New This Week: Dose Vidanya, A Silver Hills Cozy Mystery by Sam Cheever

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 March 2016 and priced $4.99 or less …

Dose Vidanya by Sam Cheever

A Silver Hills Cozy Mystery (1st in series)

Publisher: Electric Prose Publications

Price: $3.99 (as of 03/15/2016 at 12:30 PM ET).

  

Click here to take a Look Inside Dose Vidanya.

Silver Hills Senior and Singles Residence isn't exactly a boring place. Home to a death predicting cat named Tolstoy, a night manager who may or may not suck blood and float above the floor, a cook with mad voodoo and pie baking powers, and a trio of nosy sleuths who are determined to get to the bottom of the corpse in the library (maybe literally) … some might say things couldn't get any weirder.

Some would be wrong.

— Dose Vidanya by Sam Cheever

Visit our New Indie MystereBooks page on Omnimystery News for a complete list of titles featured today.

Important Note: Price(s) verified as of the date and time shown. Price(s) are subject to change at any time. Please confirm the price of the book before purchasing it.

An Excerpt from Between Black and White, a Legal Thriller by Robert Bailey

We are delighted to welcome back legal thriller writer Robert Bailey to Omnimystery News today.

Robert's second novel to feature retired law professor Tom McMurtrie and his legal partner Rick Drake is Between Black and White (Thomas & Mercer; March 2016 trade paperback and ebook formats) and we are pleased to introduce you to it with an excerpt, the preface.

— ♦ —

Pulaski, Tennessee, August 18, 1966

THE BOY SAT ON THE FLOOR in the den of the two-bedroom shack, listening to the Cardinals game on the radio and practicing his only vice — chewing a big wad of bubble gum. His mother was still at the Big House, cleaning up after the party, but his father had just gotten home, his job done for the night. The boy lay on his back, blowing bubbles and throwing a baseball up in the air and catching it with his mitt.
  The gunshots startled him.
  They came from outside the house. Two blasts from a twelve-gauge. The boy was only five years old, but he knew what a shotgun sounded like. His father had taken him hunting several times, and he had fired one himself the last time they went. The boy scrambled to his feet and looked out the window.
  He saw a wooden cross. Like the cross behind where the preacher spoke at church. It was on fire. Behind the burning cross were men dressed in costumes. Long white robes covered their bodies, and white hoods masked their faces. Holes had been cut out of the hoods for their eyes. All of them held shotguns across their body. One of the men stood a couple feet in front of the others and wore a darker hood than the rest. In the glow from the burning cross and the half moon above, this man's hood appeared to be red.
  With one arm the man with the red hood raised his shotgun and fired twice more in the air. The boy jumped back, then knelt to the floor and crawled closer to the window, peeking over the edge of the sill. As he did, Red Hood spoke.
  "Roosevelt Haynes, get your ass out here!"
  The voice, rough and deep, sounded familiar to the boy, and he felt the hair on his arms begin to rise.
  "Roosevelt, I know you're in there!" Red Hood continued, taking a step forward. "Don't make us tear down that door!" The voice was louder. Closer. And the boy definitely recognized it.
  "Daddy?" the boy called out, his heartbeat thudding in his chest. "Daddy, what is Mr. Walton —?"
  A large hand clasped around the boy's mouth, drowning out his words. The boy started to scream but then relaxed as he heard his father speaking softly in his ear. "Easy now, Bo, let me see."
  Then, slowly removing his hand from the boy's mouth, Franklin Roosevelt Haynes peered out the window.
  "Damn."
  It was only a whisper, but the boy, who was kneeling just inches away from his father, heard it. "Daddy?" the boy whimpered.
  Roosevelt ducked down and brought his index finger to his lips, shaking his head at the boy. Then he peered over the sill again. This time he said nothing, but his shoulders slumped, and a noise escaped his lungs that sounded like the moan of a wounded animal. Barefoot and shirtless, crouching below the window in the red pajama bottoms he wore every night at bedtime, Roosevelt covered his face with his hands and mumbled something that the boy couldn't understand.
  For the first time in the boy's life, his father — a stocky, barrel- chested man who could handle cows and other livestock like they were rag dolls — looked small. Fear slithered up the boy's chest and took hold of his heart like a boa constrictor. "Daddy?"
  Finally, Roosevelt removed his hands from his face and turned his eyes toward the boy. With their heads almost touching, Roosevelt spoke into the boy's ear. "Bo, I need you to promise me a few things."
  The boy started to cry and turned his head away from his father.
  "Damnit, Bo, look at me." Roosevelt grabbed the boy's shoulders and shook them, and the boy did as he was told. "Bo, this is goin' be hard on your momma. Promise me that you'll take care of her."
  Roosevelt stole a glance out the window, and the boy heard Red Hood's voice again.
  "Roosevelt, you got twenty seconds! Then we set fire to the house."
  The other men began to chant something in a low hum, but the boy couldn't make out what they were saying. His father faced him again, still holding tight to his shoulders.
  "Promise me, son."
  The boy's teeth chattered. It was ninety-five degrees outside. Deep in the dog days of August. There was no air conditioning in the shack, but the boy was freezing. His tears had dried.
  "I promise, Daddy."
  "Promise me that you'll make something of yourself, son, you hear me? Make something of yourself." His father shook him, and the boy nodded.
  "All right, nigger!" The voice was even louder. Closer to the house. "Ten seconds!"
  His father didn't budge, his eyes focused on the boy. "Bo, you probably goin' hear things about this. About why they done this. Don't believe 'em. Not a word. You promise?"
  "Ten! … nine! … " Red Hood began the countdown, but Roosevelt still did not move, waiting for Bo to answer.
  "I promise, Daddy."
  "One day your momma … she'll tell you everything, you understand?"
  Bo nodded, and his father hugged him hard — so hard it hurt a little — and kissed the boy on the cheek.
  "Six! … Five! …"
  Roosevelt stood and took two steps toward the front door.
  Fighting back fresh tears, the boy lunged for his father, grabbing him around the ankles and squeezing as tight as he could. "Don't go, Daddy. Please don't go."
  Roosevelt knelt and gently removed the boy's hands, holding them in his own. "Bo …"
  The boy looked up into his father's eyes.
  "I love you, son."
  "Three! … Two! …"
  "I … I love you too, Daddy." The boy choked the words out as snot began to run out of his nose and his eyes clouded over with tears. "Please … don't …"
  His father grabbed the doorknob and turned it. "All right now, I'm coming out!" Before he shut the door behind him, Roosevelt Haynes looked at the boy one last time.
  "Don't watch this, Bocephus. Whatever you do, don't watch this." If only the boy had listened …

— ♦ —

Photo provided courtesy of
Robert Bailey

Robert Bailey obtained a Bachelor of Arts in History from Davidson College in North Carolina. Law School at the University of Alabama followed, where Robert made Law Review, competed on the school's trial team and managed to watch every home football game. For the past thirteen years, he's been a civil defense trial lawyer in his hometown of Huntsville. He's married to the incomparable Dixie Bailey and they have two boys and a little girl. When Robert's not writing, practicing law or being a parent, he enjoys playing golf, watching Alabama football and coaching his sons' little league baseball teams.

For more information about the author, please visit his website at RobertBaileyBooks.com and his author page on Goodreads, or find him on Facebook and Twitter.

— ♦ —

Between Black and White by Robert Bailey

A McMurtrie and Drake Legal Thriller

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

In 1966 in Pulaski, Tennessee, Bocephus Haynes watched in horror as his father was brutally murdered by ten local members of the Ku Klux Klan. As an African American lawyer practicing in the birthplace of the Klan years later, Bo has spent his life pursuing justice in his father's name. But when Andy Walton, the man believed to have led the lynch mob forty-five years earlier, ends up murdered in the same spot as Bo's father, Bo becomes the prime suspect.

Retired law professor Tom McMurtrie, Bo's former teacher and friend, is a year removed from returning to the courtroom. Now McMurtrie and his headstrong partner, Rick Drake, must defend Bo on charges of capital murder while hunting for Andy Walton's true killer. In a courtroom clash that will put their reputations and lives at stake, can McMurtrie and Drake release Bo from a lifetime of despair? Or will justice remain hidden somewhere between black and white?

— Between Black and White by Robert Bailey. Click here to take a Look Inside the book.

A Conversation with Mystery Author Joe Cosentino

We are delighted to welcome back author Joe Cosentino to Omnimystery News today.

Joe has a new mystery published this week, Porcelain Doll (The Wild Rose Press; March 2016 trade paperback and ebook formats), the second in his Jana Lane series, and we recently caught up with him to talk more about his work.

— ♦ —

Omnimystery News: How did you get started writing mysteries?

Photo provided courtesy of
Joe Cosentino

Joe Cosentino: After college, I became an actor in film, television, and theatre, working opposite stars like Bruce Willis, Nathan Lane, Rosie O'Donnell, Holland Taylor, and Jason Robards. Morphing into writing plays and now novels seem like the perfect progression. After writing some plays, I knew my novels would include show business in some way, since show business has always been such a huge part of my life. As an avid mystery reader, it was clear to me that my novels would also be page-turning mysteries with clever plot twists, engaging characters, romance, and lots of clues leading to a surprising conclusion. Since coming from a funny Italian-American family, I also knew humor would play a role in my novels.

OMN: You won the Divine Magazine 2015 Readers' Poll Awards for Best Mystery, Best Crime, Best Contemporary, and Best Humor novel with Drama Queen, the first Nicky and Noah mystery published by Lethe Press. That's quite an accomplishment!

JC: I am so proud of those four awards. It makes all the hours in front of the computer worth it. Well, maybe. Hah. Seriously, I am so incredibly gratified and touched that the readers have embraced that novel, and also Drama Muscle, the second Nicky and Noah mystery.

OMN: Tell us a little more about that series.

JC: Since I am a college theatre professor/department head, and theatre departments are havens of mystery, secrets, romance, and high humor; the series takes place at an Edwardian style New England college. In Drama Queen theatre college professors are dropping like stage curtains. With the inept local detectives, it is up to Directing professor, Nicky Abbondanza to use his theatre skills (including playing other people) to solve the murders, while he directs a murder mystery onstage. Complicating matters is Nicky's crush on Assistant Professor of Acting, handsome Noah Oliver, the prime suspect in the murder. In Drama Muscle Nicky and Noah have to use their theatre skills to find out why musclemen are dropping like weights in the Physical Education department while Nicky directs the Student Bodybuilding Competition. In Drama Cruise (not released yet), Nicky and Noah go on a cruise to Alaska, and discover why college theatre professors are going overboard like lifeboats while Nicky directs a murder mystery dinner theatre show onboard ship.

OMN: You have a new mystery being published this week, Porcelain Doll, the second mystery to feature Jana Lane. Tell us more about this series.

JC: As a child I loved child stars like Shirley Temple, Hayley Mills, and Patty Duke, seeing their movies over and over. So I created a heroine who was the biggest child star ever until she was attacked on the studio lot at eighteen years old. In Paper Doll the secret behind that attack is exposed.

And as with the Nicky and Noah mysteries, each book can be read on its own or as part of the series.

In Porcelain Doll, it is 1982 and Jana is thirty-nine years old, living in a mansion in Hyde Park, New York. Jana makes a comeback film and uncovers who is being murdered on the set and why. Her heart is set aflutter by her incredibly gorgeous co-star, America's heartthrob Jason Apollo. The other suspects include Jana's James Dean type young co-star, her older John Wayne type co-star, her children's Eve Harrington type nanny, the film's gossipy makeup and hair artist, a local reverend trying to stop the film's production, and Jason's agent.

In Satin Doll (not yet released), Jana and family head to Washington, DC, where Jana plays a US senator in a new film, and becomes embroiled in a murder and corruption at the senate chamber. She also embarks on a romance with Chris Bruno, the ex-professional football player detective.

In China Doll (not yet released), Jana heads to New York City to star in a Broadway play, enchanted by her gorgeous co-star Peter Stevens, and faced with murder on stage and off.

Through the course of the books, Jana not only solves the mysteries, but also reclaims the courage and fortitude she had as a child. This is an important message for all of us. As one reviewer wrote, she starts out as a wounded bird, and ends as tiger.

OMN: Who is your favorite character in Porcelain Doll … and why?

JC: Jana's agent, Simon, is my favorite character for five reasons. He is amazingly resilient, old world Hollywood, incredibly funny, loyal to Jana, and most importantly, I want to play him in the movie version!

OMN: Which one of your characters was the hardest one to write?

JC: Reverend Charlton, the reverend protesting Jana's film, was difficult to write since he is so frightening. I could never understand why some people use religion to try to attack and demonize others.

OMN: Do you think Christians will be offended by his character?

JC: I sure hope not. Jana is a Christian who prays and goes to church on Sundays. She seems like a true Christian to me since she tries to love her neighbor as herself, not judge others, and help the downtrodden and outcasts. Reverend Charlton doesn't seem very Christian to me since he uses his power and wealth to demean others.

OMN: Which one of your characters did you enjoy writing the most?

JC: Jana's young co-star, Trevor, was fun since he has such a huge ego and is certainly a rebel without a cause

OMN: Did you use your background as an actor to write Porcelain Doll?

JC: Definitely! As one reviewer of Paper Doll wrote, I used my knowledge of show business to devilish ends. Actually, I used my background in each of the Jana Lane novels, since I know the ins and outs on a movie set. Thankfully nobody was murdered on my sets.

OMN: Why did you set the books in the 1980s?

JC: I love the music, hair styles, clothing, and decadence of that era. I had great fun writing about Jana's mansion, wardrobe, makeup, and hairstyles. I was also able to incorporate some of the music, films, television shows, Broadway shows, and political and social events of the era, including the AIDS epidemic.

OMN: What are the difficulties in writing a series?

JC: On the positive side, the leading characters are so real to me, each book is like visiting with old friends. I love Jana and I enjoy every moment with her. On the negative side, for continuity I need to keep a notebook full of information on each character and the various repeat locations — i.e. every room in Jana's Hyde Park mansion.

OMN: What advice would you give to other writers in your genre?

JC: I love reading and writing stories with engaging characters who I want to spend time with. Just as I did improvisation as an actor, I recommend letting your characters talk to one another and seeing what happens! An outline is simply an outline. Don't be afraid to deviate from it. Also, I prefer mystery novels that drop lots of clues leading to the murderer. I also recommend incorporating many other characters with secrets into the story. A writer should create an entire world of suspense above and beyond "who done it." When a reader finishes a book, he/she should be satisfied that the various parts equaled the whole, rather than the author pulling an ending out of the hat. Finally, don't forget the humor and romance!

OMN: What are you writing now?

JC: Ragdoll, the next Jana Lane mystery, where Jana stars in a TV murder mystery series. You guessed it! Life imitates art yet again.

— ♦ —

Actor, playwright, and author Joe Cosentino received his MFA from Goddard College in Vermont, and MA from SUNY New Paltz. He is currently Head of the Department/Professor at a college in upstate New York.

For more information about the author, please visit his website at website and his author page on Goodreads, or find him on Facebook and Twitter.

— ♦ —

Porcelain Doll by Joe Cosentino

A Jana Lane Mystery

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Is art imitating life in 1982?

Jana Lane, ex-child star, is doing a comeback film about murder. When a crew member is killed on the set, it looks like Jana could be next. Thickening the plot is Jana's breathtakingly handsome and muscular leading man, Jason Apollo, whose boyish, southern charms have aroused Jana's interest on screen and off.

Will Jana and Jason stop the murderer before the final reel, or end up on the cutting room floor in this fast-paced whodunit with a shocking ending?

— Porcelain Doll by Joe Cosentino. Click here to take a Look Inside the book.

Today's Selection of Daily Deals for Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Omnimystery News is pleased to feature a selection of today's Daily Deals found on Tuesday, March 15, 2016 at 7:30 AM ET …

The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters

The Last Policeman Trilogy (1st in series)

Publisher: Quirk Books

Kindle Daily Deal Price: $3.99

Click here to take a Look Inside The Last Policeman.

Winner of the 2013 Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original.

What's the point in solving murders if we're all going to die soon, anyway?

Detective Hank Palace has faced this question ever since asteroid 2011GV1 hovered into view. There's no chance left. No hope. Just six precious months until impact.

The economy spirals downward while crops rot in the fields. Churches and synagogues are packed. People all over the world are walking off the job — but not Hank Palace. He's investigating a death by hanging in a city that sees a dozen suicides every week — except this one feels suspicious, and Palace is the only cop who cares.

— The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters

Fourteen James Bond thrillers by Ian Fleming for $1.99 each is a Kindle Daily Deal. We're featuring the first in the series in this post.

Casino Royale by Ian Fleming

A James Bond Thriller (1st in series)

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Kindle Daily Deal Price: $1.99

Click here to take a Look Inside Casino Royale.

James Bond, Agent 007, is dispatched to a French casino in Royale-les-Eaux. His mission? Bankrupt a ruthless Russian agent who's been on a bad luck streak at the baccarat table.

One of SMERSH's most deadly operatives, the man known only as "Le Chiffre," has been a prime target of the British Secret Service for years. If Bond can wipe out his bankroll, Le Chiffre will likely be "retired" by his paymasters in Moscow. But what if the cards won't cooperate? After a brutal night at the gaming tables, Bond soon finds himself dodging would-be assassins, fighting off brutal torturers, and going all-in to save the life of his beautiful female counterpart, Vesper Lynd.

— Casino Royale by Ian Fleming

The Conciliators by James J. Kaufman

The Collectibles Series (3rd in series)

Publisher: Downstream Publishing

Kindle Daily Deal Price: 99¢

Click here to take a Look Inside The Conciliators.

It all started with a blind promise — now Preston Wilson faces a dilemma that will ultimately destroy him or define him …

Preston Wilson's life is once again imploding — this time as headline news, bylined by Katherine Kelly. Under fire thanks to the financial shenanigans of a longtime friend, the CEO finds himself in trouble with the FBI, the Russian mafia, and his creditors. If he doesn't come up with a plan — and quickly — he could lose everything and find himself, his wife, and his shareholders in prison.

Inspired by Joe Hart's life lessons, Preston sets a new course, vowing to fight for what matters most: his family, his friends, and the Collectibles.

— The Conciliators by James J. Kaufman

For more deals that may have been found after this post was created, see our Daily Deals page on Omnimystery News for an updated list.

Important Note: Price(s) verified as of the date and time shown. Price(s) are subject to change at any time. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of the purchase will be the price paid for the book. Please confirm the price of the book before purchasing it.

Today's Selection of Free MystereBooks for Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Omnimystery News is pleased to feature a selection of Free MystereBooks found on Tuesday, March 15, 2016 at 7:00 AM ET …

Sharpe Mind by Lisa B. Thomas

A Cozy Suburbs Mystery

Publisher: Lisa B. Thomas

Price: FREE!

  

Click here to take a Look Inside Sharpe Mind.

Courage Stolen by R. Scott Mackey

A Ray Courage Mystery

Publisher: Big Hound Publishing

Price: FREE!

  

Click here to take a Look Inside Courage Stolen.

A Coil of Rope by J. F. Straker

A Suspense Thriller

Publisher: Endeavour Press

Price: FREE!

  

Click here to take a Look Inside A Coil of Rope.

Placid Hollow by Charles Ayer

A Walter Hudson Mystery

Publisher: Charles Ayer

Price: FREE!

  

Click here to take a Look Inside Placid Hollow.

Should Have Looked Away by Philip Cox

A Novel of Suspense

Publisher: Philip Cox

Price: FREE!

  

Click here to take a Look Inside Should Have Looked Away.

Foreclosure by John Blum

A Novel of Suspense

Publisher: John Blum

Price: FREE!

  

Click here to take a Look Inside Foreclosure.

Nowhere To Run by Carolyn Davidson

A Crime Novel

Publisher: Endeavour Press

Price: FREE!

  

Click here to take a Look Inside Nowhere To Run.

Ruby Milk by Lucy English

A Penny Wade Mystery

Publisher: Lucy English

Price: FREE!

  

Click here to take a Look Inside Ruby Milk.

Deadly Games by Rich Curtin

A Manny Rivera Mystery

Publisher: Monticello Press

Price: FREE!

  

Click here to take a Look Inside Deadly Games.

Rosemary's Gravy by Melissa F. Miller

A We Sisters Three Mystery

Publisher: Brown Street Books

Price: FREE!

  

Click here to take a Look Inside Rosemary's Gravy.

Every Witch Way But Wicked by Amanda M. Lee

A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Mystery

Publisher: WinchesterShaw Publications

Price: FREE!

  

Click here to take a Look Inside Every Witch Way But Wicked.

Calculated Chance by C. C. Kirk

A Shakespeare Sisters Mystery

Publisher: C. C. Kirk

Price: FREE!

  

Click here to take a Look Inside Calculated Chance.

The Depths by Nick Thacker

A Technothriller

Publisher: Turtleshell Press

Price: FREE!

  

Click here to take a Look Inside The Depths.

A Singular and Whimsical Problem by Rachel McMillan

A Herringford and Watts Mystery Novella

Publisher: Harvest House Publishers

Price: FREE!

  

Click here to take a Look Inside A Singular and Whimsical Problem.

Mycroft Holmes and the Case of the Missing Popes by David Dickinson

A Sherlock Holmes Pastiche

Publisher: Endeavour Press

Price: FREE!

  

Click here to take a Look Inside Mycroft Holmes and the Case of the Missing Popes.

Suspended by Sarah Noffke

A Vagabond Circus Novel

Publisher: Sarah Noffke

Price: FREE!

  

Click here to take a Look Inside Suspended.

For a summary of all of today's titles, plus any that may have been added since this post was created, visit our Free MystereBooks page. This page is updated daily, typically by 8 AM ET.

Important Note: Price(s) verified as of the date and time shown. Price(s) are subject to change at any time. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of the purchase will be the price paid for the book. Please confirm the price of the book before purchasing it.