The Housewife Assassin's Killer Two-Book Set by Josie Brown is Today's Third Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Housewife Assassin's Killer Two-Book Set by Josie Brown as today's third free mystery ebook (The Housewife Assassin Series; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, October 25, 2013 at 7:30 AM ET. Prices are subject to change without notice. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of purchase will be the price paid for the book. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your transaction.

For a summary of all of today's featured titles, plus any that may have appeared before and are repeat freebies, visit our Free MystereBooks page. This page is updated daily, typically by 8 AM ET.

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The Housewife Assassin's Killer Two-Book Set
Josie Brown
The Housewife Assassin Series
Publisher: Signal Press

Murder, suspense, sex — and some handy household tips …

In Book 1 — The Housewife Assassin's Handbook:

Every desperate housewife wants an alias. Donna Stone has one — and it happens to be government-sanctioned. Unfortunately, she earned it the hard way: her husband was killed the day she delivered their third child. To avenge his murder, Donna leads a secret life: as an assassin. But espionage makes for strange bedfellows, and brings new meaning to that old adage, "Honey, I'm home …".

In Book 2 — The Housewife Assassin's Guide to Gracious Living:

Donna Stone's mission is to stop a rogue operative before he assassinates the newly elected Russian president on U.S. soil. She must also follow through on her divorce — but first she's got to serve a summons to a deadbeat dad who is also a terrorist! As for Donna's love life, turns out the spy who loves her has a bombshell of his own.

  

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.

The Doctor by Jennifer Bull is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Doctor by Jennifer Bull as today's second free mystery ebook (A Paranormal Psychological Thriller; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, October 25, 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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The Doctor
Jennifer Bull
A Paranormal Psychological Thriller
Publisher: Jennifer Bull

After the attack at his father's amusement park, Daniel cannot believe what he's capable of. He tries to lock himself away and protect those he loves … until he finds out that the monster within did not get there by accident, and the one responsible didn't stop with him.

Sarah remembers the stories her mother used to tell her; of a place where the sun shone brightly and bird songs filled the air; a place where home wasn't a cramped cell; a place where your own mind didn't try to torment you. She wants nothing more than to be free of this living hell … even if that means she won't get out alive.

Jack is fed up of chasing the serial killer with no name, whose favourite game is creating monsters out of living people. He just wants to catch him before anyone else gets hurt … but reaching that goal becomes much more dangerous than anyone could have guessed.

When these three strangers find their lives colliding on an island from which there is no escape, they must work together if they want to survive; but how do they fight against a force that doesn't really exist?

  

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.

Bad News Travels Fast by Gar Anthony Haywood is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Bad News Travels Fast by Gar Anthony Haywood as today's free mystery ebook (A Joe and Dottie Loudermilk Mystery; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, October 25, 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 News Travels Fast
Gar Anthony Haywood
A Joe and Dottie Loudermilk Mystery
Publisher: Gar Anthony Haywood

Joe and Dottie Loudermilk are all set for the perfect early retirement. Joe's an ex-cop, and Dottie's a former English teacher, and as soon as the "SOLD" sign goes up on the lawn in front of their longtime Los Angeles home, they intend to take their brand new Ford pickup truck and Airstream trailer wherever the great American highway leads. Unfortunately, fate is determined to have two forms of trouble dog their every step: murder, and their five incorrigible grown children.

In Dottie's own words, the Loudermilk brood "go to school, but take pains not to learn anything remotely useful; date weird people and adhere to Mickey Mouse religions; and give birth to grandchildren from hell (whom they raise) like goldfish won at a church carnival."

In this, their second adventure, Joe and Dottie visit the nation's capital, Washington, D.C., and quickly find themselves assigned the task of clearing their political activist/shameless womanizer son Eddie of a rival's murder.

  

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.

Music of Ghosts by Sallie Bissell is Today's Kindle Daily Deal

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Music of Ghosts by Sallie Bissell as today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal.

The deal price of $1.99 is valid only for today, Friday, October 25, 2013.

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Music of Ghosts
Sallie Bissell
A Mary Crow Novel of Suspense
Midnight Ink

Fiddlesticks killed her with his razor. Slit her throat and then forgave her.

Deep in the Appalachian woods stands the old Fiddlesticks cabin, the scene of a bloody double murder from decades past. Now the haunted cabin lures young thrill seekers who hope to hear the killer’s ghostly fiddle music. When a group of college students comes to call, Lisa Wilson — the daughter of a former North Carolina governor — is tragically murdered, and her flesh is mutilated with disturbing symbols.

Pisgah County sheriff Jerry Cochran is in hot water when the ball-busting politician shows up, threatening to tear the county apart in search of his daughter’s killer. But Nick Stratton — the handsome raptor center specialist and Lisa’s boss — is in even hotter water when evidence points to him as the prime suspect. As Nick turns to attorney Mary Crow for help, it’s up to the Pisgah County native to discover the truth. Did Nick do it? Or is there a deranged mountain killer on the loose?

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.

Mystery Bestsellers for the Week Ending October 25, 2013

A list of the top 15 Mystery Hardcover Bestsellers for the week ending October 25th, 2013 has been posted by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books.

Several titles moved up sharply in the list this week, but Doctor Sleep by Stephen King remains at number one, probably for its last week.

One new title debuts this week (rank in [brackets]).

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[8]: Sycamore Row
John Grisham

Seth Hubbard is a wealthy man dying of lung cancer. He trusts no one. Before he hangs himself from a sycamore tree, Hubbard leaves a new, handwritten, will. It is an act that drags his adult children, his black maid, and Jake into a conflict as riveting and dramatic as the murder trial that made Brigance one of Ford County's most notorious citizens, just three years earlier.

The second will raises far more questions than it answers. Why would Hubbard leave nearly all of his fortune to his maid? Had chemotherapy and painkillers affected his ability to think clearly? And what does it all have to do with a piece of land once known as Sycamore Row?

Purchase Options

          

Today's Mystery and Suspense Update from Big Fish Games (131025)

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

• The New Release is Nevertales: The Beauty Within (Collector's Edition).

• The Daily Deal is Hidden Mysteries: Notre Dame, just $2.99 today only!

• The current Catch of the Week is Mystery Chronicles: Betrayals of Love, just $2.99 through Sunday, October 27, 2013 only.

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

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Today's New Release is Nevertales: The Beauty Within (Collector's Edition)

Just when you were finally done with work for the day, a stranger comes knocking loudly at your door. When you answer there's no one … no one except a helpless baby abandoned on your doorstep. You follow after the stranger, hoping to find some answers but are drawn into a mystery that beckons you into a castle-like mansion. Who does the baby belong to? Why were you chosen? The answers will surprise you in this page-turning 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: Three bonus chapters; Multiple collectables and achievements; Sugar Rush Hidden Object Puzzle; and Integrated Strategy Guide.

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

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Today's Daily Deal is Hidden Mysteries: Notre Dame

The Crown of Thorns, the most precious and revered relic in the Notre Dame Cathedral, has disappeared. As chief investigator assigned by the Prefecture de Police, it's up to you to track down the priceless artifact. Use your Hidden Object talents to crack the case and save the Crown of Thorns before it's too late.

A sample version is available to download and play for free for one hour. You can purchase this game today only — Friday, October 25, 2013 — for $2.99.

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The current Catch of the Week is Mystery Chronicles: Betrayals of Love

When the Countess is discovered dead, it's up to you to follow the clues and find her murderer! After Commissaire Jean Bertineau asks for your help in this high-profile murder, you travel to France and hope to get to the bottom of this gruesome murder. Upon arriving, you discover that the Count has gone missing! Get to the bottom of the case before the Count ends up being the next corpse you discover in this dark Hidden Object game!

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 27, 2013.

Winners of the Fall 2013 CWA Dagger Awards Announced

The winners of the final 2013 CWA Dagger Awards have been announced by the Crime Writers' Association at this evening's Crime Thriller Awards ceremony. The awards ceremony will air on ITV3 this Sunday, October 27th, 2013 at 9 PM local time.

And the winners are …

• Gold: Dead Lions by Mick Herron (Soho Crime)

• Ian Fleming Steel: Ghostman by Roger Hobbs (Transworld)

• John Creasey New Blood: Norwegian by Night by Derek B. Miller (Faber & Faber)

 indicates a review by Mysterious Reviews; click on the icon to visit the site.

Review: Death Angel by Linda Fairstein

A Mysterious Review of Death Angel by Linda Fairstein. An Alex Cooper Mystery.

Review summary: There are a number of compelling elements to this police procedural, in which Manhattan's Central Park plays a key role in the story. The mystery storyline is an intriguing one, but there's a sense that the author is more or less on auto-pilot here; the story lacks emotion and depth and, most importantly, direction. It isn't a poor entry in this long-running series by any means, but it also isn't among the better ones either. (Click here for text of full review.)

Our rating:

Death Angel
Linda Fairstein
An Alex Cooper Mystery
Dutton (July 2013)

Publisher synopsis: When the body of a young woman is discovered in Central Park, the clock begins ticking for Assistant DA Alex Cooper and Detectives Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace to find the killer who has breached this haven in the middle of New York City. Is the body found in the lake, under the unseeing gaze of the Bethesda angel, the first victim of a deranged psychopath, or is the case connected to other missing girls and women in years past whose remains have never been found? Just as the trio gets their first lead, the investigation is almost derailed when Mike and Alex become embroiled in a scandal.

As Alex attempts to fight the accusations leveled against her and Mike, she follows clues that range from the park’s most buried — literally — secrets all the way to the majestic Dakota, which has experienced its own share of tragedies. When another young woman is attacked in the park, a new question arises: is this enormous urban park a sanctuary — as it seems to the thousands of New Yorkers and tourists who fill it every day — or is it a hunting ground for a killer with a twisted mind?

      

Telemystery: ABC Orders Adaptation of Secrets & Lies to Series

ABC has ordered a direct to series 10-episode adaptation of a soon-to-be-aired Australian crime drama Secrets & Lies, to be produced by ABC Studios.

The original series, set to air in early 2014 on Network Ten in Australia, is centered on Ben Gundelach (played by Martin Henderson), an everyday family man who finds the body of a young boy and quickly becomes the prime murder suspect. As his world falls apart, Ben finds himself with no choice but to try to find the real killer. At stake is his marriage, his kids, his reputation and his sanity.

"Secrets & Lies is a great suburban thriller that is set to get audiences guessing to the very last minute," said Tracey Robertson, CEO of Hoodlum, which is producing the Australian version and co-producing the ABC adaptation. "This compelling whodunit scratches below the surface of a typical neighborhood that, under such tragic circumstances, is forced to expose the secrets and lies of its residents. Each week reveals new suspects and new secrets to discover, and uncovers the lies of our seemingly ordinary characters."

A New MystereBook: Deadly Deception by Andrea Johnson Beck

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 …

Deadly Deception by Andrea Johnson Beck is the first in the author's series of contemporary romantic thrillers.

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Deadly Deception by Andrea Johnson Beck
A Novel of Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Publication Date: October 08, 2013

Dr. Anne Jamison, a brilliant neuropsychiatrist, is living the concrete jungle life in Minneapolis with her fiancé, prominent attorney Adam Whitney. But the mysterious death of Carter Leeds, her beloved former boyfriend, still haunts her …

After three years of unanswered questions, a mysterious package finds its way to Anne. The note inside reveals the possibility that Carter may, in fact, be alive. Even more shocking, her very own fiancé may have had a hand in his attempted demise. Anne doesn't know what — or who — to believe, and the deeper she digs, the more she is overcome by a dangerous game of cat and mouse. But will Anne's trust be restored — or will she be the one left plotting revenge?

  

October Fest, A Mira James, Murder-by-Month Mystery by Jess Lourey, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature October Fest by Jess Lourey, now available at a special price, courtesy of the publisher, Midnight Ink.

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 (10/24/2013 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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October Fest by Jess Lourey
A Mira James, Murder-by-Month Mystery (6th in series)
Publisher: Midnight Ink

Beer and polka music reign supreme at Octoberfest, Battle Lake's premier fall festival. To kick off the celebrations, the town hosts a public debate between the two congressional candidates: straight-laced Arnold Swydecker, and slippery incumbent, Sarah Glokkmann. As a reporter for the Battle Lake Recall, Mira James is roped into writing up the word war.

But the festive mood sours when a well-known Glokkmann-bashing blogger is found dead hellip; and the congresswoman herself meets a gruesome fate.

To keep the heat off her best friend's fiancé — an ex-con reporter — Mira wades through the candidates' dirty laundry, their unsavory secrets, and some murderous mudslinging to expose the killer.

  

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: NBC Orders Pilot for a Reimagined Murder, She Wrote

NBC has ordered a pilot for a contemporary reimagination of Murder, She Wrote.

Octavia Spencer is set to star as a hospital administrator turned amateur sleuth after she self-publishes her first mystery novel. Alexandra Cunningham is writing the screenplay for Universal Television, which produced the original series for CBS.

Murder, She Wrote aired for 12 seasons and starred Angela Lansbury — who is reported to have been offered some role in the new series, though whether in front of or behind the camera is unclear — as mystery author Jessica Fletcher. Four made-for-television movies followed. The character is so popular that Jessica Fletcher (with co-author Donald Bain) continues to write mysteries to this day, the most recent in the series, Close-Up on Murder, being published just this month.

Ghost in the Polka Dot Bikini, A Ghost of Granny Apples Mystery by Sue Ann Jaffarian, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Ghost in the Polka Dot Bikini by Sue Ann Jaffarian, now available at a special price, courtesy of the publisher, Midnight Ink.

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 (10/24/2013 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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Ghost in the Polka Dot Bikini by Sue Ann Jaffarian
A Ghost of Granny Apples Mystery (2nd in series)
Publisher: Midnight Ink

Imagine spending eternity with your backside hanging out — that's what Emma Whitecastle and Granny Apples can't help but think when they meet the ghost of Tessa North frolicking in the surf off Catalina Island.

Tessa, a young starlet who died on the island in the 1960s wearing nothing but a polka dot bikini, won't cross over until "Curtis" comes for her.

To help the winsome, bikini-clad spirit, Emma and Granny must find out who Curtis is and how Tessa died. Their investigation takes them from the grit and glamour of Hollywood to Kennedy-era political intrigue — before hitting dangerously close to home.

  

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.

Sycamore Row by John Grisham, New in Bookstores This Week

Today's new hardcover mystery title, scheduled to be published this week by Doubleday, is Sycamore Row by John Grisham.

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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Sycamore Row
John Grisham

Seth Hubbard is a wealthy man dying of lung cancer. He trusts no one. Before he hangs himself from a sycamore tree, Hubbard leaves a new, handwritten, will. It is an act that drags his adult children, his black maid, and Jake into a conflict as riveting and dramatic as the murder trial that made Brigance one of Ford County's most notorious citizens, just three years earlier.

The second will raises far more questions than it answers. Why would Hubbard leave nearly all of his fortune to his maid? Had chemotherapy and painkillers affected his ability to think clearly? And what does it all have to do with a piece of land once known as Sycamore Row?