Review: The Magician's Daughter by Judith Janeway

A Mysterious Review of The Magician's Daughter by Judith Janeway. A Valentine Hill Mystery.

Review summary: This first in series mystery spends nearly half its length basically accomplishing little other than to introduce a lead character, who alienates nearly everyone she meets (including the reader). But things settle down around the mid-point, the story sharpens, and it ends on a far more positive note than it started. (Click here for text of full review.)

Our rating:

The Magician's Daughter
Judith Janeway
A Valentine Hill Mystery
Poisoned Pen Press (February 2015)

Publisher synopsis: Magician Valentine Hill always introduces her act by announcing "Reality is an illusion. Illusion is reality, and nothing is what it seems." When Valentine is reunited with her grifter mother, "nothing is what it seems" becomes true in real life. A wealthy socialite turns out to be a ruthless criminal, a car mechanic a psycho killer, and a cab driver a seductive gangster.

When an FBI agent who'd befriended her is killed, Valentine takes on the hated role of a con artist to get evidence to put the criminals away. Will her skills as a magician prove enough to help her maintain the illusion?

Resurrection Express, A Novel of Suspense by Stephen Romano, Now Available at a Special Price

Omnimystery News is always searching for newly discounted mystery, suspense, thriller and crime novels for our readers to enjoy.

Today, we're pleased to present the following title, now available at a special price courtesy of the publisher, Gallery Books …

Resurrection Express by Stephen Romano

A Novel of Suspense

Publisher: Gallery Books

Price: $2.99 (as of 07/07/2015 at 7:00 PM ET).

  

There is no code Elroy Coffin can't break, nothing he can't hack, no safe he can't get into. But for the past two years, he's been incarcerated in a maximum-security hellhole after a job gone bad, driven to near-madness by the revelation of his beloved wife's murder.

Now a powerful and mysterious visitor who calls herself a "concerned citizen" offers Elroy his freedom if he'll do another job, and sweetens the deal with proof that his wife might still be alive. All Elroy has to do is hack into one of the most complicated and deadliest security grids in the world — clear and simple instructions for the best in the business. Or so he thinks.

Quickly drawn into the epicenter of a secret, brutal war between criminal masterminds, Elroy is forced to run for his life through a rapid-fire labyrinth of deception, betrayal, and intrigue — where no one is to be trusted and every fight could be his last … and the real truth hidden beneath the myriad levels of treachery may be too shocking to comprehend …

— Resurrection Express by Stephen Romano

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Murder.com, A Max Slade Thriller by David Deutsch, New This Week from Gemma Halliday

Gemma Halliday Publishing is a boutique publisher of light-hearted mystery, romantic suspense and romantic comedy novels, perfect for popping into your beach bag for a weekend away or cozying up beside a warm fire for a quiet night in.

We've selected one of their recently published titles to feature here today …

Murder.com by David Deutsch

A Max Slade Thriller (1st in series)

Publisher: Gemma Halliday Publishing

Price: 99¢ (as of 07/07/2015 at 6:30 PM ET).

  

New York attorney turned venture capitalist Max Slade knows a thing or two about high-stakes situations. But when the man who stole his ex-fiancée away is murdered, Max suddenly finds himself in a brand new role: that of prime suspect. With the threat of prison in his future, Slade turns his hand to investigating and finds himself digging into the dangerous world of corporate takeovers, high-tech espionage, and deadly liaisons in the Big Apple.

With his girlfriend pushing their relationship, his past threatening to catch up to him, and a killer closing in, Slade's days are numbered. But if he can outrun the competition — without spilling his scotch — he may just be able to outwit a killer. That is, if the killer doesn't catch him first …

— Murder.com by David Deutsch

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The Abbey, An Ash Rashid Mystery by Chris Culver, Now Available at a Special Price

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The Abbey by Chris Culver

An Ash Rashid Mystery (1st in series)

Publisher: Chris Culver

Price: 99¢ (as of 07/07/2015 at 6:00 PM ET).

  

Ash Rashid is a former homicide detective who can't stand the thought of handling another death investigation. In another year, he'll be out of the department completely.

That's the plan, at least, until his niece's body is found in the guest home of one of his city's most wealthy citizens. The coroner calls it an overdose, but the case doesn't add up. Against orders, Ash launches an investigation to find his niece's murderer, but the longer he searches, the more entangled he becomes in a case that hits increasingly close to home. If he doesn't solve it fast, his niece won't be the only family member he has to bury.

— The Abbey by Chris Culver

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New This Week: The Pretty Ones, A Novel of Suspense by Ania Ahlborn

A terrifying new e-novella from the author of Within These Walls and The Bird Eater …

The Pretty Ones by Ania Ahlborn

A Novel of Suspense

Publisher: Pocket Star

Price: $1.99 (as of 07/07/2015 at 5:30 PM ET).

  

New York, 1977. The sweltering height of the Summer of Sam. The entire city is gripped with fear, but all Nell Sullivan worries about is whether or not she'll ever make a friend. The self-proclaimed "Plain Jane" does her best to fit in with the girls at work, but Nell's brother, Barrett, assures her that she'll never be like them.

When Nell manages to finally garner some much-yearned-for attention, the unthinkable happens to her newfound friend. The office pool blames Son of Sam, but Nell knows the awful truth … because doing the devil's work is easy when there's already a serial killer on the loose.

— The Pretty Ones by Ania Ahlborn

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Macbeth, A Novel of Suspense by A. J. Hartley and David Hewson, Now Available at a Special Price

Omnimystery News is always searching for newly discounted mystery, suspense, thriller and crime novels for our readers to enjoy.

Today, we're pleased to present the following title, now available at a special price courtesy of the publisher, Thomas & Mercer …

Macbeth by A. J. Hartley and David Hewson

A Novel of Suspense

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Price: $1.99 (as of 07/07/2015 at 5:00 PM ET).

  

Read our review of Macbeth by A. J. Hartley and David Hewson on Mysterious Reviews.

Set in eleventh-century Scotland, this novel is rich with ancient clans battling fiercely against one another and against the foreign marauders raiding their borders. Macbeth, Lord of Moray, and his wife, Skena, are loyal patriots, willing to kill or be killed to protect the Scottish kingdom. Yet the greatest danger to their beloved homeland is proving to be the king himself, Duncan, whose corrupt, bloody reign threatens to destroy the country.

After Macbeth meets a trio of witches, the frustrated hero begins to think that perhaps Scotland needs a new king — him. But what begins as a plan fueled by the best of intentions soon spirals into murder, treachery, and personal collapse.

— Macbeth by A. J. Hartley and David Hewson

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New This Week: Fatal Fairies, A Renaissance Faire Mystery by Joyce and Jim Lavene

Omnimystery News is pleased to present 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 July 2015 and priced $4.99 or less …

Fatal Fairies by Joyce and Jim Lavene

A Renaissance Faire Mystery (8th in series)

Publisher: J. Lavene

Price: $4.99 (as of 07/07/2015 at 4:30 PM ET).

  

When a fairy named Apple Blossom is found dead in a fountain, Ren Faire lover Jessie Morton makes a wish she lives to regret — that her husband, Chase Manhattan, is no longer the Renaissance Faire Village Bailiff so he doesn't have to look for the fairy's killer and ruin their plans to go away for their first wedding anniversary.

Trapped in a timeless 'It's a Wonderful Life' experience, Jessie is transported to a different Village to face the consequences of her wish where Chase isn't the Bailiff, and he's not married to her.

Jessie's fairy godmother who granted the wish tells her that she must find a way to make Chase fall in love with her again, and they must discover who killed Apple Blossom, if she ever wants to go back to the life she knew.

— Fatal Fairies by Joyce and Jim Lavene

See all of the mysteries in the Renaissance Faire Series for $5.99 or less each on Kindle.

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The Return of Moriarty, Sherlock Holmes' Nemesis Lives Again by John Gardner, Now Available at a Special Price

Omnimystery News is always searching for newly discounted mystery, suspense, thriller and crime novels for our readers to enjoy.

Today, we're pleased to present the following title, now available at a special price courtesy of the publisher, Pegasus Books …

The Return of Moriarty by John Gardner

Sherlock Holmes' Nemesis Lives Again

Publisher: Pegasus Books

Price: $3.99 (as of 07/07/2015 at 4:00 PM ET).

  

Once again, the game is afoot …

What really happened in Switzerland between Moriarty and Sherlock Holmes in 1891? And why is Holmes, now in London at 221B Baker Street, curiously uncooperative with Scotland Yard's inquiries? Furthermore, why has Moriarty planned a grand meeting with the international crime syndicate?

These are the questions that make up the larger mystery of the sinister Professor Moriarty's return.

— The Return of Moriarty by John Gardner

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Wound Up In Murder by Betty Hechtman, New on the Mystery Bookshelf during July 2015

New on the Mystery Bookshelf during July 2015 …

Wound Up In Murder by Betty Hechtman, A Casey Feldstein, Yarn Retreat Mystery (3rd in series)

Publisher: Berkley

  

Dessert chef Casey Feldstein continues to develop her hidden talents for knitting … and solving murders …

With two yarn retreats in the bag, Casey is looking forward to running her third one at Cadbury by the Sea's Vista Del Mar hotel on the Monterey Peninsula. This time, each knitter will get a Mystery Bag of knitting materials to turn into a personal project.

But Casey gets tangled up in another retreat at the same hotel, when the organizer and his wife have a very public spat. As Casey is delivering her baked goods later that night, she finds the woman dead in the bushes with a magician's silk scarf nearby — just like the scarf Casey's ex-boyfriend, Sammy, used during his magic act at the retreat. As Sammy takes center stage as the prime suspect, Casey and her friends will have to stitch together the clues before the real killer pulls a disappearing act …

— Wound Up In Murder by Betty Hechtman

To see more new paperback titles scheduled to be published this month, visit The Mystery Bookshelf for July 2015. For new hardcover mysteries, visit New Mysteries where for a list of July 2015 mysteries, novels of suspense, and thrillers is provided.

Bryant & May and the Bleeding Heart, A Peculiar Crimes Unit Mystery by Christopher Fowler, Now Available at a Special Price

Omnimystery News is always searching for newly discounted mystery, suspense, thriller and crime novels for our readers to enjoy.

Today, we're pleased to present the following title, now available at a special price courtesy of the publisher, Bantam …

Bryant & May and the Bleeding Heart by Christopher Fowler

A Peculiar Crimes Unit Mystery (11th in series)

Publisher: Bantam

Price: $1.99 (as of 07/07/2015 at 3:00 PM ET).

  

Romain Curtis sneaks into St. George's Gardens one evening with his date, planning to show her the stars. A centuries-old burial ground, the small, quiet park is the perfect place to be alone. Yet the night takes a chilling turn when the two teenagers spy a strange figure rising from among the tombstones: a corpse emerging from the grave. Suffice it to say that wherever there's a dead man walking, Bryant and May and the Peculiar Crimes Unit are never far behind.

As the PCU investigates the sighting, a second urgent matter requires their unusual brand of problem-solving. Seven ravens have gone missing from their historic home in the Tower of London, and legend has it that when the ravens disappear, England will fall. Bryant has been tasked with recovering the lost birds, but when Romain is suddenly found dead, the two seemingly separate mysteries start to intertwine and point to a plot more sinister than anyone could ever imagine.

Soon Bryant and May find themselves immersed in London's darkest lore, from Victorian-era body snatchers, to arcane black magic, to the grisly myth behind Bleeding Heart Yard, a courtyard long associated with murder. And as the body count spikes and more coffins are unearthed, they will have to dig deep to catch a killer and finally lay these cases to rest.

— Bryant & May and the Bleeding Heart by Christopher Fowler

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Sense of Deception by Victoria Laurie, New in Bookstores during July 2015

Today's featured new hardcover mystery, suspense, or thriller title scheduled to be published during July 2015 is …

Sense of Deception by Victoria Laurie, an Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye Mystery (13th in series)

Publisher: NAL

    

A ticked-off judge has tossed Abby in the slammer for contempt of court, and during her brief but unpleasant stay she learns the story of a condemned woman who is facing a far more serious sentence. Skylar Miller has been found guilty of murder and faces the death penalty. Everyone believes she's guilty, including her own family and her ex-husband — everyone, that is, except Abby, whose finely honed intuition tells her this woman doesn't belong behind bars.

With the help of her husband Dutch and her friend Candice, Abby launches into her own investigation to clear Skylar and find the real killer. But after a final appeal is denied and Skylar's attorney scrambles for a stay of execution, time is running short — and the list of suspects keeps growing. There's no margin for error as the life of an innocent woman hangs in the balance …

— Sense of Deception by Victoria Laurie

For a list of more new hardcover titles to be published this month, visit our New Mysteries page for July 2015. For new paperback mysteries, visit The Mystery Bookshelf where a selection of July 2015 mysteries, novels of suspense, and thrillers are shelved.

Death of an English Muffin by Victoria Hamilton, New on the Mystery Bookshelf during July 2015

New on the Mystery Bookshelf during July 2015 …

Death of an English Muffin by Victoria Hamilton, A Merry Wynter Mystery (3rd in series)

Publisher: Berkley

  

Baker Merry Wynter returns with a fresh tray of muffins and a case that has authorities stumped …

They say one's home is one's castle, but when it comes to Wynter Castle, Merry would like it to belong to someone else. But until a buyer bites, she could use some extra dough, so she decides to take in renters. The idea pans out, and Merry's able to find a handful of tenants eager to live in a real castle. The only problem is most of them are crumby, tea-swilling old biddies.

The Legion of Horrible Ladies, as Merry calls them, is led by the terribly nasty — and fabulously wealthy — Cleta Sanson. The abrasive Englishwoman keeps everyone whipped into a frenzy — until she meets an embarrassing end behind a locked door. Evidence reveals that Cleta was murdered, yet no one is privy to how the deed was done. Merry knows she must quickly find the killer before another of her guests gets greased …

— Death of an English Muffin by Victoria Hamilton

To see more new paperback titles scheduled to be published this month, visit The Mystery Bookshelf for July 2015. For new hardcover mysteries, visit New Mysteries where for a list of July 2015 mysteries, novels of suspense, and thrillers is provided.

After All These Years, A Novel of Suspense by Susan Isaacs, Now Available at a Special Price

Omnimystery News is always searching for newly discounted mystery, suspense, thriller and crime novels for our readers to enjoy.

Today, we're pleased to present the following title, now available at a special price courtesy of the publisher, HarperCollins …

After All These Years by Susan Isaacs

A Novel of Suspense

Publisher: HarperCollins

Price: $1.99 (as of 07/07/2015 at 1:00 PM ET).

  

The day after her lavish wedding anniversary bash, Rosie Meyers gets a big surprise: Her nouveau riche husband Richie is leaving her for a sultry, sophisticated, size-six MBA. When he's found murdered in their exquisitely appointed kitchen, no one is surprised to find Rosie's prints all over the weapon.

The suburban English teacher is the prime suspect. The police's only suspect. And she knows she'll spend the rest of her life in the prison library unless she can unmask the real killer. Going on the lam into Manhattan, Rosie learns more about Richie than she ever wanted to know. And more about herself than she ever dreamed possible.

— After All These Years by Susan Isaacs

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Sisterhood is Deadly, A Sorority Sisters Mystery by Lindsay Emory, New This Week from Witness Impulse

Every week, Witness Impulse — an imprint of William Morrow — releases new suspense and thriller digital originals, typically priced at just $2.99 each.

Omnimystery News is pleased to present you with one of this week's titles …

Sisterhood is Deadly by Lindsay Emory

A Sorority Sisters Mystery (1st in series)

Publisher: Witness Impulse

Price: $2.99 (as of 07/07/2015 at 12:30 PM ET).

  

"We'll be sisters 'til we die … "

Margot Blythe is a professional sorority girl. As a Sisterhood Mentor for her beloved Delta Beta, she travels to colleges around the country, advising on serious sorority issues (and picking up all the gossip along the way). Margot is thrilled when she's invited back to her alma mater to assist the Delta Betas — but tragedy strikes when their chapter advisor drops dead during a meeting, sending shockwaves down sorority row.

Shaken by the death — especially when foul play is suspected — Margot has to step up. Appointed the honor of serving as temporary chapter advisor, she now must manage the drama of fifty frazzled sorority women with secrets to hide; protect the house from the annual fraternity pledge pranks, which are more ominous than they seem; and worst of all, combat the ruinous rumors surfacing about a Delta Beta phone sex ring. If she wants to keep rival sororities and a suspicious (but dangerously cute) local policeman from bringing Delta Beta's reputation down, it's up to Margot to find out the truth — about whether a sister could have committed such an unimaginable sin as murder.

— Sisterhood is Deadly by Lindsay Emory

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Enter to Win — The Confessor by Mark Allen Smith

Omnimystery News invites you to Enter to Win a copy of The Confessor by Mark Allen Smith, courtesy of Saichek Publicity.

One (1) winner will receive a copy of …

Title: The Confessor
Author: Mark Allen Smith
Series: A Geiger Thriller
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Format: Trade Paperback
List Price: $13.00

Use the form below to submit your entry. One entry per person; US residents only. Entry period ends Tuesday, July 14, 2015. (If you cannot see the entry form, use this link.)

Synopsis: Everyone is looking for Geiger …

Cold, emotionless and with an innate ability to recognize lies, Geiger was the best of the best in the field of Information Retrieval. Until he was asked to break his only rule and do the unthinkable — to torture a child. Something broke in Geiger's neatly controlled mind, opening up a flood of terrible memories long kept at bay. And now Geiger is missing, presumed dead.

But, with no body ever found, there are a number of people invested in finding out the truth. One of those people is Harry Boddicker, Geiger's old handler and friend. Another is his bitter rival, Dalton, who is determined to find Geiger and extract a final confession from him, before carrying out his deadly revenge.

But no one has reckoned on Zanni Soames — a woman more dangerous than any of them could imagine, and hell-bent on winning the race to find Geiger first.

— The Confessor by Mark Allen Smith