Tis the Season, A Christmas Romantic Mystery by Kathryn Quick, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Tis the Season by Kathryn Quick, now available at a special price, courtesy of the publisher, Montlake Romance.

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 (12/22/2013 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.

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Tis the Season by Kathryn Quick
A Christmas Romantic Mystery
Publisher: Montlake Romance

Santa quit! Well, Holly Winters' father who plays the beloved character every year at the local mall is quitting the business. Jack Winters has been the shopping mall's Santa for as long as anyone can remember but this year, the unrelenting commercialization of Christmas has him threatening to hang up his red suit.

Holly loves Christmas and everything associated with it, and can't imagine a holiday without him. So when her father challenges her to prove him wrong by changing just one indifferent person back to the true spirit of the season, she accepts. But there's a catch. Her father must choose the person. When Jack picks Michael Sutton, the workaholic, bottom-line property manager of the mall, Holly has no choice but to agree.

As Holly works to thaw Michaels' cold Christmas hear, she finds that he has been hiding a heartrending holiday secret that could threaten to ruin everything. On top of that, she's beginning to have a holiday wish of her own — him!

  

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.

Murder as a Second Language by Joan Hess, New in Bookstores This Month

Today's new hardcover mystery title, scheduled to be published this month by Minotaur Books, is Murder as a Second Language by Joan Hess.

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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Murder as a Second Language
Joan Hess
Series: Claire Malloy (19th)

Longtime bookseller and single mother, Claire Malloy has recently married her long term beau and moved out of her less than opulent apartment into a sprawling, newly remodeled house. Her daughter, Caron, is making plans for college. All of which leaves Claire with something she hasn't had in quite a while: spare time.

When her attempts to learn French cooking start getting "mixed" reviews, she agrees to help Caron and her best friend Inez in fluffing up their college applications by volunteering as an ESL tutor with the Farberville Literacy Council. But her modest effort to give back quickly becomes a nightmare when she's railroaded onto the Board of Directors of the troubled nonprofit. Vandalism, accusations of embezzlement, epic budget problems, and a cacophony of heavily-accented English speakers are just the tip of the iceberg. Just as she decides that it might be best to extricate herself, Claire gets a frantic call from her husband, Deputy Chief Peter Rosen. One of the students, an older Russian woman named Ludmilla, famed for her unpleasantness, has been murdered in the offices of the Farberville Literary Council. For the first time ever, Peter actually asks Claire for her help.

      

Die With Me, A Mark Tartaglia Mystery by Elena Forbes, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Die With Me by Elena Forbes, now available at a special price, courtesy of the publisher, MP Publishing.

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 (12/22/2013 at 2:00 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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Die With Me by Elena Forbes
A Mark Tartaglia Mystery (1st in series)
Publisher: MP Publishing

Somewhere in London, a lonely young woman is reaching out to the wrong man. It's up to Detective Inspector Mark Tartaglia and the rest of the Murder Squad to find her before a killer does.

When fourteen-year-old Gemma Kramer's broken body is found on the floor of St. Sebastian's Church, the official ruling is that she jumped to her death from the organ gallery above the altar. But then a witness comes forward claiming to have seen Gemma kissing a much older man before the two disappeared into the church together. And when the toxicology report reveals traces of GHB and alcohol in her system, a full-scale murder investigation is launched.

At the helm is Detective Inspector Mark Tartaglia, a stubborn cop known for following his hunches. It's Tartaglia's first time in charge, and he walks right into a political minefield as the investigation turns up three more suspicious deaths — all involving vulnerable young women falling to their deaths, all initially ruled suicides.

In the whirlwind of conflicting theories from the media, criminal profilers, and cautious administrators, Tartaglia and his detectives must connect the dots between victims to find a serial killer with a chilling predilection for lonely girls and deadly heights.

  

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: One Kill Away by Alex MacLean

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 …

One Kill Away by Alex MacLean is the second mystery in this series, which features Halifax cop Allan Stanton.

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One Kill Away by Alex MacLean
An Allan Stanton Mystery
Publisher: Alex MacLean
Publication Date: December 20, 2013
Price: $2.99 (as of 12/22/13 01:30 PM ET)

Halifax homicide detective Allan Stanton's walked away from his job to reconnect with his young son, until a killer starts methodically carving his way through the city's underbelly. His ex-partner needs help, and Stanton reluctantly returns.

The killer is definitely working through a list of victims, and he's leaving cryptic clues at his grisly crime scenes. Are they there to confuse the police? Or is there something more to them? As Stanton unravels this shocking central mystery, he becomes the target of an unexpected enemy — those next on the killer's list.

  

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.

A View To Die For, A Murder Mystery by Richard Houston, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature A View To Die For by Richard Houston, 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 (12/22/2013 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.

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A View To Die For by Richard Houston
A Murder Mystery
Publisher: Richard Houston

Jacob Martin is trying to make the best of a divorce and mid-life crisis when he gets a call at two o'clock Sunday morning from his mother. His sister has been arrested for the murder of her fourth husband, and his father is near death.

Thus begins an adventure that takes Jake and his golden retriever from their Colorado retreat to a backwater town in the Missouri Ozarks where they search for cold-blooded killers, a cache of gold coins buried by Jesse James, and the love of a beautiful nurse.

  

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: Off the Edge by Carolyn Crane

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 …

Off the Edge by Carolyn Crane is the second book in this series of romantic suspense thrillers.

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Off the Edge by Carolyn Crane
The Associates Series
Publisher: Carolyn Crane
Publication Date: December 20, 2013
Price: $2.99 (as of 12/22/13 12:30 PM ET)

She may be his worst enemy … He may be her only hope …

For deadly secret agent Peter Macmillan, language is a weapon — one he uses to hunt criminals, destroy plots, and charm enemies. Seducing information out of a beautiful singer in a Bangkok hotel should be easy … except this particular singer has the power to destroy his cool façade, and with it, his last defense against a dark past.

He tricked her. He helped himself to her body and her secrets. He has enemies everywhere. Laney Lancaster should hate Peter, but when she discovers him shirtless, sweaty, and chained up in the hotel's dungeon, all she can think about is freeing him. Because she knows what it's like to be trapped and alone. And she could use a dangerous friend.

They might be wrong for each other, but the instant they join forces, Laney and Peter are plunged into an odyssey of hot sex and dark danger. To survive, they must trust each other with their lives — and their hearts.

  

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.

New Trailer for Justified Season 5

A new trailer has been released by FX Networks for the new season of Justified (embedded, below).

Based on Elmore Leonard's novella Fire in the Hole, Timothy Olyphant stars as Deputy US Marshal Raylan Givens, a lawman who finds himself drawn back to his home state of Kentucky.

This January, Raylan confronts the Crowes, a deadly, lawless family from Florida intent on settling in Harlan with new criminal enterprises in mind. Meanwhile, Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins) struggles to free his imprisoned fiancée Ava (Joelle Carter) as he partners with the Dixie Mafia's Wynn Duffy (Jere Burns).

The fifth season of Justified premieres January 7th, 2014 at 10 PM ET/PT.

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Deadly Tide by George East is Today's Third Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Deadly Tide by George East as today's third free mystery ebook (An Inspector Mowgley Murder Mystery; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, December 22, 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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Deadly Tide
George East
An Inspector Mowgley Murder Mystery
Publisher: La Puce Publications

Jack Mowgley is anything but an ordinary copper. For starters, how many police officers have "ACAB" (All Coppers Are Bastards) tattooed on their knuckles? Or get booze and baccy supplies by smuggling them through the continental ferry port he is supposed to be keeping free of crime? Or dispense sometimes very rough justice without troubling the courts? For these and many other reasons, Inspector John ‘Jack’ Mowgley is a very different detective. He also finds the rules and requirements of political correctness a closed book.

After proving a great disappointment to his wife, a painful divorce resulted in our flawed hero being dispossessed of his home in Hampshire and lumbered with the crippling mortgage on a pretentious ruin in Normandy. This is why he lodges where he can in between spending his time on the job or in his dockside local pub, The Ship Leopard.

A beachcomber finds a Hermes Birkin designer bag containing a large amount of heroin, and an even larger amount of banknotes, and two arms. Meanwhile, a cleaner on board a cross-Channel ferry boat finds a limbless and headless body in a luxury cabin.

At his temporary lodgings above the Midnight Tindaloo, our hero is awoken with the grim news by his fiercely loyal assistant, drinking companion and confidante, Sergeant Catherine McCarthy. To other members of the City force, she is a strikingly attractive, clever but often prickly officer. To Mowgley she is his muse and mate Melons, but he is the only person on earth allowed her to call her that.

After opening the Trunk Murder case, Mowgley and Melons find themselves following a trail across the Channel which becomes increasingly littered with dead bodies … and body parts.

  

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 Sounds of Silence by David J. Israel is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Sounds of Silence by David J. Israel as today's second free mystery ebook (A Phillip Rigby Mystery; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, December 22, 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 Sounds of Silence
David J. Israel
A Phillip Rigby Mystery
Publisher: David J. Israel

It is the Winter of 1967-68 and the City of New Orleans is operating under a siege mentality caused by the sudden appearance of a Predator dubbed the "French Quarter Vampire". The news media is in a frenzy as they continue to report the dismal failure of the New Orleans Police Department to catch the killer. In every instance, the victims are drained of their life's blood and the bodies are discarded in the Garden District. The police are stunned by the fact that there are no puncture wounds on the victims and the killer seems to disappear very quickly with no evidence left behind.

Phillip Rigby is now settled into a dismal winter in Chicago filled with nightmares and dark depression. He has been turned down by the Chicago Police Department for reinstatement. Night after night Rigby has a reoccurring nightmare in which he is being pursued in an cemetery during a driving rainstorm.

An old family friend and mentor, Pastor Hubert Berry suggests that Rigby journey to New Orleans and have "Mama" Addie Lereaux interpret his dream. Upon arrival, Rigby becomes involved in the investigation at the invitation of the New Orleans Police Department. As he becomes involved in the investigation Rigby discovers a hidden agenda involving the supernatural and a series of unusual suspects in the Crescent City.

  

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 Shoot by Timothy Frost is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Shoot by Timothy Frost as today's free mystery ebook (Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, December 22, 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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The Shoot
Timothy Frost
Publisher: Fast Editions

Filming in the Caribbean can be murder …

Kate Robinson, twenty-two and cheerfully single, lands a dream assignment: production assistant for a film shoot on the Caribbean hideaway of St. Saviour's. With her eye for detail and flair for organizing everyone, Kate's in her element. But the beautiful star of the shoot, Jasmine, takes an instant dislike to her … dark forces are at work on the island … and a storm is brewing in the Atlantic.

When members of her crew start to die, and she is implicated, Kate discovers that filming a TV commercial in the Tropics can actually be 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.

The Paladin Prophecy by Mark Frost is Today's Nook Daily Find

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Paladin Prophecy by Mark Frost as today's Barnes & Noble Nook Daily Find.

The deal price of $2.99 is valid only for today, Sunday, December 22, 2013.

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

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The Paladin Prophecy
Mark Frost
Random House

Will West is careful to live life under the radar. At his parents' insistence, he's made sure to get mediocre grades and to stay in the middle of the pack on his cross-country team. Then Will slips up, accidentally scoring off the charts on a nationwide exam.

Now Will is being courted by an exclusive prep school … and followed by men driving black sedans. When Will suddenly loses his parents, he must flee to the school. There he begins to explore all that he's capable of — physical and mental feats that should be impossible — and learns that his abilities are connected to a struggle between titanic forces that has lasted for millennia.

 

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 (131222)

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

• The New Release is Mysterium: Lake Bliss (Collector's Edition).

• The Daily Deal is Fairly Twisted Tales: The Price Of A Rose, just $2.99 today only!

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

• Today's Special Deal — Winter Sale!: $8.99 for any Collector's Edition game! Use coupon code FROST at check-out to purchase any Collector's Edition game for just $8.99. Offer valid through December 22nd, 2013 only until 11:59 PM PT.

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

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The New Release today is Mysterium: Lake Bliss (Collector's Edition)

Molly Huggins, a young bride-to-be, summons you to the beautiful resort town of Lake Bliss to find her missing groom. Is Tommy Drake seeing another woman, or is he the latest victim in a series of drownings plaguing the city? Be careful, or the siren's haunting melody may lure you into the dark waters next! Follow the clues, interview suspects, and uncover what's lurking along the shores of Lake Bliss in this intriguing 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: Uncover the evil sleeping beneath Lake Bliss; Reunite a bride with her groom; Fun achievements to earn; and Concept art, soundtrack, wallpapers and movies.

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

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Today's Daily Deal is Fairly Twisted Tales: The Price Of A Rose

Bella vowed to stay with the beast to save her father's life, but is he truly as evil as the townspeople say? Is someone trying to hurt Bella? Who's trying to take control of the kingdom and its riches? It's up to you to discover the truth behind the town gossip. Travel across fantastic landscapes and explore the beast's magical castle to uncover why he was cursed in this intriguing Hidden-Object Puzzle Adventure game!

A sample version is available to download and play for free for one hour. You can purchase this game today only — Sunday, December 22, 2013 — for $2.99.

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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 Complete Inspector Lynley Mysteries — Available at a Discounted Price

Now available: The Complete Inspector Lynley Mysteries on DVD at a discounted price.

As of the date and time of this post, December 21, 2013 at 6:00 PM, this DVD set was priced at $93.18 (53% off).

Decidedly uppercrust detective Inspector Thomas Lynley (Nathaniel Parker) and his partner Sergeant Barbara Havers (Sharon Small) must endure a marriage made at police headquarters. Lynley is suave, sophisticated, and the eighth Earl of Asherton. Havers is rumpled, resentful, and working class — with an inborn dislike of the highborn. Despite their differences, the sleuths evolve into a potent team, employing their cunning, intuition, and street smarts to unravel some of the most heinous — and suspenseful — crimes.

Based on characters created by crime novelist Elizabeth George (and with many of the mysteries adapted for this series), this set includes all 23 Inspector Lynley Mysteries that originally aired on BBC in the UK and on PBS in the US.

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

Reviews of Mystery and Suspense Books for Kids, New This Week on Book Trends (131221)

Book Trends, a review site for young adult's and children's books, published several new book reviews this past week. We're presenting here a summary of those in the mystery/suspense/thriller category.

The Book of Lost Things by Cynthia Voigt. The Mister Max Trilogy. Lexile measure: N/A. Reviewed by a 6th grade student, who writes, "Cynthia Voigt is an excellent author. Because Max is also an actor, she writes good points about how Max uses his talent as an actor to solve mysteries that come his way." (Read the full review of this middle grade mystery story, here.)

For more reviews of children and young adult books of all genres, visit Book Trends; their reviews will amaze you! You can also follow Book Trends on Twitter.

Blood Sacrifice, A John Jordan Mystery by Michael Lister, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Blood Sacrifice by Michael Lister, now available at a special price, courtesy of the publisher, Pulpwood 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 (12/21/2013 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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Blood Sacrifice by Michael Lister
A John Jordan Mystery (5th in series)
Publisher: Pulpwood Press

Following a particularly brutal and costly case, John Jordan goes to a secluded retreat center and encounters one of the most bewildering and haunting cases of his career — the suspicious death of a young woman undergoing an exorcism.

Fighting a losing battle against a powerful undertow of violence and loss, John washes up on the shore of the coastal town of Bridgeport at St. Ann's Abbey, a retreat center carved out of the ubiquitous slash pines of the Florida Panhandle. Temporarily leaving behind the demanding duties of prison chaplaincy and the homicide investigations he is irresistibly drawn to, John comes to St. Ann's in search of serenity. He finds anything but.

Dedicated to art, religion, and psychology, St. Ann's is operated by Sister Abigail, a wise and witty middle-aged nun who supervises the counseling center; Father Thomas Scott, an earnest, devout middle-aged priest, in charge of religious studies and spiritual growth; and the young Kathryn Kennedy, an acclaimed novelist responsible for artistic studies and conferences.

While undergoing counseling with Sister Abigail because of his depression and self-destructive behavior, John resists the urge to investigate when the body of a young boy staying at St. Ann's is discovered in the Gulf. He is convinced by Sister Abigail that it is no longer just his pride or career or even his marriage, but his soul he is trying to save.

But when Tammy Taylor, the highly sexual young heiress to the Gulf Coast Paper Company fortune, is savagely murdered while undergoing an exorcism by Father Thomas, John can no longer resist. He must find out how she really died and who killed her. And with Father Thomas looking increasingly guilty and the future of St. Ann's at stake, Sister Abigail asks for his help.

Father Thomas, who appears to be the only one who could have killed her, claims Tammy's murder was the work of the demons inside her, but the skeptical Jordan suspects a human culprit with a far more earthly motive.

And human suspects with hidden motives abound in this closed community. Among them, Ralph Reid, the lawyer representing Gulf Coast Paper Company whose job it is to close St. Ann's and reacquire the land; Steve Taylor, the victim's cousin and chief of police who refuses to turn the case over to FDLE; Keith Richie, an ex-con with more than previous crimes to hide; Brad Harrison, the religious zealot handyman who can't seem to quit committing "sins of the flesh" with the victim; and, of course, Father Thomas himself who is most likely to have committed the crime — and the person all the evidence points to. As evidence and bodies continue to mount, and more and more secrets come to the surface, John realizes he has far more questions than answers, and that the shocking truth may be far stranger than anything he imagined.

  

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.