Innocence by Dean Koontz, New in Bookstores This Month

Today's new hardcover mystery title, scheduled to be published this month by Bantam, is Innocence by Dean Koontz.

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

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Innocence
Dean Koontz

He lives in solitude beneath the city, an exile from society, which will destroy him if he is ever seen.

She dwells in seclusion, a fugitive from enemies who will do her harm if she is ever found.

But the bond between them runs deeper than the tragedies that have scarred their lives. Something more than chance — and nothing less than destiny — has brought them together in a world whose hour of reckoning is fast approaching.

      

New Poster, Trailer for the Action Thriller 3 Days To Kill

A new poster (right; click for larger image) and trailer (embedded, below) have been released by Relativity Media for 3 Days To Kill.

In this action-thriller, Kevin Costner is a dangerous international spy, who is determined to give up his high stakes life to finally build a closer relationship with his estranged wife and daughter, whom he's previously kept at arm's length to keep out of danger. But first, he must complete one last mission — even if it means juggling the two toughest assignments yet: hunting down the world's most ruthless terrorist and looking after his teenage daughter for the first time in ten years, while his wife is out of town.

Directed by McG from an original screenplay by Luc Besson, 3 Days To Kill opens in theaters February 24, 2014.

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A New MystereBook: Stone Cold Dead by Catherine Dilts

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 December 2013 priced $4.99 or less …

Stone Cold Dead by Catherine Dilts is an amateur sleuth mystery set in a mountain tourist town populated with lively Western characters and two determined donkeys.

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Stone Cold Dead by Catherine Dilts
A Rock Shop Mystery
Publisher: Five Star
Publication Date: December 18, 2013
Price: $3.99 (as of 12/19/13 01:30 PM ET)

When her brother abandons the family rock shop, recently widowed Morgan Iverson reluctantly becomes the manager. Business is as dead as the fossils cluttering the dusty shelves. While rounding up a runaway donkey, Morgan discovers the body of a Goth teen. When a newspaper article hits the streets hinting that Morgan witnessed the murder, she becomes the victim of escalating threats that make it clear the killer thinks she holds a clue to the teen's murder.

Morgan knows her life won't be worth a pile of fossilized dinosaur dung unless she can dig up the murderer.

  

Important Note: This book was listed for the price indicated on the date and time as shown. Prices can and do change without prior notice. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

Christmas is Murder, A Rex Graves Mystery by C. S. Challinor, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Christmas is Murder by C. S. Challinor, 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 (12/19/2013 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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Christmas is Murder by C. S. Challinor
A Rex Graves Mystery (1st in series)
Publisher: Midnight Ink

Christmas in the English countryside — what could be more charming? Not even a blizzard can keep Rex Graves away from Swanmere Manor, a historic hotel in East Sussex. But instead of Christmas cheer, the red-haired Scottish barrister finds a dead guest. Was it a stroke that killed old Mr. Lawry? Or an almond tart laced with poison?

When more guests die, all hopes for a jolly holiday are dashed. Worst of all, the remote mansion is buried under beastly snow. No one can leave. Confined with a killer, no one can enjoy their tea without suspicion and scrutiny. Rex takes it upon himself to solve the mystery, but the most intriguing evidence — a burnt biography of President George W. Bush — offers few clues. Could the killer be the sherry-swilling handyman? The gay antiques dealer with a biting wit? The quarreling newlyweds? Surely, it's not Helen D'arcy, the lovely lass Rex seems to be falling for …

  

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: Show Me the Deadly Deer by Carolyn Mulford

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 December 2013 priced $4.99 or less …

Show Me the Deadly Deer by Carolyn Mulford is the second mystery in this series, in which friends rely on trust, love, and laughter to survive crimes and crises.

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Show Me the Deadly Deer by Carolyn Mulford
A Phoenix Smith Mystery
Publisher: Five Star
Publication Date: December 18, 2013
Price: $3.99 (as of 12/19/13 12:30 PM ET)

Former CIA operative Phoenix Smith goes with Acting Sheriff Annalynn Keyser to search for a missing farmer. They find him dead with a rifle at his side and a broken antler in his back. The women suspect a human framed a deer.

Phoenix hunts for the deadly deer as an excuse to investigate the widow, a hostile neighbor, an ecoterrorist, and other suspects. She gains their confidence and picks their locks. She also protects the most vulnerable from both the killer and the law. Rule-bound Annalynn leads the official investigation, stretching the law and her ethics to convert Phoenix's illegally obtained leads into court-admissible evidence.

  

Important Note: This book was listed for the price indicated on the date and time as shown. Prices can and do change without prior notice. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

Telltale Games Announces Game of Thrones Game Series

In news from earlier this month, Telltale Games has announced (via a press release) that the company has entered into a partnership with HBO to create an interactive episodic game series based on the cable network's Game of Thrones.

"Since the very beginning, Telltale's goal has been to work alongside the most talented and respected forces in entertainment, bringing their worlds to the interactive space as no other game studio can," said Dan Connors, co-founder and CEO of Telltale Games. "Working with HBO to develop a new game series based on Game of Thrones is a natural fit for our studio. This partnership will create an experience that will captivate the huge, global Game of Thrones audience. It will put them in control of the epic stories of warfare, intrigue, violence and revenge that we know and love."

Based on the bestselling fantasy book series "A Song of Ice and Fire" by George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones is an epic story where political and sexual intrigue abound as seven noble families fight for control of the Iron Throne and the Seven Kingdoms. The first game is this new series is targeted to premiere digitally in 2014. Specific platform details are yet to be announced.

Amazon's Day of Deals in Movies & TV

Today only, Thursday December 19th, 2013 there are some amazing deals in Movies & TV on Amazon.com.

The promotion is kind of tricky to navigate, what with deals starting at various times throughout the day, but visit this page and check out the section titled "Today's Deals: Movies & TV".

Deals we spotted that may be of interest to you include:

• Foyle's War: The Home Front Files at 67% off — deal already started as of the date and time of this post;

• JAG: The Complete Series (Collector's Edition) — deal starts at 1:20 PM ET;

• Perry Mason: Complete Series Pack — deal starts at 3:20 PM ET;

• Mission: Impossible, The Complete Series — deal starts at 11:20 PM ET;

There are also several multi-season sets of crime dramas available.

And don't miss the "Buy 2, Get 1 Free" promotion which is valid through December 21st, 2013. There are lots of good titles here, including Harry Potter: The Complete 8-Film Collection (both on DVD and Blu-ray); Argo (on DVD); both Sherlock Holmes films (on DVD and Blu-ray); Inception (on DVD and Blu-ray); The Town (on DVD and Blu-ray); and many, many more.

The Eve of Murder by James Whitworth is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Eve of Murder by James Whitworth as today's second free mystery ebook (A Frank Miller Mystery; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, December 19, 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 Eve of Murder
James Whitworth
A Frank Miller Mystery
Publisher: Endeavour Press

The Yorkshire coastal town of Whitby is getting ready for the literary festival that is going to put it back on the cultural map. But as the opening day draws near, the body of Georgina Callan, the festival's organizer, is found dead on West Cliff — at exactly the same spot where her father threw himself to his death many years before.

Except her death was no suicide. She has been strangled. An elderly dog walker reveals that he has seen her at the Cliff almost every night for the last year. She always has company, yet her male companion is not her husband. Was her death an isolated attack? Or is there a serial killer at large in the town?

Meanwhile, Don Watson, the famous writer and literary figure, is coming to Whitby to speak at the festival. He needs police protection because he has been receiving death threats.

Detective Inspector Frank Miller has a big job on his hands: solve the murder before the festival starts and keep Don Watson safe. Can Miller stop another killing. Or is this the eve of 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.

Death of an Old Git by Andrea Frazer is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Death of an Old Git by Andrea Frazer as today's free mystery ebook (The Falconer Files; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, December 19, 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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Death of an Old Git
Andrea Frazer
The Falconer Files
Publisher: Accent Press

In the village of Castle Farthing a mean-spirited, spiteful, curmudgeonly old man is found drugged and strangled in the kitchen of his cottage, with no obvious clues to the perpetrator of the crime.

DI Falconer and Acting DS Carmichael are summoned from the police headquarters in the nearby town of Market Darley and begin to uncover a web of grudges against the old man and a sea of familial connections between those who knew him.

As the heat of July continues relentlessly, tempers flare, disturbing the usual rural calm of the village, and the normally imperturbable Harry Falconer. Faced with a crime with no obvious prime suspect and the idiosyncrasies of his new partner,Carmichael, he feels that he is gradually losing his grip on the case as the body count rises.

Undecided whether he has one or two murderers to bring to justice, only a moment of serendipity will show him how events actually unfolded, and allow him to close his File on Castle Farthing, still smarting from the hideous twist with which events finally came to a head.

  

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.

City of Dark Magic by Magnus Flyte is Today's Nook Daily Find

MystereBooks is pleased to feature City of Dark Magic by Magnus Flyte as today's Barnes & Noble Nook Daily Find.

The deal price of $1.99 is valid only for today, Thursday, December 19, 2013.

Note: The price has been matched by Amazon.com for today only.

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City of Dark Magic
Magnus Flyte
A Sarah Weston Mystery
Penguin Books

Once a city of enormous wealth and culture, Prague was home to emperors, alchemists, astronomers, and, as it's whispered, hell portals. When music student Sarah Weston lands a summer job at Prague Castle cataloging Beethoven's manuscripts, she has no idea how dangerous her life is about to become. Prague is a threshold, Sarah is warned, and it is steeped in blood.

Soon after Sarah arrives, strange things begin to happen. She learns that her mentor, who was working at the castle, may not have committed suicide after all. Could his cryptic notes be warnings? As Sarah parses his clues about Beethoven's "Immortal Beloved", she manages to get arrested, to have tantric sex in a public fountain, and to discover a time-warping drug. She also catches the attention of a four-hundred-year-old dwarf, the handsome Prince Max, and a powerful U.S. senator with secrets she will do anything to hide.

 

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 (131219)

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

• Our Featured Title is Mystery Murders: Jack the Ripper.

• The current Catch of the Week is The Great Unknown: Houdini's Castle, just $2.99 through Sunday, December 22, 2013 only.

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

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Our Featured Title today is Mystery Murders: Jack the Ripper

Track down one of the world's most legendary serial killers in this incredible Hidden Object game! Help world-renowned clairvoyant Emma de Ville and Inspector Fred Abberline of London's famous Scotland Yard as they pursue the notorious murderer. Piece together clues, solve intriguing puzzles and use forensic crime scene investigation methods to hunt the killer down!

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 The Great Unknown: Houdini's Castle

Your honeymoon is cut short when your plane crashes on an uncharted island. You awake to discover a madman has kidnapped your husband. To get him back, you'll have to use all your wits to pass his sinister tests and solve the mysteries of Houdini's castle. Along the way, you'll uncover Houdini's secret past and learn about the brilliant apprentice who changed his life. Can you expose Houdini's greatest trick to save your husband and escape the island? Take the challenge in this thrilling Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure 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, December 22, 2013.

The Jesse Stone Collection — Available at a Discounted Price

Now available: The Jesse Stone Collection on DVD at a discounted price.

As of the date and time of this post, December 18, 2013 at 6:00 PM, this DVD set was priced at $69.99 (27% off).

A must-own for Jesse Stone fans, this highly collectable box set features all eight mysteries starring Tom Selleck as Jesse Stone, the tough and troubled chief of police of a small New England town. Struggling to keep his demons under control, Stone exposes killers, cover-ups, dark secrets and more in these hard-boiled thrillers. Based on a character created by crime novelist Robert B. Parker, several of these made-for-television movies are adapted from the novels in the series.

Use this link on Amazon.com to see more information about this outstanding series.

A New MystereBook: Mitigating Circumstances by Dawn Corrigan

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 December 2013 priced $4.99 or less …

Mitigating Circumstances by Dawn Corrigan is set in the heart of the "Redneck Riviera" during the spring of 2009.

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Mitigating Circumstances by Dawn Corrigan
An Environmental Thriller
Publisher: Five Star
Publication Date: December 18, 2013
Price: $3.99 (as of 12/18/13 05:30 PM ET)

Gail LaRue returned to her hometown of Gulf Breeze, Florida, after college with an urban planning degree and dreams of planning utopian communities. Instead, as the junior member of the Community Development team, she finds herself battling residents about their weedy yards. But when a prominent local environmentalist is kidnapped by a zealot, Gail and her friend Emily find themselves digging into the mitigation bank industry.

In the process they uncover a land swap conspiracy that involves the Park Service and the nearby Air Force base, incurring the wrath of the local Good Old Boy network as they go.

  

Important Note: This book was listed for the price indicated on the date and time as shown. Prices can and do change without prior notice. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

Kith and Kill, A Rafferty and Llewellyn Police Procedural by Geraldine Evans, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Kith and Kill by Geraldine Evans, now available at a special price, courtesy of the publisher, Solo Books.

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 (12/18/2013 at 5:00 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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Kith and Kill by Geraldine Evans
A Rafferty and Llewellyn Police Procedural (15th in series)
Publisher: Solo Books

Sophia Egerton, matriarch of a family of fashion designers, is murdered on the same day she celebrates her ninetieth birthday. DI Joe Rafferty has to wonder if one of her family thought she had lived too long,because most of the suspects were there when she died and just happen to be the wealthy Sophia's ever-loving relatives.

Rafferty and his family have a celebration of their own. But what to buy Ma as a gift to mark the occasion? Rafferty's attempts to persuade his numerous and bolshie siblings that buying a gift from a "man in the pub" is not a good idea, not least from his police career point of view, involves him in some serious — and cripplingly expensive — bribery and corruption.

If only he'd remembered that his Ma had a mind of her own he might have saved himself both grief and cash.

His investigation proceeds on its un-merry way, thwarted not only by his own mind's obsession with the Rafferty-family propensity for dodgy purchases, and the victim's family, but also by his own parish priest.

Fr Roberto Kelly, so frequently Rafferty's bête-noire, has turned up to offer succour to one of his lady parishioners. But it is only by getting the contrarily-wilful priest on-side that Rafferty knows he will ever get a conviction.

  

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: Burnout by Larry A. Winters

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 December 2013 priced $4.99 or less …

Burnout by Larry A. Winters introduces Jessie Black, a rising star at the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office. But all of her abilities will be put to the test when Frank Ramsey, a brutal serial murderer and rapist she successfully prosecuted over a year ago, petitions the court for a new trial.

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Burnout by Larry A. Winters
A Jessie Black Legal Thriller
Publisher: Larry A. Winters
Publication Date: December 16, 2013
Price: $3.99 (as of 12/18/13 04:30 PM ET)

Public defender Jack Ackerman represented Frank Ramsey at his first trial. Beating him had not been easy. That was before his spectacular public breakdown, which saw him singing and dancing in open court and resulted in his commitment to a mental institution mere weeks after Ramsey's guilty verdict.

Now, Ramsey may have a chance at a new trial based on an ineffective assistance of counsel claim. To stop Ramsey, Jessie will need to defend a defense attorney she never liked, and prove that he's not crazy — a fact she's far from sure of. A new trial would devastate Kristen Dillard, the teenage girl whose life Ramsey shattered and the only witness to his horrific crimes. And to make matters worse, powerful forces are hellbent on putting Ramsey back on the street for their own mysterious purposes, and won't let anyone — including a prosecutor — stand in their way.

Will one lawyer's nervous breakdown set a killer free? For Jessie, this fight will be the toughest of her career, and one she's not willing to lose.

  

Important Note: This book was listed for the price indicated on the date and time as shown. Prices can and do change without prior notice. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.