut Edward up? How about all of those husbands and boyfriends with bones to pick? And who is that woman who everyone is avoiding at the funeral? Between getting caught up in the bafflingly dysfunctional March family, sorting out two generations of disgruntled ex lovers, and uncovering a shocking case of secret hoarding, Melanie's running into dead ends almost as fast as she's running out of time. The longer the killer stays unleashed, the sooner she may end up in the dog house for good.

      

Penguin Group To Publish Swedish Childrens' Mystery Series in US

Penguin Young Readers Group has acquired the US rights to eight books in Martin Widmark's "LasseMajas detektivbyrå" ("LasseMaja's Detective Agency") series of mysteries for kids.

Lasse and Maja are two children, who live in the city of Valleby and operate a detective agency that assists the local police with their investigations.

According to the press release, the first two books — to be retitled under the collective series name of "The Whodunit Detective Agency" and featuring characters named Jerry and Maya — will be published in August 2014. There are currently 20 books in the series, though the current deal only includes (presumably the first) 8 of them.

A Swedish television series and theatrical film have been adapted from the original series.

MystereBooks: An Affair of Vengeance by Jamie Michele, 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 An Affair of Vengeance by Jamie Michele. This Kindle book was listed at $1.99 as of the date and time of this post, Monday, August 26, 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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An Affair of Vengeance by Jamie Michele
A Novel of Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Montlake Romance

Undercover agent Evangeline Quill knows the dangers of getting personally involved in her cases. But this one is unavoidable: someone murdered her parents, and she's sure she knows the killer. To hunt him down, she'll need evidence … and someone to lead her straight into the murderer's lair. Enter handsome and elusive Oliver McCrea, a man with ties to the criminal world.

Although McCrea wears a tough outer shell, Evangeline senses something vulnerable beneath his wounded, golden gaze. He's the one man she shouldn't want, but she's never been big on resisting danger. McCrea knows he should turn Evangeline away, but there's something about her that calls to the man he used to be before the underworld disintegrated his humanity.

Evangeline is determined to draw out a killer, and McCrea's going to stay right by her side to keep her safe. But will their passion lead to love … or death?

  

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.

Silver Guilt, a Lina Townend Mystery by Judith Cutler, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Silver Guilt by Judith Cutler, now available at a special price, courtesy of the publisher, Severn House.

The ebook format of this title was priced at $2.98 from the listed vendors (below) as of the date and time of this post (08/26/2013 at 1:00 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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Silver Guilt by Judith Cutler
A Lina Townend Mystery (2nd in series)
Publisher: Severn House

Lina Townend is making a name for herself as an antiques dealer, in partnership with her old friend, Griff Tripp. When she is accused of stealing an item she is selling for her father, the disreputable Lord Elham, her plight attracts the attention of Piers, a handsome fellow dealer. But is Piers all he seems? And what about the kindly policeman investigating the case?

There's only one person she can really trust — Griff. But when violence threatens him, Lina has a difficult decision to make  …

  

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.

A New MystereBook: Ring for Tomb Service by Kate Kingsbury

Here is a mystery, suspense, or thriller ebook that we recently found by sleuthing (as it were) through new or recently reissued titles from independent publishers …

Ring for Tomb Service by Kate Kingsbury is the ninth book in this long-running series, first published in 1997 by Berkley Prime Crime and subtitled, "In Edwardian England, murder rings a bell …".

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Ring for Tomb Service by Kate Kingsbury
A Pennyfoot Hotel Mystery
Publisher: Kate Kingsbury

The Pennyfoot hides many secrets and its downstairs staff keeps a tight lip, even when the Edwardian aristocrats are spotted dallying with damsels in the boudoirs, or gambling in the forbidden card rooms hidden below the floorboards. Should now and then one of the hotel guests fall prey to a dastardly murderer, however, it is up to Cecily Sinclair to restore order before Scotland Yard steps in and shuts down her infamous seaside hotel.

The villagers of Badgers End look forward to St. Bartholomew's week with great anticipation. The celebration of the church's foundation is filled with festivities, culminating in a grand feast for which people travel from afar to enjoy. This year's event, however, threatens to be cancelled when the body of the church's bell ringer is found on the rocks in Devil's Cauldron. Now it's up to Cecily to solve the murder and save the treasured festival.