Madrigal by John Gardner is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Madrigal by John Gardner as today's free mystery ebook (A Boysie Oakes Thriller; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, June 04, 2014 at 6:30 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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Madrigal
John Gardner
A Boysie Oakes Thriller
Publisher: Endeavour Press

Boysie Oakes has been sent to Berlin to make a kill "in the cold" on the other side of the Wall. Trying to remember his own code-name, he is soon battling enemies that include Russian secret servicemen, psychotropic drugs and a silky Chinese stripper called Rosy Puberty.

Both the Soviets and the Chinese want to track down his target, and Boysie is caught up in a deadly game of power politics. And despite his best efforts, Boysie finds himself drawn into a far more sinister conspiracy — a face-to-face confrontation with the legendary Soviet spymaster General Khavichev.

  

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.

Blue Monday by Nicci French is Today's Kindle Daily Deal

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Blue Monday by Nicci French as today's Kindle Daily Deal.

The deal price of $1.99 is valid only for today, Wednesday, June 04, 2014.

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Blue Monday
Nicci French
A Frieda Klein Mystery
Penguin Books

Frieda Klein is a solitary, incisive psychotherapist who spends her sleepless nights walking along the ancient rivers that have been forced underground in modern London. She believes that the world is a messy, uncontrollable place, but what we can control is what is inside our heads. This attitude is reflected in her own life, which is an austere one of refuge, personal integrity, and order.

The abduction of five-year-old Matthew Farraday provokes a national outcry and a desperate police hunt. And when his face is splashed over the newspapers, Frieda cannot ignore the coincidence: one of her patients has been having dreams in which he has a hunger for a child. A red-haired child he can describe in perfect detail, a child the spitting image of Matthew. She finds herself in the center of the investigation, serving as the reluctant sidekick of the chief inspector.

  

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 (140604)

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

• Our Featured Title is Howlville: The Dark Past.

• The Daily Deal is Detective Agency 3: Ghost Painting, just $2.99 today only!

• The current Catch of the Week is Fairly Twisted Tales: The Price of a Rose, just $2.99 through Sunday, June 08, 2014 only.

• Today's Special Deal — Today only: Get Two Standard Games for the Price of One! Use coupon code 2FOR1 at checkout and every other standard game is free. Excludes Collector's Editions. Offer valid June 4th, 2014 only until 11:59 PM PT.

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

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Our Featured Title today is Howlville: The Dark Past

Many years ago an artifact was found in a mine near the small town of Howlville. The government asked Dr. Joseph and a group of scientists to examine it. Something went wrong and the experiments were halted and classified. The town closed off. Since then nobody knows what happened to Dr. Joseph. Fifteen years later his daughter Rachel is on the verge of solving the mystery, but somebody is doing everything possible to keep her from succeeding. Help find Rachel's father and save the world from the looming catastrophe!

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

Also available for this game:

• Check out the Blog Walkthrough

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Today's Daily Deal is Detective Agency 3: Ghost Painting

A terrible chain of mysterious events and cold blooded murders is revealed during the investigation of an old haunted mansion. Investigate the reason behind the disappearance of a painter and solve a cold case that has left a frightening trail to the present!

A sample version is available to download and play for free for one hour. You can purchase this game today only — Wednesday, June 04, 2014 — for $2.99.

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The current Catch of the Week 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 at the special price of $2.99 through Sunday, June 08, 2014.

Also available for this game:

• Get the Strategy Guide.
• Check out the Blog Walkthrough.

Review: The Water Rat of Wanchai by Ian Hamilton

A Mysterious Review of The Water Rat of Wanchai by Ian Hamilton. An Ava Lee Mystery.

Review summary: This is a first-rate crime novel, a fairly long one at nearly 400 pages but one that moves along briskly. The storyline is well-structured, with colorful backdrops to crisply-written action scenes that are centered on a resourceful and really quite engaging series character. A strong, solid effort overall. (Click here for text of full review.)

Our rating:

The Water Rat of Wanchai
Ian Hamilton
An Ava Lee Mystery
Picador (May 2014)

Publisher synopsis: Forensic accountant and martial arts expert Ava Lee is working for the mysterious businessman Uncle as they track down large sums of money that have disappeared. One of Uncle's longtime friends has requested help for his nephew, who needs to recover five million dollars from a business deal that went sideways. Ava steps in and immediately is off on a global hunt for the missing money that has her dodging shady characters.

On a journey that takes her from Seattle to Hong Kong, Bangkok, Guyana, and the British Virgin Islands, Ava encounters everything from the Thai katoey culture to corrupt government officials. In Guyana she meets her match: Captain Robbins, a godfather-like figure who controls the police, politicians, and criminals alike. In exchange for his help, Robbins decides he wants a piece of Ava's five million dollars and will do whatever it takes to get his fair share.

        

Deadly Waters, An Andy Horton, Marine Mystery by Pauline Rowson, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Deadly Waters by Pauline Rowson, now available at a special price, courtesy of the publisher, Matrix Digital.

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 (06/03/2014 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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Deadly Waters by Pauline Rowson
An Andy Horton, Marine Mystery (2nd in series)
Publisher: Matrix Digital

When a woman, the head teacher of a struggling local school, is found brutally murdered in Langstone Harbour DI Andy Horton is appointed to lead the investigation — but not for long if Superintendent Uckfield has his way. Horton is given only a week to find the killer, after that he will be shunted off the case. Horton now has a point to prove as well as a complex murder case to solve.

A note was found on the victim — Have you forgotten ME? — along with money wrapped up in a five-pound note and dripping with honey. Is there a clue in "The Owl and the Pussy-cat" rhyme? Is it simply a senseless murder by an unhinged killer or does someone close to the head have a motive for murder?

As Horton delves deeper into the investigation, aided by Sergeant Cantelli, the tension mounts. With the clock ticking Horton is soon forced to take a decision that will put his life on the line …

  

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: Death by Hitchcock by Elissa D. Grodin

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 June 2014 priced $4.99 or less …

Death by Hitchcock by Elissa D. Grodin is the second mystery for theoretical physicist Edwina Goodman.

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Death by Hitchcock by Elissa D. Grodin
An Edwina Goodman Mystery
Publisher: Cozy Cat Press
Publication Date: June 01, 2014
Price: $2.99 (as of 06/03/14 4:30 PM ET)

Physics and film seemingly have few academic features in common. However, when local siren Bunny Baldwin, a student in the Film Studies Department at Cushing College, is found strangled to death on opening night of the Hitchcock Film Festival, Physics professor Edwina Goodwin puts on her detecting hat.

Using her scientific sleuthing skills to assist her almost boyfriend Police Detective Will Tenney, the pair work together to investigate the campus murder. Edwina wants to know––why did the murderer tie a strip of film around the victim's head? Why did the killer time the murder to coincide with the showing of the famous Hitchcock film Spellbound? Was Bunny really killed by strangulation or did the unusual drugs found in her system suggest poisoning? Why do all the suspects have a seemingly airtight alibi?

There are certainly sufficient suspects as Edwina quickly ascertains. The head of the Film Studies Department was having a torrid and practically public affair with the victim. His wife was apparently furious, but not enough to keep her from also engaging in sexual hanky panky. The victim had stolen a screenplay written by her roommate, Mary, to secure a Hollywood agent. Mary is out for payback. A quirky older woman who uses plants and other natural remedies to cure various ailments followed the head of the department around like a moon-struck calf. And, of course, there's the film department's boy savant who plays chess with Edwina and keeps her updated on the various players.

Can Edwina use her knowledge of physics to unlock the strange features of this most unusual crime? When a second murder occurs, it looks like she may — if the killer doesn't find her first.

  

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.

Coyote Wind, A Gabriel Du Pré Mystery by Peter Bowen, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Coyote Wind by Peter Bowen, now available at a special price, courtesy of the publisher, Open Road.

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 (06/03/2014 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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Coyote Wind by Peter Bowen
A Gabriel Du Pré Mystery (1st in series)
Publisher: Open Road

Officially, Gabriel Du Pré is the cattle inspector for Toussaint, Montana, responsible for making sure that no one tries to sell cattle branded by another ranch. Unofficially, he is responsible for much more than cows' backsides. The barren country around Toussaint is too vast for the town's small police force, and so, when needed, this hard-nosed hybrid of Indian and Frenchman lends a hand. When the Sheriff offers gas money to investigate newly discovered plane wreckage in the desert, Du Pré quickly finds himself embroiled in a mystery stretching back a generation.

For three decades the crashed plane has sat in the sun as the bodies inside rotted away to their bones. Two skeletons are whole, but for one nothing remains but the hands, skull, and the bullet that ended his life. The crime was hidden long ago, but in the Montana badlands, nothing stays buried forever.

  

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.

The Darke Chronicles by David Stuart Davies, a New 1st in Series Mystery Introducing Luther Darke

We are pleased to present you with one of this month's new 1st in Series mysteries: The Darke Chronicles by David Stuart Davies and introducing Luther Darke.

What we know about the character: Victorian detective Luther Darke tackles mysteries which have baffled Scotland Yard and are seemingly unexplained.

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

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The Darke Chronicles by David Stuart Davies
Series: A Luther Darke Mystery
Publisher: The History Press
Format(s): Trade Paperback, eBook

Tales of a Victorian Puzzle-Solver

The cases featured here take Darke into a world of deception, murderous sleights of hand, spiritualism, vampires, curses and phantoms in fin de siecle London.

This volume features seven of Darke's most challenging and chilling investigations.

  

Second Watch, A J. P. Beaumont Mystery by J. A. Jance, at a Special Price during June 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 Second Watch by J. A. Jance. This Kindle book was listed at $1.99 as of the date and time of this post, Tuesday, June 03, 2014 at 3:00 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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Second Watch by J. A. Jance
A J. P. Beaumont Mystery (21st in series)
Publisher: William Morrow

Getting old is hell. J. P. Beaumont is finally taking some time off to have his knee-replacement surgery. But instead of taking his mind off work, the operation plunges him into one of the most perplexing and mind-blowing mysteries he's ever faced.

A series of dreams takes him back to his early days on the force at the Seattle PD, and then, even earlier, to his days in Vietnam, reminding him of people and events he hasn't thought about in years. Are they just drug-induced hallucinations? Beaumont isn't so sure. When tugging on those long ago threads leads to present-day murders, Beau's suspicions are confirmed. Some bodies from the second watch just won't stay buried.

  

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.

Mr. Monk Is Open For Business by Hy Conrad, New in Bookstores in June 2014

Today's new hardcover mystery title, scheduled to be published during June 2014 by NAL Hardcover, is Mr. Monk Is Open For Business by Hy Conrad.

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

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Mr. Monk Is Open For Business
Hy Conrad
Series: Mr. Monk (18th)

After failing to win back his girlfriend Ellen in Summit, New Jersey, Monk returns to San Francisco where he is surprised to find another relationship has taken a new turn. Natalie decided to make things official by setting up an office for Monk and Teeger, Consulting Detectives. With Monk's typical response to change of any kind, they have more than a few wrinkles to iron out of their new routine. But when Lieutenant Amy Devlin comes to them for help, it's time to stop bickering and get to work.

A disgruntled employee of a small import business, Wyatt Noone came into work one day and started shooting, killing three coworkers and leaving one female hostage severely wounded. Spotting Wyatt through the office windows, the police surrounded the building, but he still managed to disappear — leaving Lieutenant Devlin with a messy and baffling mystery on her hands.

Visiting the bed-ridden survivor, Sarabeth Winslow, Monk finds her to be helpful, cooperative and — now that he's on the rebound from Ellen — quite charming as well. But as he and Natalie try to track down Sarabeth's assailant, they discover that Wyatt has left barely a trace of his past behind, almost as if he managed to disappear from existence all together….

        

Miss Me When I'm Gone, A Novel of Suspense by Emily Arsenault, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Miss Me When I'm Gone by Emily Arsenault, now available at a special price, courtesy of the publisher, William Morrow.

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 (06/03/2014 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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Miss Me When I'm Gone by Emily Arsenault
A Novel of Suspense
Publisher: William Morrow

Author Gretchen Waters made a name for herself with her bestseller Tammyland — a memoir about her divorce and her admiration for country music icons Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, and Dolly Parton that was praised as a "honky-tonk Eat, Pray, Love". But her writing career is cut abruptly short when she dies from a fall down a set of stone library steps. It is a tragic accident and no one suspects foul play, certainly not Gretchen's best friend from college, Jamie, who's been named the late author's literary executor.

But there's an unfinished manuscript Gretchen left behind that is much darker than Tammyland: a book ostensibly about male country musicians yet centered on a murder in Gretchen's family that haunted her childhood. In its pages, Gretchen seems to be speaking to Jamie from beyond the grave — suggesting her death was no accident … and that Jamie must piece together the story someone would kill to keep untold.

  

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.

Night of the Living Thread by Janet Bolin, New on The Mystery Bookshelf in June 2014

Today's featured paperback original mystery title, scheduled to be published during June 2014 by Berkley, is Night of the Living Thread by Janet Bolin.

For a list of more new paperback mysteries, thrillers, and novels of suspense published this month, visit our Mystery Bookshelf page for June 2014. For hardcover titles, visit New Mysteries for a selection of books published during June 2014.

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Night of the Living Thread
Janet Bolin
Series: A Willow Vanderling, Threadville Mystery

Zombies, killer dresses, and ancient curses prove that Halloween in Threadville can be sew spooky…

It’s early October, and hordes of visitors have descended on the tiny, celebrated village of Threadville, Pennsylvania, to attend a Halloween crafts fair, a zombie retreat, and the wedding of Edna Battersby—dear friend to Willow Vanderling, owner of the chic machine embroidery boutique, In Stitches.

As a friendly prank for Edna’s wedding, Willow and the rest of the Threadville gang have fashioned an overly extravagant hoopskirt, complete with lights and music. But in a bizarre turn of events, the garish gown is implicated in a mysterious lakeside murder.

Now Willow must follow a trail of glow-in-the-dark thread, delve into ancient Egyptian curses, and creep through a haunted graveyard to unearth a killer—before she becomes the next fashion victim…

  

The Beast, A Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus Mystery by Faye Kellerman, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Beast by Faye Kellerman, now available at a special price, courtesy of the publisher, William Morrow.

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 (06/03/2014 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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The Beast by Faye Kellerman
A Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus Mystery (21st in series)
Publisher: William Morrow

Throughout his years with the LAPD, Peter Decker has handled a number of tough cases and strange killers. But few of his previous assignments compare to his latest case — the most bizarre of his storied career.

When Hobart Penny is found dead in his apartment, the cops think that his pet cat — an adult female tiger — attacked the reclusive elderly billionaire. But it soon becomes clear that the beast that killed the eccentric inventor is all too human. Digging into the victim's life, Decker and his colleagues, Detectives Marge Dunn and Scott Oliver, discover that Penny was an exceptionally peculiar man with exotic tastes, including kinky sex with call girls.

Following a trail of clues that leads from a wildlife sanctuary in the San Bernardino Mountains to the wild nightlife of Las Vegas, the LAPD detectives are left juggling too many suspects and too few answers. To break open a case involving the two most primal instincts — sex and murder — Decker wrestles with a difficult choice. Should he turn to a man with expert knowledge of both, Chris Donatti, the dangerous man who also happens to be the father of Decker's foster son, Gabriel Whitman, a boy not without his own problems?

As their work and intimate worlds collide, Decker and his wife, Rina, find themselves facing tough questions. It just might be that family crises and work-related responsibilities prove too much for Decker's career. A confluence of ordeals can stress even the most intact of families. And when all these shocking truths comes out, exactly how well will Decker and Rina cope, and survive?

  

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 Cutting by James Hayman

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 Cutting by James Hayman
A Michael McCabe and Maggie Savage Mystery
Publisher: Witness Impulse
Publication Date: June 03, 2014
Price: $2.99 (as of 06/03/14 12:30 PM ET)

Detective Mike McCabe moved from a top homicide job with the NYPD to Portland, Maine to leave his failed marriage and suspicions of wrongdoing behind, and to find a more peaceful life for himself and his 13 year old daughter.

But the small New England city is not nearly as safe as he thought.

On a warm September night, a missing high-school athlete is found dead in a scrap metal yard, her heart removed from her body with surgical precision. As outrage over the killing spreads, a young business woman disappears while out on a morning jog.

McCabe is certain both crimes are the work of one man — a murderer skilled in cardiac surgery who is using his scalpel to target young women. With the clock ticking, McCabe and his partner Maggie Savage find themselves in a desperate race against time to find and rescue the missing woman before she becomes the next victim of the sadistic killer's blade.

  

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.