MystereBooks: This Week's Update of Kindle Crime Fiction Priced $2.99 or Less (120922)

Every month Amazon publishes a list of 100 Kindle books priced $3.99 or less. We thought we'd take that idea and improve on it, publishing a list of 100 Kindle mystery books priced $2.99 or less and updating it every week!

Here is our general criteria for selecting titles to include: books from major or specialty publishers of crime fiction and those written by authors familiar to us. There are far more than 100 to choose from, so we use our best judgment to narrow it down.

And just a reminder … as we add new titles, older ones are removed from the list. These books aren't likely to be repeated, so we encourage you to check in frequently!

A couple of notes before we get to today's list …

• Premier Digital Publishing e-mailed us this week to let us know that a long list of their books will be discounted through the end of the month. Most qualify for inclusion here — that is, they are priced $2.99 or less — but we thought it better to create a special post just for them. Look for it later today.

• Poisoned Pen Press once again this past week lowered the price on four more mysteries, the first two books in the "Aurelia Marcella" series by Jane Finnis, and the first two books in the "Sam Kincaid" series by Michael Norman. Use this link to see all the books this publisher has lowered to $2.99 or less.

And now on to our update! Below are listed the new $2.99 or less titles we added today; click on the cover or title for more information or to purchase the Kindle edition.

Important Note: Prices can and do change without prior notice! We strongly urge you to confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of purchase is the price of the book.

— ♦ —

Shadows in the Night by Jane Finnis.
An Aurelia Marcella Mystery (1st).

A Bitter Chill by Jane Finnis.
An Aurelia Marcella Mystery (2nd).

It Takes Two To Strangle by Stephen Kaminsky.
A Damon Lassard, Dabbling Detective Mystery (1st).

The Last 10 Seconds by Simon Kernick.

Pre-order (available 11/13/2012);
Cover is from UK edition.

Road Dogs by Elmore Leonard.

The Commission by Michael Norman.
A Sam Kincaid Mystery (1st).

Silent Witness by Michael Norman.
A Sam Kincaid Mystery (2nd).

Amazonia by James Rollins.

Mint Juleps, Mayham and Murder by Sara Rosett.
An Ellie Avery Mystery (5th).

The Unquiet Bones by Mel Starr.
A Hugh of Singleton Mystery (1st).

Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson.

Murder at the Painted Lady by Barbara Warren.

— ♦ —

Important Note: Prices can and do change without prior notice! We strongly urge you to confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of purchase is the price of the book.

Reviews of Mystery and Suspense Books for Kids, New This Week on Book Trends (120922)

Book Trends, a review site for young adult's and children's books, published several new book reviews this past week. We're presenting here a summary of those in the mystery/suspense/thriller category.

Beyond by Graham McNamee. Lexile measure: N/A. Reviewed by a 6th grade teacher, who writes, "Beyond wouldn't be a good ghost story if it wasn't packed full of suspense — and it is. Every chapter ends forcing readers to think 'just one more chapter' and the next thing they know the hour is late, they are huddled under a blanket for protection, and they are turning the last page of the book." (Read the full review of this ghost story here.)

For more reviews of children and young adult books of all genres, visit Book Trends; their reviews will amaze you! You can also follow Book Trends on Twitter.

A Diamond Before You Die by Chris Wiltz is Today's Third Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature A Diamond Before You Die by Chris Wiltz 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.

— ♦ —

A Diamond Before You Die
Chris Wiltz
A Neal Rafferty Mystery
Publisher: Premiere Digital Publishing

This is the second mystery in this series, first published in 1987 by Mysterious Press.

Would-be district attorney Richard Cotton has hired private detective Neal Rafferty to keep tabs on his wife. His wife, Paula Cotton, has hired the cool and classy Lee Diamond to keep tabs on her husband. It's almost Mardi Gras in New Orleans and when the masks go on they hide a multitude of sins. Like bribery, corruption and drug-running — not to mention Richard Cotton's particular secret. And when the bodies start showing, Rafferty realizes that adultery is not the name of the game. In the gentleman's city of New Orleans, all things eventually settle into the Mississippi River mud. It's a question of what stays buried.

  

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.

Death by Chocolate by Julie Anne Lindsey is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Death by Chocolate by Julie Anne Lindsey 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.

— ♦ —

Death by Chocolate
Julie Anne Lindsey
A Killer Confections Mystery
Publisher: Knight Romance Publishing

Ruby Russell has reached her limit. When she discovers her hipster husband has a dirty little secret, she whips him up a Viagra-infused-chocolate mousse punishment, but in the morning, her husband's a stiff. Armed with a lifetime of crime show reruns and Arsenic and Old Lace on DVD, Ruby and her best friend Charlotte try to lay low until after Ruby's son's wedding, but a nosy therapist, meddling minister and local news reporter are making it very difficult to get away with murder.

Despite the growing chaos, bristling conflicts, and a mounting body count, these delightfully unstable girlfriends are determined to get away with murder come what may.

  

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.

No Bells by F. M. Meredith is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature No Bells by F. M. Meredith 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.

— ♦ —

No Bells
F. M. Meredith
A Rocky Bluff P. D. Mystery
Publisher: Oak Tree Press

Rocky Bluff reels with the news a woman's body was found buried in a shallow grave, and the culprit of a series of home break ins leaves a peculiar and disgusting calling card. Detective Milligan develops some concern that his partner has rushed to judgment on the case they are working, and the wrong person is accused of the crime. Officer Gordon Butler has finally found the love he's been seeking for a long time, but there's one big problem — she's the major suspect in the murder case.

  

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.

New Poster, Trailer for Comedy Crime Caper Gambit

A new poster (right; click for slightly larger image) and trailer (below) for the comedy crime caper Gambit has been released by the studio. The poster's tagline: "A fake masterpiece. The perfect plan."

We admit we knew nothing about this film until we came across the poster and trailer. It is a remake of the 1966 British film of the same title starring Michael Caine and Shirley MacLaine as a cat burglar and a dancer planning a foolproof heist. In the updated version, Colin Firth and Cameron Diaz play the same respective characters, though they have different professions.

There is quite a bit of star power in the film. Alan Rickman plays Herbert Lom's character from the original as the subject of the con, with Stanley Tucci and Cloris Leachman on board as well. The screenplay is by the Coen brothers, Ethan and Joel, though the film is directed by Michael Hoffman.

We actually can't find much more about the film. A Facebook page that supposedly exists doesn't, and there is no information about the film on the Momemtum Pictures website, the studio that uploaded the trailer.

The film opens in the UK on November 21st, but there is no US release date yet. Watch the trailer below.

This Week's Bestselling Mystery and Suspense Television and Film on Demand (120921)

Here is this week's list of the top bestselling mystery and suspense television and film videos available to watch or download from Amazon Instant.

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.

Tribeca Film to Distribute No Rest for the Wicked in US

Tribeca Film announced today that it has acquired the US distribution rights to the 2012 Goya Award-winning Best Film No Habrá Paz para los Malvados (No Rest for the Wicked).

The Spanish crime thriller stars José Coronado — who also won a Goya Award for Best Actor — as a dirty cop with a violent streak and a penchant for vice. During a drunken binge, he murders three people in a bar in front of a terrified witness who escapes from the building, successfully evading Santos. While Santos sets out to cover up his crimes, a judge and the police conduct an investigation into the murders, slowly revealing a massive criminal conspiracy that no one could have ever anticipated.

An English-language remake is planned, with Sylvester Stallone to star.

Tribeca is preparing for a December 2012 release. Watch a trailer for original film below (in Spanish).

Sylvester Stallone to Write, Star, and Direct a Film Adaptation of Hunter

Lionsgate is reported to be, though hasn't officially confirmed it will be, moving forward with a project for Sylvester Stallone to direct and star in an adaptation of James Byron Huggins's 1999 sci-fi Arctic thriller Hunter. And, oh by the way, he'll write the adapted screenplay.

Stallone has owned the film rights for some time now, and apparently was at one point considering the material as the basis for another "Rambo" film. But to our way of thinking it's probably a wiser move to develop a film storyline within the book's premise (see more below).

— ♦ —

Hunter
James Byron Huggins

Nathaniel Hunter could track anyone — or anything — on earth. Now the military desperately needs him for a mission that his ultrasensitive instincts tell him he should refuse. A beast is loose somewhere north of the Arctic Circle. It has already decimated a secret research facility and annihilated a squad of elite military guards. And the raging creature is headed south toward civilization, ready to wreak bloody devastation.

It's a job that Hunter can't turn down, but he soon discovers that his prey is terror incarnate, a half-human abomination created by a renegade agency through a series of outlawed genetic experiments. It has man's cunning, a predator's savageness, and a prehistoric power that has transcended the ages. And even if Hunter survives its unrelenting hunger for human blood, he'll still have to confront the grim reality that it may have grown immortal.

  

Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (120921)

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.

New Poster for Fringe Season 5

A new poster for the fifth — and final — season of Fringe has been released by Fox (right; click for larger image). The tagline: "Fight for the future."

Set in Boston, the FBI's Fringe Division started when Special Agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) enlisted institutionalized "fringe" scientist Walter Bishop (John Noble) and his globe-trotting, jack-of-all-trades son Peter (Joshua Jackson), to help in an investigation of an airline disaster that defied human logic. After the defining case was solved and furthermore revealed to be one of a series of unusual incidents linked together, the unlikely trio — supervised by Special Agent Phillip Broyles (Lance Reddick) and assisted by Astrid Farnsworth (Jasika Nicole) — was formed.

Created by J. J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, the fifth season of Fringe premieres on Fox on Friday, September 28th at 9 PM (ET/PT). Watch a promo for the season below.

Telemystery: FX Orders Pilot Adapted from The Strain Trilogy of Thrillers

FX Networks has ordered a pilot for The Strain, adapted from the trilogy of thrillers by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan. The authors will co-write the script.

This is the second telemystery news item of the week for del Toro. Two days ago we learned he will executive produce an adaptation of The Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death by Corinne May Botz for HBO.

FX has two other pilot projects in development: The Bridge, based on the Swedish/Danish crime drama Bron|Broen; and the comedy/drama Bronx Warrants, centered on a group of detectives assigned to arrest individuals with outstanding warrants.

— ♦ —

The Strain
Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan
The Strain Trilogy (1st in series)

A Boeing 777 arrives at JFK and is on its way across the tarmac, when it suddenly stops dead. All window shades are pulled down. All lights are out. All communication channels have gone quiet. Crews on the ground are lost for answers, but an alert goes out to the CDC. Dr. Eph Goodweather, head of their Canary project, a rapid-response team that investigates biological threats, gets the call and boards the plane. What he finds makes his blood run cold.

In a pawnshop in Spanish Harlem, a former professor and survivor of the Holocaust named Abraham Setrakian knows something is happening. And he knows the time has come, that a war is brewing …

So begins a battle of mammoth proportions as the vampiric virus that has infected New York begins to spill out into the streets. Eph, who is joined by Setrakian and a motley crew of fighters, must now find a way to stop the contagion and save his city — a city that includes his wife and son — before it is too late.

      

See also the two other books in this trilogy: The Fall (Amazon / iTunes / Kobo); and The Night Eternal (Amazon / iTunes / Kobo).

New Poster, Trailer for Remake of Pusher

A new poster for the crime thriller Pusher has been released by the studio (right; click for larger image). The tagline: "Never cross the line."

Pusher is an English-language remake of Nicolas Winding Refn's 1996 Danish film of the same title. (Refn went on to film two sequels.)

The storyline is a familiar one, used with minor variations in any number of films: Richard Coyle stars as a drug dealer, who grows increasingly desperate over the course of a week after a botched deal lands him in the merciless clutches of a ruthless crime lord. The more desperate his behavior, the more isolated he becomes until there is nothing left standing between him and the bullet his debtors intend to fire his way.

Directed by Luis Prieto from a screenplay by Matthew Read, and based on a story by Nicolas Winding Refn, Pusher will be in limited theater release beginning October 26th, and available as a video-on-demand two days later. Watch a UK trailer for the film below.

Lucy Cruz and the Chupacabra Killings by Steven Torres is Today's Sixth Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Lucy Cruz and the Chupacabra Killings by Steven Torres as today's sixth 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.

— ♦ —

Lucy Cruz and the Chupacabra Killings
Steven Torres
A Lucy Cruz Mystery
Publisher: Steven Torres

This first in a new series is by the author of the Precinct Puerto Rico mysteries.

Photojournalist Lucy Cruz, young, beautiful, talented, and poor, spends her nights sitting outside a farm waiting for El Chupacabra — Puerto Rico's legendary livestock killing beast. The group that hired her want only one clear photo of the animal, but what her camera captures is not one animal killing another — it's murder. When she hands police her photos, she's thrown into a fight for her life against a killer who's only getting started.

When the man she loves is nearly murdered, Lucy races to piece together the clues before the killer's aim improves …

  

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.

Hunted by Richard Pitman and Joe McNally is Today's Fifth Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Hunted by Richard Pitman and Joe McNally as today's fifth 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.

— ♦ —

Hunted
Richard Pitman and Joe McNally
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

This is the second mystery in this series written by an ex-jockey and racing journalist.

Eddie Malloy, trying to get his career back on track, finds himself in the gunsights of a cunning killer who is maiming and murdering racing personalities with a zeal and purpose which terrifies the racing world and mystifies the police.

Eddie is convinced the killer has a definitive hit list for these ritual slayings and when he discovers he is high on that list, Eddie knows he has to become the hunter not the hunted.

  

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.

The Ninth Day by Jamie Freveletti is Today's Fourth Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Ninth Day by Jamie Freveletti as today's fourth 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.

— ♦ —

The Ninth Day
Jamie Freveletti
An Emma Caldridge Mystery
Publisher: Harper

This is the third mystery in this series.

When biochemist Emma Caldridge stumbles upon a group of human traffickers, "coyotes", smuggling illegals across the Arizona border, she suddenly finds herself prisoner of the most violent and feared drug lord in Ciudad Juarez. La Valle is ruthless, and his power and influence stretches from Mexico to Chicago. But La Valle is facing a much bigger problem than one American seeing his smuggling operations - a flesh eating toxin has developed on his prized marijuana leaves, and once touched or even inhaled, it kills the victim in just nine painful days. La Valle believes that this contagion is a product of U.S. agents contaminating his leaves in an effort to stop his operations, and he swears to exact his revenge.

Determined to find a cure and to stop La Valle from attacking American cities, Emma desperately searches for clues to help stop this virulent disease. Quick-thinking and bold, Emma will not be bullied by La Valle and his lackeys. She refuses to put any more lives at risk unnecessarily until she can discover an antidote. But when she herself becomes infected, the race is on, and she must find the answer before she reaches the ninth day.

  

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.

City Life by Helen Haught Fanick is Today's Third Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature City Life by Helen Haught Fanick 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.

— ♦ —

City Life
Helen Haught Fanick
Publisher: Helen Haught Fanick

Frank Novak's life is a hectic procession of events, since he's the foremost neighborhood watchdog in San Gabriel, Texas. He thinks at times that things couldn't get any worse for him, but he's wrong. His wife is finding a Holy Roller preacher way too attractive, his camping trailer is stolen, and then his real problems begin — someone is trying to kill him.

The idea of escaping to a reclusive life in the Texas Hill Country begins to seem very appealing; then Monica Cruz enters his life. She works for an agency that helps neighborhoods get organized to fight crime and decay — and she's intelligent, intense, and best of all, interested in Frank.

They make a good team — Frank with his determination to keep his neighborhood clear of problems, and Monica with her knowledge of what works in solving their problems — and her Taurus .38 revolver. Will all this be enough to keep them safe from the residents of the crack house on the corner or the angry man who doesn't care how much pollution he causes in disposing of hazardous waste? They're hoping that it will and that they'll have a life together in spite of the odds.

  

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.

North to Disaster by Jim Craig is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature North to Disaster by Jim Craig 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.

— ♦ —

North to Disaster
Jim Craig
A Johnny Wainwright, Alaskan Mystery
Publisher: Bushak Press

This is the first thriller in this series.

Johnny Wainwright is a bush pilot repo man struggling to make a living in Seward, Alaska. All he wants to do is fly and get by, living a simple life in the Final Frontier. But when he reclaims stolen equipment from remote Johnstone Bay, the trouble begins. Bush airplanes, murdering thieves and a beautiful Learjet pilot fill Johnny’s days during a life and death struggle in Prince William Sound.

  

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.

Rumors of Savages by Carrie Regan is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Rumors of Savages by Carrie Regan 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.

— ♦ —

Rumors of Savages
Carrie Regan
Publisher: Xlibris

It seemed the perfect stunt to save the ailing Adventure Channel. When a famed anthropologist disappears in the middle of a formidable African jungle while searching for a legendary — and reportedly bloodthirsty — "lost tribe", fading star Max Carrington and his bumbling television crew swiftly set off to find him. Their goal: bring him back, alive or dead, documenting every moment along the way for a blockbuster television event.

Back home, their dramatic live video dispatches from the middle of the jungle swiftly become the media sensation of the moment. But when members of the crew start disappearing as well, they realize too late that much more than the network's fortunes are at risk …

  

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.