Mystery Bestsellers for the Week Ending September 14, 2012

A list of the top 15 mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending September 14th, 2012 has been posted by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books.

Quite a bit of shuffling in the list this week though the stand-alone thriller Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn remains a solid number one. Four new titles enter the list (position in parentheses).

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(7): A Wanted Man
Lee Child

Four people in a car, hoping to make Chicago by morning. One man driving, eyes on the road. Another man next to him, telling stories that don’t add up. A woman in the back, silent and worried. And next to her, a huge man with a broken nose, hitching a ride east to Virginia.

An hour behind them, a man lies stabbed to death in an old pumping station. He was seen going in with two others, but he never came out. He has been executed, the knife work professional, the killers vanished. Within minutes, the police are notified. Within hours, the FBI descends, laying claim to the victim without ever saying who he was or why he was there.

All Reacher wanted was a ride to Virginia. All he did was stick out his thumb. But he soon discovers he has hitched more than a ride. He has tied himself to a massive conspiracy that makes him a threat — to both sides at once.

            

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(9): Delusion in Death
J. D. Robb

It was just another after-work happy-hour bar downtown, where business professionals unwound with a few drinks … until something went terribly wrong. And after twelve minutes of chaos and violence, eighty people lay dead.

Lieutenant Eve Dallas is trying to sort out the inexplicable events. Surviving witnesses talk about seeing things — monsters and swarms of bees. They describe sudden, overwhelming feelings of fear and rage and paranoia. When forensics gives its report, the mass delusions make more sense: It appears the bar patrons were exposed to a cocktail of chemicals and illegal drugs that could drive anyone to temporary insanity—if not kill them outright.

But that doesn’t explain who would unleash such horror — or why. And if Eve can’t figure it out fast, it could happen again, anytime, anywhere. Because it’s airborne …

            

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(10): Frozen Heat
Richard Castle

NYPD Homicide Detective Nikki Heat arrives at her latest crime scene to find an unidentified woman stabbed to death and stuffed inside a suitcase left on a Manhattan street. Nikki is in for a big shock when this new homicide connects to the unsolved murder of her own mother. Paired once again with her romantic and investigative partner, top journalist Jameson Rook, Heat works to solve the mystery of the body in the suitcase while she is forced to confront unexplored areas of her mother's background.

Facing relentless danger as someone targets her for the next kill, Nikki's search will unearth painful family truths, expose a startling hidden life, and cause Nikki to reexamine her own past. Heat's passionate quest takes her and Rook from the back alleys of Manhattan to the avenues of Paris, trying to catch a ruthless killer. The question is, now that her mother's cold case has unexpectedly thawed, will Nikki Heat finally be able to solve the dark mystery that has been her demon for ten years?

            

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(14): Fool Me Twice
Michael Brandman

Summer in Paradise, Massachusetts, is usually an idyllic season — but not this time. A Hollywood movie company has come to town, and brought with it a huge cast, crew, and a troubled star. Marisol Hinton is very beautiful, reasonably talented, and scared out of her wits that her estranged husband's jealousy might take a dangerous turn. When she becomes the subject of a death threat, Jesse and the rest of the Paradise police department go on high alert.

And when Jesse witnesses a horrifying collision caused by a distracted teenage driver, the political repercussions of her arrest bring him into conflict with the local selectment, the DA, and some people with very deep pockets. There's murder in the air, and it's Jesse's reputation as an uncompromising defender of the law — and his life — on the line.

            

This Week's Bestselling Mystery and Suspense Television and Film on Blu-ray Disc (120913)

Here is this week's list of the top bestselling mystery and suspense television and film Blu-ray discs 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.

New Poster for So Undercover

A new — maybe the first official one; there seem to be several fan-made ones out there — poster for the comedy So Undercover has been released by the studio (right; click for larger image). The tagline: "Meet the FBI's new secret weapon."

This film has been around, like, forever … at least since early 2011. Here's the synopsis: When the FBI hires her to go undercover at a college sorority, Molly Morris (Miley Cyrus) must transform herself from a tough, streetwise private investigator to a refined, sophisticated university girl to help protect the daughter of a one-time Mobster. With several suspects on her list, Molly unexpectedly discovers that not everyone is who they appear to be, including herself.

Directed by Tom Vaughan from a screenplay by Steven Pearl and Allan Loeb, and originally scheduled to be released in theaters in October 2011, So Undercover will now be in limited release starting October 5th, 2012. Expect it to be direct to DVD for most of us.

Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (120913)

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.

Kevin Costner to Write The Explorers Guild Adventure Series

Atria Books announced this morning that Kevin Costner will write a new serialized illustrated adventure series known as The Explorers Guild. The first book in the series, A Passage to Shambhala, will be published in 2014. The series is expected to appeal "to readers from young adult to more mature mystery and adventure enthusiasts."

"A heroic quest with the vivid wildness of Jules Verne, and steeped in world history but with mystical overtones, I believe that The Explorers Guide series will engage readers of all ages in a multi-generational experience that will lend itself to a host of entertainment platforms," said Costner. "As a storyteller and filmmaker, I am intrigued by the inherent resourcefulness, wit, and at times violent nature these characters embody."

Set against the backdrop of World War I, with Western Civilization spiraling into chaos, A Passage to Shambhala follows the Guild's quest to find Shambhala, the golden city of Buddhist myth. Each member is driven toward the City for a different reason: one believes that finding it will save his brother's life; another hopes that it will reveal a path to spiritual enlightenment. Some believe the power of the city can be used to restore peace, while others are certain that Shambhala is responsible for bringing mankind to the brink of apocalypse.

Review: Death's Door by James R. Benn

A Mysterious Review of …

Death's Door by James R. Benn. A Billy Boyle, World War II Mystery.

Review summary: This latest entry in the series is every bit as good the previous ones. The characters are well-developed and the real people from history — and there are a few — are seamlessly integrated into the nicely crafted murder mystery storyline. The books in this series are among the most consistently well written and researched crime novels published today, and are highly recommended. (Click here for text of full review.)

Our rating:

Death's Door
James R. Benn
A Billy Boyle, World War II Mystery
Soho Crime (September 2012)

Publisher synopsis: Lieutenant Billy Boyle could have used a rest after his last case, but when his girlfriend, Diana Seaton, a British spy, goes missing in the Vatican, where she was working undercover, he insists on being assigned to a murder investigation there so he can try to help her. An American monsignor is found murdered at the foot of Death's Door, one of the five entrances to Saint Peter's Basilica. Wild Bill Donovan, head of the OSS, wants the killing investigated. The fact that the Vatican is neutral territory in German-occupied Rome is only one of the obstacles Billy must overcome. First is a harrowing journey, smuggled into Rome while avoiding the Gestapo and Allied bombs. Then he must navigate Vatican politics and personalities—some are pro-Allied, others pro-Nazi, and the rest steadfastly neutral—to learn the truth about the murdered monsignor. But that's not his only concern; just a short walk from the Vatican border is the infamous Regina Coeli prison, where Diana is being held. Can he dare a rescue, or will a failed attempt alert the Germans to his mission and risk an open violation of Vatican neutrality?

      

A Conversation with Ben Aaronovitch

with Ben Aaronovitch

Last week novelist Ben Aaronovitch was our guest blogger, telling us about genre confusion and one of the pitfalls of writing cross-over fiction.

His new mystery, Whispers Under Ground (Del Rey, July 2012 paperback and ebook formats), is an example of such, a police procedural/fantasy mystery.

We recently had a chance to follow-up with Ben to talk about his work.

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Omnimystery News: Last week you told us of the the challenges in writing cross-over mysteries. Can you expand on that a bit more here?

Ben Aaronovitch: I've always loved police procedurals, everything from PD James' Adam Dalgliesh to the gang in the bull pen in Ed McBain's 87th Precinct books. When I decided to, very lazily, combine my two favorite genres, crime and science fiction, I quickly realized that in order to make the magic credible I had to make the policing as realistic as possible.

Photo provided courtesy of
Ben Aaronovitch

My publishers and I made a critical mistake about who was going to read the book. We thought it was going to sell mainly into an SF audience — that's why Del Rey gave it the Urban Fantasy style cover. However it became quickly apparent in the UK that a large section, if not the majority, of the readers were crime aficionados. Hence the change in the US covers for Whispers Under Ground and subsequent editions of Midnight Riot/Rivers of London and Moon Over Soho.

The moral of that story is that you never really know who you're marketing to until the readers tell who they are.

OMN: Your series character is London constable and sorcerer's apprentice Peter Grant. How has he changed from the first book in the series to the present one?

BA: Traditionally the detective doesn't change much over time, Morse is a grumpy beer drinking snob at the start of his career and stays that way until his dying day, Steve Carella remains the calm moral centre of the 87th Precinct through countless books and 30 years of unprecedented social change.

The genre convention is that the detective "happens" to other people — pushing into their lives, their secrets and, in many cases, the dark secrets of society as well. The practical reason for this is that if you constantly mess with your protagonist you risk your reader's suspension of disbelief as the detective runs out of relatives to be menaced or partners to be shot.

The reality is, particularly with police detectives, is that it is merely the job they do day in and day out. They're human they have to deal with death and trauma but they don't go into a crisis with every case.

OMN: Do you include yourself in any way in your books?

BA: All of me is in the book but it's heavily disguised and leavened with tons of stuff I found lying around in the outside world.

OMN: When you're planning a new book, do you create an outline for the story, or let it evolve as you write it?

BA: When I start a novel I usually know, roughly, how it begins, what happens around the midway point and how it's going to end. Then I start my initial research phase which often suggests events and scenes to fill out the gaps in between.

Once I've finished the first chapter I usually have a better idea of how the first third or so is structured and can organize the next wave of research topics. The book then rolls on from there firming up the structure as I complete each subsequent chapter. Once I'm about two thirds through I usually write a rough draft of the climactic chapter (usually but not always the second from last) and then fill in the gap. This process is far more chaotic and fraught than I've made it sound.

OMN: You mention the "research phase" of writing. What does mean for you?

BA: I basically grab anything I can get my hands on. My first rule is that you must never base your depiction of people, cultures, professions and places on what you've seen in a TV or Film drama. Not even The Wire. Secondly; primary sources are better than secondary or tertiary sources. So, if you can, talk to the police about police work, talk to Nigerians about being Nigerians and walk the streets of the city you plan to depict. If you must trust a secondary source try to make sure it's as close to the primary as possible, read non-fiction by people with direct experience or a specialist level of knowledge where first-hand experience is unavailable. Thirdly; use multiple sources, talk to lots of police, lots of Nigerians, read lots of history books — you get the idea.

Where the internet shines is helping you zero in on sources of information. Wikipedia can outline the areas you need to look at, Google can help locate authors, organizations and experts you can access — Google Earth is particularly useful for locating interesting locations that you can then visit.

The most exciting topic came way back when I got hold of a map of London's rivers and started to relate their courses to the history and geography of the city. Suddenly I was being introduced to new characters with personalities and pasts as complex as any real person — for a writer that's very exciting.

OMN: Tell us about London, the setting for this series.

BA: When you set a book in a city as rich in history, mythology and diversity as London it pays to be more accurate rather than less. There have been a number of times that I've been stuck on a plot point only to have London's history suggest a way forward. That said I'm not beyond creating the odd fictional shop or café or moving same from one location to another – like the lingerie shop in Moon Over Soho — but generally I don't need to. London contains the world; it always delivers the goods.

OMN: What about your life outside of your fictional world?

BA: Besides my responsibilities as a parent I really have no life beyond writing books — it's sad really. Everything I do ends up in my books sooner or later but it's frequently unrecognizable, even by me, when it does.

I am hoping to develop a life now that the books have been reasonably successful and my son is close to going to University. I plan to read more books, see more plays, travel to exotic destinations and meet more people.

OMN: In addition to your novels, you're well known to many as a screenwriter for Doctor Who. What do your fans think of your cross-over fiction?

BA: The readers chase me down the street with cries of "Have at the b'stard!" and I flee for my life across the rooftops of old London town.

I like meeting potential readers because it's very reassuring to know that a potential readership exists — given the alternative.

I do like the unexpected questions, especially on topics I hadn't thought about before. Second best are the questions which reveal the reader spotted something that you were inordinately proud of but nobody else in the entire universe seems to have noticed you put in your book. Thirdly, there's question about process, which can get a bit wearing the thirtieth time you answer them.

OMN: Are there any authors whose books you rush out to buy as soon as they are published? What other types of books/genres do you read?

BA: Terry Pratchett, Jim Butcher, Peter James and Lois McMaster Bujold are my "buy on sight" authors. I read widely in crime, science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction and history non-fiction.

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Ben Aaronovitch was born in London in 1964 and had the kind of dull routine childhood that drives a man to drink or to science fiction. He is a screenwriter, with early notable success on BBC television’s legendary Doctor Who, for which he wrote some episodes now widely regarded as classics, and which even he is quite fond of. He has also penned several groundbreaking TV tie-in novels.

After a decade of such work, he decided it was time to show the world what he could really do and embarked on his first serious original novel. The result is Midnight Riot, the debut adventure of Peter Grant, followed by Moon Over Soho.

Learn more about the author and his books on his website, The-Folly.com.

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Whispers Under Ground
Ben Aaronovitch
A Peter Grant Mystery (3rd in series)

It begins with a dead body at the far end of Baker Street tube station, all that remains of American exchange student James Gallagher — and the victim's wealthy, politically powerful family is understandably eager to get to the bottom of the gruesome murder. The trouble is, the bottom — if it exists at all — is deeper and more unnatural than anyone suspects … except, that is, for London constable and sorcerer's apprentice Peter Grant. With Inspector Nightingale, the last registered wizard in England, tied up in the hunt for the rogue magician known as "the Faceless Man", it's up to Peter to plumb the haunted depths of the oldest, largest, and — as of now — deadliest subway system in the world.

At least he won't be alone. No, the FBI has sent over a crack agent to help. She's young, ambitious, beautiful … and a born-again Christian apt to view any magic as the work of the devil. Oh yeah — that's going to go well.

          

No Way to Die by M. D. Grayson is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature No Way to Die by M. D. Grayson 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.

— ♦ —

No Way to Die
M. D. Grayson
A Danny Logan Mystery
Publisher: Cedar Coast Press

This is the second mystery in this series.

Danny Logan, Toni Blair, and the rest of the Logan PI crew are back in action. They're investigating the supposed suicide of a famous mathematician, a man who was on the brink of revealing a new set of encryption protocols that could rock the world. But if they're right, if it was murder, not suicide, then whoever did the killing must be highly skilled and highly motivated — exactly the type of someone who would not appreciate being investigated. And, if that someone had already killed once, they'd have no trouble killing again to prevent Logan from uncovering the truth.

  

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.

Formula for Murder by Judith Mehl is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Formula for Murder by Judith Mehl 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.

— ♦ —

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.

Read our review of Formula for Murder by Judith Mehl.

  

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.

This Week's Bestselling Mystery and Suspense Television and Film on DVD (120912)

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.

Telemystery: A&E Renews The Glades for a 4th Season

A&E has renewed The Glades for a fourth season, to premiere Summer 2013.

Matt Passmore stars as homicide detective Jim Longworth, who relocates from Chicago to Florida to play a little golf, work on his tan, write an occasional parking ticket … but things don't work out quite as he planned with a murder to investigate every week.

His love interest in the show is Callie Cargill (Kiele Sanchez), whose role has increased dramatically since the first season. In the recently concluded third season, Callie decides to stay in Palm Glade to be with Jim and their relationship is immediately put to the test when it proves more difficult to find work then she had imagined. Despite their love and support, big decisions weigh on them as they roll up their sleeves to make the day to day business of coming together as a couple work, creating new challenges that will test their commitment.

Earlier this year A&E renewed for a second season its other crime drama, Longmire, based on a character created by mystery author Craig Johnson.

New Episodes of Foyle's War: Production Update

Acorn Media just sent us an update on the production of the new season of Foyle's War and we wanted to share with you some of the details.

Three episodes of the new season — it will be the seventh here in the US, but eighth in the UK — will air next summer as part of PBS's Masterpiece Mystery!

With many stories based on real life cases, Christopher Foyle (brilliantly played by Michael Kitchen) will focus his attention on the world of espionage as he gathers secret intelligence in support of Britain's security, defense and the Government's foreign and economic policies.

In his new role as a Senior Intelligence Officer, Foyle discovers that the British establishment is rife with communist sympathisers and traitors. In this delicately balanced period in history, 1946-47, Foyle will use all his intelligence, guile and intuition to keep the country safe.

Meanwhile, Sam (Honeysuckle Weeks) is happily married to local MP Adam and finding her feet as a wife with a daunting role in local politics. Reunited with Foyle, she is also offered a surprising new working role …

Acorn Media purchased Foyle's War in November 2010 and has worked closely with producer Jill Green and creator/writer Anthony Horowitz to develop new episodes. These episodes mark the first time Acorn Media has produced original drama content.

We are so thrilled this series is continuing, the previous seasons representing some of the best television we think we've ever seen, and are so looking forward to the new episodes next summer.

Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (120912)

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.

Cinemystery: DreamWorks Options YA Fantasy/Suspense Novel Shadow and Bone

DreamWorks has optioned the young adult fantasy/suspense novel Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. David Heyman (the "Harry Potter" films) and Jeffrey Clifford will co-executive produce the project.

"We found not just a fantastic story, but one set in a mystical and fascinating world that will translate well to the big screen," said DreamWorks production president Holly Bario. "We are excited to begin adapting this book and look forward to working with David Heyman who has unparalleled proven success in this genre."

Shadow and Bone is the first in a planned trilogy of novels. The second, Siege and Storm, is scheduled to be published in June 2013, with the third and final book to be published in Summer 2014.

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Shadow and Bone
Leigh Bardugo
The Grisha Trilogy (1st in series)

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life — a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha … and the secrets of her heart.

      

The first five chapters are available to download for free: Amazon | iTunes | Kobo.

The Witch of Duva, a Ravkan folk tale set in the universe of the Grisha trilogy, can be read for free on the Tor Books website. (Ebook versions of the story are 99 cents: Amazon | iTunes | Kobo.)

Important Note: Any prices mentioned above were correct 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.

Please Welcome Mystery Author D. E. Johnson

by D. E. Johnson

We are delighted to welcome mystery author D. E. Johnson as our guest.

Dan's third "Will Anderson" mystery, Detroit Breakdown (Minotaur Books, September 2012 hardcover and ebook formats), set in the early 20th century, follows Will and his ex-fiancée Elizabeth Hume into their next adventure, now behind the walls of the infamous Eloise Hospital, the massive asylum west of Detroit.

Today Dan tells us about writing historical mysteries.

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My new book, Detroit Breakdown, is set in 1912, primarily at Eloise Hospital, which served as Wayne County's insane asylum, county house, and tubercular sanatorium for 140 years. When Elizabeth Hume's cousin is accused of murder behind the walls of Eloise, Will Anderson commits himself as an amnesia patient to unmask a murderer — literally, as the killer is posing as the Phantom of the Opera.

Photo provided courtesy of
D. E. Johnson

Those of you who have read the first two books in the series know that I never go easy on Will, and Detroit Breakdown is no exception. He is subjected to a kind of shock therapy and experimental radium therapy — and these occur before the hospital administrator discovers that Will's spying on them. The quality of his "therapy" diminishes rapidly after that.

Eloise Hospital was an amazing place. At its height, Eloise spread over 902 acres, with 78 buildings, including police and fire stations, a bakery, mortuary, and amusement hall. The institution was self-sufficient, with a large farm tended by the patients and a small artificial lake to provide water and ice. The hospital was still very much in a growth mode in 1912, and, during the Great Depression, Eloise was home to as many as 10,000 people at a time (indigents being the bulk of them).

The early Twentieth Century was a fascinating period in mental health history. It was a tipping point from the old thinking, which was lock 'em up and forget about 'em, to a new therapeutic approach. Freud's theories were widely known and reasonably widely accepted by this time, and mental health professionals actually started trying to cure people of their problems.

Of course the treatment available in a private institution was generally better than that of county-run asylums like Eloise, which didn't have the funds for enlightened treatment. It's not a place that would normally see the likes of Will, who comes from a privileged family, or a relative of Elizabeth's, whose family is also well-to-do.

Sadly, it wasn't unusual for a rich family's "defective" child to be placed in an institution — often a public institution — and forgotten. Many of you know about Rosemary Kennedy, sister of John F. and Robert Kennedy. She was born in 1918 and institutionalized, eventually lobotomized, because of "slight mental retardation." The stigma was so powerful that wealthy families went to great lengths to hide children who weren't up to snuff.

While my stories are first and foremost mysteries, I always pick a historical backdrop to explore as a significant subplot. In The Detroit Electric Scheme, it was the rise and fall of the early electric car. (Will is the fictional son of a real man named William Anderson, who owned Detroit Electric, the most successful electric car company in U.S. history, building electric cars from 1907–1939.) As Will tries to figure out who framed him for murder, he also has to work, and while doing so experiences some of the biggest moments in electric automobile history.

The second book in the series, Motor City Shakedown, explores Detroit's first mob war, between the Adamo and Gianolla gangs. It was a bloody battle for control of the city's rackets, with weekly shotgun battles in the streets of Detroit's Little Italy. Will has some unfinished business with Vito Adamo following the first book, and while looking for revenge, he walks into the middle of the war.

Detroit Breakdown continues the adventures of Will and his on-and-off girlfriend, Elizabeth Hume. This is my first novel with dual first-person narrators, as Will and Elizabeth pick up the parts of the story they experience. It was great fun writing another narrator (other than when my female early readers told me how little I understood about how women think, a point I will freely concede. Fortunately they steered me right, and even they were happy with the final result.)

Eloise Hospital proves to be a tough foe for Will, and I'm afraid that both his physical and mental health are tested to the edge of his capacities. Conflict makes or breaks a story. I'm a believer in the old saw about plot, "Stick your protagonist in a tree and throw rocks at him." Will would probably appreciate a respite from the rocks for a while, but that development is nowhere in sight!

— ◊ —

The early Twentieth Century, a time of big ambitions, huge achievements, and crushing poverty, holds a special fascination for Dan, who comes by his interest in automotive history honestly. His grandfather was the Vice President of Checker Motors, beginning work with Checker in 1924 and continuing until 1980. Fortunately, Dan doesn't come by his interest in murder the same way.

After spending his childhood in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Dan graduated from Central Michigan University and owned a business in Grand Rapids, Michigan for many years. He is married, has three daughters, and once again lives near Kalamazoo.

To learn more about the author and his books, visit his website at DEJohnsonAuthor.com.

— ◊ —

Detroit Breakdown
D. E. Johnson
A Will Anderson Mystery (3rd in series)
Minotaur Books (September 2012)

Will Anderson and Elizabeth Hume are called to the vast Eloise Insane Asylum outside of Detroit, where Elizabeth's cousin Robbie is a patient and now a murder suspect. The victim, like three others before him at the asylum in recent months, was killed with the infamous "Punjab lasso", the murder weapon of the Phantom of the Opera.

Certain of Robbie's innocence, they begin an investigation with the help of Detective Riordan. Will has himself committed to the asylum to investigate from the inside, and Elizabeth volunteers at Eloise and questions people outside the asylum. While Will endures horrific conditions in his search for the killer, Elizabeth and Riordan follow the trail of a murder suspect all the way to Kalamazoo, where they realize the killer might still be at Eloise, putting Will in extreme danger. They race back to Detroit, but will they arrive in time to save Will and bring the killer to justice?

          

Access to Power by Robert Ellis is Today's Third Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Access to Power by Robert Ellis 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.

— ♦ —

Access to Power
Robert Ellis
Publisher: Pinnacle/Robert Ellis

Three weeks before a crucial senatorial election, a man is gunned down execution-style in a D.C. office. Police are quick to call it a case of robbery gone bad, but Frank Miles suspects something far more sinister behind the murder of his business partner.

Washington's most feared image maker, Frank's ruthless media manipulation has earned him countless admirers … and just as many enemies. Now, for the first time in his life, Frank's met his match in a shadowy schemer as clever as himself--but far more lethal.

As the body count rises, Frank becomes the U.S. Attorney's chief suspect — and a cunning killer's next target. From the underground tunnels networking Capitol Hill to the dome high above, his race for the truth--and his life--will bring him face-to-face with power at its deadliest extremes — where winning isn't everything … it's the only thing.

  

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.

Irretrievably Broken by Melissa F. Miller is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Irretrievably Broken by Melissa F. Miller 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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Irretrievably Broken
Melissa F. Miller
A Sasha McCandless Mystery
Publisher: Brown Street Books

This is the third mystery in this series.

The venerable law firm of Prescott & Talbott is reeling from the murder of partner Ellen Mortenson — purportedly at the hands of her estranged husband — when a photograph of the dead woman arrives, her face Xed out and "ONE DOWN" scrawled across the bottom. Within days, a second partner is murdered, her husband also accused.

Sasha doesn't practice criminal defense, so she's suspicious when her former firm asks her to represent Ellen's husband. Owing Prescott a favor, she takes the case and soon finds herself representing not one, but both, of the so-called Lady Lawyer Killers. The long hours jeopardize her relationship with Leo Connelly when he needs her most.

That's the least of Sasha's troubles, though, because what she doesn't know is that the real killer is waging a vendetta for a past case gone wrong. And there's one more lawyer on his list.

  

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.

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