Mystery Bestsellers for the Week Ending October 04, 2013

A list of the top 15 Mystery Hardcover Bestsellers for the week ending October 1st, 2013 has been posted by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books.

A new title at the top of the list this week: last week's featured title, Doctor Sleep by Stephen King.

Two new titles debut this week (rank in [brackets]).

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[8]: Gone
James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge
— Michael Bennett (6th)

Manuel Perrine doesn't fear anyone or anything. A charismatic and ruthless leader, Perrine slaughters rivals as effortlessly as he wears his trademark white linen suit. Detective Michael Bennett once managed to put Perrine behind bars, the only official in the US ever to accomplish that. But now Perrine is out, and he has sworn to find and kill Bennett and everyone dear to him.

Detective Bennett, along with his ten adopted children, their nanny, and his grandfather, are hidden safely on a rural California farm, with guards courtesy of the FBI's witness protection program. Perrine begins to embark on an escalating series of assassinations across the country, killings whose brazenness and audacity bring into question the possibility of safety and law in the US. The FBI has no choice but to ask Detective Bennett to risk it all in Perrine's war on America.

Purchase Options

          

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[13]: Spider Woman's Daughter
Anne Hillerman
— Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee (19th)

Navajo Nation Police Officer Bernadette Manualito witnesses the cold-blooded shooting of someone very close to her. With the victim fighting for his life, the entire squad and the local FBI office are hell-bent on catching the gunman. Bernie, too, wants in on the investigation, despite regulations forbidding eyewitness involvement. But that doesn't mean she's going to sit idly by, especially when her husband, Sergeant Jim Chee, is in charge of finding the shooter.

Bernie and Chee discover that a cold case involving his former boss and partner, retired Inspector Joe Leaphorn, may hold the key. Digging into the old investigation, husband and wife find themselves inching closer to the truth … and closer to a killer determined to prevent justice from taking its course.

Purchase Options

          

Today's Mystery and Suspense Update from Big Fish Games (131004)

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

• The New Release is Mayan Prophecies: Cursed Island (Collector's Edition).

• The Daily Deal is Escape the Emerald Star, just $2.99 today only!

• The current Catch of the Week is Royal Detective: The Lord of Statues, just $2.99 through Sunday, October 06, 2013 only.

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

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Today's New Release is Mayan Prophecies: Cursed Island (Collector's Edition)

After narrowly escaping the ship of spirits, Coast Guard Officer Alexis and her friends find themselves lost at sea in a life raft. A sudden storm shipwrecks them on an island, and the Mayans living there demand retribution for the artifact stolen from them centuries earlier. Alexis must return the artifact to its rightful place in the ancient temple before the Spirit of the Volcano causes the entire island to break apart. A young girl may be their best hope to appease it, but a shadow from their past could bring about their doom — and can they stop the evil poacher from escaping his fate? Join the crew and save the island from destruction in this thrilling Hidden-Object Puzzle Adventure game!

This is a special Collector's Edition release full of exclusive extras you won't find in the standard version, including: Bonus gameplay chapter; Bonus Mahjong gameplay; Achievements; Screensavers and Wallpapers.

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

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Today's Daily Deal is Escape the Emerald Star

While vacationing on the Emerald Star cruise liner, you awake to find the ship abandoned and in disarray. You’re alone and lost at sea. Can you find your way to shore? Solve unique puzzles and piece together the mystery behind of the cruise liner. Track down the fragments of a map and escape the drifting ship in this fun Hidden Object game.

A sample version is available to download and play for free for one hour. You can purchase this game today only — Friday, October 04, 2013 — for $2.99.

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The current Catch of the Week is Royal Detective: The Lord of Statues

You have been summoned to save the alpine village of Martlet, which has been taken over by statues! What made these statues come alive, and how can you stop them from destroying Martlet? The answer lays in the story of Princess, a young girl who was left on the statue maker's doorstep at birth. Find out who enchanted the statues and why in this charming game set in a small European town.

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, October 06, 2013.

Telemystery: Covert Affairs Renewed for a 5th Season

USA Network has renewed its spy drama Covert Affairs for a 5th season.

"No other series on television travels the globe to tell a story like Covert Affairs, and we are pleased to bring it back for another season," said USA Network president Chris McCumber. "With its intricate storytelling, diverse characters and authentic locations, the series continues to be a cornerstone in our line-up of USA's original signature dramas."

The 4th season continues in two weeks, on October 17th, 2013.

Keep up to date on the status of your favorite mystery and suspense television with our Telemystery Scoresheet. We've updated it with today's news.

Telemystery: Fox Renews Sleepy Hollow for a Second Season

None of the new shows have been canceled … yet … but one has received an early renewal: Sleepy Hollow. Fox announced today that the contemporary update of the classic tale would receive an order of at least 13 episodes for its second season. (This first season's order was also for just 13 episodes; The Following will return in its Monday 9 PM time slot in January.)

"The show has proven to be a risk well worth taking — it's a conceptual blast unlike anything else on television and it all holds together with inventive writing and a fantastic cast," said Kevin Reilly, Fox Entertainment chairman. "I can't wait for fans to experience what else is in store for this fall and even more of this wild ride into Season Two.

Keep up to date on the status of your favorite mystery and suspense television with our Telemystery Scoresheet. We've updated it with today's news.

The Shop of Shades and Secrets, A Novel of Modern Gothic Romantic Suspense by Colleen Gleason, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Shop of Shades and Secrets by Colleen Gleason, now available at a special price, courtesy of the author.

The ebook format of this title was priced at $1.99 from the listed vendors (below) as of the date and time of this post (10/03/2013 at 6:30 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 Shop of Shades and Secrets by Colleen Gleason
A Novel of Modern Gothic Romantic Suspense (1st in series)
Publisher: Colleen Gleason

When young, barely-employed Fiona Murphy inherits a small antiques shop from an old man she met only once, she's filled with surprise, confusion and delight — and a little bit of terror at having a new responsibility in a life she prefers to be free and easy.

Gideon Nath, III, is the stiff and oh-so-proper attorney who helps settle Fiona's inheritance, and despite her quirkiness and fascination with all things New Age, he finds himself attracted to this fun, sexy woman.

As Fiona takes over ownership of the quaint shop, odd things begin to happen. Lights come on and off by themselves, even when they are unplugged … and there is a chilly breeze accompanied by the scent of roses even when the windows are closed.

After she finds an unpleasant surprise in one of the shop's closets, scares off an intruder in the store, and uses her skill at palmistry to read Gideoncour's future — of which she appears to play a part — Fiona begins to realize that her free and easy life is about to change … whether she wants it to or not.

      

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.

Deadly Harvest, A David Kubu Bengu Mystery by Michael Stanley, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Deadly Harvest by Michael Stanley, now available at a special price, courtesy of the publisher, HarperCollins.

This fourth book in the series introduces a new detective on the Botswana police force, Samatha Khama.

The ebook format of this title was priced at $1.99 from the listed vendors (below) as of the date and time of this post (10/03/2013 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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Deadly Harvest by Michael Stanley
A David "Kubu" Bengu Mystery (4th in series)
Publisher: HarperCollins

A young girl goes missing after getting into a car with a mysterious man. Another girl disappears soon after, also after a man offers her a ride.

When the local police lose interest, Samantha Khama — a new detective with the Botswana Criminal Investigation Department, and its only woman — devotes herself to keeping the cases alive. As she starts to make progress, Detective Kubu joins forces with her to take the investigation to the next level.

When opposition leader, Bill Marumo unexpectedly wins an election and is then murdered the day after, Kubu and Samantha have a high profile murder investigation on their hands. A search of Marumo's home yields a sample of muti — traditional African medicine — that has traces of human DNA. They believe it is from a feared and powerful witch doctor, supposedly invisible unless he chooses to take physical form.

Kubu and Samantha are thrust into a harrowing race not only to stop a killer — the formidable witch doctor - but also those willing to pay for his special potions.

    

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.

Fear in the Sunlight, A Josephine Tey Mystery by Nicola Upson, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Fear in the Sunlight by Nicola Upson, now available at a special price, courtesy of the publisher, HarperCollins.

The ebook format of this title was priced at $1.99 from the listed vendors (below) as of the date and time of this post (10/03/2013 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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Fear in the Sunlight by Nicola Upson
A Josephine Tey Mystery (4th in series)
Publisher: HarperCollins

Summer, 1936: Josephine Tey joins her friends in the resort village of Portmeirion to celebrate her fortieth birthday. Alfred Hitchcock and his wife, Alma Reville, are there to sign a deal to film Josephine’s novel, A Shilling for Candles, and Alfred Hitchcock has one or two tricks up his sleeve to keep the holiday party entertained — and expose their deepest fears.

But things get out of hand when one of Hollywood’s leading actresses is brutally slashed to death in a cemetery near the village. The following day, fear and suspicion take over in a setting where nothing — and no one — is quite what it seems.

      

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.

Bookish.com: Jerome Preisler and Writing a Tom Clancy Thriller

Tom Clancy died earlier this week, and one of his co-authors, Jerome Preisler, penned a essay on what it was like to write a "Tom Clancy" thriller, an excerpt of which we are posting with permission from Bookish.

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"Behind the Scenes of Tom Clancy's 'Power Plays'" by Jerome Preisler for Bookish.

It was daunting to co-author a Tom Clancy series. The expectations challenged me as a writer, making me raise my game to a new level. I had to be more disciplined than ever about my work schedule; after the first book was turned in, I would have approximately 10 months to plot, research and write each novel. The deadline left no wiggle room — my publisher had pre-sold the books to retailers as holiday releases. Nor was there room for error when it came to the factual details of technology, ballistics and geography. When I wrote Bio-Strike, for instance, I consulted with polymer engineers and geneticists to design a newfangled biological weapon that that would be scientifically feasible. And then there was the more routine stuff of which action thrillers are made. How does a human body react when hit with a bullet of a particular caliber, at a given distance, striking at a particular angle? I had to find out — call a cop, a forensic pathologist or a trauma room doctor. Winging it wasn't an option.

Read the full article, here on Bookish.com. Read more about the first book in the "Power Plays" series, below.

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Politika
Jerome Preisler
A Tom Clancy's Power Plays Thriller

It is 1999. The sudden death of Russia's president has thrown the Russian Federation into chaos. Devastating crop failures have left millions in the grip of famine, and an uprising seems inevitable. One of Russia's provisional leaders asks the American president for help. But the whole world is watching when a deadly terrorist attack stuns the United States and evidence points to the Russian government.

Amidst the turmoil in Russia, American businessman Roger Gordian finds his multinational corporation and its employees in jeopardy. Determined to find those responsible for the attack, he calls upon his crisis control team to interven.

But Gordian doesn't realize how far the terrorists will go and how much he has to lose …

      

A New MystereBook: A Ghostly Undertaking by Tonya Kappes

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 …

A Ghostly Undertaking by Tonya Kappes introduces Emma Lee Raines, co-owner of a Kentucky-based funeral home, in this cozy paranormal series.

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A Ghostly Undertaking by Tonya Kappes
An Emma Lee Raines, Beyond the Grave Mystery
Publisher: Tonya Kappes
Publication Date: October 01, 2013

Another day. Another funeral. Another ghost. Another average day in the life of young funeral home director, Emma Lee Raines.

After a perilous run-in with a plastic Santa Claus, Emma Lee, co-owner of Eternal Slumber Funeral Home in Sleepy Hollow, Kentucky, sees the ghost of town gossip Ruthie Sue Payne, who is proving to be a real pain, more so in death than while living. Recently deceased, Ruthie reveals to Emma Lee that her demise wasn't caused by accidentally falling down the steps at the Sleepy Hollow Inn as everyone believes — she was pushed … murdered.

In order for the ghost to cross over — and for Emma Lee to be rid of Ruthie for good — she must find a desperate killer … or risk being haunted forever.

  

Tuscan Blood, A Murder Mystery by Dick Rosano, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Tuscan Blood by Dick Rosano, now available at a special price, courtesy of the publisher, Hang Time Press.

The ebook format of this title was priced at $1.99 from the listed vendors (below) as of the date and time of this post (10/03/2013 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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Tuscan Blood by Dick Rosano
A Murder Mystery
Publisher: Hang Time Press

Filippo Trantino grew up in Tuscany and then moved to America with his family as a child, leaving his heart among the vines of his family's wine estate. He returns home when his nonno, the grandfather he was named for, dies in a freak accident.

Once there, his cousins convince him Nonno Filippo's death was not an accident and that he must investigate it. He promises to do so and while solving the crime, Filippo traverses the pastoral landscapes of Tuscany, indulges in the area's most delicious wine and food and discovers the life he is meant to live.

    

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: A Place of Confinement by Anna Dean

A Mysterious Review of A Place of Confinement by Anna Dean. A Dido Kent Mystery.

Review summary: This is a delightful historical mystery. The characters and places are realistically drawn and appropriate for the time frame of the story. There is a hint of romance for Miss Dido Kent, though her attention is primarily directed to finding the true culprit for the crimes in the manor in this remarkably entertaining story. (Click here for text of full review.)

Our rating:

A Place of Confinement
Anna Dean
A Dido Kent Mystery
Minotaur Books (August 2013)

Publisher synopsis: The dependably sharp Miss Dido Kent is suffering her sister-in-law's attempts to marry her off to the ghastly clergyman Doctor Prowdlee. Dido, however, is determined to refuse him, as well as his abominable side whiskers. As punishment she is sent to accompany her hypochondriac — and quite wealthy — Aunt Manners on a trip to Charcombe Manor. The family hopes that revisiting her childhood home will keep Aunt Manners in good spirits, and Dido in her good graces.

However, upon their arrival it's clear to Dido that there is much more at stake than her aunt's favor. The rich heiress Letitia Verney has disappeared while visiting Charcombe, and Mr. Tom Lomax is suspected of abducting her. Dido is inclined to believe in his innocence, but how is she to explain by what method a young lady could enter through the front door and not appear on the other side? And this isn't the only enigma that the Elizabethan manor holds: there is a deserted wing in which lights mysteriously appear at night, a crying ghost which keeps visitors awake, and memories of old family quarrels.

When the senior Mr. Lomax comes to town to defend his son, the mystery intensifies — and so does Dido's romantic life. With lives and reputations on the line, it's up to Dido to put the pieces together to save the Lomaxes and find the vanished young Miss Verney.

      

The Fellowship, A Blake Carver Thriller by William Tyree, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Fellowship by William Tyree, now available at a special price, courtesy of the publisher, Massive Publishing.

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 (10/03/2013 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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The Fellowship by William Tyree
A Blake Carver Thriller (2nd in series)
Publisher: Massive Publishing

In Washington D.C., an American senator is the victim of a depraved murder. In London, a senior member of parliament is brutally slain in the tunnels beneath Whitehall. Only one thing appears to link the American and British politicians — the archaic ritual used to kill them.

As wayward intelligence operative Blake Carver hunts for the perpetrators, he discovers an ancient order of assassins thought to have been dissolved centuries ago. During an epic chase that takes him from the corridors of Washington to the wilds of South Africa and the catacombs of Rome, he finds himself caught in a shadow war that threatens to engulf the entire world.

  

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.

Spider Woman's Daughter by Anne Hillerman, New in Bookstores This Week

Today's new hardcover mystery title, scheduled to be published this week by Harper, is Spider Woman's Daughter by Anne Hillerman.

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

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Spider Woman's Daughter
Anne Hillerman
Series: Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee (19th)

Navajo Nation Police Officer Bernadette Manualito witnesses the cold-blooded shooting of someone very close to her. With the victim fighting for his life, the entire squad and the local FBI office are hell-bent on catching the gunman. Bernie, too, wants in on the investigation, despite regulations forbidding eyewitness involvement. But that doesn't mean she's going to sit idly by, especially when her husband, Sergeant Jim Chee, is in charge of finding the shooter.

Bernie and Chee discover that a cold case involving his former boss and partner, retired Inspector Joe Leaphorn, may hold the key. Digging into the old investigation, husband and wife find themselves inching closer to the truth … and closer to a killer determined to prevent justice from taking its course.