Hundreds of Mystery, Suspense, and Thriller Titles, Now Just 99¢ Each Courtesy of HarperCollins

HarperCollins is having an amazing sale on hundreds of its mystery, suspense, and thriller titles, now just 99¢ each!

The number and selection of titles may change, but as of the date and time of this post, here is a sampling of what is available:

• The first two Stone Barrington mysteries by Stuart Woods;

• Two Navajo mysteries by Tony Hillerman;

• Three Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James mysteries by Deborah Crombie;

• Three Alan Banks mysteries by Peter Robinson;

• Six Victor Carl mysteries by William Lashner;

• Seven Southern Sisters mysteries by Anne George;

and many, many more. Don't miss this opportunity to stock up on books by your favorite authors, now just 99¢ each for Kindle, courtesy of publisher HarperCollins.

Cost of Life, A Suspense Thriller by Joshua Corin, 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 …

Cost of Life by Joshua Corin

A Suspense Thriller

Publisher: Alibi

Price: $2.99 (as of 03/19/2015 at 12:30 PM ET).

  

Happy Independence Day. You're all going to die.

Life can't be better for veteran pilot Larry Walder. He has a great job, a terrific kid, a gorgeous wife — and no inkling that tonight will be the end of the world as he knows it. In the early hours before the Fourth of July, three men break into Larry's home. And as the day lurches on to its terrifying course, a life is taken, and Flight 816 from Atlanta to Cozumel, Mexico, vanishes off the radar.

In the air, Larry must find a way to save his family, his crew, and his passengers. On the ground, disgraced FBI agent Xanadu Marx goes rogue, making it her mission to track down the missing flight before the hijackers reach their diabolical endgame. With the casualties racking up and the world's busiest airport under lockdown, a message arrives: This is no ordinary hijacking, no typical hostage crisis. This ransom is a totally different beast — the first hint of a conspiracy that might bring America to its knees.

— Cost of Life by Joshua Corin

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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.

A Conversation with Mystery Author Laurie Stevens

with Laurie Stevens

We are delighted to welcome author Laurie Stevens to Omnimystery News today, courtesy of Great Escapes Book Tours, which is coordinating her current book tour. We encourage you to visit all of the participating host sites; you can find her schedule here.

Laurie's soon-to-be-published third mystery to feature homicide detective Gabriel McRay is The Mask of Midnight and we had the opportunity to talk with her about it in advance of its release.

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Omnimystery News: Introduce us to your series lead, Gabriel McRay. What is it about him that appeals to you as an author?

Photo provided courtesy of
Laurie Stevens

Laurie Stevens: This series features a homicide detective with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department named Gabriel McRay. When we meet him he is fired from the homicide bureau for using excessive force, something he's been prone to do. Gabriel has to go through mandatory psychiatric evaluation and it is here that he finds out he is burdened by the suppressed memory of a childhood trauma. So, Gabriel is kind of a tough guy, but he has these issues, which keep trying to surface in a number of ways. It's affected every aspect of his life — his relationship with women, his relationship with himself. He knows he needs to address it … Thus starts the series. What's likeable about Gabriel, at least in the first book, is that he makes the decision to better himself. That he wants to become a happier man.

OMN: Why did you choose to feature him in a series?

LS: Oh, I'm all about developing this character. The overlying theme behind the first book in the series, The Dark Before Dawn, is about facing our deepest fears. I do believe that that is the first step to anyone's growth. Gabriel evolves and grows through each book. In fact, the murder case to which he is assigned (in each book) somehow "sparks" whatever point he is at in his recovery process. That poses an interesting and challenging goal I have to meet in each book.

OMN: How difficult was it for you to find the right voice for Gabriel?

LS: There's a movie called Think Like a Man. Honestly, I've never watched it, but the title hit home for me. Yes, women are from Venus and men are from Mars and when an author chooses to write from the point of view of the opposite sex, she or he needs to be careful. I think choosing a man's voice was very liberating for me. I could "think like a man." I already know how women think — I am one. It's fun to walk in somebody else's shoes, particularly when you feel as close as I do to my protagonist. I'm not going to lie. I enjoy Gabriel's journey. But there are catch-phrases and ways of speaking (we'll call it that) that are unique to men, and so I've nagged my husband and other males (including my son) for tidbits to try and keep it real.

OMN: How much of your own personal or professional experience have you included in the series?

LS: I don't want to spoil the read for anyone, so I won't divulge what Gabriel's issues are, some of you might have already guessed. While that horrible experience has been a thorn in the side of human interaction, it did not happen to me. However, I did experience an "event" during college in which I was drugged. It's a very hot topic now. When I was researching the third book, I discovered effects that were too similar to my own experience to be construed as coincidence. Talk about a suppressed memory! At any rate, to answer the question, I guess more of me is in the book than even I was aware of.

OMN: How do you go about researching the plot points of your stories?

LS: This is one of the perks of writing, in my opinion. I can't tell you how many times I've wined and dined a psychiatrist or therapist. I enjoy their consultations on the book and they seem to enjoy it, too. I usually begin by trying to answer my own questions. I do a ton of Internet research. But then, I always have questions that need the personal touch — that only a professional who has "been there and done that" can answer. Besides, that's when I can pick up the nuances of both therapist and patient. I strive for realism. One time I was describing the L.A. County morgue and it bothered me that I couldn't readily describe it. So my husband suggested we go to L.A. County General and see what it looks like. Now, L.A. County General is not just an easy place to walk into. They have metal detectors — does that tell you anything? But my husband and I snuck in and accomplished the task. Some couples go to dinner and a movie. Oh well …

OMN: Your books are set in Southern California. How true are you to the setting?

LS: Someone once asked me if I felt intimidated by writing about Los Angeles. This being the city of Chandler and Elroy. But it's where I was born and raised. I know about San Francisco because half my family is up there, but really, it's mostly Los Angeles that I know. I even went to UCLA and then worked in the entertainment business. And frankly, the city is a wonderful character in itself. The setting — mountains, inner city, slums, mansions, the beach, Hollywood, celebrities, Skid Row. Sorry, but there's a lot to work with here. Gabriel works the Santa Monica Mountain parkland. It's so beautiful in there but close enough to the city to get into trouble.

OMN: Having worked directly in the entertainment business, have any films inspired your work? And what kinds of films do you enjoy watching?

LS: Funny you should ask. I wanted to give Gabriel a worthy adversary, so enter Victor Archwood. What inspired him was actually watching those old Sherlock Holmes movies starring Basil Rathbone as Holmes and Lionel Atwill as Professor Moriarty. There's one called Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon where Moriarty (Atwill) has Holmes (Rathbone) tied down to a bed and they are bantering back and forth. I love that cat and mouse game playing. Other than anything Sherlock Holmes oriented, I enjoy crime movies. I think I've watching Godfather I and II at least fifty times each. I can recite almost every line from The Usual Suspects and Donnie Brasco is one my favorite books and movies.

OMN: What's next for you?

LS: Okay, so Random House Germany is publishing The Dark Before Dawn this May and Deep into Dusk next May (2016) so I guess I'll be terrorizing people across the Atlantic now.

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Laurie Stevens is an award-winning novelist, screenwriter, and playwright. A second-generation California native, she graduated UCLA's Theatre/Film/Television program and went on to work such diverse jobs as babysitting a super-agent's girlfriend and sipping cappuccinos at Beverly Hills clothing stores while her boss tried on suits. She worked for Columbia Records in product marketing and decided to follow her dreams of being a writer, which led her to becoming a sales supervisor of a telemarketing room. This experience was the inspiration for the play, "Follow Your Dreams." She is a hybrid author, having independently published her books and then signing on with Blanvalet (Random House, Germany). Laurie lives in the Santa Monica Mountains outside of Los Angeles with her husband and two children.

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

— ♦ —

The Mask of Midnight
Laurie Stevens
A Gabriel McRay Novel

Troubled homicide detective Gabriel McRay confronts his nemesis Victor Archwood at the killer's trial. A surprise twist during the proceedings sets a course for Archwood to claim his ultimate revenge on the detective, whom he blames for ruining his life.

In a trap that combines Archwood's theatrical skills and criminal genius, Gabriel is forced to face his psychological demons once again and play a deadly cat and mouse game with a murderous opponent who will stop at nothing to achieve the detective's total destruction.

Today's Selection of Daily Deals for Thursday, March 19, 2015

Omnimystery News is pleased to feature a selection of today's Daily Deals found on Thursday, March 19, 2015 at 7:30 AM ET …

Styx & Stone by James W. Ziskin

An Ellie Stone Mystery (1st in series)

Publisher: Seventh Street Books

Kindle Daily Deal Price: $2.99

The Lions of Lucerne by Brad Thor

A Scot Harvath Thriller (1st in series)

Publisher: Atria Books

Kobo Daily Deal Price: $1.99 (price-matched by Amazon)

  

For more deals that may have been found after this post was created, see our Daily Deals page on Omnimystery News for an updated list.

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

Today's Selection of Free MystereBooks for Thursday, March 19, 2015

Omnimystery News is pleased to feature a selection of Free MystereBooks found on Thursday, March 19, 2015 at 6:30 AM ET …

Doyle After Death by John Shirley

A Novel of Suspense

Publisher: Witness Impulse

Price: FREE!

  

Every Trace by Gregg Main

A Suspense Thriller

Publisher: HarperCollins

Price: FREE!

  

The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart

A Crime Novel

Publisher: Open Road

Price: FREE!

  

Informed Consent by Sandra Glahn

A Novel of Suspense

Publisher: David C. Cook

Price: FREE!

  

Backlash by Polly Iyer

A Diana Racine, Psychic Mystery

Publisher: Parkwood Press

Price: FREE!

  

A World the Color of Salt by Noreen Ayres

A Smokey Brandon Mystery

Publisher: Avon

Price: FREE!

  

For a summary of all of today's titles, plus any that may have been added since this post was created, visit our Free MystereBooks page. This page is updated daily, typically by 8 AM ET.

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