Review: Death Money by Henry Chang

A Mysterious Review of Death Money by Henry Chang. A Jack Yu Mystery.

Review summary: This mystery marks the return of NYPD homicide detective Jack Yu after an absence of several years. The overall message seems to be that life is complicated, and life in Chinatown is especially complicated. An interesting and engaging story, to be sure, but one that is somehow incomplete, a solution but one without answers. (Click here for text of full review.)

Our rating:

Death Money
Henry Chang
A Jack Yu Mystery
Soho Crime (April 2014)

Publisher synopsis: When the body of an unidentified Asian man is found in the Harlem River, NYPD Detective Jack Yu is pulled in to investigate. The murder takes Jack from the benevolent associations of Chinatown to the take-out restaurants, strip clubs, and underground gambling establishments of the Bronx, to a wealthy, exclusive New Jersey borough. It's a world of secrets and unclear allegiances, of Chinatown street gangs and major Triad players.

With the help of an elderly fortune teller and an old friend, the unpredictable Billy Bow, Jack races to solve his most difficult case yet.

        

A New MystereBook: Gone Feral by Gwen Moffat

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 April 2014 priced $4.99 or less …

Gone Feral by Gwen Moffat is a stand-alone crime thriller, first published in hardcover by Constable (UK) and Carroll & Graf (US) in Summer 2007. This is its first appearance as an ebook.

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Gone Feral by Gwen Moffat
A Crime Thriller
Publisher: Endeavour Press
Publication Date: April 14, 2014
Price: $3.99 (as of 04/15/14 4:30 PM ET)

Sophie Daynes cherishes The Boathouse, inherited from her family and situated in remote, beautiful Cumbria. But her boorish, layabout husband, in his forties and obsessed with his young mistress, is only interested in its cash value — and how best to get his hands on it.

With both temperatures and passions rising in the height of a searing hot summer, greed, gossip, and mystery combine to make this a volatile visit they won't forget. Is the suspicious man living in the woods nearby really a villain on the run? And who are the shadowy figures "stalking" Sophie from the lake edge?

When the pleasure steamer churns up more than mud, and a grisly package is discovered washed up on the shore, the lives of all connected with the Boathouse are changed dramatically and irrevocably …

  

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.

The Killing Game, A Suspense Thriller by Toni Anderson, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Killing Game by Toni Anderson, 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 (04/15/2014 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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The Killing Game by Toni Anderson
A Suspense Thriller
Publisher: Toni Anderson

Wildlife biologist Axelle Dehn isn't about to let anyone harm her endangered snow leopards — not the poacher intent on killing them, nor the soldier who wants to use them as bait. But Axelle is unknowingly entangled in a conflict that stretches back three decades, a conflict that could spark a war between two of the world's great nations.

​British SAS soldier, Ty Dempsey, is on a mission to hunt down an infamous Russian terrorist in a remote region of Afghanistan. Dempsey hasn't failed a mission yet, but when Axelle is kidnapped by the Russian, he is forced to choose between duty and his heart. He risks everything to save the determined, prickly woman he's fallen for, but in doing so sparks a deadly series of events that threaten to expose the most successful spy in history. A spy who will destroy anyone who gets in his way.

  

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.

Dark Moon Walking by R. J. McMillen, a New 1st in Series Mystery Introducing Dan Connor

We are pleased to present you with one of this month's new 1st in Series mysteries: Dark Moon Walking by R. J. McMillen and introducing Dan Connor.

What we know about the character: Dan Connor is an ex-cop living on a remote island off the Pacific Northwest coast.

For more information about his first investigation, see a synopsis of the book, below.

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Dark Moon Walking by R. J. McMillen
Series: A Dan Connor Mystery
Publisher: TouchWood Editions
Format(s): Trade Paperback, eBook

It's been more than eight years since ex-cop Dan Connor put a troubled criminal named Walker behind bars, and a year since he handed in his badge. The remote islands off the Pacific Northwest coast seem like the perfect destination for his retirement. That is until increasingly sinister events disrupt his peace.

When a mysterious boat drives Connor from his anchorage and a marine biologist working in the area goes missing, Connor is forced to team up with his former nemesis, Walker. They have little in common and are from very different cultures, but when a life hangs in the balance and a terrorist plot comes into play, their distinct knowledge and skills are the perfect mix.

        

Open Road Mysteries for $1.99: Penance, A Holland Taylor Mystery by David Housewright

Open Road has discounted 25 titles to just $1.99 as part of their Mystery Deals promotion to celebrate the Edgar Awards.

Titles include winners, nominees, books by Grand Masters and those receiving special Edgars, and we are pleased to feature one of them, below.

(Price verified on April 15, 2014 as of 3:00 PM ET.)

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Penance by David Housewright
A Holland Taylor Mystery (1st in series)
Publisher: Open Road

Winner of the 1996 Edgar Award for Best First Novel.

Holland Taylor is comfortable in interrogation rooms. For years the cold dark cells of the Minneapolis homicide squad were his turf, and with the help of his partner he wrung confessions out of countless killers. But that was long ago. Tonight Taylor is on the other side of the desk. Tonight he is the suspect.

Taylor's career in the department ended after his wife and daughter were killed in a drunk driving accident. The culprit, John Brown, was sentenced to a measly six years for vehicular manslaughter, and Taylor vowed bloody vengeance in front of open court. After a few months of freedom, Brown is shot dead, and Taylor, now a private investigator, is called in as the obvious suspect. He didn't kill John Brown, but he will find out who did if — even it means tearing Minneapolis apart from the inside out.

  

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

Overwatch by Marc Guggenheim, New in Bookstores in April 2014

Today's new hardcover mystery title, scheduled to be published during April 2014 by Mulholland Books, is Overwatch by Marc Guggenheim.

For a list of more new hardcover mysteries published this month, visit our New Mysteries page for April 2014. For new paperback mysteries, visit The Mystery Bookshelf where a selection of April 2014 mysteries, novels of suspense, and thrillers are shelved.

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Overwatch
Marc Guggenheim

Alex Garnett has spent his life in the shadow of his father, a former Chief of Staff and Solicitor General to two presidents who's been responsible for getting Alex every job he ever had, including his latest: attorney for the CIA. However, a seemingly routine litigation leads to a series of unexpected events, including poison, kidnapping, torture and murder. As casualties pile up, it becomes clear Alex is the final target in someone's blood-soaked attempts to cover their tracks.

With the help of a neurotic hacker, Alex unravels a conspiracy older than the CIA itself. The trail of clues reveals the presence of unseen forces that are bringing this nation to the brink of war--and Alex's life is only one of many in danger.

        

Unspeakable, A Suspense Thriller by Kevin O'Brien, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Unspeakable by Kevin O'Brien, now available at a special price, courtesy of the publisher, Pinnacle Books.

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 (04/15/2014 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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Unspeakable by Kevin O'Brien
A Suspense Thriller
Publisher: Pinnacle Books

Unthinkable crimes … Unrelenting fear … Unspeakable truth …

A family of four murdered in their hotel room. A single mother and her boyfriend both stabbed to death. A sordid history of violent crimes, repeated over and over — but decades apart.

Olivia Barker is a therapist with no connection to the murders. But she has heard things. Stories that keep her up at night. Details that only a killer would know. A killer who could be one of her patients.

Olivia has no proof for her suspicions. But as the body count rises, so do her fears. A rock is thrown through her window; her car tires are slashed; a chilling message is scrawled on her bathroom mirror. Olivia knows she's getting closer to the truth. But the truth could be the last thing she'll ever know …

  

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.

In Broad Daylight, A Psychological Thriller by Seth Harwood, at a Special Price during April 2014

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 In Broad Daylight by Seth Harwood. This Kindle book was listed at $1.99 as of the date and time of this post, Tuesday, April 15, 2014 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.

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In Broad Daylight by Seth Harwood
A Psychological Thriller
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

FBI agent Jess Harding treks back to Anchorage to hunt down a sadistic killer who's reemerged from a five-year hiatus — a killer who has already slipped her grasp once before. The endless days of an Alaskan summer can't thwart the fiend's plans as he slashes his way through the rural community, where everyone knows your name and always distrusts the outside.

With the help of Oscar Linstrom, an old colleague who wants to be more than friends, Jess attempts to immerse herself in the area's culture, leading her to a strange rural village inhabited by Russian Old Believers hell-bent on protecting their way of life. Even the locals are outsiders to the Old Believers, and Jess needs a safehaven in the glare of daylight because a blood-stained message left at the scene of the most recent murder says Jess is no longer the hunter — but the hunted.

  

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.

Forget Me Knot, A Martha Rose, Quilting Mystery by Mary Marks, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Forget Me Knot by Mary Marks, now available at a special price, courtesy of the publisher, Kensington.

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 (04/15/2014 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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Forget Me Knot by Mary Marks
A Martha Rose, Quilting Mystery (1st in series)
Publisher: Kensington

Welcome to San Fernando Valley, California, where Martha Rose and her coterie of quilters are enjoying life on the good side of retirement — until murder pulls a stitch out of their plans …

Martha and her besties Lucy and Birdie are set to expand their Quilty Tuesdays by inviting newcomer Claire Terry into their group. Though at forty Claire’s a tad younger than their average age, her crafty reputation could perk up their patchwork proceedings, especially as they prepare for the fancy quilt show coming to town.

But when they arrive at Claire’s home and find her dead inside the front door, and her exquisite, prize-winning quilts soon missing, Martha is not one to leave a mystery unraveled. Especially if she wants to stop a killer from establishing a deadly pattern …

  

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: The Code of the Hills by Nancy Allen

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 …

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The Code of the Hills by Nancy Allen
An Ozarks Mystery
Publisher: Witness Impulse
Publication Date: April 15, 2014
Price: $2.99 (as of 04/15/14 12:30 PM ET)

To uncover the truth, she'll have to break the code of the hills …

In the Missouri Ozarks, some things aren't talked about … even abuse. But prosecutor Elsie Arnold is determined to change that.

When she is assigned to prosecute a high-profile incest case in which a father is accused of abusing his three young daughters, Elsie is ready to become the Ozarks' avenging angel.

But as Elsie sinks her teeth into the case, everything begins to turn sour. The star witness goes missing; the girls refuse to talk about their father, who terrorizes the courtroom from the moment he enters; and Elsie begins to suspect that their tough-as-nails mother has ulterior motives. To make matters worse, Elsie receives gruesome threats from local extremists, warning her to mind her own business.

While Elsie swears not to let a sex offender walk, she realizes the odds — and maybe the town — are against her, and her life begins to crumble. But amidst all of the conflict, the safety of three young girls hangs in the balance …

        

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.

Anthony Horowitz's Second Sherlock Holmes Novel, Moriarty, to be Published in October 2014

Anthony Horowitz is planning a second novel set in the world of Sherlock Holmes titled Moriarty. Orion is publishing the book in the UK, which has an October 24th, 2014 release date.

Set after the events of "The Final Problem", in which Sherlock Holmes and James Moriarty plunge to the presumed deaths, Moriarty will open with, "Does anyone believe what happened at the Reichenbach Falls?"

"The death of Moriarty has created a poisonous vacuum, which has been swiftly filled by a fiendish new criminal mastermind who has risen to take his place," says the synopsis on Amazon.co.uk. "Ably assisted by inspector Athelney Jones of Scotland Yard, a devoted student of Holmes' methods of investigation and deduction, Frederick Chase must forge a path through the darkest corners of the capital to shine light on this shadowy figure, a man much feared but seldom seen, a man determined to engulf London in a tide of murder and menace."

Horowitz himself revealed on Twitter that "Sherlock Holmes does not appear (until the very end)", that "a vicious murder is investigated by Inspector Athelney Jones (from The Sign of Four)" and that "nearly all the policemen Holmes ever worked with, including Lestrade, appear in my new book".

Horowitz's first Sherlock Holmes novel is The House of Silk, published by Mulholland Books in the US in November 2011.

An Excerpt from The Whitechapel Virgin by Carla Acheson

with Carla Acheson

We are delighted to welcome author Carla Acheson to Omnimystery News today, courtesy of Worldwind Virtual Book Tours, which is coordinating her current book tour. We encourage you to visit all of the participating host sites; you can find her schedule here.

Carla's new historical mystery is The Whitechapel Virgin (CreateSpace; February 2014 trade paperback and ebook formats) and we are pleased to introduce you to it with an excerpt.

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ANNIE LEANED DOWN AND FOR A FEW moments did nothing as she watched the orphan girl's shoulders heave as she sobbed. Surprised, she felt a sudden developing pity for the wretch, and laid one hand on the girl's shoulder, a gesture which moments before had been unthinkable.

But now that she had witnessed her like this, she couldn't bring herself to reprimand or strike her when it seemed like some other deviant fellow had got there first.

Looking at her crumpled form it took Annie back to the times when some of her own clients liked a little bit of rough play and she would have to find ways to cover her bruises carefully. The girl knew nothing, she thought, she has so much to learn.

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Photo provided courtesy of
Carla Acheson

Carla Acheson lives in Gibraltar with her family and is a member of the Freelance Writers Association. She works as a book reviewer and has interviewed and published book reviews and articles for best-selling and award-winning authors. Her articles and reviews have been featured in various press publications, as well as Waterstones Quarterly UK Magazine.

Carla is also the founder of the Rock Writers Group formed in Gibraltar in 2009.

Music production, singing, reading and writing have always been the main essential ingredients in Carla's life. For more information about the author, please visit her website at Carla-Acheson.com or find her on Facebook.

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The Whitechapel Virgin
Carla Acheson
A Suspense Thriller

Catherine, a fifteen year old runaway, stumbles into a seedy brothel-house tavern in the back streets of Whitechapel, London. She hesitates at the scene before her, one filled with low class prostitutes and drunkards, but it is late, and the dimly-lit labyrinthine alleyways are filled with deviant fellows and petty criminals.

Weary and hungry, she meets Eddie, the rugged young tavern boy who shows her to a room for the night. She settles down only to be awoken in the early hours by piercing cries from the room next door. Arising to find the cause of the commotion, she becomes witness to a gruesome abortion.

Filled with revulsion, Catherine decides to flee as soon as daylight arrives, but Eddie quickly soothes her fears and convinces her to stay, arranging for her to meet Madame Davenport, the nefarious brothel-mistress who employs Catherine as a serving girl, under the proviso she begins work ‛servicing' men once she is settled in.

Difficulties arise, however, when Eddie's growing romantic affections for Catherine clash with her sudden infatuation for the dashing middle-class gent, Mr Cross. Unknown to Catherine, the lothario is keeping a diary of his affairs with Whitechapel's whores, with the dishonourable intention of turning his writing into a successful "gentleman's, publication". Mr Cross quickly seduces the fresh young virgin, allowing his sexual fantasies to escalate into an unfathomable obsession.

As Catherine tries her hardest to fit into the ways of life at the lodging house, she encounters only jealousy from Eddie, and resentment from the other prostitutes who reside there. Annie, in particular, dislikes the new girl who has blossoming beauty and youth on her side.

Unexpectedly one night, a crime occurs within the narrow landing of George Yard Buildings. Local prostitute Martha Tabram is found brutally hacked to death by a cruel assailant. The police can unearth no explainable motive. The Victorian crime stuns the entire Whitechapel district, causing widespread panic amongst the prostitutes who each fear for their own lives.

Catherine's anxiety increases when Edward Cross begins to show signs of 'odd' sexual behaviour and mental decline, as he brutally tries to expunge the girl of her virtues.

When two more gruesome murders occur in the area, the prostitutes realise that there is no escape from the vicious killer who calls himself Jack The Ripper.