Review: Refusal by Felix Francis

A Mysterious Review of Refusal by Felix Francis. A Sid Halley Mystery.

Review summary: Based on a character created by his father and featured just four times previously in Dick Francis's novels, this intriguing story brings back ex-jockey and now ex-PI Sid Halley. How he diffuses threats to his family and resolves the quandary he finds himself in is really the core of this well structured, quite exciting mystery that is enthusiastically recommended. (Click here for text of full review.)

Our rating:

Refusal
Felix Francis
A Sid Halley Mystery
Putnam (September 2013)

Publisher synopsis: Six years ago, investigator Sid Halley retired for good. He'd been harassed, beaten, shot, even lost a hand to his investigating business, and enough was enough. For the sake of his wife and new daughter he gave up that life of danger and uncertainty, and he thought nothing would ever lure him back into the game.

He thought wrong. Sir Richard Stewart, chairman of the racing authority, begs Sid to investigate a series of dodgy races. Sid adamantly refuses, but the following day, Sir Richard is found dead under suspicious circumstances. And then a man with an Irish accent contacts Sid, telling him to deliver a whitewashed report about the suspected race-fixing … or else.

At first Sid ignores these warnings, knowing that once he submits to this criminal bully, he will forever be under his control. But as the intimidation tactics escalate — and Sid's own family comes under threat — Sid realizes he must meet his enemy head-on … or he might pay the ultimate price for his refusal.

      

New Trailer for Action Thriller Homefront

A new trailer has been released by Open Road Films for the action thriller Homefront (embedded, below).

Jason Statham stars as former drug enforcement agent Phil Broker, a family man who moves off the grid with his daughter to a seemingly quiet bayou backwater to escape his troubled past. However, Broker's world soon becomes anything but quiet once he discovers that an underbelly of drugs and violence riddles the small town. Soon, a sociopathic methamphetamine kingpin, Gator Bodine (James Franco) puts Broker and his daughter in harm's way forcing Broker back into action in order to save his family and the town.

Directed by Gary Fleder from an adapted screenplay by Sylvester Stallone and based on the novel Homefront, the sixth thriller to feature ex-cop Phil Broker by Chuck Logan, Homefront opens in theaters November 28, 2013.

— ♦ —

A New MystereBook: Death Dues by Geraldine Evans

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 during October 2013 priced $3.99 or less …

Death Dues by Geraldine Evans is the 11th mystery in this cozy procedural series, first published in hardcover by Severn House in August, 2008.

— ♦ —

Death Dues by Geraldine Evans
A Rafferty & Llewellyn Mystery
Publisher: Solo Books
Publication Date: October 20, 2013

With his wife-to-be's wedding budget spiralling out of control and his superintendent demanding the swift resolution to the series of muggings of local loan sharks' collectors, DI Joe Rafferty is anticipating a long and trying week. And sure, enough, he isn't disappointed.

When one John "Jaws" Harrison is found with his skull caved in, in an alleyway backing on to rundown Primrose Avenue while on his way to collect debt repayments from the residents, Rafferty and his intellectual partner, Sergeant Dafyd Llewellyn, imagine the case will be easily solved. Armed with a list of local debtors, they begin their investigations. But they hadn't counted on the conspiracy of silence amongst the residents — most of whom had good reason to want Jaws dead.

With the Super breathing down his neck and fiancée Abra sending his blood pressure to boiling point, Rafferty is forced to make some unorthodox decisions and stretch his intuitive powers to breaking point.

  

All Four Ladd Springs Mysteries by Dianne Venetta, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature all four Ladd Springs Mysteries by Dianne Venetta, now available at a special price, courtesy of the publisher, BloominThyme Press.

The ebook format of these titles were priced at $2.99 each from the listed vendors (below) as of the date and time of this post (10/22/2013 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.

— ♦ —

Ladd Springs by Dianne Venetta
A Ladd Springs Mystery (1st in series)
Publisher: BloominThyme Press

Delaney Wilkins finds herself at odds with hotel developer Nick Harris over a deathbed promise and a mysterious find in the Tennessee forest. Both are after title to Ladd Springs, a mecca of natural springs, streams and trails in the eastern Tennessee mountains, a tract of land worth millions. But Ernie Ladd, current owner of the property and uncle to Delaney, is adamantly opposed to them both.

Felicity Wilkins, Delaney's daughter, deserves to inherit her family's legacy, but neighbor Clem Sweeney is working against her, ingratiating himself with Ernie Ladd. Clem is also harboring a secret that will make him a very wealthy man--unless the others stop him before he can bring it to fruition.

Complicating matters is Annie Owens. Ex-girlfriend to Jeremiah Ladd, Ernie's estranged son lining in Atlanta, she declares her daughter Casey is Jeremiah's, making Casey every bit as entitled to the property as Felicity — only Annie hasn't proven this claim. Yet.

All are fighting to get the property, but only one will walk away with the gold.

  

— ♦ —

Ladd Fortune by Dianne Venetta
A Ladd Springs Mystery (2nd in series)
Publisher: BloominThyme Press

Purchase Options …
Amazon.com

— ♦ —

Hotel Ladd by Dianne Venetta
A Ladd Springs Mystery (3rd in series)
Publisher: BloominThyme Press

Purchase Options …
Amazon.com

— ♦ —

Ladd Haven by Dianne Venetta
A Ladd Springs Mystery (4th in series)
Publisher: BloominThyme Press

Purchase Options …
Amazon.com

— ♦ —

Important Note: These books were 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.

Trudy, Madly, Deeply, A Working Stiffs Mystery by Wendy Delaney, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Trudy, Madly, Deeply by Wendy Delaney, now available at a special price, courtesy of the publisher, Corvallis Press.

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 (10/22/2013 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.

— ♦ —

Trudy, Madly, Deeply by Wendy Delaney
A Working Stiffs Mystery (1st in series)
Publisher: Corvallis Press

Human lie detector Charmaine Digby is having a bad year. After eating her way through a divorce, she's out of work and up to her eyeballs in debt. In need of a life makeover Char comes home to the senior citizen haven of Port Merritt, Washington, and is ecstatic when she parlays her eye for lies into a job as the County Coroner's new assistant. But her joy is short-lived when a hunky doctor at the hospital reports the suspicious death of Trudy, Port Merritt's beloved Story Lady. Even more stunning, Trudy isn't the only recent patient whose heart mysteriously stopped.

Is it mad to think that dear old Trudy could be the latest victim of a serial killer?

With no physical evidence of foul play, Char's on the case, much to the irritation of Detective Steve Sixkiller, who doesn't want her to stick her pretty nose for trouble in his investigation. But she's a woman on a mission to uncover the truth, and she'd better keep her eyes open or the next body on the way to the morgue could be hers …

  

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.

Silent Night by Robert B. Parker and Helen Brann, New in Bookstores This Week

Today's new hardcover mystery title, scheduled to be published this week by Putnam, is Silent Night by Robert B. Parker and Helen Brann.

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.

— ♦ —

Silent Night
Robert B. Parker and Helen Brann
Series: Spenser Holiday (0th)

It's December in Boston, and Spenser is busy planning the menu for Christmas dinner when he's confronted in his office by a young boy named Slide. Homeless and alone, Slide has found refuge with an organization named Street Business, which gives shelter and seeks job opportunities for the homeless and lost. Slide's mentor, Jackie Alvarez, is being threatened, and Street Business is in danger of losing its tenuous foothold in the community, turning Slide and many others like him back on the street.

But it's not a simple case of intimidation — Spenser, aided by Hawk, finds a trail that leads to a dangerous drug kingpin, whose hold on the at-risk community Street Business serves threatens not just the boys' safety and security, but their lives as well.

      

MystereBooks: Rules of Vengeance by Christopher Reich, 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 Rules of Vengeance by Christopher Reich. This Kindle book was listed at $1.99 as of the date and time of this post, Tuesday, October 22, 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.

— ♦ —

Rules of Vengeance by Christopher Reich
A Jonathan Ransom, Doctors Without Borders Mystery
Publisher: Anchor

Months after foiling an international terrorist attack, Doctors Without Borders physician Jonathan Ransom is working under an assumed name in a remote corner of Africa. His wife, Emma, desperate to escape the wrath of Division, the secret American intelligence agency she betrayed, has been in hiding. Both look forward to sharing a stolen weekend in London — until a terrorist attack ruins their romantic rendezvous.

In the aftermath, Emma disappears and Jonathan is apprehended by the police and threatened, unless he helps secure his wife's capture. He embarks on a breathless chase across Europe, searching for Emma, and keeping Division at bay … until he realizes that all along he's been a pawn in a high-stakes game of international intrigue far beyond his imagining.

      

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 Witchfinder, An Amos Walker Mystery by Loren D. Estleman, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Witchfinder by Loren D. Estleman, now available at a special price, courtesy of the publisher, Open Road.

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 (10/22/2013 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.

— ♦ —

The Witchfinder by Loren D. Estleman
An Amos Walker Mystery (12th in series)
Publisher: Open Road

A dying architect engages Detroit PI Amos Walker to uncover someone who is spreading lies about him …

The world is waiting for Jay Bell Furlong to die. The grand old man of American architecture is on deathwatch in a Los Angeles hospital, and it won't be long before his obituary hits the front page. Only Amos Walker knows that the impending death is a bit farther off than that.

In fact, Furlong has just become Walker's client. The architect is still near death, yes, but far from the hospital. Before he goes, he has an item of revenge he wants seen to, and Walker is to be his instrument. Eight years prior, a salacious photo caused Furlong to cut loose his young lover, a photo he has now learned is a fake. He hires Walker to find out who poisoned his happiness, so that he can repay the favor before it's too late.

      

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

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 from Witness Impulse: Cambridge Blue by Alison Bruce

Every week, Witness Impulse — an imprint of William Morrow — releases new suspense and thriller digital originals, typically priced at just $2.99 each.

MystereBooks is pleased to present you with one of this week's titles …

— ♦ —

Cambridge Blue by Alison Bruce
A Gary Goodhew Mystery
Publisher: Witness Impulse
Publication Date: October 22, 2013

A medieval city. A modern murder.

In the legendary university town of Cambridge, the strangled corpse of a young woman is found splayed in an ancient meadow. For Gary Goodhew, the youngest detective in the local police force, it's a case that could make his career … or end his life. As the body count rises and blood flows through the hallowed halls of the colleges, Goodhew must exorcise his own demons if he's to survive his first year on the job …

      

A Conversation with Mystery Author Louise Gaylord

with Louise Gaylord

We are delighted to welcome mystery author Louise Gaylord to Omnimystery News today, courtesy of JKSCommunications, which is coordinating her current book tour. We encourage you to visit all of the participating host sites; you can find her schedule here.

Louise's new stand-alone novel of suspense is Sutton Place (Little Moose Press; August 2013 hardcover, trade paperback, and ebook formats) is a prequel to her 2007 novel Julia Fairchild. We recently caught up with the author to talk about her books.

— ♦ —

Omnimystery News: How you decide between writing a series novel and a stand-alone?

Photo provided courtesy of
Louise Gaylord

Louise Gaylord: I do not create a plot outline. I let the story develop as I write. My characters come with their own storylines. I have been fortunate to have them tell me their stories.

OMN: What kinds of research do you conduct for your books?

LG: Research is a guilty pleasure for me. My next Allie Armington Mystery, A Cruise to Die For, has 11 tabs in that research notebook. Some of the areas I cover are: Armington Family History, backstory, characters as they appear. Ship Information and Cruise Schedule. Port Information: Venice, Italy; Hvar, Croatia; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Taormina, Sicily; Sorrento, Italy and Civitavecchia, (Rome) Italy. I try to be as true to a setting as possible.

OMN: Tell us more about the cover design for Sutton Place.

LG: I am very pleased with the Sutton Place cover. It makes a statement about the life Julia leads without being too obvious. I have been fortunate to have Santa Monica-based Albertine Designs do the covers for all seven of my books.

OMN: What is the best advice — and harshest criticism — you've received as an author?

LG: The best advice I have received is: entertain yourself. My harshest criticism is a tendency to let my hero be passive. Ouch! Many rewrites. But I'm lucky to have an editor who keeps me in the active mode. I had the opportunity to give this advice to an aspiring writer: Use the BIC Method. BIC: Butt in chair!

OMN: What kinds of books do you read for pleasure?

LG: I am a voracious reader. Anything and everything.

OMN: What's next for you?

LG: A Cruise to Die For. Stay tuned!

— ♦ —

Louise Gaylord's stories whisk readers out of their reality and plunge them fully into the ones she creates. Best known for her numerous Allie Armington mysteries, Louise also has the Julia Fairchild trilogy of novels to her credit, and a charming recipe book, which round her out as a multi-genre writer.

Louise lives in Houston, Texas, though she might be found writing almost anywhere in the world. Learn more about the author on her website, LouiseGaylordAuthor.com, or find her on Facebook.

— ♦ —

Sutton Place
Louise Gaylord
A Novel of Suspense

The Fairchilds were a happy family of wealthy New York stock, with two loving daughters. Until the secrets started to surface.

The first secret was revealed when Julia was told the truth about her father. Her reaction to the revelation sent her spinning out of control.

The second secret concerned the parentage of Julia's sister, Ariel. How Ariel responded to the revelation astounded the rest of the family.

Now Julia is building a superb reputation at one of New York's finest hospitals. The future looks bright until a romantic weekend turns into a disaster. Fleeing home and family, she moves to New Mexico and starts to pull her life together.

Just when it looks like things are heading toward happily-ever-after, events in New York draw Julia back to Sutton Place, where she learns of Ariel's secret life and finds herself facing her worst nightmare.

        

The Mystery of Jessica Benson by C. K. Laurence is Today's Fourth Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Mystery of Jessica Benson by C. K. Laurence as today's fourth free mystery ebook (A Crime Thriller; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, October 22, 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.

— ♦ —

The Mystery of Jessica Benson
C. K. Laurence
A Crime Thriller
Publisher: C. K. Laurence

Jessica Benson is hot, beautiful, bisexual, and dead.

Moving quickly from hot Miami Beach parties to the football field to the murder scene, her life and death intersects the drama of a professional football team and the detectives who are on the case.

  

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.