Bloody Scotland's Short Story Competition for 2014 is now open.
This year the theme is "Escape". Writers may interpret the theme in any way but the stories must be crime-related. Entries are accepted from anywhere in the world, but must be written in English.
The winner will receive a £1000 prize, a weekend pass to the 2014 festival and a bottle of Deanston whisky, during a prize-giving event at the festival. Bloody Scotland 2014 takes place from September 19th through 21st in Stirling.
In addition, two runners up will receive a bottle of Deanston whisky and a selection of tickets for events at Bloody Scotland 2014.
The winning entry will be published as an ebook short by Bloody Scotland.
For more information about entering, visit the competition page on BloodyScotland.com.
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Bloody Scotland's Short Story Competition for 2014 is Now Open
A Conversation with Mystery Author Nicola Furlong
with Nicola Furlong
We are delighted to welcome author Nicola Furlong to Omnimystery News today.
Nicola's newly reissued murder mystery, Teed Off! (Oak Tree Press; January 2014 trade paperback and ebook formats) features golfer and part-time coroner Riley Quinn in a complex and engrossing murder mystery and a complicated and poignant family dynamic while also providing a fascinating glimpse into professional golf.
We recently had the opportunity to talk with Nicola about her books.
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Omnimystery News: Teed Off! was first published in 1996. Tell us a little more about the books you've written since then, and how you decide whether they are stand-alones or part of a series.
Photo provided courtesy of
Nicola Furlong
Nicola Furlong: This is a great question, one that I've often pondered. In the mid-nineties, I wanted to write a murder mystery series starring a professional sportswoman for two reasons. One, I've devoured whodunits ever since my English father introduced me to the old green Penguin paperbacks. Two, growing up sports crazy in the sixties and seventies I lacked role models. I was game to change that, if only in fiction.
At the time, women were paid athletes in tennis and golf. Didn't take more than a wink to recognize that eighteen holes offers terrific locations for dastardly deeds. Why, even Dame Agatha plotted a murder on the links. When I discovered British Columbia allowed part-time, non-medically trained coroners, my club pro Riley Quinn swung into view in Teed Off!
I had ideas, plots and themes ready for a sequel, but something happened.
I heard about a local child committing suicide by hanging, and that image scorched into my brain, tearing my thoughts from the expansive, manicured greens, down into the messy, claustrophobic bleakness of shame. Months later, my dark suspense thriller, A Hemorrhaging of Souls, starring a soft-hearted cop and a haunted psychologist, was published.
I had notes and topics for a follow-up mystery novel, when — you guessed it — another image caught my fancy. Within hours, I was plotting a supernatural thriller, headlined by a rock star stigmatic, and Unnatural States took over my writing stage.
A couple of years later, I lucked into a divine gig writing six light-hearted mystery novels, part of Guideposts' "Church Choir Mysteries" series, and broke the sequel curse. Now that I've got the hang of it, I'm pruning the second novel in my new inspirational women's fiction series (Sisterhood of Shepherds).
Bottom line: I wish I had written the sequels for my first and second mysteries. I really enjoy the characters and looked forward to rejoining their appealing lives. If I had, however, it's possible my singing sensation John the Apostle and my spiritual gardener Charly Shepherd wouldn't have blossomed. So, guess I'll just keep zigzagging along.
OMN: Describe your writing process.
NF: Though I love surprises and unexpected twists and turns, I'm a very practical writer. I find to successfully meet the rigours within the mystery genre, it pays to follow a theme, to think the main plot scenes through and to fashion the clues and red herrings before the first draft.
Once I've nailed that, the secondary themes and plots evolve as I attempt to reinforce, echo or counter my main through-line. It's easy to become distracted or swayed to follow another plot or character, which may or may not improve the story, so I prefer doing this while germinating ideas rather than when actually writing. I know basic bits about my characters before the first draft, but I enjoy learning more as they come alive at my fingertips.
OMN: What are some of your hobbies or outside interests? And have any of these found their way into your books?
NF: I'm very athletic and love digging in the dirt so it's not surprising that my first sleuth Riley Quinn is a professional athlete, that my first cop Sergeant Patrick Painter is a gardening buff, and that my latest lead character Charly Shepherd owns a plant nursery. My best ideas spring to life while I'm on my own wheeling round my seaside peninsula or deadheading in my cottage garden. Both sports and gardening offer themes, expressions and histories that add layers and complexities to my stories, allowing me to dig deeper and broaden the psychological makeup of my characters.
OMN: What is the best advice — and harshest criticism — you've received as an author? And what might you tell aspiring writers?
NF: Best advice received: keep reading and studying other authors, and not just those in your field. Harshest criticism: ridiculed in 2009 for combining audio and visual interactive elements to my online thriller Unnatural States. Best advice for aspiring authors: find and heed the advice of a knowledgeable, professional editor, and don't give up.
OMN: Tell us how Teed Off! came to be titled.
NF: The title, which came early in the writing, fits my story like a glove, given that the novel has a golf backdrop, as a fiction title at the time, it was unique, the expression itself is short and evocative, and most importantly, the phrase represented the attitude of my lead character Riley Quinn. She is angry, having experienced an injury that ended her stint on the professional women's tour, tormented by her older sister's continued Hall of Fame golf career, and struggling to adapt to life as a lowly club pro in her hometown. Thank heavens for her new part-time job as a coroner. It offers her a striking new career and fulfills her needs for competition and order.
OMN: You've adapted two of your books into screenplays. What was that process like?
NF: I've adapted both of my murder mysteries, Teed Off! and A Hemorrhaging of Souls, to screenplays. The process was extremely interesting, the page format challenging, and my dialogue and pacing skills improved. I adapted Teed Off! first, which was tricky as the story is told through the eyes of my coroner/golfer. First person narrative offers tremendous advantages in books, allowing the writer and reader to be inside the character's head and to closely experience her life. It is, however, problematic in a screenplay, unless you use the old crutch of character voiceover. I didn't want to, so spent much time reshaping the story line to offer other viewpoints.
Given that screenplays are generally no more than 100 pages, each containing few words, I learned to focus on the main plotline, reduce or combine characters, and reimagine each scene. Understanding that a screenplay is merely the movie's skeleton is humbling. Less is more, which can be an eye opener if your writing tends toward narrative or interior monologues. Unfortunately, despite being optioned, there are no movies yet. Bummer!
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Nicola Furlong pens mystery and inspirational novels, creates interactive books for the iPad, podcasts about genre writing ("The Novel Experience"), and teaches electronic publishing, when she's not playing Old-Timer's hockey, growing blossoms and bamboo or eating chocolate fudge. She has also written a gardening guide for the West Coast and has adapted two of her novels to screenplays; both were optioned for television.
The co-creator of Quillr®, a multimedia storytelling platform, Nicola gardens in a small town on southern Vancouver Island, BC.
For more information about the author, please visit her website at NicolaFurlong.com or find her on Facebook and Pinterest.
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Teed Off!
Nicola Furlong
A Riley Quinn Mystery
When coroner Riley Quinn tees off an investigation into the suspicious death of her boss and brother-in-law, she finds herself sand-wedged by a villainous environmental group, a mysterious Japanese consortium and her estranged sister.
In order to catch a cunning and ruthless murderer, Riley must face a nasty past she thought dead and buried.
The chocoholic club pro quickly discovers that not all bad lies are on the golf course; unfortunately, sometimes they’re much closer to home.
A Danger to Himself and Others by J. E. Fishman is Today's Fifth Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature A Danger to Himself and Others by J. E. Fishman as today's fifth free mystery ebook (A Bomb Squad NYC Novel; Kindle format only).
This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, April 24, 2014 at 7:30 AM ET. 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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A Danger to Himself and Others
J. E. Fishman
A Bomb Squad NYC Novel
Publisher: Verbitrage
Bomb Squad Detective Manuel Diaz exists in a troubled state. A former Army bomb tech, he misses the adrenaline rush of combat and feels little if any love from his partner, Sergeant Sandy Kahn. When he brings home the pressures of his job, it causes fights with his beautiful roommate, Jennifer. And, as if that weren't enough, he also harbors a torturous secret.
When one disabled army veteran blows himself up in front of an Armed Forces Recruiting Station in Times Square and another blows himself up in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, all of Diaz's worries become magnified. More than anything else, Manny wants to prove these incidents aren't suicides. But is he right? If not suicides, what's going on here? Can he solve the cases without revisiting all of the things that haunt him from combat? Can he solve them without driving himself insane?
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.
Borderliners by Kirsten Arcadio is Today's Fourth Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature Borderliners by Kirsten Arcadio as today's fourth free mystery ebook (An Occult Thriller; Kindle format only).
This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, April 24, 2014 at 7:15 AM ET. 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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Borderliners
Kirsten Arcadio
An Occult Thriller
Publisher:
When she moves to a village in the English heartland to set up a new psychotherapy practice, Dr Elena Lewis notices strange patterns of behaviour among the villagers. After a young woman is found dead, Elena is left in possession of a diary. What she reads there leads her to the door of her Julia, the leader of a group known locally as the Charismatic Community.
As she investigates further, Elena meets a curious visitor to the village. He has a message for her, but in order to decipher it, she look beneath the surface and trust in her abilities to see what others cannot.
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.
30 Days by K. Larsen is Today's Third Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature 30 Days by K. Larsen as today's third free mystery ebook (A Suspense Thriller; Kindle format only).
This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, April 24, 2014 at 7:00 AM ET. 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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30 Days
K. Larsen
A Suspense Thriller
Publisher: Writer's Edge Publishing
Abused by her husband. Dealing with the loss of her only sister. A suicide attempt that doesn't end in death and a husband who wants her inheritance. Elle's life is a catastrophe. But she has a list and thirty things she's determined to accomplish. Love isn't on that list but it comes crashing unexpectedly into her life.
Ryan's current lifestyle requires a lot of funds, he likes his toys. He married his wife knowing she had a hefty inheritance and is bent on securing it for himself by any means possible.
Boxing coach and personal trainer at the gym he co-owns, Colin's content with his life. Until a chance meeting with a woman eating alone at a restaurant sets his heart in motion. As secrets unveil themselves his only goal becomes holding on to what he's found.
Dr. Rand is floundering in the wake of his wife leaving him. His alimony payments are forcing him towards bankruptcy at an alarming rate. When he's offered a large lump sum that would solve his problems, he takes it, condemning an innocent woman to a life of misery.
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.
Something Yellow by Laura Templeton is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature Something Yellow by Laura Templeton as today's second free mystery ebook (A Novel of Suspense; Kindle format only).
This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, April 24, 2014 at 6:45 AM ET. 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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Something Yellow
Laura Templeton
A Novel of Suspense
Publisher: Cup of Tea Books
Thirteen years ago, Holly's nine-year-old sister, Rachel, disappeared without a trace. Thirteen years ago, Holly left her hometown. Thirteen years ago, Holly's first love and high school boyfriend, Houston, was the only suspect. Now, another girl has disappeared. Holly is back, and so is Houston — never charged and still proclaiming his innocence. Can she trust him? Should she trust him?
When out-of-work banking executive Holly McCann moves to the rural mountain town of White Cove, Virginia to care for her dying mother, the past collides with the present. A violent crime against her nine-year-old neighbor evokes memories of the eerily similar disappearance of her sister thirteen years earlier. Holly is thrilled by the arrival of her estranged brother, Oliver, but concerned by his mysterious behavior. She is befriended by the new minister, Jonah, an outsider haunted by his own painful past, but it is Houston Phelps, the only person arrested for the disappearance of her sister, who forces Holly to confront the past and start living in the present.
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.
Quiet the Dead by Morgan James is Today's Featured Free MystereBook
MystereBooks is pleased to feature Quiet the Dead by Morgan James as today's free mystery ebook (A Promise McNeal Mystery; Kindle format only).
This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, April 24, 2014 at 6:30 AM ET. 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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Quiet the Dead
Morgan James
A Promise McNeal Mystery
Publisher: Morgan James
Atlanta psychologist Promise McNeal is second guessing her decision to leave her beloved city for a new life as a country store owner in the North Carolina Mountains.
As Promise considers her options, a restless soul reaches out to her in a dream of a hanged woman. And an offer of a temporary, yet lucrative, consulting job sends her back to Atlanta into the mystery of an unsolved murder, and secrets from World War II, Nazi-occupied, Paris.
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.
Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry is Today's Kobo Daily Deal
MystereBooks is pleased to feature Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry as today's Kobo Daily Deal.
The deal price of $2.99 is valid only for today, Thursday, April 24, 2014.
Note: The price has been matched by Amazon.com for today only.
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Patient Zero
Jonathan Maberry
A Joe Ledger Mystery
St. Martin's Griffin
When you have to kill the same terrorist twice in one week there's either something wrong with your world or something wrong with your skills … and there's nothing wrong with Joe Ledger's skills. And that's both a good, and a bad thing.
It's good because he's a Baltimore detective that has just been secretly recruited by the government to lead a new taskforce created to deal with the problems that Homeland Security can't handle. This rapid response group is called the Department of Military Sciences or the DMS for short.
It's bad because his first mission is to help stop a group of terrorists from releasing a dreadful bio-weapon that can turn ordinary people into zombies. The fate of the world hangs in the balance …
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.
Sherlock: The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle is Today's Nook Daily Find
MystereBooks is pleased to feature Sherlock: The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle as today's Nook Daily Find.
The deal price of $2.99 is valid only for today, Thursday, April 24, 2014.
Note: The price has been matched by Amazon.com for today only.
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Sherlock: The Return of Sherlock Holmes
Arthur Conan Doyle
A Short Story Collection
This edition of the classic collection of stories, with an introduction by Sherlock creator Mark Gatiss, allows fans to discover the power of those original adventures.
After his deadly plunge over Reichenbach Falls, Sherlock Holmes seemed gone forever — but, as mysteriously as he left, he returns three years later. Now, reunited with Watson, a host of thrilling new adventures through London's underworld awaits, battling thieves, kidnappers and killers alike. But Holmes is about to meet his most despised villain yet: the dastardly Charles Augustus Milverton.
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.
Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight is Today's Kindle Daily Deal
MystereBooks is pleased to feature Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight as today's Kindle Daily Deal.
The deal price of $1.99 is valid only for today, Thursday, April 24, 2014.
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Reconstructing Amelia
Kimberly McCreight
A Novel of Suspense
Harper
Kate is in the middle of the biggest meeting of her career when she gets the telephone call from Grace Hall, her daughter's exclusive private school in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Amelia has been suspended, effective immediately, and Kate must come get her daughter — now. But Kate's stress over leaving work quickly turns to panic when she arrives at the school and finds it surrounded by police officers, fire trucks, and an ambulance. By then it's already too late for Amelia. And for Kate.
An academic overachiever despondent over getting caught cheating has jumped to her death. At least that's the story Grace Hall tells Kate. And clouded as she is by her guilt and grief, it is the one she forces herself to believe. Until she gets an anonymous text: She didn't jump.
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.
Today's Mystery and Suspense Update from Big Fish Games (140425)
Here is today's mystery and suspense update from Big Fish Games …
• The New Release is Grim Facade: A Wealth of Betrayal (Collector's Edition).
• The current Catch of the Week is Mystery of the Ancients: Curse of the Black Water, just $2.99 through Sunday, April 28, 2014 only.
Visit the Omnimystery Entertainment Network for more games of mystery and suspense!
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The New Release today is Grim Facade: A Wealth of Betrayal (Collector's Edition)
You've been hired for your most difficult case — stopping the fearsome figure of a headless knight, bent on terrorizing the city. The sweet Rosa Ramirez is said to have stolen his sword in order to unleash his angry spirit — but could there be something more mysterious happening in this beautiful Spanish village? Follow the clues that lead to Rosa's disappearance — and discover the dark secret behind the infamous Fire Knight … before it's too late!
A sample version is available to download and play for free for one hour.
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The current Catch of the Week is Mystery of the Ancients: Curse of the Black Water
You travel to the remote island town of Black Water, investigating the mysterious disappearance of two archaeologists when you encounter a mythical monster straight from the ancient myths of Poseidon! What cursed secrets have these archaeologists unearthed beneath the town? Now it's up to you to save the world from falling into a curse of eternal darkness! Uncover the truth lurking deep below the island's darkening waters.
A sample version is available to download and play for free for one hour. You can purchase this game at the special price of $2.99 through Sunday, April 28, 2014.
Also available for this game:
- Get the Strategy Guide.
- Check out the Blog Walkthrough.
- For a more in-depth experience, see the Collector's Edition.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Review: Death Spiral by Janie Chodosh
A Mysterious Review of Death Spiral by Janie Chodosh. A Faith Flores Mystery.
Review summary: This young adult mystery is an excellent introduction to this series, and the central character is the principal reason why. She's independent and has resolve, but she also has all the insecurities that most 16-year-olds have. Also quite impressive is her supporting cast. First-rate in nearly every respect, this series debut title is highly recommended. (Click here for text of full review.)
Our rating:
Death Spiral
Janie Chodosh
A Faith Flores Mystery
The Poisoned Pencil (April 2014)
Publisher synopsis: When loner Faith Flores finds her mother dead of an apparent overdose, she refuses to believe that's the case. Sure, her mom made some bad decisions, but leaving her daughter would never be one of them. Unfortunately, the cops are all too eager to close the case and move on, sending a distraught and unsatisfied Faith to live with her Aunt T in the suburbs of Philadelphia.
But a note from Melinda, her mom's junkie friend, prompts Faith to begin digging, igniting her passion in science and her need for answers. Faith soon discovers Melinda and her mother had participated in an experimental clinical trial to treat heroin addiction. Then Melinda also turns up dead from an apparent overdose.
Now Faith is pulling out all the stops in her search for truth, cutting school, lying to her aunt, her best friend, even the police. The only person she can't lie to is new boy Jesse, whose brutal honesty is a welcome respite from the mountain of misinformation uncovered by her investigation.
Faith's investigation takes her through the myriad back alleys and laboratories of Philly, all the way to one of the most powerful scientists in town. But when the medical examiner's body is found in the Schuylkill River, Faith realizes if she doesn't find who's behind the sinister science and its cover-up, she could be next.
A New MystereBook: Love Lies Bleeding by Sydney Katt
Here is a mystery, suspense, or thriller ebook that we recently found by sleuthing (as it were) through new or recently reissued titles from independent publishers during April 2014 priced $4.99 or less …
Love Lies Bleeding by Sydney Katt is the fourth book in the Undercover Series featuring FBI Special Agent Jackson Caldwell.
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Love Lies Bleeding by Sydney Katt
An Undercover Series Thriller
Publisher: Random Distraction
Publication Date: April 22, 2014
Price: $0.99 (as of 04/23/14 4:30 PM ET)
After closing the case of his career, FBI Special Agent Jackson Caldwell is ready to get back to a normal life with the woman he loves, but a serial killing spree hits too close to home and forces him to make a deal with a dangerous woman to lead the investigation. Even though it may be too late to bring home the woman he loves, Jackson will stop at nothing to get his revenge on the monster that took her away.
Armed with an unquenchable bloodlust and a diabolical charm, this killer may prove to be the toughest adversary Jackson has faced yet. Taking the women is necessary, but a rousing game of torturing an FBI agent is just the kind of fun he craves most. Can the FBI pick up on the string of clues he leaves around town? Will they catch him? He doubts it, but he dares them to try all the same.
When hunting a killer this devious, not even Jackson may be able to make it out with his sanity. Or his life.
Important Note: This book was listed for the price indicated on the date and time as shown. Prices can and do change without prior notice. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.
A New MystereBook: Special Circumstances by Marc Berrenson
Here is a mystery, suspense, or thriller ebook that we recently found by sleuthing (as it were) through new or recently reissued titles from independent publishers during April 2014 priced $4.99 or less …
Special Circumstances by Marc Berrenson is a courtroom thriller, originally published by Avon in 1991. This is its first appearance as an ebook.
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Special Circumstances by Marc Berrenson
A Ben Green Thriller
Publisher: Marc Berrenson
Publication Date: April 22, 2014
Price: $2.99 (as of 04/23/14 4:00 PM ET)
Defense lawyer Ben Green has been stranded on the bottom rung of the legal ladder. Then a favor performed for a powerful blueblood judge lands Green a career-making case.
The deeper Green digs, the deeper he's dragged into a slimy mess brewing within the halls of justice-a foul tangle of judicial double-dealing that threatens to turn Green's defense into a life-ending catastrophe.
Important Note: This book was listed for the price indicated on the date and time as shown. Prices can and do change without prior notice. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.
