Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (120809)

Here is today's list of the Bestselling Free Kindle Crime Fiction: the top nine mysteries, novels of suspense, and thrillers.

We're using a script to embed an RSS feed from Amazon.com, which is updated hourly, but if you cannot see the box below — or have scripts blocked — you can click on the image to the right or use this link to see the relevant page on Amazon.com.

Dexter Season 7 Poster

The seventh season poster for Dexter has been released by Showtime (right; click for slightly larger image). The tagline: "He saw. She saw. It's all on the table."

Based on a character created by Jeff Lindsay, who has featured him in series of novels, the most recent of which is Double Dexter, the series stars Michael C. Hall as the Miami forensic blood spatter expert … and a serial killer.

Dexter Season 7 premieres on Sunday, September 30th at 9 PM (ET/PT) on Showtime.

The Mystery Bookshelf: Dancing with the Demons by Peter Tremayne, a Sister Fidelma of Cashel Mystery

The Mystery Bookshelf, where you can discover a world of mystery and suspense, is pleased to feature a new crime novel we recently received from the publisher.

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The Chalice of Blood by Peter Tremayne
A Sister Fidelma of Cashel Mystery (21st in series)
St. Martin's Minotaur (Trade Paperback)
Publication Date: August 2012
ISBN-13: 978-1-250-00407-9

About The Chalice of Blood (from the publisher): Ireland AD 670: When an eminent scholar is found murdered in his cell in the Abbey of Lios Mor, fear spreads among his brethren. His door was secured from the inside, with no other means of exit. How did the murderer escape? And what was the content of the manuscripts apparently stolen from the scholar's room?

Abbot Iarnla insists on sending for Sister Fidelma and her companion Brother Eadulf to investigate the killing. But even before they reach the abbey walls, there is an attempt on their lives. As the mystery deepens, Fidelma and Eadulf must also wrestle with problems of their own, problems which threaten to separate them forever …

Purchase Options for The Chalice of Blood:

  

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About the author: Peter Tremayne is the fiction pseudonym of Peter Berresford Ellis, a renowned scholar on the Ancient Celts and the Irish. As Tremayne, he is best known for his stories and novels featuring 7th century Irish religieuse Fidelma of Cashel. He lives in London. Visit his website based on the series character at SisterFidelma.com.

New Banner for Skyfall

A new banner-sized poster for the upcoming James Bond thriller Skyfall has been released by the studio (below; click for larger image) and we're not feeling any energy from this at all.

OK, we get that the marketing folks are trying to introduce us to the characters. There's Bond (Daniel Craig), the femme fatale Severin (Bérénice Marlohe), the villain Silva (Javier Bardem), but who is the fourth person with a gun in her hand? We think it is Eve (Naomie Harris), but we're at all sure what her character role is. (She may be the 00-agent who "kills" Bond in the trailer; it's a little hard to tell.)

No update to the brief synopsis that's been around for a while: "Bond's loyalty to M (Judi Dench) is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost."

Directed by Sam Mendes from a screenplay by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan, Skyfall opens in theaters November 9th.

Review: Macbeth by A. J. Hartley and David Hewson

A Mysterious Review of …

Macbeth by A. J. Hartley and David Hewson.

Review summary: The authors take William Shakespeare's tragedy of regicide and its aftermath, filling in and expanding on the storyline, in an authentic and generally enjoyable novelization of the classic tale, enhanced by strong character development and an atmospheric setting. (Click here for text of full review.)

Our rating:

Macbeth
A. J. Hartley and David Hewson
Thomas & Mercer (May 2012)

Publisher synopsis: 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.

  

Get a Better Read on Conspiracy This Month from Amazon

Get a better read on conspiracy during August 2012 with a selected list of action-packed titles filled with tangled deceptions that build to shocking finales.

Try these mysteries and thrillers full of conspiracies from Amazon Publishing for $4.99 or less on Kindle and up to 60% off in print. Featured authors include Sean Chercover, Kyle Mills, J. C. Carleson, J. Gregory Smith, and David Lender.

Tears in Tripoli by Paul A. Rice is Today's Third Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Tears in Tripoli by Paul A. Rice as today's third free mystery ebook.

This title was listed as free as of the date and time of this post. 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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Tears in Tripoli
Paul A. Rice
A Jake Collins Mystery
Publisher: FeedARead.com Publishing

This is the first mystery in this series.

Providing security for international media teams is old-hat for Jake Collins. He's been there and he's done that. However, his latest little jaunt, one that sees him travelling right into the heart of Libya, soon turns out to be a trip with a difference.

The day after Jake arrives in Libya, the rebel assault upon the heart of Tripoli begins. The destruction of Colonel Gadaffi's compound, a giant, walled village in the heart of the troubled city, is the Rebel's only goal, and they will not be stopped. Jake soon finds himself in the thick of the fighting, racing through the war-torn streets of Tripoli with a camera crew under his wing. It's never easy trying to stay alive in a world ripped-apart by revolution and madness, especially when some people seem absolutely determined to get themselves killed.

Finding himself surrounded by death and love, sadness and joy, it seems to JC that there are enough tears in Tripoli for a man to drown in. Jake Collins doesn't do tears, and he's not that keen on drowning, either.

  

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.

Footnote to Murder by L. A. Taylor is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Footnote to Murder by L. A. Taylor as today's second free mystery ebook.

This title was listed as free as of the date and time of this post. 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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Footnote to Murder
L. A. Taylor
Publisher: FTL Books

This long out of print mystery was initially published by Walker in 1983.

Marge Brock is a divorced mother of three teenagers trying to make a living in Boston as a researcher. When an author hires her to research unsolved murders, she is grateful for the assignment. However, as she gathers information about a series of unsolved murders in Great Britain and in Boston, she begins to wonder whether one of the members of the circle of friends that she had in Great Britain, and now has in Boston, might be the killer.

Her suspicions only increase as she begins to notice that she is being followed, and her apartment is broken into and ransacked. Can she find out who the killer is before she becomes a victim herself?

  

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.

Kill Smartie Breedlove by Joni Rodgers is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Kill Smartie Breedlove by Joni Rodgers as today's free mystery ebook.

This title was listed as free as of the date and time of this post. 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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Kill Smartie Breedlove
Joni Rodgers
Publisher: Stella Link Books

Recently widowed private dick Shep Hartigate, a dishonored cop reduced to chasing cheating spouses for a ruthless Houston divorce lawyer, teams up with free-spirited pulp fiction writer Smartie Breedlove to find out who’s killing the inconvenient exes of Texas—including Smartie’s BFF, Charma Bovet, a centerfold with a heart of gold.

Could Shep’s gorgeous but unscrupulous employer really have a secret bimbo/mimbo hit list? Or is Smartie Breedlove a few peeps shy of an Easter basket?

A colorful cast of problematic lovers, long-suffering family, and stalwart friends (both two-legged and four-legged) close ranks around Smartie and Shep as they sift clues and maneuver to stay alive. Calling on her longtime companions Agatha Christie, Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler and Daphne du Maurier, Smartie finds a roadmap to the hard-boiled plot twists and U-turns drawing her perilously close to a damaging past that left her scarred and now threatens to destroy her.

  

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.

Nominees for the 2012 Davitt Awards Announced

The nominees (short list) for the 2012 Davitt Awards were announced earlier today the Sisters in Crime Australia. The awards recognize the best in crime fiction and true crime written by Australian women.

The winners will be announced at the Gala Annual Davitt Award Dinner at the Celtic Club in Melbourne on Saturday, September 1st, 2012.

Best Adult Fiction …
• Beyond Fear by Jaye Ford (Bantam)
• A Decline in Prophets by Sulari Gentill (Pantera Press)
• Death and the Spanish Lady by Carolyn Morwood (Pulp Fiction Press)
• Love Honour & O'Brien by Jennifer Rowe (Allen & Unwin)
• The Courier's New Bicycle by Kim Westwood (Harper Voyager)
• Shattered Sky by Helene Young (Hachette)

Best Children's/Young Adult's Fiction …
• The Golden Day by Ursula Dubosarsky (Allen & Unwin)
• Dangerously Placed by Nansi Kunze (Random House)
• Surface Tension by Meg McKinlay (Walker Books)

Best True Crime …
• The Australian Book of Family Murders by Wendy Lewis (Pier 9/Murdoch Books)
• Cold Case Files: Past Crimes Solved by New Forensic Science by Liz Porter (Pan/Macmillan)

Ryan Reynolds to Star in Psychological Thriller Queen of the Night

Ryan Reynolds has signed on to star in the psychological thriller Queen of the Night, an original film screenplay written by Atom Egoyan (Where the Truth Lies) and David Fraser. Egoyan will direct.

The storyline follows a father (Reynolds) of an abducted child, who learns eight years later that she may still be alive.

Production is expected to begin in Ontario in February 2013.

(Related article: The Hollywood Reporter.)

Fox Acquires Television Rights to Gun Machine by Warren Ellis

Fox is developing a television adaptation of the yet-to-be-published thriller Gun Machine by Warren Ellis.

Ellis is best known as the creator/writer of a vast number of comics and graphic novels. Gun Machine would be only his second crime novel (after 2007's Crooked Little Vein).

Dario Scardapane (Trauma) will write the project's screenplay pilot.

"Chernin [Entertainment] and Fox pursued Gun Machine with great passion and intelligence, and I couldn't be happier to be making this show with them," said Ellis, who will co-executive produce the potential series.

(Related article: Deadline.)

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Gun Machine
Warren Ellis
Mulholland Books (January 2013)

After a shootout claims the life of his partner in a condemned tenement building on Pearl Street, Detective John Tallow unwittingly stumbles across an apartment stacked high with guns. When examined, each weapon leads to a different, previously unsolved murder. Someone has been killing people for twenty years or more and storing the weapons together for some inexplicable purpose.

Confronted with the sudden emergence of hundreds of unsolved homicides, Tallow soon discovers that he's walked into a veritable deal with the devil. An unholy bargain that has made possible the rise of some of Manhattan's most prominent captains of industry. A hunter who performs his deadly acts as a sacrifice to the old gods of Manhattan, who may, quite simply, be the most prolific murderer in New York City's history.

    

ION Acquires Off-Network Rights to Numb3rs and Law & Order: Criminal Intent

ION Television made two announcements this week regarding crime dramas.

Yesterday, the independent broadcasting company acquired the off-network rights to Numb3rs, which includes all six seasons — 118 episodes — of the series that originally aired on CBS. Numb3rs will premiere on ION during the 2012/2013 television season.

Today, it acquired Law & Order: Criminal Intent. The off-network licensing rights give ION all 10 seasons — 195 episodes — of the crime drama that originally aired initially on NBC, and later on USA Network. No premiere date was provided.

ION already has in place licensing arrangements to air a number of crime dramas, including Criminal Minds, Monk, Cold Case, Without a Trace, Flashpoint, Psych, and Leverage.

This Week's Bestselling Mystery and Suspense Television and Film on DVD (120808)

Here is this week's list of the top bestselling mystery and suspense television and film on DVD available from Amazon.com.

We're using a script to embed an RSS feed from Amazon.com, which is frequently updated, but if you cannot see the box below — or have scripts blocked — you can use this link to see the relevant page on Amazon.com.

The Bourne Legacy Opens in Theaters August 10th, 2012

The Bourne Legacy. Opens in theaters August 10, 2012.

In the wake of Jason Bourne's dismemberment of Operation Blackbriar, the CIA decides to dispose of their other black ops programs, which includes the termination of their field agents. However, Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner), an agent from Operation Outcome, escapes from being executed and, with the help of an Outcome scientist (Rachel Weisz), sets out to expose the crimes of his superiors.

Directed by Tony Gilroy from an original screenplay co-written with Dan Gilroy, based on a series premise created by Robert Ludlum.

Running time: 135 minutes Rated PG-13 for violence and action sequences.

Watch a trailer for the film below:

Review: The Case of the Crooked Campaign by Lewis B. Montgomery

A Mysterious Review of …

The Case of the Crooked Campaign by Lewis B. Montgomery. The Milo & Jazz Mysteries.

Review summary: Milo and Jazz are students of the famous PI Dash Marlowe, with the lesson of the day always applicable to the case at hand. But the subject of this lesson — red herrings — is a tough concept for children to understand, and it doesn't seem particularly well applied here. Still, it's a fun case, if a bit quirky. (Click here for text of full review.)

Our rating:

The Case of the Crooked Campaign
Lewis B. Montgomery
The Milo & Jazz Mysteries
The Kane Press (August 2012)

Publisher synopsis: Campaign mania hits Westview when Jazz decides to run for school president. But is someone stealing all her best ideas? And how? Milo and Jazz must solve the mystery … before Election Day!

  

Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (120808)

Here is today's list of the Bestselling Free Kindle Crime Fiction: the top nine mysteries, novels of suspense, and thrillers.

We're using a script to embed an RSS feed from Amazon.com, which is updated hourly, but if you cannot see the box below — or have scripts blocked — you can click on the image to the right or use this link to see the relevant page on Amazon.com.

The Mystery Bookshelf: A Crimson Warning by Tasha Alexander, a Lady Emily Ashton Mystery

The Mystery Bookshelf, where you can discover a world of mystery and suspense, is pleased to feature a new crime novel we recently received from the publisher.

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A Crimson Warning by Tasha Alexander
A Lady Emily Ashton Mystery (6th in series)
Minotaur Books (Trade Paperback)
Publication Date: August 2012
ISBN-13: 978-1-250-00718-6

About A Crimson Warning (from the publisher): Newly returned to her home in Mayfair, Lady Emily Hargreaves is looking forward to enjoying the delights of the season. The delights, that is, as defined by her own eccentricities — reading The Aeneid, waltzing with her dashing husband, and joining the Women’s Liberal Federation in the early stages of its campaign to win the vote for women.

But an audacious vandal disturbs the peace in the capital city, splashing red paint on the neat edifices of the homes of London’s elite.

This mark, impossible to hide, presages the revelation of scandalous secrets, driving the hapless victims into disgrace, despair and even death. Soon, all of London high society is living in fear of learning who will be the next target, and Lady Emily and her husband, Colin, favorite agent of the crown, must uncover the identity and reveal the motives of the twisted mind behind it all before another innocent life is lost.

Purchase Options for A Crimson Warning:

      

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About the author: Tasha Alexander attended the University of Notre Dame, where she signed on as an English major (with a concentration in Medieval Studies) in order to have a legitimate excuse for spending all her time reading. She and her husband, novelist Andrew Grant, divide their time between Chicago and the UK. Visit her website at TashaAlexander.com.

Please Welcome Mystery Author Judith Mehl

by Judith Mehl

We are delighted to welcome debut novelist Judith Mehl as our guest today.

Judy's first mystery, Formula for Murder (Pennystone Books, June 2012 trade paperback and ebook formats), introduces handwriting analyst and amateur sleuth Kat Everitt.

Today Judith tells how she incorporated her own interest in handwriting analysis into this new series. And she is giving one of our readers a chance to win a copy of the book; details below.

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A great character idea, plot twist, or location spurs on some authors. For me it was the idea that handwriting analysis could reveal my inner self — and that of others. I was hooked when I realized that how I write my o's can disclose whether I am honest or deceitful. Then I thought, "What detective wouldn't love to know these things about her suspects?" And Kat Everitt was born in Formula for Murder.

Photo provided courtesy of
Judith Mehl

This debut book in a handwriting analysis series introduces Kat and her crew of zany assistants. Though handwriting analysis serves as the most serious element in my mystery, it is not an overbearing one. I peppered the plot with little tidbits to assist the readers in wondering about suspects, or maybe cause them to think about themselves or someone they know. But the protagonist is the strength of the novel.

Formula for Murder weaves a tale of a protagonist in Vera Wang shoes who stumbles on murder and doesn't hesitate to sprint anyway — always toward the suspects. By day she's a respected and reliable university employee who juggles her publicity job with feather soothing, quick thinking, and inquisitiveness. It's that curiosity, the constant questioning, and the genuine interest she takes in everyone around her that draws her to solve murders when they come her way, in this case the murder of a professor in his laboratory on campus.

While the handwriting analysis clues serve as Kat's method to sift and sort the suspects, it's her charm and perceptiveness that offer a captivating combination of humor and murder. She doesn't outright accuse anyone but just follows the leads — generally into trouble. Her determination and panache help her wend her way through each time, though help from her friends give her a solid backing when she needs it.

With her feisty yet pleasing personality, down-home herbal advice and strange research techniques, Kat marches through the investigation seeking justice for her peers, balm for the fear that permeates the academic community, and an end to increasingly dire threats to all.

The list of suspects mushrooms as secrets, jealousies, and private passions are exposed to the harsh light of scrutiny. Kat juggles leads and clues to track the killer despite warnings from the police to stay out of the case.

Her search pits her against a faceless killer who will stop at nothing to remain hidden among the reserved buildings, quiet quadrangles, and frightened students of the campus. While gossip unmasks the raw desires and bitter rivalries of this not-so-gentle world, romance blossoms with Nick, a mysterious stranger thrust into the fray. Was his arrival the night of the murder coincidental? He's her temporary new boss but is he a friend? Or something more sinister?

While Kat and her travails form the strength of the book, the setting is grand, too. I live in the Pocono Mountains so the location was a natural choice for me. The lure of this setting is not only its beautiful peaks but its woodlands, waterfalls, and unexplored territory. Opportunities for Kat's adventures abound in this northeast corner of Pennsylvania with its dazzling lakes and streams nestled among gentle mountains.

Enjoy where all this leads and don't forget the clues. They're fun. I tell readers upfront that handwriting analysis not only requires careful study of hundreds of traits, it also involves complex knowledge of combinations, rhythm, margins, pressure, form, direction, speed, coordination, style, and connections—just to name some.

Though I'm a member of the American Association of Handwriting Analysts, I am not certified and I take my clues seriously. Therefore, my clues are all verified by a certified analyst.

Each subsequent book in the series will include the original cast and launch new unforgettable characters. Future books will also offer handwriting analysis tips at the beginning of chapters. Just remember, handwriting is a projection of personality, a mirror of one's thoughts. It reveals strengths, and weaknesses, and dark secrets.

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Judith Mehl is a member of the American Association of Handwriting Analysts, and past editor of the organization's journal. She supports the use of handwriting analysis as a valuable diagnostic tool in personal selection, marriage counseling, crime detection, vocational guidance, and business compatibility. This includes appreciating the nuances involved in solving real-world crime through handwriting's negative traits and innocent attributes.

Now a full-time writer, she has years of experience in higher education publications and public relations work. A graduate of Northern Illinois University with a degree in journalism, she published numerous newspaper and magazine articles prior to her move to fiction writing, which combines all her interests into a compatible whole. Judy's non-fiction works are peppered with gardening and medicinal herb information. Her fictitious students, faculty, and staff are colored with the quirks of her real life world.

Judy lives in the mountains where she explores the relationship of woodland plants to their environment and their medicinal value for humans. You can find more information and weekly handwriting analysis tips on her website, JudyMehl.com.

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Formula for Murder
Judith Mehl
A Kat Everitt, Handwriting Analysis Mystery
Publisher: Pennystone Books

Kat Everitt, a seasoned amateur sleuth, uses handwriting analysis to hunt suspects in the murder of a professor in the Pocono Mountains. A public relations administrator with a shoe fetish and a knack for herbal remedies, Kat sifts through the quirky personalities and private lives of people who will do anything to guard a secret. Throughout this fast-paced, character-driven mystery, rife with alarming car chases, phantom callers, and obelisks dark with doom, Kat searches for the truth.

    

For a chance to win a copy of Formula for Murder, courtesy of the author, visit Mystery Book Contests, click on the "Judith Mehl: Handwriting Analysis Mysteries" contest link, enter your name, e-mail address, and this code — 5497 — for a chance to win! (One entry per person; contest ends August 15th, 2012.)

Mew is for Murder by Clea Simon is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Mew is for Murder by Clea Simon as today's second free mystery ebook.

This title was listed as free as of the date and time of this post. 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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Mew is for Murder
Clea Simon
A Theda Krakow Mystery
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press

Theda Krakow is in a funk. Her sometime boyfriend's gone for good. The death of her beloved cat opened a bigger void. And the career leap she's made from copy editor to freelance writer has left her finances—and her spirit—flat. She desperately needs a headline to get her life back on track.

One day, out for a stroll in her Cambridge neighborhood, Theda spies an adorable stray kitten. This charmer leads Theda to an old woman holed up in a decrepit house full of cats. Is this one of those "crazy cat ladies", a classic hoarder, or is the old woman a neighborhood do-gooder? More important: is this the story to catapult Theda out of the dumps? But when she returns to interview Lillian Helmhold, Theda finds her fascinating subject dead of an apparent accident. The neighbors are celebrating, the police aren't interested, and the cats are removed to a shelter. End of story? Not for Theda—one or two things don't compute. So Theda marshals her investigative journalism skills to turn gumshoe.

Why is the purple-haired punk Violet, a barista at Theda's favorite coffee house, hanging around Lillian's home? Then there's Lillian's neighbor who's only too anxious to clean up an eyesore. What's the story on Lillian's disturbed son? Theda's inquiries lead her from a halfway house in the hills of Western Massachusetts back to Boston's happening rock scene. Enter a music-loving artist, the one who jumpstarts Theda's pulse. He's handsome, he's interested—but is he a bit too mysterious? Theda's quiet life, her heart, and her bank account are about to be shaken to the core.

  

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.