All That Glitters, A Jake & Laura Mystery by Michael Murphy, New This Week from Alibi

Alibi is a digital-only imprint of Random House dedicated to publishing mystery and thriller books.

We've selected one of their recently published titles to feature here today …

All That Glitters by Michael Murphy

A Jake & Laura Mystery (2nd in series)

Publisher: Alibi

Price: $2.99 (as of 01/07/2015 at 12:30 PM ET).

  

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Important Note: Price(s) verified as of the date and time shown. Price(s) are subject to change at any time. Please confirm the price of the book before purchasing it.

The hard-boiled writer and the aspiring movie star head for sun-drenched Los Angeles, where a cold-blooded murderer lurks behind the scenes …

Just arrived from New York, Broadway actress Laura Wilson is slated to star in Hollywood's newest screwball comedy. At her side, of course, is Jake Donovan, under pressure to write his next mystery novel. But peace and quiet are not to be had when an all-too-real murder plot intrudes: After a glitzy party, the son of a studio honcho is discovered dead from a gunshot wound. And since Jake exchanged words with the hothead just hours before his death, the bestselling author becomes the LAPD's prime suspect.

In 1930s Tinseltown, anything goes. Proving his innocence won't be easy in a town where sex, seduction, and naked power run rampant. With gossip columnist Louella Parsons dead-set on publicizing the charges against him, Jake has no choice but to do what everyone else does in the City of Angels: act like someone else. Blackie Doyle, the tough-talking, fist-swinging, womanizing hero from Jake's novels wouldn't pull any punches until he exposed the real killer — nor will Jake, to keep the role of a lifetime from being his last.

— All That Glitters by Michael Murphy

Please Welcome Crime Novelist Marc Krulewitch

with Marc Krulewitch

We are delighted to welcome mystery author Marc Krulewitch to Omnimystery News, courtesy of TLC Book Tours, which is coordinating his current book tour. We encourage you to visit all of the participating host sites; you can find his schedule here.

Marc's second mystery to feature PI Jules Landau is Windy City Blues (Alibi; January 2015 ebook formats), and in his guest post for us today, he provides the backstory to it.

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Photo provided courtesy of
Marc Krulewitch

Windy City Blues is the second book of my crime series featuring private investigator, Jules Landau, the youngest of a family of petty criminals stretching back to Prohibition.

I've always been drawn to quirky characters that are interesting in their own right, while reflecting some aspect of the human condition. That said, the book begins with a peculiar, twenty-something man stopping by Jules' office one morning. For reasons not clearly understood, the man has taken the name of a Holocaust victim and employs the stereotypical mannerisms and affectations often associated with the early Twentieth Century immigrant. "Call me Izzy," he says to Jules. Izzy wants to know why a parking enforcement officer was brutally beaten to death in the neighborhood where Izzy lives.

While genre fiction is generally considered plot-driven, I don't think this has to be the case. After spending two decades imagining myself as a writer of literary fiction, I asked myself: how about combining literary themes and characters within the context of a private investigator conducting a murder investigation? The key to utilizing these characters effectively, I said to myself, is to avoid heavy handedness. Nobody wants to be beaten over the head with a character blathering on about his or her philosophy, unless it's a vehicle the hero can use in discovering something. Jules, for example, does not preach vegetarianism, but while he lunches on a rice, bean, and soy burger, his beloved cat dines on an exclusive diet of raw animal organs. What's the implicit statement the author is making from this juxtaposition? Who the heck knows?

In the course of Jules' investigation, he uncovers a convoluted racketeering scheme involving Russian gangsters, a media mogul, and plenty of Chicago bureaucrats. Admittedly, using Chicago as the backdrop for corruption, is as low-hanging a fruit one could hope to pick. In fact, the fruit is no longer hanging, but laying on the ground not far from the tree. That is, Chicago and corruption are inherently cliché. But golly! Ain't it the truth? I mean, nothing freaking changes except the names of the politicians — and sometimes that doesn't change either.

Bureaucracies are inherently corrupt. They can't help themselves. It's in their DNA. Maybe it's my DNA that makes me extra sensitive to machine-politics corruption. After all, my great-granddad, Morris Eller, was an old fashioned Prohibition-era boss who, according to the newspapers of the time, ruled Chicago's "bloody 20th ward" with an iron fist, and was particularly adept at extorting money from the poor huddled masses of the Maxwell Street Market. Great-granddad was affectionately known by many names in his day, among them political dictator, city hall chieftain, scoundrel, and tyrant. In addition, he was respectfully referred to as Boss Eller while his employees were known as Boss Eller's henchmen, and his election day shenanigans were considered acts of terrorism (yes, they used the word "terrorism" back then). Despite once sharing a headline with Al Capone — the man who put the "bloody" in the bloody 20th ward — Great-granddad was never called a gangster. But nobody's perfect.

Not coincidentally, I spent seven years as a parking officer for a small Colorado city 25 miles northwest of Denver, and saw firsthand how a municipal bureaucracy drifts into a de facto system of corruption, cronyism, and hypocrisy. Yes, bureaucracies are inherently corrupt, a fact that will ensure fiction writers will always have something to write about.

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Marc Krulewitch's Jules Landau mysteries take place in Chicago, where he was born and where his family has lived for generations. He now resides in Colorado.

For more information about the author, please visit his author page on Goodreads, or find him on Facebook and Twitter.

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Windy City Blues
Marc Krulewitch
A Jules Landau Mystery

Jules Landau feels right at home in the ethnic stew of the Windy City, where he's indebted to the hopes and schemes of his criminal ancestors. Street-smart and college-educated, Jules wants nothing more than to go straight and atone for his family's past. But when he investigates a horrific killing, Jules uncovers a hidden world of lucrative corruption.

Jack Gelashvili had his head bashed in and no one knows why. The most obvious answer is that he was a parking cop, a universally loathed job — especially in Chicago. Turns out there's a lot of money to be made on expired meters, and when Jules starts making noise, he starts making enemies — from the head of a media empire to the mastermind of a prostitution ring. When rumors of bloodthirsty Mob connections arise, Jack's gorgeous cousin Tamar objects, and Jules is increasingly swayed by the logic and charms of the sexy baker. Following this beautiful woman into the cloistered world of Georgian immigrants, Jules brings his hunches, his family connections, and his gun. But he's just one man against a pack of criminals with a million reasons to shoot first.

        

A Converation with Novelist Ginny Frings

with Ginny Frings

We are delighted to welcome author Ginny Frings to Omnimystery News today.

Ginny's latest novel of suspense is Blue-Eyed Ruse (May 2014; trade paperback and ebook formats) and we recently had the opportunity to talk with her more about the book.

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Omnimystery News: Introduce us to the principal cast of Blue-Eyed Ruse. What is it about them that appeals to you as a writer?

Photo provided courtesy of
Ginny Frings

Ginny Frings: The first character I developed for Blue-Eyed Ruse was Jake Stovall, a gambler who often wins and is seeking something or someone to give him purpose in life. He is a successful charter boat captain in Virginia Beach who occasionally gets high on cocaine and enjoys the weekend ventures with his buddies to new casinos, only to see how quickly he can win each time. How does Jake keep winning? One could say he's just a very lucky guy, but there might be more to his luck than meets the eye.

Next, readers will meet Brenda Waterman, a beautiful voice teacher at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, who longs to see Brad, her successful — though frequently absent — husband. Brenda and Brad decided years ago that he would follow his dream of becoming a world renown mystery author while she continued teaching at the university and raising their four children. Well … nearly ten years has passed. The children are grown when Brad decides to come home to finish writing his latest mystery novel. Brenda and her estate manager, Naomi, consider throwing a party to celebrate Brad's homecoming. After a while, they convince Brad that this party will be like a new beginning for he and Brenda … living together once again in the same city, in the same house, in the same bed. Jake enters Brad and Brenda's lives while the couple is vacationing in Virginia Beach. Embers of a relationship begin to ignite … their paths will cross again one day. Jake invites his cousin, Justice Stovall, into the picture when one of the murders affects someone he knows. Justice is a "well-liked" politician. At times his heart appears to be in the right place … and at other times, not so much. On the outside, it's often hard to know what Justice is thinking, but I do let the readers in on some of his internal struggles. Appearance versus reality can be quite different.

This cast of characters crosses paths with many people throughout the pages of Blue-Eyed Ruse as the murders start to happen throughout the nation from coast to coast. Relationships develop and die. There is reality in this work of fiction. Life can be puzzling. Sometimes it takes another person to help us recognize the potentially spiritual side to life's experiences. My characters are intriguing. Readers will find themselves within particular personalities within the story.

OMN: Is this book the first of a series?

GF: The Blue-Eyed Ruse series launch of six murder mystery novels will include character development throughout the book series while inviting the readers to make predictions along the journey. In the final pages of Blue-Eyed Ruse, the murderer is identified, but another mystery has surfaced which leads to the opening pages of the sequel entitled Weep for Indigo — due out spring 2015. As each character tries to play a role, significant or not, in solving the series of crimes, he or she may begin to learn more about themselves, others around them, relationships and trust. Sometimes people are not as they appear to be. We all experience it. That is not fiction, it's just reality.

OMN: Into which mystery subgenre would you place your book?

GF: Good question. Writing Blue-Eyed Ruse began as a crafting of a mystery tale, then as I continued to work on developing the characters, I began to realize that some of characters were experiencing some pretty deep challenges in their lives — events unfolding which were trying them mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and sometimes even questioning their belief system or lack thereof. So, then while working through some plot twists and clues, some meant to help and some dead-end paths to draw the reader away from the truth, there emerges a message of hope. Hope? Really? This story is one of strife, murder, unrequited love … how can one come away with hope? The supernatural and spiritual phenomena that illuminate the pages of Blue-Eyed Ruse may in the beginning appear to be extraneous, but certain characters help to enlighten the crime-solving team and the readers for that matter. There is another realm at work here. We are called to answer the S.O.S. So, one could categorize Blue-Eyed Ruse as a Suspense Novel — where there is mystery in the message.

OMN: Give us a summary of the book in a tweet.

GF: Blue-Eyed Ruse begins a murder mystery series which bleeds in spiritual phenomena, suspense, and a message of hope.

OMN: How true are you to the settings of the book?

GF: Blue-Eyed Ruse is set in real locations in the United States, Virgin Islands, and Europe. I love to travel and enjoy engaging with the local culture wherever I go. I try to imagine what it's like to live there for real. So, then I am better able to accurately reveal the geography of each setting within my novels. I always want the readers to know when and where they are as the story unfolds. Editors and book reviewers often comment that my novels read like a screenplay, that is because I set and share the scene with the reader right there on the page. Readers will notice that the locations are real: the restaurants, hotels, beaches, hospitals, other places. Names of places are only changed if necessary, but that is very rare. Each book in the Blue-Eyed Ruse 6-part mystery novel series will feature 3 distinct locations: where characters live, where murders happen, and possible dead-ends.

OMN: What are some of your outside interests? And have any of these found their way into Blue-Eyed Ruse?

GF: Upon reading Blue-Eyed Ruse, the reader would suppose that the author enjoys the beach, loves to cook, and travels whenever possible … and yes, that reader would be correct! In addition to those passions, I am into physical fitness and studying to become a certified personal trainer. We are launching a new inspirational fitness reality show and excited to make a difference.

OMN: Complete this sentence for us: "I am a mystery author and thus I am also …".

GF: OK, let's think about this one. Hmmm. "I am a mystery author; thus, I am also a truth seeker." Yes … I am a truth seeker in a number of ways. As a Ph.D., I want to understand correlations between experiences and reactions to those experiences. I want to know cause and effect and how the truth will prevail in the end game. I am a mother, so learning the truth is always … well usually … a good thing  And, I am a Christian who is always seeking truth and understanding to deepen my beliefs while engaging others in evangelization.

OMN: How did you come up with the cover design?

GF: The basis for the cover of Blue-Eyed Ruse is an oil painting done by my mother, Sylvia Williamson, while we were living in La Jolla, California. Cousin, Kevin McGuire, is the graphic designer who crafted the novel's eye-catching cover. Kevin designed it using mother's painting as the background and then incorporating his gifted artistry and skills to make it pop. What a fabulous artistic pairing … I love the cover!

OMN: What kinds of books did you read as a child? And do you think they influenced how and what you write today?

GF: As a child, I read voraciously! I loved to read mysteries and biographies. So, I suppose to answer the question — yes — those genres of books absolutely did influence my decision to write both mystery fiction and inspirational non-fiction books based upon true life stories. There are elements of reality within the lives of the characters of my mystery novels.

OMN: Create a Top 5 list for us on any topic.

GF: Here are three …

Top 5 Favorite Books I Love to Read: Bible, Navigate with God, Blue-Eyed Ruse, The Tipping Point, Left Behind.

Top 5 Places I Love to Visit: La Jolla, Virginia Beach, St. Lucia, Treasure Island, Chamonix.

Top 5 Themed Meals I Love to Cook: Mediterranean, Cajun, South of the Border, Atlantic Coast, Southern.

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Ginny Frings, Ph.D. is a published author, professional speaker, television producer, and academic researcher. She leads workshops on perseverance, seeking God's purpose for your life, and communicating effectively. Ginny enjoys gourmet cooking, exercising, and gardening. Each year, she travels with her family and integrates their destinations into her writing.

Dr. Frings lives in St. Louis, Missouri with her husband and their three children.

For more information about the author, please visit her website at GinnyFrings.com and her author page on Goodreads, or find her on Twitter.

— ♦ —

Blue-Eyed Ruse
Ginny Frings
A Novel of Suspense

"What a nightmare … " Jake says as one day bleeds into the next. Murders are happening all across the nation … why? Is this a series of freak isolated incidents or by design? Characters in this story cross paths … coincidence?

Maybe or maybe not … that is for the reader to determine … and decide whether to answer the S.O.S call …

    

Unbecoming Habits by Tim Heald is Today's Open Road Daily Deal

Omnimystery News is pleased to feature Unbecoming Habits by Tim Heald as today's Open Road Daily Deal.

The deal price of $1.99 is valid only for today, Wednesday, January 07, 2015.

Unbecoming Habits by Tim Heald

A Simon Bognor Mystery (1st in series)

Publisher: Open Road

Price: $1.99 (as of 01/07/2015 at 7:50 AM ET).

  

Important Note: Price(s) verified as of the date and time shown. Price(s) are subject to change at any time. Please confirm the price of the book before purchasing it.

For the sake of honey, Bognor investigates a cabal of treasonous monks …

As the friars of the abbey gather for group prayer, Brother Luke stays in the garden. His tardiness is not due to an overenthusiasm for his potatoes, but to the fact that he is lying facedown in the dirt, strangled to death by his own crucifix. For Simon Bognor, this will prove inconvenient. A special investigator attached to the British Board of Trade, Bognor knows that Brother Luke was an undercover agent, come to look into charges of national agriculture secrets being smuggled across the Iron Curtain in jars of the abbey's famous honey. Someone killed to protect the apiary espionage, and Bognor assumes with irritation that whoever did it will kill again.

A portly desk jockey with a bad eye for detail and no experience with danger in the field, Bognor approaches the abbey hesitantly, certain that among these lambs of God lurks a wolf with a taste for blood.

— Unbecoming Habits by Tim Heald

Farewell, My Deuce by Renee Pawlish is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

Omnimystery News is pleased to feature …

Farewell, My Deuce by Renee Pawlish

A Reed Ferguson Mystery

Publisher: Llama Press

… as today's second free mystery ebook.

  

This title was listed for free as of January 07, 2015 at 7:10 AM ET. Prices are subject to change without notice. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of the 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.

More on today's free book, below.

Life and the detecting business are running smoothly for private eye Reed Ferguson, until one of the Goofball Brothers goes missing. Reed leads the search and soon discovers Deuce's connection to some unscrupulous characters.

As Reed learns more about Deuce's activities, the clues point to intrigue, danger and death. But will Reed find his friend alive, or will it be "Farewell, My Deuce."

— Farewell, My Deuce by Renee Pawlish