Review: Tell Me by Lisa Jackson

A Mysterious Review of Tell Me by Lisa Jackson.

Review summary: This thriller has an interesting, compelling murder mystery plotline but is muddled by far too many extraneous characters and repetitive references to the events of previous books in the series. A fast summer read, but in the end, not altogether that memorable. (Click here for text of full review.)

Our rating:

Tell Me
Lisa Jackson
Kensington (June 2013)

Publisher synopsis: The most hated woman in Savannah, Georgia, is about to be set free. Twenty years ago, Blondell O'Henry was convicted of murdering her eldest daughter and wounding her two other children. The prosecution argued that beautiful, selfish Blondell wanted to be rid of them to be with her lover.

Now Blondell's son, Niall, has recanted his testimony and demolished the case in the process. Reporter Nikki Gillette is determined to get the true story, and not just for professional reasons. Blondell's murdered daughter, Amity, was Nikki's childhood friend. The night she died, Amity begged Nikki to meet with her, insisting she had a secret to tell, but Nikki didn't go. Her guilt is compounded by other complications — Nikki's favorite uncle, Alexander, was the attorney who helped save Blondell from execution. And rumors swirl that he was one of her many lovers.

Nikki's fiancé, Detective Pierce Reed, is concerned she may be compromising the case. As she digs for answers during one of the most sweltering summers in Savannah's history, he also worries for her safety. Everyone involved seems to have secrets, from Blondell's old boyfriend and his fundamentalist, snake-handling in-laws to the cop who led the original investigation. And somehow, the events of that tragic night connect to Nikki's own fractured family. But now the killing has begun again. Is Amity's murderer still at large, or is this a new, darker danger? Soon Nikki will discover what really happened twenty years ago, but the answers may come too late to save her life …

      

Sins and Scarlet Lace, a Mackenzie Family Novel by Liliana Hart, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Sins and Scarlet Lace by Liliana Hart, now available at a special price, courtesy of the author.

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 (09/04/2013 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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Sins and Scarlet Lace by Liliana Hart
A Mackenzie Family Novel (9th in series)
Publisher: Liliana Hart

Declan MacKenzie has loved the same woman for as long as he can remember, but after a mission early on in his career turns deadly, he realizes he can never have a wife or family and keep them safe. So he watches her marry another man.

Sophia Huxley is involved in a nightmare. Her late husband has been labeled a traitor and he's made her the fall guy. There's no one she can call to prove her innocence. Except the man who broke 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.

Killing Custer by Margaret Coel, New in Bookstores This Week

Today's new hardcover mystery title, scheduled to be published this week by Berkley Hardcover, is Killing Custer by Margaret Coel.

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

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Killing Custer
Margaret Coel
Series: Wind River (17th)

The whole town of Lander has turned out for the big parade celebrating the start of the new rodeo season. The main spectacle this year is the appearance of Colonel Edward Garrett — a spot-on impersonator of General George Armstrong Custer — and a troop of men acting as the ill-fated Seventh Cavalry.

The problem is they are being followed by a group of Arapaho warriors from the Wind River Reservation, who proceed to encircle Garrett and his men in a "dare ride" just to remind them exactly who won the Battle of the Little Bighorn. But when the ride is over, history seems to have repeated itself: Garrett is dead in the street with a bullet hole in his chest.

No one is sure what happened, but public sentiment quickly turns against the Arapaho — and the prime suspect is Colin Morningside, a descendant of Crazy Horse. When a local attorney connected to Morningside disappears, the accusations only grow stronger.

Father John O'Malley knows in his heart the Arapaho are not guilty. And Vicky Holden finds herself professionally and personally compromised from getting involved. But what begins as a murder soon reveals itself as a conspiracy that neither Father John nor Vicky could have foreseen. And someone wants to ensure that the truth they discover will die with them …

      

Sophie Hannah to Write New Hercule Poirot Mystery

William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins, has announced that a new Hercule Poirot mystery will be published in September 2014, to be written by Sophie Hannah. The book, which will feature the Belgian private detective in "a diabolically clever murder mystery", has been agreed to by the estate of Agatha Christie, who created the character.

"It was pure serendipity that led to Sophie Hannah being commissioned to write this book," notes Mathew Prichard, Chairman of Agatha Christie Ltd and the author's grandson. "Her agent happened to approach HarperCollins in exactly the same week that my colleagues and I started discussing a new Christie book. Her idea for a plot line was so compelling and her passion for my grandmother's work so strong, that we felt that the time was right for a new Christie to be written."

"It is almost impossible to put into words how honored I am to have been entrusted with this amazing project —in fact, I still can't quite believe that this is really happening!" added Hannah. "I hope to create a puzzle that will confound and frustrate the incomparable Hercule Poirot for at least a good few chapters."

MystereBooks: Dove Season by Johnny Shaw, 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 Dove Season by Johnny Shaw. This Kindle book was listed at $0.99 as of the date and time of this post, Wednesday, September 04, 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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Dove Season by Johnny Shaw
A Jimmy Veeder Fiasco
Publisher: AmazonEncore

Twelve years have passed since Jimmy Veeder set foot in the Imperial Valley of southern California. The only person that could bring him back is his father, Jack, who is dying of cancer. Jimmy is prepared to spend Jack's final days joking and reminiscing, but the old man has other plans. He needs Jimmy to cross the border into Mexico and find a prostitute named Yolanda. It's a strange final request to be sure, but Jimmy's not one to argue with a dying man.

With his childhood buddy Bobby Maves in tow, he heads south, looking for Yolanda among the seedy bars and neighborhoods along the Calexico/Mexicali border. Their search leads them to Tomás Morales, a rising star in the Mexican underworld. While dangerous to most, his childhood friendship with Jimmy brings out his loyalty and spurs him to help.

But just when Jimmy thinks his quest has ended, an unexpected murder sucks him further into the violence and danger of Mexicali. In his fight for survival and search for truth, what he uncovers calls into question everything he thought he knew about his father — and will determine just what kind of man he himself truly is.

  

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.

The Cards of Life and Death, a Modern Gothic Romantic Mystery by Colleen Gleason, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Cards of Life and Death by Colleen Gleason, now available at a special price, courtesy of the publisher, Avid 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 (09/04/2013 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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The Cards of Life and Death by Colleen Gleason
A Modern Gothic Romantic Mystery
Publisher: Avid Press

Barely out of college, Diana Iverson is an up and coming malpractice attorney struggling to build a brand new practice. She has a logical, scientific mind and a handsome fiancé--until she walks in on him playing doctor with a sexy female surgeon.

When Diana's eccentric Aunt Belinda dies, leaving her a big old house in Maine along with a box of Tarot cards, she takes the opportunity for a summer get-away from the painful memories at home.

The last thing she wants to deal with is Ethan Tannock, the unnervingly handsome neighbor who seems to have conned Aunt Belinda into thinking he's some sort of ghostbuster.

But when the old house becomes the scene of vandalism and a number of break-ins, and it begins to appear as if Aunt Belinda's death was not as it seemed, Diana finds that life isn't always black and white and filled with logic.

And then there are Aunt Belinda's Tarot cards … which seem to be trying to tell her something from beyond the grave …

    

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: Exile on Slain Street by P. J. Morse

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 …

Exile on Slain Street by P. J. Morse is a comic mystery in which undercover detective Clancy Parker must find the killer on the set of a reality TV dating show before she gets eliminated — permanently.

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Exile on Slain Street by P. J. Morse
A Clancy Parker Mystery
Publisher: P. J. Morse

Clancy thought she'd been hired to protect the show's star, grunge-rock guitar god Patrick Price, from a stalker, but she quickly realizes she's dealing with a clever murderer whose arsenal includes booby-trapped stripper poles and sabotaged stretch Hummers. As members of the cast and production team are killed one by one, Clancy finds herself with few allies. She's at the mercy of a nosy camera crew and, even worse, reality show contestants who will do anything for fame.

However, Clancy is the right woman for this challenge. She plays guitar for a band, and she fancies herself a rock 'n' roll detective, like Kinky Friedman, only a whole lot prettier. With her music background, Patrick Price can't resist her, but the attentions of a horny rock star threaten to distract her from her original purpose, which is to save her client's life.

  

Telemystery: Midsomer Murders Travels to Denmark for its 100th Episode

Detective Chief Inspector John Barnaby heads to Denmark to coordinate with his Danish counterpart for the 100th episode of Midsomer Murders.

In "The Killings at Copenhagen", Barnaby and DS Charlie Nelson — a character we in the US haven't seen yet; he replaced DS Ben Jones at the beginning the 16th season earlier this year — travel to the Danish capital when the body of a Midsomer resident is found there. The local investigation is being conducted by a team of two female police detectives.

"I'm a great fan of Nordic Noir and we wanted to do something special to mark the 100th episode of Midsomer [Murders]", said Jo Wright, executive producer of the series. "We see the different styles of detective work as the two duos knock up against each other."

The episode does not yet have a scheduled air date but will likely be early-2014 in the UK, much later in the US.

Please Welcome Thriller Writer Joseph Badal

with Joseph Badal

We are delighted to welcome thriller writer Joseph Badal to Omnimystery News today, courtesy of Partners in Crime Tours, which is coordinating his current book tour. We encourage you to visit all of the participating host sites; you can find his schedule here.

Joseph's fourth "Danforth Saga" novel is The Lone Wolf Agenda (Suspense Publishing; June 2013 trade paperback and ebook formats), and he titles his guest post today "Ripping Thriller Plots from the Headlines".

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Photo provided courtesy of
Joseph Badal

I am sure most avid readers have heard the phrase "You can't make this stuff up." I have approached the development of plots for my novels by basing them on real experiences +/or on current events. Obviously, drawing upon actual experience puts me in the position of being able to write about what I know. Using current events as the foundation for a story gives readers topics they can easily relate to, ones they are familiar with.

In the instance of The Pythagorean Solution, I based my plot on the historical event of a sunken Nazi treasure that has yet to be discovered. I melded this actual event with archaeological sites dating back to antiquity and brought all of this forward to present day, including personal experiences I had on the Island of Samos where the story takes place.

Shell Game, a financial thriller, was inspired by recent events that came out of the capital markets meltdown that began in 2007. This financial debacle impacted every person in some fashion. The book is about a family that suffers from the repercussions of the meltdown and the over-reaction by federal government regulators. My extensive background in the banking and financial services industries gave me unique insight into the crash and the impact it has had — and continues to have — on average citizens.

In Evil Deeds, I employ the actual kidnapping of my 2-year-old son in Greece and historical kidnappings that occurred after the end of WW II as the foundation for the story and for what is now a 4-book series called the Danforth Saga (Evil Deeds, Terror Cell, The Nostradamus Secret, and The Lone Wolf Agenda).

The Lone Wolf Agenda borrows heavily from current events, particularly those associated with lone wolf terrorists and activities related to the discovery of huge oil and gas deposits in the United States. I devised the theory that OPEC, threatened by the United States approaching energy independence, decides to attack the U.S. pipeline system that carries U.S. crude oil production to U.S. refineries.

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Joseph Badal worked for thirty-eight years in the banking and financial services industries, most recently serving as a senior executive and board member of a NYSE-listed mortgage REIT. He is currently President of Joseph Badal & Associates, Inc., a management consulting firm.

Prior to his finance career, Joe served for six years as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army in critical, highly classified positions in the U.S. and overseas, including tours of duty in Greece and Vietnam. He earned numerous military decorations.

He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in International Finance (Temple University) and Business Administration (University of New Mexico). He graduated from the Defense Language Institute, West Coast, and from Stanford University Law School's Director College.

Joe serves on the boards of Sacred Wind Communications and New Mexico Mutual Insurance, and is Chairman and President of The New Mexico Small Business Investment Corporation.

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

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The Lone Wolf Agenda
Joseph Badal
The Danforth Saga (4th in series)

Bob Danforth is brought out of retirement to hunt down lone wolf terrorists hell bent on destroying America's oil infrastructure.

As the United States discovers more and more oil reserves and is moving toward energy self-sufficiency, OPEC realizes it is about to lose its largest customer. The organization puts in place a lone wolf terrorist ring, in league with a Mexican Drug cartel, to attack America's pipeline network.

Danforth and his son, Michael, now a senior officer with DELTA Force, partner to identify and neutralize this terrorist network.

        

GHOST by Wayne Thomas Batson is Today's Fourth Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature GHOST by Wayne Thomas Batson as today's fourth free mystery ebook (A John Spector Thriller; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, September 04, 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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GHOST
Wayne Thomas Batson
A John Spector Thriller
Publisher: Spearhead Books

Protector and punisher … Hunter and hunted … Down-to-earth and otherworldly …

John Spector, aka GHOST, isn't your ordinary investigator.

He carries a shiny badge, a billfold ID, and a mysterious silver suitcase. His mission? Seek the forgotten ones, the abandoned ones, the ones no one else can or will help. Visit blunt force trauma upon the world's blackest souls and deny the devil his day by any means necessary. And never stop. Never.

For more than a decade, the "Smiling Jack" killer has been posting photos of his victims on the Web, daring anyone to catch him, daring anyone to care. But when no missing person files match and no victims are ever found, the FBI closes the case.

Years later, a digital camera washes up on shore, and GHOST finds it. Each macabre photo becomes a clue that will lead GHOST and FBI Special Agent Deanna Rezvani on the trail of one of the most diabolical killers of this world … or beyond.

  

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.

Greenwood Tree by B. Lloyd is Today's Third Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Greenwood Tree by B. Lloyd as today's third free mystery ebook (A Julie Warren Mystery; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, September 04, 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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Greenwood Tree
B. Lloyd
A Julie Warren Mystery
Publisher: Grey Cells Press

1783 – and Lichfield society is enthralled by the arrival of dashing ex-Officer Orville; he charms his way into the salons, grand houses and even a great inheritance from extrovert Sir Morton.

1927 – and detective writer Julia Warren returns to her home in Lichfield to work on her next novel. Initially she hopes to find plot material from the past and set it in the present. Aunt Isobel, while making preparations for the annual midsummer ball, has managed to root out an old journal from 1783 which might prove a source of inspiration. Once Julia starts reading her ancestor's journal she becomes absorbed in solving the mystery surrounding officer Orville. Detective fever takes over, and she moves from reality to legend as events from the past seem set to re-enact themselves in the present, and she finds herself unravelling more than just the one mystery. Who was Orville? Who was the agent, Oddman, set to spy on him? And who is helpful Mr Grenall?

Pagan gods don't walk away just because you stop looking at them. The Gronny Patch sleeps. Perhaps it dreams. Or perhaps not …

  

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.

Dying for a Change by Kathleen Delaney is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Dying for a Change by Kathleen Delaney as today's second free mystery ebook (An Ellen McKenzie Mystery; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, September 04, 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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Dying for a Change
Kathleen Delaney
An Ellen McKenzie Mystery
Publisher: PublishAmerica

Nothing ever happened in Santa Louisa, which was why Ellen McKenzie, divorce decree in one hand, new real estate license in the other, went home. Peace was what she needed, and time to figure out if forty is too late to start a new life. The town she remembered isn't the same. A huge big box store wants to build and the town is sharply divided about its coming. Each side has drawn up battle plans.

If that isn't enough, Ellen makes an appointment to show her first house in her new real estate career and instead of a client finds the body of a man, beaten to death, in the walk-in closet. Could Hank Sawyer's death have something to do with the new store's coming? Hank was its most ardent supporter. Or could it be more personal? It seems half the staff at Harper's Land Sales, where Ellen has just started work, had reason to hate Hank. Why?

Ellen finds out all too quickly the real reason Hank was murdered and almost loses her own 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.

Cade by Liliana Hart is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Cade by Liliana Hart as today's free mystery ebook (A MacKenzie Family Novel of Romantic Suspense; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, September 04, 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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Cade
Liliana Hart
A MacKenzie Family Novel of Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Liliana Hart

Cade MacKenzie is prepared to give his life to destroy the cartel that killed his lover, but the only way to draw them out is to present them with the perfect bait.

Bayleigh Scott has no idea who her new neighbor is, only that her body is drawn to him in ways she can't explain, and the danger that surrounds him isn't the deterrent she knows it should be.

More than fireworks explode between Cade and Bayleigh when she discovers the real reason he relentlessly pursued her, but by then it's too late, because she's already been drawn into a deadly game of desire, deception and revenge.

  

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.

That Night on Thistle Lane by Carla Neggers is Today's Kindle Romantic Suspense Daily Deal

MystereBooks is pleased to feature That Night on Thistle Lane by Carla Neggers as today's Amazon Kindle Romantic Suspense Daily Deal.

The deal price of $1.99 is valid only for today, Wednesday, September 04, 2013.

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That Night on Thistle Lane
Carla Neggers
A Swift River Valley Novel of Romantic Suspense
Mira Books

Librarian Phoebe O'Dunn deals in stories, but her passion for history has taught her that happy endings are rare. Her life in Knights Bridge, Massachusetts, is safe and uneventful … until she discovers the hidden room.

Among its secrets is a cache of vintage clothing, including a spectacular gown-perfect for a gala masquerade in Boston. In the guise of a princess, Phoebe is captivated by a handsome swashbuckler who's also adopted a more daring persona. Noah Kendrick's wealth has made him wary, especially of women: everybody wants something.

When Noah and Phoebe meet again in Knights Bridge, at first neither recognizes the other. And neither one is sure they can trust the magic of the night they shared — until an unexpected threat prompts them to unmask their truest selves.

After all, it takes more than just the right costume to live out your personal fairy tale. It takes heart … and the courage to be more than you ever dreamed.

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

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.