Review: Deadly Ruse by E. Michael Helms

A Mysterious Review of Deadly Ruse by E. Michael Helms. A Mac McClellan Mystery.

Review summary: The cast of characters in this second in series mystery is interesting and well-developed in a storyline that moves along quickly, leading to an explosive ending that comes as a surprise. Overall, a solid follow-up Deadly Catch, also a very enjoyable read. (Click here for text of full review.)

Our rating:

Deadly Ruse
E. Michael Helms
A Mac McClellan Mystery
Seventh Street Books (November 2013)

Publisher synopsis: Mac's girlfriend Kate Bell thinks she's seen a ghost. Wes Harrison, Kate's former boyfriend, supposedly perished twelve years ago in a boating accident. But now she swears a man she spotted in a crowded theater lobby is Wes. Mac has his doubts — it was only a fleeting glimpse. But to calm her shattered nerves, he starts making inquiries.

A clue leads him from his home in St. George, Florida, to a Texas orphanage. There he uncovers startling information that turns both his and Kate's world upside-down. Diamond smuggling, sex, deceit, and murder are just part of the twisted tale that emerges from Kate's earlier life. Using wit, grit, and the ingrained military training of a former Marine, Mac starts to fit the pieces of this scrambled puzzle together.

Further clues point to the Palmetto Royale Casino and Resort near St. George. He and Kate discover that the casino is a front for big drug deals. When they barely escape a murder attempt, Mac knows he's on the right track.

But he better play his cards right — because losing this high-stakes game could cost him his life.

      

New This Week: Oven Baked Secrets, A Eugeena Patterson Mystery by Tyora Moody

Omnimystery News is pleased to present 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 January 2015 and priced $4.99 or less …

Oven Baked Secrets by Tyora Moody

A Eugeena Patterson Mystery (2nd in series)

Publisher: Tymm Publishing

Price: $2.99 (as of 01/20/2015 at 4:30 PM ET).

  

Eugeena Patterson is not happy about her next-door neighbor, Louise Hopkins, being sent to live in a nursing home. Without her fellow neighborhood watch buddy, Sugar Creek isn't the same anymore. In fact, life after retirement has become a whole new adventure of exploring social media and blogging.

While she tries not to meddle into her adult children's lives, Eugeena can't help but dish out relationship advice. Eugeena's own budding romance with Amos Jones has her emotions in upheaval. Is she really finding love again as she turns sixty?

When a stranger reveals a stunning secret about Louise' past, Eugeena questions if the young woman's claim is for real or if she is a con artist? Roping in Amos for help, Eugeena digs up a few skeletons from her elderly friend's closet. When Eugeena stumbles upon a long forgotten murder case, she realizes the layers of a long dormant secret still have the potential to be deadly.

— Oven Baked Secrets by Tyora Moody

Also available, the first book in this series, Deep Fried Trouble, for $2.99 on Kindle.

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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 Hunters, An Adventure Thriller by Chris Kuzneski, Now Available at a Special Price

Omnimystery News is always searching for newly discounted mystery, suspense, thriller and crime novels for our readers to enjoy.

Today, we're pleased to present the following title, now available at a special price courtesy of the author …

The Hunters by Chris Kuzneski

An Adventure Thriller

Publisher: Chris Kuzneski

Price: $0.99 (as of 01/20/2015 at 4:00 PM ET).

  

The Team: Financed by a billionaire philanthropist, this elite team — a soldier, an historian, a computer whiz, a weapons expert, and a thief — is tasked with finding the world's most legendary treasures.

The Mission: Fearing a German victory in WWI, the Romanian government signed a deal with Russia to protect the country's treasures. In 1916, two trains full of gold and the most precious possessions of the Romanian state — paintings, jewelry, and ancient artifacts — were sent to the underground vaults of the Kremlin. But in the turmoil of war, the Romanian treasure was scattered and lost.

The Prize: The collection is now valued at over $3.5 billion. Despite several attempts to find it, its location has remained a mystery … until now.

— The Hunters by Chris Kuzneski

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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 Magician's Secret by Carolyn Keene, a New Nancy Drew Diaries Mystery for Cadet Sleuths

Omnimystery News is pleased to present in this post a new First Clues: Mysteries for Kids series title published this month …

The Magician's Secret by Carolyn Keene

Series: Nancy Drew Diaries

Publisher: Aladdin

Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook

Recommended for Cadet Sleuths, Ages 10 to 12

  

When she attends a performance by master illusionist Drake Lonestar, Nancy is skeptical. Lonestar is known for his razzle-dazzle wizardry, but can the magician really make the River Heights library disappear?

As it turns out, he can — but that's not the only thing that goes missing. Key evidence to an upcoming murder trial disappears in the midst of the trick. And one of the trial attorneys just happens to be Nancy's father, Carson Drew, assisted by her boyfriend, Ned Nickerson.

Nancy, Bess, and George are quick to jump on the case, but not quite quick enough: Lonestar has vanished, too, and not even his closest friends know his whereabouts.

Magic is its own kind of mystery — but is this one Nancy can handle?

— The Magician's Secret by Carolyn Keene

Two Nicholas Colt Thrillers by Jude Hardin, Now Available at a Special Price

Omnimystery News is always searching for newly discounted mystery, suspense, thriller and crime novels for our readers to enjoy.

Today, we're pleased to present the following titles, now available at a special price courtesy of the publisher, Thomas & Mercer …

Key Death by Jude Hardin

A Nicholas Colt Thriller (4th in series)

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Price: $1.99 (as of 01/20/2015 at 3:00 PM ET).

  

He's a world class guitarist with a crippled hand, and an ace detective with a revoked license. He has a kid in college, a wife working two jobs, and a cash-under-the-table "security consultant" gig that's gone dry. Nicholas Colt, it seems, has an identity crisis. Then one night at a concert, a friend's friend asks for help. Wanda has a terminal illness, and she wants to meet her biological father before she dies. Unfortunately, Colt soon discovers that Phineas Carter was shot dead two years ago in his Key West apartment. Now Wanda wants Colt to investigate the murder. Determined to see justice served, she offers to send Colt to Key West for as long as it takes.

Despite protests from his wife and daughter, Colt accepts the case. Maybe it's just what he needs to jumpstart his life. Maybe it's his ticket back to usefulness and productivity. Or maybe it's a big mistake …

With a serial killer known as The Zombie on the loose, a savage beast who saws the tops of his victims' heads off, scoops out their brains, and reassembles their skulls with Krazy Glue, Colt might be in for more than he has bargained for.

— Key Death by Jude Hardin

Blood Tattoo by Jude Hardin

A Nicholas Colt Thriller (5th in series)

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Price: $1.99 (as of 01/20/2015 at 3:00 PM ET).

  

After last year's harrowing experience with a gruesome serial killer in Key West, rock-star-turned-PI Nicholas Colt has decided to hang up his investigator hat and settle into a nice quiet life of teaching guitar and spending time with his family. Or so he thinks …

Unfortunately, everything changes when an undercover Department of Defense investigator named Diana Dawkins comes crashing into his life. Diana tells Colt he has been recruited into The Circle, a super-secret organization — a mystery even to the CIA and the Secret Service — charged with protecting the country from terrorists at any cost. The only evidence of his involvement is a tiny spot — a "blood tattoo" on his left foot, invisible to the naked eye — that marks all members of The Circle. Diana needs Colt's help, and she's willing to pay him well for it.

Suddenly, Colt finds himself a key player in an elaborate effort to defend the president of the United States against an assassination attempt. His hush-hush missions for Diana and The Circle are becoming increasingly surreal — and deadly. Colt realizes he could lose everything, even the wife he loves. Will he be able to stop the terrorists in time? And at what cost?

— Blood Tattoo by Jude Hardin

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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.