Moon Mask by James Richardson is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Moon Mask by James Richardson as today's second free mystery ebook (An Ancient Relic … A Deadly Secret … An Epic Adventure; Kindle format only).

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.

For a summary of all of today's featured titles, plus any that may have appeared before and are repeat freebies, visit our Free MystereBooks page. This page is updated daily, typically by 8 AM ET.

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Moon Mask
James Richardson
An Ancient Relic … A Deadly Secret … An Epic Adventure
Publisher: James Richardson

Jamaica, 1705: An English naval officer boards a slave ship to find its entire crew dead, victims of a horrific disease. The only survivor is the ship's deranged captain, found clutching a mysterious mask, stolen from the depths of Africa.

Venezuela, Present Day: Archaeologist Benjamin King unearths an almost identical mask. But, when members of the dig start dying and the base camp is attacked, he is forced to rely on the enigmatic Nathan Raine, a fugitive and convicted traitor, to save the expedition from a terrible fate.

Hunted from the steamy jungles of the Amazon to the shark-infested waters of the Pacific, Raine and King must navigate a web of deceit and treachery, ancient relics, deadly booby traps and sinister enemies if they are to discover the secret of the Moon Mask …

  

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.

Treachery at Torrey Pines by John Van Vlear is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Treachery at Torrey Pines by John Van Vlear as today's free mystery ebook (A Shank MacDuff Mystery; Kindle format only).

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.

For a summary of all of today's featured titles, plus any that may have appeared before and are repeat freebies, visit our Free MystereBooks page. This page is updated daily, typically by 8 AM ET.

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Treachery at Torrey Pines
John Van Vlear
A Shank MacDuff Mystery
Publisher: Velvet Room Publishing

"Shank" MacDuff embodies Southern California ease — a dashing blond Newport Beach surfer who makes good money working for a PGA golfer. Yet his world is shaken when friend and fellow caddy Buddy Franks dies dramatically. Buddy’s widow recruits Shank to discover what really happened.

The amateur sleuth draws upon his Caltech smarts and FBI Academy training to hunt for the killer. As he roams places like ocean-front La Jolla, colorful Las Vegas, and historic Del Mar race track digging for clues, challenging questions emerge: Are the unpredictable widow’s intentions pure? Which is more slippery, the tournament director or his gelled hair? Is Buddy’s mysterious past the cornerstone?

Amidst interviews and incriminations, Shank risks his life while struggling to fill the deep-rooted void that lies at the center of his heart.

  

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.

Numbers Never Lie by Shelly K. Wall is Today's Kindle Romantic Suspense Daily Deal

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Numbers Never Lie by Shelly K. Wall as today's Amazon Kindle Romantic Suspense Daily Deal.

The deal price of $0.99 is valid only for today, Monday, January 21, 2013.

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Numbers Never Lie
Shelly K. Wall
A Novel of Romantic Suspense
Crimson Romance

Sophie Henderson, manager of a software-development team, starts what appears to be a routine project at work. She ends up hiding from her staff, her friends, and the person who is trying to stop her from delving further into discrepancies in the accounting system.

Trevan Prater (AKA Trevor Adams) has been assigned to delve into an embezzlement scheme at a large government contractor. As an FBI investigator, he's used to working such cases. A chance encounter lands him front and center with Sophie, one of the lead suspects. Now he's not only investigating her, but also pretending to be the consultant from whom she needs help.

The more his team digs into the data she gives him, the guiltier she appears. Unfortunately, the longer he's with her, the more attracted he becomes.

Important Note: This book was listed at the price mentioned above 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.

Mystery Godoku Puzzle for January 21, 2013

A new Mystery Godoku Puzzle has been created by the editors of the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books and is now available on our website.

Godoku is similar to Sudoku, but uses letters instead of numbers. To give you a headstart, we provide you a mystery clue to fill in a complete row or column (if you choose to use it!).

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This week's letters and mystery clue:

E G H I L N O T V

In the title of a November 2012 mystery by Wessel Ebersohn, there are "those who" do this (9 letters).

We now have two weeks of our puzzles on one page in PDF format for easier printing. Print this week's puzzle here.

Previous puzzles are stored in the Mystery Godoku Archives.

Enjoy the weekly Mystery Godoku Puzzle from the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, and Thanks for visiting our website!

This Week's Amazon TV Deal of the Week: Mannix, the Complete Series

This week's Amazon TV Deal of the Week is the complete series Mannix.

• Mannix

Mike Connors stars as private investigator Joe Mannix in this CBS crime drama that aired for eight seasons, from 1967 through 1975.

Created by Richard Levinson and William Link (Columbo; Ellery Queen; Murder, She Wrote; and others) and developed by executive producer Bruce Geller (Mission: Impossible), Mannix started out during the first season as an operative for Intertect, a Los Angeles firm that used high-technology to solve crimes. Indeed, the working title of the series was Intertect before it premiered. The premise didn't click with viewers, and from the second season on Mannix was reshaped more in the mold of a typical PI, complete with his own secretary, Peggy Fair, a police officer's widow played by Gail Fisher, who won an Emmy for her performance in the role in 1970.

This week only, save 65% on Mannix: The Complete Series. Offer ends January 26th, 2013.

Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (130120)

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; as an alternative, you can click on the image to the right or use this link to see the relevant page on Amazon.com, which includes a list of both the Top 100 Paid and Top 100 Free Kindle Mysteries and Thrillers.

Rogue Justice by William Neal is Today's Fourth Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Rogue Justice by William Neal as today's fourth free mystery ebook (An Action Thriller; iTunes format only).

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.

For a summary of all of today's featured titles, plus any that may have appeared before and are repeat freebies, visit our Free MystereBooks page. This page is updated daily, typically by 8 AM ET.

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Rogue Justice
William Neal
An Action Thriller
Publisher: ePublishing Works!

Enigmatic billionaire Mitchell Chandler churns out obscene profits at his aquatic theme parks driven by the spectacular killer whale exhibits.

Then the orca at Chandler's Seattle Park dies. Now the animal rights activists have all the ammo they need to shut him down.

But Chandler has a plan: Blackmail commercial fisherman Zora Flynn into capturing a replacement whale — and use Zora's mother as bait.

Forced into the orca hunt, Zora encounters a never-before-seen species of killer whale — creatures of mind-bending size, speed, and intelligence.

As awe-struck scientists race to understand the whales' sudden appearance, Zora and Chandler come face-to-face with each other and the chilling truth: the mighty orcas have simply returned … to exact justice.

  

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.

Savage Cut by Jo Dereske is Today's Third Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Savage Cut by Jo Dereske as today's third free mystery ebook (A Ruby Crane Mystery; Kindle format only).

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.

For a summary of all of today's featured titles, plus any that may have appeared before and are repeat freebies, visit our Free MystereBooks page. This page is updated daily, typically by 8 AM ET.

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Savage Cut
Jo Dereske
A Ruby Crane Mystery
Publisher: June Creek Books

She was the prodigal daughter, returning to the Michigan hometown she'd fled in disgrace seventeen years before. But now Ruby Crane is back at her family's isolated lakeside cabin — alone except for her fourteen-year-old daughter, Jesse, who is recovering from a debilitating head injury.

Ruby's job as a forgery expert at a California detective agency is behind her now. Jesse's recovery is her priority … that and trying to ignore the rumors about her return.

  

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.

January Justice by Athol Dickson is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature January Justice by Athol Dickson as today's second free mystery ebook (The Malcolm Cutter Memoirs; Kindle format only).

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.

For a summary of all of today's featured titles, plus any that may have appeared before and are repeat freebies, visit our Free MystereBooks page. This page is updated daily, typically by 8 AM ET.

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January Justice
Athol Dickson
The Malcolm Cutter Memoirs
Publisher: Author Author

Reeling from his wife's unsolved murder, Malcolm Cutter is just going through the motions as a chauffeur and bodyguard for Hollywood's rich and famous. Then a pair of Guatemalan tough guys offer him a job. It's an open question whether they're patriotic revolutionaries or vicious terrorists. Either way, Cutter doesn't much care … until he gets a bomb through his window, a gangland beating on the streets of L.A., and three bullets in the chest.

Now there's another murder on Cutter's mind. His own.

  

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.

Winter Kill by Nancy Steedle is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Winter Kill by Nancy Steedle as today's free mystery ebook (A Donovan Burke Mystery; Kindle format only).

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.

For a summary of all of today's featured titles, plus any that may have appeared before and are repeat freebies, visit our Free MystereBooks page. This page is updated daily, typically by 8 AM ET.

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Winter Kill
Nancy Steedle
A Donovan Burke Mystery
Publisher: Nancy Steedle

The deaths of a priest, a psychologist, and a young woman, all apparently due to natural causes, puzzle Homicide Detective Donovan Burke. Were their deaths really due to natural causes, or something more sinister?

Discovering that a bell was found beside each of the bodies, Burke searches for a connection, a search that leads him to Kristi Nelson. Are the deaths, as they seem, merely coincidence? Burke doesn't think so, but if a clever killer is roaming the streets of Des Moines, is Kristi Nelson his next victim?

As the holidays come to a close and a New Year's Eve blizzard envelops the city, it's a race against time, but time is running out for Kristi. Fleeing for her life, she races through the city's skywalks, unaware that down on the streets, the police are in a race of their own — a race to avert another winter kill.

  

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.

Review: Cathedral Windows by Clare O'Donohue

A Mysterious Review of …

Cathedral Windows by Clare O'Donohue. A Nell Fitzgerald eBook Special Mystery.

Review summary: This longish short story (at just over 60 pages) weaves together a tale of how a community pulls together for one of its own with the spirit of the Christmas holiday … though the mystery plot itself is a little thin. Still, it is very enjoyable, a story appropriate for, and within the context of, the series itself. (Click here for text of full review.)

Our rating:

Cathedral Windows
Clare O'Donohue
A Nell Fitzgerald eBook Special Mystery
Plume (November 2012)

Publisher synopsis: Christmas is just around the corner in the Hudson Valley. Nell and her friends at the Someday Quilts shop should be making eggnog and finishing up the stitching on their last homemade gifts, but when an arsonist strikes and a beloved teacher becomes a suspect, the ladies rally behind him to clear his good name. Will they succeed in time for him to spend Christmas among loved ones or will this be a chilly winter for the town of Archers Rest?

      

Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (130119)

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; as an alternative, you can click on the image to the right or use this link to see the relevant page on Amazon.com, which includes a list of both the Top 100 Paid and Top 100 Free Kindle Mysteries and Thrillers.

MystereBooks: This Week's Update of Kindle Crime Fiction Priced $2.99 or Less (130119)

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!

No particularly noteworthy notes this week so so let's get to today's update!

Below are listed the new $2.99 or less titles we added either today or mentioned in separate posts earlier this week; 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.

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Three by Ted Dekker.

Showdown by Ted Dekker.

The Black Lyon by Jude Deveraux.

A Crack in Everything by Angela Gerst. A Susan Callisto Mystery (1st).

The Kill Clause by Gregg Hurwitz. A Tim Rackley Mystery (1st).

Deadly Search by Donna Welch Jones. A Sheriff Lexie Wolfe Mystery Novella.

Chain Thinking by Elliott Light. A Shep Harrington, Smalltown Mystery (2nd).

Comes a Horseman by Robert Liparulo.

Going Organic Can Kill You by Staci McLaughlin. A Dana Lewis, Blossom Valley Mystery (1st).

English Tea Murder by Leslie Meier. A Lucy Stone Mystery (17th).

Honeymoon For One by Beth Orsoff. A Novel of Romance and Internation Intrigue.

House by Frank Peretti.

The Black Monastery by Stav Sherez. A Novel of Suspense.

Blindsighted by Karin Slaughter. A Grant County Mystery (1st).

Kisscut by Karin Slaughter. A Grant County Mystery (2nd).

A Faint Cold Fear by Karin Slaughter. A Grant County Mystery (3rd).

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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.