Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (130125)

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.

Review: Orders from Berlin by Simon Tolkien

A Mysterious Review of …

Orders from Berlin by Simon Tolkien. A William Trave Mystery.

Review summary: This is a stirring historical crime novel, combining known facts surrounding the events of September 1940 with a fictional murder investigation in London. Though the whodunit mystery at the core of this tale is a little weak, the overall story is a thrilling one. (Click here for text of full review.)

Our rating:

Orders from Berlin
Simon Tolkien
A William Trave Mystery
Minotaur Books (December 2012)

Publisher synopsis: It's September of 1940. France has fallen and London is being bombed day and night. Almost single-handedly Winston Churchill maintains the country's morale. Britain's fate hangs in the balance and the intelligence agencies on both sides of the Channel are desperate for anything that could give them the edge.

Albert Morrison, ex-chief of MI6, is pushed over the banister outside his London apartment. He falls to his death at the feet of his daughter, Ava, but it is too dark for her to see the attacker before he escapes. Two Scotland Yard detectives attend the crime scene: Inspector Quaid and his junior assistant, Detective Trave. Quaid is convinced that this is a simple open-and-shut case involving a family dispute. But Trave is not so sure. Following a mysterious note in the dead man's pocket, Trave discovers that Morrison was visited by Alec Thorn, deputy head of MI6, on the day of his death. Could Thorn — who is clearly carrying a flame for Morrison's daughter — be involved in a plot to betray his country that Morrison tried to halt, and if so, can Trave stop it in time?

      

New Hardcover Mysteries for February 2013

The Hidden Staircase Mystery Books has updated its list of new hardcover mysteries with books scheduled for publication in February 2013. Please note that some titles may publish early, and may already be available, and some may be delayed, published at a later date.

Below we're listing those authors with returning series characters, new series characters, and non-series or stand-alone mysteries in separate sections. All titles are available on our February new mystery books page, which will become the default home page for the site on February 1st.

• Authors with mysteries featuring returning series characters (in italics) this month:

Julianna Baggott (Pure Trilogy, 2nd) •  Alex Berenson(John Wells, 7th) •  Parker Bilal(Makana, 2nd) •  Lawrence Block(Keller, 5th) •  Frances Brody(Kate Shackleton, 2nd) •  Colin Cotterill(Dr. Siri Paiboun, 9th) •  Deborah Crombie(Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James, 15th) •  Joanne Fluke(Hannah Swensen, 16th) •  Leighton Gage(Mario Silva, 6th) •  Sara J. Henry(Troy Chance, 2nd) •  Lisa Jackson and Nancy Bush("Wicked" Series, 3rd) •  J. A. Jance(Ali Reynolds, 8th) •  Paul Johnston(Alex Mavros, 5th) •  Chris Morgan Jones(Benjamin Webster, 2nd) •  Jonathan Kellerman(Alex Delaware, 28th) •  Deryn Lake(Nick Lawrence, 2nd) •  Don Mann and Ralph Pezzullo ("SEAL Team Six", 2nd) •  Keith McCafferty(Martha Ettinger and Sean Stranahan, 2nd) •  Denise Mina(Alex Morrow, 3rd) •  James Patterson(Alex Cross, 20th) •  Barbara Corrado Pope(Bernard Martin, 3rd) •  Frederick Ramsay(Jerusalem Mysteries, 2nd) •  J. D. Robb(Eve Dallas, 36th) •  Yrsa Sigurdardottir(Thóra Gudmundsdóttir, 4th) •  Dana Stabenow(Kate Shugak, 20th) •  Jeffrey S. Stephens(Jordan Sandor, 3rd) •  P. G. Sturges(Dick Henry, 3rd) •  Peter Tonkin (Richard Mariner, 26th) •  Helene Tursten(Irene Huss, 5th) •  Merla Zellerbach(Hallie Marsh, 4th)

• Authors with mysteries introducing characters in a new series (in italics) this month:

Dawn Clark(The Secret Keeper Series) •  Kate Rhodes(Alice Quentin) •  Chris Simms(Iona Khan) •  Lachlan Smith(Leo Maxwell) •  Triss Stein(Erica Donato) •  Burt Weissbourd(Corey Logan Trilogy)

• Authors with non-series or stand-alone mysteries this month:

Mark Alpert •  Tania Carver •  Christopher R. Cox •  John Dean •  Stephen Dobyns •  Lisa Gardner •  Kerry Greenwood •  A. M. D. Hays •  Roger Hobbs •  Holly Goddard Jones •  Merry Jones •  Erin Kelly •  Herman Koch •  Robert S. Levinson •  Jamie Mason •  Edith McClintock •  Erica Obey •  Jodi Picoult •  Karen Pullen •  David Rosenfelt •  Michael Savage •  Guy Saville •  Gerald Seymour •  Stephen Solomita •  Stephan Talty

For more information on any of these titles, please visit the February new mysteries page on our website. If you're interested in new paperbacks, visit The Mystery Bookshelf where you can discover a library of new mystery, suspense and thriller books, also updated with February 2013 releases.

Please visit the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books where we are committed to providing readers and collectors of mystery books with the best and most current information about their favorite authors, titles, and series.

Trouble Is Her Business by V. Alexander is Today's Third Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Trouble Is Her Business by V. Alexander as today's third free mystery ebook (A Kate Drasher 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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Trouble Is Her Business
V. Alexander
A Kate Drasher Mystery
Publisher: Twisted Sister Suspense

While pursuing a thief who has stolen $10,000 in dowry money, Kate Drasher, the black sheep of a wealthy Boston family, unwittingly becomes entangled in the affairs of a Memphis society maven who is at war with her four children.

Wanted for shoving Dorothy Schroeder from her balcony at the Rhapsody Hotel, Kate must navigate the treacherous channels of another woman's life if she is to outmaneuver an infamous machine boss and solve two murders.

Among the suspects … a devious woman called Vivian, Kate's estranged husband who's also a swindler, a Beale Street crime lord, and a host of eccentric villains who are rising quickly through the ranks of the Memphis underworld.

  

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 Storm Killer by Mike Jastrzebski is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Storm Killer by Mike Jastrzebski as today's second free mystery ebook (A Historical Thriller; 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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The Storm Killer
Mike Jastrzebski
A Historical Thriller
Publisher: CreateSpace

Time: 1935. Place: New York City. Crime beat reporter Jim Locke gets sucked into a quagmire of death, deceit, and danger when his actress sister is murdered — and he becomes the prime suspect.

When he uncovers a pattern of similar murders, he is convinced that a serial killer is on the loose. But the police aren't buying it, and it's up to Jim to stop the madman.

The hunt takes him from the grimy streets and smoke-filled bars of Manhattan to deceptively laid-back Key West, just as a killer storm bears down on the island.

  

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.

Luna Sea by Kim Roberts is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Luna Sea by Kim Roberts as today's free mystery ebook (An Aloha Jones 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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Luna Sea
Kim Roberts
An Aloha Jones Mystery
Publisher: Westport Winery

While surfing off Maui, Hawaii's famed Valley Isle, the new Lahaina harbormaster Aloha Jones finds herself in dangerous seas. What Jones initially thought was going to be the rescue of a snorkeler hit by a catamaran turns out to be the recovery of the body of water taxi owner and harbor troublemaker Dan Colley.

Her Coast Guard law enforcement background makes her question if the death a tragic accident or a premeditated murder. Aloha's boss with the Hawaii State Harbors Division, Max Yake, and his sidekick, Marine Enforcement Officer Gil Mangas, conclude it's an accident. Investigators Officer Awiwi Lono's and Detective Ho Killingsworth's questions reveal something else, while reporter Brita Beamer from the local newspaper is less than forthcoming on what she knows.

In the process Aloha finds no lack of suspects — not to mention a whole raft of motives — as she gets to know Colley's crazy girlfriend Zhen Blue and her daughter, Momi; former lead singer of the band Deaf Lesbians, Koni Ke, who looks like an Amish Rastafarian; Aloha's ex-husband Snake; and a street person who resembles a cross between a Shar-pei and a supermodel. Possible motives behind the murder range from money to love to race. As Aloha wades through information to find the truth, in the ocean and on the beach, she faces real threats from sharks of all type.

  

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 Cowboy and the Vampire by Clark Hays and Kathleen McFall is Today's Kindle Daily Deal

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Cowboy and the Vampire by Clark Hays and Kathleen McFall as today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal.

The deal price of $1.99 is valid only for today, Friday, January 25, 2013.

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The Cowboy and the Vampire
Clark Hays and Kathleen McFall
A Darkly Romantic Mystery
Midnight Ink

Reporter Lizzie Vaughan doesn't realize it, but she has 2,000 years of royal Vampiric blood coursing through her veins. Neither she nor Tucker, her cowboy lover, has any idea that Julius, the leader of the undead, has a diabolical plan to reign over darkness for all eternity — with Lizzie at his side.

Lizzie battles for her life — and her soul — as she and Tucker find themselves caught up in a vampire war, pursued by hordes of Julius' maniacal, bloodthirsty followers.

Who will be left standing when the sun rises?

Read our review of The Cowboy and the Vampire by Clark Hays and Kathleen McFall.

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 Bestsellers for the Week Ending January 25, 2013

A list of the top 15 Mystery Hardcover Bestsellers for the week ending January 25th, 2013 has been posted by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books.

Lots of movement this week … except at the top, where Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn retains the top spot on our list again. Two new books enter the list this week (positions in brackets).

[5]: Suspect
Robert Crais

LAPD cop Scott James is not doing so well. Eight months ago, a shocking nighttime assault by unidentified men killed his partner Stephanie, nearly killed him, and left him enraged, ashamed, and ready to explode. He is unfit for duty — until he meets his new partner.

Maggie is not doing so well, either. A German shepherd who survived three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan sniffing explosives before losing her handler to an IED, her PTSD is as bad as Scott's.

They are each other's last chance. Shunned and shunted to the side, they set out to investigate the one case that no one wants them to touch: the identity of the men who murdered Stephanie. What they begin to find is nothing like what Scott has been told, and the journey will take them both through the darkest moments of their own personal hells. Whether they will make it out again, no one can say.

            

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[9]: Private Berlin
James Patterson and Mark Sullivan

Jack Morgan, Private (5th)

Chris Schneider is a superstar agent at Private Berlin, Germany headquarters for the world's most powerful investigation firm. He keeps his methods secret as he tackles Private's most high-profile cases-and when Chris suddenly disappears, he becomes Private Berlin's most dangerous investigation yet.

Mattie Engel is another top agent at Private Berlin, gorgeous and ruthlessly determined-and she's also Chris's ex. Mattie throws herself headfirst into finding Chris, following leads to the three people Chris was investigating when he vanished: a billionaire suspected of cheating on his wife, a soccer star accused of throwing games, and a nightclub owner with ties to the Russian mob. Any one of them would surely want Chris gone-and one of them is evil enough to want him dead.

Mattie's chase takes her into Berlin's most guarded, hidden, and treacherous places, revealing secrets from Chris's past that she'd never dreamed of in the time they were lovers. On the brink of a terrifying discovery, Mattie holds on to her belief in Chris — in the face of a horror that could force all of Europe to the edge of destruction and chaos.

            

Nominees for the 2013 Lovey Awards Announced

The nominees for the 2013 Lovey Awards have been anounced by the organizers of the Love Is Murder Mystery Conference. The winners will be chosen by the conference attendees.

Love Is Murder XIV will be held from February 1st through the 3rd at the InterContinental Chicago O'Hare.

The nominees are …

Best First Novel:
• Courting Murder by Bill Hopkins
• Souljourner by Dody Marriott
• Perfidy by M. E. May
• In Her Shadow by August McLaughlin

Best Traditional/Amateur Sleuth:
• Where Did You Die by Patricia K. Batta
• The Trashy Gourmet by David Ciambrone
• A Small Hill To Die On by Elizabeth Duncan
• The Lightkeeper's Legacy by Kathleen Ernst
• Dabllers by Kathryn Flatt
• Tears of the Jaguar by A. J. Hartley
• The Lost Artist by Gail Lukasik
• Emma Winberry and the Evil Eye by Helen Osterman
• Murder In the Round by Patricia Rockwell
• Cross Currents by Powell Smily

Best PI/Police Procedural:
• The Sons of Jude by Brandt Dodson
• Portrait of Murder by Rob Riley

Best Thriller:
• The Black Stiletto: Black & White by Raymond Benson
• Hitman: Damnation by Raymond Benson
• The Ninth Day by Jamie Freveletti
• Company Orders by David J. Walker

Best Paranormal/Sci-Fi:
• Last Wool and Testament by Molly MacRae
• When the Moon Is Gibbous & Waxing by Angela Parson Myers
• Walk-In by Honora Finkelstein and Susan Smily

Best Suspense:
• A Bitter Veil by Libby Fischer Hellmann
• Moonlight For Maggie by Karen l. Syed

Best Historical:
• Archie Meets Nero Wolfe by Robert Goldsborough
• Macbeth by A. J. Hartley and David Hewson
• Death at Woods Hole by Frances McNamara
• The Bootlegger's Nephew by Sarah Wisseman

Best Series:
• Get Fluffy (Pampered Pets) by Sparkle Abbey
• Thy Will Be Done (Lord's Prayer) by Richard Davidson
• The Janus Reprisal (Covert One) by Jamie Freveletti
• Killerfind (Rhetta McCarter) by Sharon Woods Hopkins
• Tricksters Point (Cork O'Connor) by William Kent Krueger
• The Watch (A. J. Garrison) by Jerry Peterson
• Secret Hollows (Mary O'Reilly) by Terri Reid

Best Short Story:
• "Harry's Fall From Grace" (A Prequel To The Grace Marsden Series) by Luisa Buehler
• "The Love Nest" (The Legend of Judgment Rock and Other Mystery Stories) by Sharon Love Cook
• "Capital Partners" (Writes of Spring) by Libby Fischer Hellmann
• "Early Christmas" (A James Early Christmas and Other Stories of the Season) by Jerry Peterson
• "The Case of the Extra Ingredient" (Hot Crime, Cool Chicks) by Mary Welk

(Hat tip to Mystery Fanfare for alerting us to this list.)

Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (130124)

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.

Mr. E. Reviews The Bourne Legacy

Purchase/Rental Option(s)

I thought the screenplay of this action thriller did a fine job of creating a new universe for Aaron Cross all the while maintaining a connection to the Bourne universe. The direction is crisp and the actors all turn in credible performances. The ending keeps the door open for a sequel, should the producers decide to film one; I hope they do.

Read the full text of our review at Mr. E. Reviews The Bourne Legacy.

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Mr. E. Reviews is your source for mystery, suspense, thriller, and crime drama reviews of television and film.

A Conversation with Mystery Author Mignon Ballard

with Mignon Ballard

We are delighted to welcome mystery author Mignon Ballard to Omnimystery News today.

Mignon's new mystery is Miss Dimple Suspects (Minotaur Books, January 2013 hardcover and ebook formats), the third in this historical series featuring the Georgia grade school teacher.

We recently had a chance to talk to the author about her books.

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Omnimystery News: You've written both stand-alone and series mysteries, with your most recent books being part of a series. What about series characters appeals to you?

Photo provided courtesy of
Mignon Ballard

Mignon Ballard: I enjoy inviting my readers into a setting and hope that once there, they will make themselves at home by becoming acquainted with the people and surroundings. Miss Dimple has evolved since I first introduced her, as have many of her friends and I have come to know them better along with my readers. Dimple Kilpatrick was still very young when her mother died and she had to assume the responsibility of helping to raise her little brother on the family farm. The more I learn about her, the more I respect and admire her strength and courage, her wit and wisdom as she continues to grow and change.

OMN: The third book in the "Miss Dimple" series has just been published. Tell us something about the book that isn't in the publisher's synopsis.

MB: I think the close relationship between friends and the community they live in take center stage almost as much as the mystery in the Miss Dimple books, as it did in the Augusta Goodnight series before them. With a few exceptions my characters care deeply about each other as I hope my readers will come to care about them. It sometimes shocks even me, as the author, to find that someone I have come to know and trust would take another's life. Surely it couldn't be so-and-so! I never believed it possible! (But of course it is because a mystery leads us off the beaten path.)

OMN: Do you have a personal connection with the setting and time frame — Georgia and World War II, respectively — for this series?

MB: I'm not so much in my books as are the time and place I was raised and the people who populated my world. I have borrowed from that a bit — not as much for my characters, but how they react to one another, especially in dialogue, the expressions they use, and especially in the use of humor.

OMN: Tell us how you go about developing a storyline for a book.

MB: I usually write a detailed synopsis but often wander from it. I begin with a loose idea and expand as the plot develops. Beginning a mystery is a little like starting off on a winding path. It takes you uphill and down, through shadow and sunlight, sometimes coming alarmingly close to danger. If I knew exactly what was going to happen around every turn, it would take the excitement from it.

OMN: Is Miss Dimple's hometown a real place in Georgia?

MB: No. The series is set in fictional Elderberry, Georgia, during the war years of the 1940s. I grew up in a small town in North Georgia during that time, but because some of my characters work several days a week at a munitions plant that was actually in Milledgeville, Georgia, I "picked up" the town and placed it a little south of Atlanta. The grammar school, the library, even the boarding house where some of the teacher live are much like I remember them from those times. The clanging of the school bell; the way a sidewalk juts out in a certain place, the slant of a shadow across the floor; the smell of cornbread baked in a cast iron skillet hot from the oven are things that are ingrained in my memory, and I treasure every one.

OMN: What are your hobbies or interests outside of writing crime fiction? Do any of these activities find their way into your books?

MB: You can look at me and tell I like to eat, and so do my characters. I especially enjoy baking, and when the people at Phoebe Chadwick's boarding house sit down for a meal I want to know what they're eating. Sometimes I even tell how it's prepared. My characters enjoy fried chicken, turnip greens with chow-chow, and fresh corn and tomatoes from their Victory gardens. And even though sugar is rationed in wartime, they usually have enough on hand for gingerbread or pecan pie on special occasions.

I've also been active (mostly behind the scenes) in our community theatre and once in a while, such as in "Miss Dimple Rallies to the Cause", an amateur production will find its way into the plot.

Also walking has always brought me great pleasure, and although I don't follow Miss Dimple's example of walking at the crack of dawn, I do enjoy hiking, especially on a wooded trail, and it's even more fun to walk with friends, although my husband claims our mouths move twice as fast as our feet!

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A native of Calhoun, Georgia, Mignon Ballard received her degree in journalism from the University of Georgia. She lives with her husband, Gene, in Fort Mill, South Carolina, where she enjoys spending time with friends and family, as well as walking, baking, and bridge, and is active in her church and community theater. She and her husband have two grown daughters and five grandchildren. Mignon taught for several years as an approved artist with the Artist-in-the-Schools Project in the state and when time permits, enjoys visiting classrooms and speaking to interested groups in the area.

To learn more about the author and her books, visit her website at MignonBallard.com.

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Miss Dimple Suspects
Mignon Ballard
A Miss Dimple Mystery (3rd in series)
Publisher: Minotaur Books

With the country in the midst of World War II, you can be sure the small town of Elderberry, Georgia, will pull together to find a missing child. And you can be equally certain that first-grade teacher, Miss Dimple Kilpatrick, will be in the search party — especially since Peggy Ashcroft is one of her students. Miss Dimple carves out a search path all her own and once again, the sharp-as-a-tack teacher is right on point. But she finds Peggy too sick to walk and it's too dark for Miss Dimple to find her way back.

Luckily, she comes upon the home of an elderly artist, Mae Martha, and her young companion, Suzy, who helps ensure that Peggy returns home safe and sound. A few days later, however, Miss Dimple receives a frantic call from Suzy: Mae Martha has been murdered and Suzy is seen as the most likely suspect, because her family is Japanese. Miss Dimple and her fellow teachers Annie and Charlie don't buy it; and set out to prove Suzy's innocence, only to discover danger where they least expect it.