The Baby Thief by L. J. Sellers is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Baby Thief by L. J. Sellers as today's free mystery ebook. We don't know how long it will be offered at this special price (typically for a limited time only or until a certain number of downloads have been completed), so we urge you to download it while it is still available for free.

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The Baby Thief by L. J. Sellers
Non-Series
Publisher: Spellbinder Press

About The Baby Thief (from the publisher): Thirty-two and still single, Jenna wants a baby before it’s too late, so she visits a fertility clinic. Soon after she meets Eric, a charming reporter, and their attraction is powerful. Meanwhile the clinic doctor, after one look at Jenna, makes other plans. The doctor and her lover conspire to kidnap Jenna and steal one of her eggs—a simple procedure that the “donor” should no have memory of. But from the beginning, things go terribly wrong. When Jenna disappears, Eric is confused and heartbroken—but can he find her in time to save her?

Important Note: Prices can and do change without prior notice, so please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Free Kindle Edition Download Link.

For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.

The Pawn by Steven James is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Pawn by Steven James as today's second free mystery ebook. We don't know how long it will be offered at this special price (typically for a limited time only or until a certain number of downloads have been completed), so we urge you to download it while it is still available for free.

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The Pawn by Steven James
A Patrick Bowers Mystery
Revell

This is the first book in a series to feature FBI criminologist Patrick Bowers, which all feature chess pieces in their titles. In our review of this this thriller, we called it "intense", adding, "As Bowers pushes towards checkmate, it's never clear to the reader which pieces will be left standing at the end of the game."

About The Pawn (from the publisher): Special Agent Patrick Bowers had only met one man who made him truly afraid. Until now. When he's called to North Carolina to consult on the case of an area serial killer, he finds himself in a deadly game. Cunning and lethal, the killer is always one step ahead of the law, and he's about to strike again. It will take all of Bowers's instincts and training to stop this man who calls himself the Illusionist. And just when the pieces start to come together, Bowers realizes they're not quite adding up. Can he unravel the pattern and save the next victim? Or will the Illusionist win the game by taking one of his opponent's pieces?

Read our review of The Pawn by Steven James.

Important Note: Prices can and do change without prior notice, so please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Free Kindle Edition Download Link.

B&N Free Nook Book Download Link.

Apple Free iBook Download Link (via iTunes).

For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.

Three J. A. Konrath Titles are Today's Featured Free MystereBooks

MystereBooks is pleased to two short story collections and one full-length novel by J. A. Konrath as today's selection of free mystery ebooks. We don't know how long it will be offered at this special price (typically for a limited time only or until a certain number of downloads have been completed), so we urge you to download it while it is still available for free.

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Jack Daniels Stories by J. A. Konrath
A Short Story Collection
CreateSpace

About Jack Daniels Stories (from the publisher): Join Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels, her partner Herb Benedict, private eye Harry McGlade, and part-time criminal Phineas Troutt, in this omnibus of 15 stories. These were previous published in magazines and anthologies, and many are long out of print.

Important Note: Prices can and do change without prior notice, so please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Free Kindle Edition Download Link.

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65 Proof by J. A. Konrath
A Short Story Collection
CreateSpace

About 65 Proof (from the publisher): Stories to make you laugh, scream, cringe, think, scratch your head, and roll your eyes. This gigantic collection of 65 stories has something to please every type of reader.

Important Note: Prices can and do change without prior notice, so please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Free Kindle Edition Download Link.

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Shot of Tequila by J. A. Konrath
Non-Series
CreateSpace

J. A. Konrath is the author of the popular Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels mysteries, who makes an supporting appearance in this book.

About Shot of Tequila (from the publisher): Several million bucks, stolen from the mob …

All caught on video, with no chance of redemption …

Now one man must face the entire Chicago Outfit, a group of hardened Mafia enforcers, a psychotic bookie, the most dangerous hitman on earth, and Detective Jacqueline Daniels …

His name is Tequila. And he likes those odds.

Important Note: Prices can and do change without prior notice, so please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Free Kindle Edition Download Link.

For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.

The Detachment by Barry Eisler is Today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Detachment by Barry Eisler as today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal. The deal price of $0.99 is valid only for today, Tuesday, December 27, 2011.

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The Detachment by Barry Eisler
A John Rain Thriller
Thomas & Mercer

This is the seventh — and most recently published (October 2011) — book in this series that features international assassin John Rain.

About The Detachment (from the publisher): When legendary black ops veteran Colonel Scott “Hort” Horton tracks Rain down in Tokyo, Rain can’t resist the offer: a multi-million dollar payday for the “natural causes” demise of three ultra-high-profile targets who are dangerously close to launching a coup in America.

But the opposition on this job is going to be too much for even Rain to pull it off alone. He’ll need a detachment of other deniable irregulars: his partner, the former Marine sniper, Dox. Ben Treven, a covert operator with ambivalent motives and conflicted loyalties. And Larison, a man with a hair trigger and a secret he’ll kill to protect.

From the shadowy backstreets of Tokyo and Vienna, to the deceptive glitz and glamour of Los Angeles and Las Vegas, and finally to a Washington, D.C. in a permanent state of war, these four lone wolf killers will have to survive presidential hit teams, secret CIA prisons, and a national security state as obsessed with guarding its own secrets as it is with invading the privacy of the populace.

But first, they’ll have to survive each other.

Important Note: Prices can and do change without prior notice, so please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Kindle Daily Deal 12/27/2011 Download Link.

New Hardcover Mysteries for January 2012

The Hidden Staircase Mystery Books has updated its list of new hardcover mysteries with books scheduled for publication in January 2012. 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 January new mystery books page, which will become the default home page for the site on January 1st.

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

Sandra Balzo (Maggy Thorsen, 7th) — D. C. Brod (Robyn Guthrie, 2nd) — Don Bruns (James Lessor and Skip Moore, 5th) — Stephen J. Cannell (Shane Scully, 11th) — Joanna Challis (Daphne du Maurier, 3rd) — Tom Clancy and Mark Greaney (Jack Ryan Jr., 3rd) — Reed Farrel Coleman (Moe Prager, 7th) — Kent Conwell (Tony Boudreaux, 12th) — Patricia Cornwell (Kay Scarpetta, 19th) — Colin Cotterill (Dr. Siri Paiboun, 8th) — Nick Drake (Rahotep, 3rd) — Robert Ellis (Lena Gamble, 3rd) — Monica Ferris (Betsy Devonshire, Needlecraft, 15th) — Jane Finnis (Aurelia Marcella, 4th) — Leighton Gage (Mario Silva, 5th) — H. Terrell Griffin (Matt Royal, 6th) — W. E. B. Griffin and William E. Butterworth IV (Presidential Agent, 7th) — Derek Haas (Silver Bear, 3rd) — Barbara Hambly (Benjamin January, 11th) — Tami Hoag (Oak Knoll, 3rd) — Anne Holt (Hanne Wilhelmsen, 8th) — Graham Ison (Brock and Poole, 11th) — Bill James (Harpur and Iles, 27th) — J. Sydney Jones (Karl Werthen, Viennese, 3rd) — Raymond Khoury (Sean Reilly and Tess Chaykin, 5th) — Robert Knightly (Harry Corbin and Adele Bentibi, 2nd) — Deryn Lake (John Rawlings, 14th) — Martin Limon (George Sueño and Ernie Bascom, 7th) — Ralph McInerny (Father Dowling Short Stories) — Amy Myers (Peter and Georgia Marsh, 8th) — Jo Nesbo (Harry Hole, 8th) — James Patterson and Jill Dembowski (Witch & Wizard, 3rd) — Ann Purser (Lois Meade, 13th) — Al Roker and Dick Lochte (Billy Blessing, 3rd) — Fay Sampson (Suzie Fewings, 4th) — Alexander McCall Smith (Sunday Philosophy Club, 8th) — Dana Stabenow (Kate Shugak, 19th) — Taylor Stevens (Vanessa "Michael" Munroe, 2nd) — Jan Costin Wagner (Kimmo Joentaa, 2nd) — Stuart Woods (Stone Barrington, 22nd) — Anthony E. Zuiker and Duane Swierczynski (Steve Dark, 3rd)

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

Parker Bilal (Makana) — Jennifer Rowe (Holly Love)

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

Dave Barry and Alan Zweibel — Nancy Bilyeau — Matt Bondurant — Thomas Caplan — Howie Carr — Donato Carrisi — R. J. Ellory — Eli Gottlieb — James Grippando — Alexandra Hamlet — Robert Harris — Joshilyn Jackson — Adam Johnson — Chris Morgan Jones — William Landay — Bret Lott — Charlie Newton — Daniel O'Malley — Stef Penney — Eva Stachniak — Robert Ward

For more information on any of these titles, please visit the January 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 January 2012 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.

Mr. E. Reviews Without Motive

Purchase/Rental Option(s)

Though there is definitely a "whodunit" aspect to this British crime drama that originally aired about 10 years ago, the show is far more about how a high profile murder investigation affects the members of the investigating team, both professionally and personally. The second half is decidedly better than the first, but overall it's definitely worth seeing.

Read the full text of our review at Mr. E. Reviews Without Motive.

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

Telemystery: Archer, New This Week on DVD

Telemystery, your source for one of the most comprehensive listings of crime drama, amateur sleuth, private investigator, mystery and suspense television series, mini-series and made-for-television movies, now available on or coming soon to DVD or Blu-ray disc, is profiling two made-for-television movies and one series season being released this week.

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H. Jon Benjamin voices suave master spy Sterling Archer in the FX Networks animated series Archer.

He works for his mother (Jessica Walter as Malory Archer), who runs the International Secret Intelligence Service (ISIS), an agency where the work of espionage, reconnaissance missions, wiretapping and undercover surveillance is daunting and dangerous, and where every covert operation and global crisis is actually just another excuse for the ISIS staff to undermine, sabotage and betray each other for personal gain.

Archer: Season Two is available on DVD, Blu-ray disc, Amazon Instant, and iTunes, and consists of episodes that originally aired from January through April 2011. Though FX Networks aired a special 3-part episode last September, which will likely be included in any Season Three collection, the third season officially premieres on January 19th, 2012 at 10 PM (ET/PT).

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Visit the Telemystery website to discover more television mystery series currently available on and coming soon to DVD, Blu-ray disc, or video on demand.

Save $4 on eBook Purchases of $4 or more at Harlequin.com

From now through January 31st, 2012, Harlequin is offering $4 off all ebook purchases of $4 or more!

Simply use coupon code SPEND4E11 at checkout to realize your savings.

And though we haven't … yet … tried it ourselves, it seems the coupon is multiple use. That is, it can be used again on subsequent orders. If you find out find out otherwise, leave us a note in the comments.

Harlequin publishes hundreds of books in a variety of genres, but the mystery and suspense series include Intrigue, Romantic Suspense, and Love Inspired Suspense, with more titles available under their Mira and Worldwide Library imprints.

Remember, this coupon expires on 01/31/2012.

Banana Hammock by J. A. Konrath is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Banana Hammock by J. A. Konrath as today's free mystery ebook. We don't know how long it will be offered at this special price (typically for a limited time only or until a certain number of downloads have been completed), so we urge you to download it while it is still available for free.

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Banana Hammock by J. A. Konrath
A Harry McGlade "Write Your Own Damn Story" Mystery Adventure
CreateSpace

Banana Hammock is not a single, linear book, and should not be read sequentially, page by page. Instead, it is an interactive text adventure. This ebook is meant to be read out of order, depending on the path you, the reader, choose. At the end of each section, you decide where Harry goes, and what he does. By following different paths, you can arrive at many different endings. There are literally hundreds of variations.

Harry McGlade is a continuing character in the author's Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels series of mysteries.

About Banana Hammock (from the publisher): Private Detective Harry McGlade is hired by an Amish woman who suspects her husband is cheating on her. Going undercover into their community, Harry must untangle a web of lies and deception to find the truth. This will be his biggest challenge yet. Because Harry McGlade is an idiot.

Important Note: Prices can and do change without prior notice, so please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Free Kindle Edition Download Link.

For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.

Mystery Godoku Puzzle for December 26, 2011

A new Mystery Godoku Puzzle has been created by the editors of the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books and is now available on our website.

Godoku is similar to Sudoku, but uses letters instead of numbers. To give you a headstart, we provide you a mystery clue to fill in a complete row or column (if you choose to use it!).

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This week's letters and mystery clue:

A C E D L N O S W

Set in South Carolina, Donna Julian’s 1995 romantic thriller has this title (9 letters).

We now have two weeks of our puzzles on one page in PDF format for easier printing. Print this week's puzzle here.

Previous puzzles are stored in the Mystery Godoku Archives.

Enjoy the weekly Mystery Godoku Puzzle from the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, and Thanks for visiting our website!

Patricia Bremmer's Kindle Crime Novels Are Once Again Discounted to 99 Cents!

Earlier this month, Kindle editions of Patricia Bremmer's crime novels were priced at just $0.99. Today, the author e-mailed us to let us know that she wants to give anyone who may have received a new Kindle for Christmas — and all other Kindle owners — the opportunity to buy her books at the same low price. So … from now through January 2nd, Kindle editions of all of her titles are again priced at just $0.99!

Bremmer is the author of the "Glen Karst, Elusive Clue" mysteries. A trademark of this series is that a clue is embedded within the story that forms a word puzzle, the answer to which declares the name of the murderer. The puzzle is varied in each book but when the letters are unscrambled it always names the murderer.

Here is a list of all her adult crime novel titles (with links to Amazon.com); the (*) indicates the non-series book. (She's also the author of a couple of middle-school age books.) As always, please confirm the price of your book before completing your purchase; prices can and do change without prior notice.

• Tryst with Dolphins
• Dolphins' Echo
• Death Foreshadowed
• Victim Wanted: Must Have References
• Crystal Widow
• Clinical Death
• Mind Your Manners!
• Murder's a Cinch
• Cornstalked *

You can read more about the author and her series detective Glen Karst on her blog, PatriciaBremmerBlog.com.

Bookmarked to Die by Jo Dereske is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Bookmarked to Die by Jo Dereske as today's second free mystery ebook. We don't know how long it will be offered at this special price (typically for a limited time only or until a certain number of downloads have been completed), so we urge you to download it while it is still available for free.

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Bookmarked to Die by Jo Dereske
A Miss Helma Zukas Mystery
Avon Books

This is the ninth mystery in this series featuring the Bellehaven (Washington) librarian.

About Bookmarked to Die (from the publisher): Miss Zukas wakes up on the morning of her forty-second birthday in the throes of more than one midlife crisis. Her championing a collection of local authors' works ignites a firestorm of jealousy and anger in Bellehaven. She's blackmailed by her conniving boss, library director May Apple Moon, into attending group counseling sessions — and two of the participants turn up dead. An obnoxiously bubbly new librarian is turning the head of Helma's longtime admirer, Police Chief Wayne Gallant. And worst of all, her uncuddly feline companion, Boy Cat Zukas disappears.

Important Note: Prices can and do change without prior notice, so please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Free Kindle Edition Download Link.

For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.

Dead Space by Lee Goldberg is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Dead Space by Lee Goldberg as today's free mystery ebook. We don't know how long it will be offered at this special price (typically for a limited time only or until a certain number of downloads have been completed), so we urge you to download it while it is still available for free.

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Dead Space by Lee Goldberg
A Charlie Willis Mystery
St. Martin's Press/CreateSpace

Originally published in hardcover in 1997 under the title Beyond the Beyond, this second book in the series was re-released by the author in 2010 with this new title.

About Dead Space (from the publisher): Ex-cop Charlie Willis handles "special security" at Pinnacle Pictures. His job: to protect the studio and its stars, to stop scandals before they explode, to keep the peace in the land of make-believe. When Pinnacle revives the cult, 1960s TV series Beyond the Beyond as the cornerstone of a fourth network, two powerful forces fight for control of the show — a talent agency that uses blackmail, torture, and murder to keep its clients on the A-list, and a homicidal legion of rabid fans led by an insane actor who thinks he's in outer space.

Important Note: Prices can and do change without prior notice, so please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Free Kindle Edition Download Link.

For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.

Portrait of a Spy by Daniel Silva is Today's Barnes&Noble Nook Daily Find

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Portrait of a Spy by Daniel Silva as today's Barnes&Noble Nook Daily Find. The deal price of $1.99 is valid only for today, Sunday, December 25, 2011.

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Portrait of a Spy by Daniel Silva
A Gabriel Allon Thriller
Harper

Published earlier this year in hardcover, this is the 11th book in the series to feature the master art restorer and sometime officer of Israeli intelligence. (For today only, Amazon.com is matching the deal price on this book.)

About Portrait of a Spy (from the publisher): For Gabriel and his beautiful Venetian-born wife, Chiara, a pleasant weekend in London turns deadly when the newly retired operative spots a man exhibiting traits common to suicide bombers. But before Gabriel can prevent the attack, he is knocked to the pavement and can only watch as a scene from his nightmares unfolds.

Haunted by his failure to stop the massacre of innocents, Gabriel returns to his isolated cottage on the cliffs of Cornwall, until a summons brings him to Washington and he is drawn into a confrontation with the new face of global terror. At the center of the threat is an American-born cleric in Yemen to whom Allah has granted “a beautiful and seductive tongue.” A gifted deceiver, who was once a paid CIA asset, the mastermind is plotting a new wave of attacks.

Gabriel and his team devise a daring plan to destroy the network of death—from the inside—a gambit fraught with risk, both personal and professional. To succeed, Gabriel must reach into his violent past. A woman waits there—a reclusive Saudi heiress and art collector who can traverse the murky divide between Islam and the West. She is the daughter of an old enemy, a woman joined to Gabriel by a trail of blood. Together they form an unlikely and dangerous bond.

Important Note: Prices can and do change without prior notice, so please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

Download Link(s):

B&N Nook Daily Find 12/25/2011 Download Link.

Florida Heat Wave by Michael Lister is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Florida Heat Wave by Michael Lister as today's free mystery ebook. We don't know how long it will be offered at this special price (typically for a limited time only or until a certain number of downloads have been completed), so we urge you to download it while it is still available for free.

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Florida Heat Wave by Michael Lister
A Short Story Collection
Tyrus Books

About Florida Heat Wave (from the publisher): Florida—like hell … only hotter.

Oppressive.

Stifling.

Crazy-making.

The suffocating heat makes you do things—it seeps in through your pores and sucks the life out of you. Like the bloody smear of a swatted mosquito on sweat-soaked skin, violence erupts suddenly, but the damage it does lingers long after.

From the pine-tree lined rural highways of North Florida through the tourist traps of Central Florida to the tropical, international environs of SOBE, come stories of sun-faded noir, orange pulp served up freshly squeezed by the Sunshine State’s very best practitioners.

Stories from: James O. Born, James W. Hall, Lisa Unger, Alice Jackson, Jonathon King, Jim Pascoe, Carolyn Haines, Tom Corcoran, Raven McMillian, Mark Raymond Falk, Christine Kling, John Lutz, Carolina Garcia-Aguilera, Michael Lister, John Dufresne, Bob Morris, John Bond, and Mary Anna Evans.

Important Note: Prices can and do change without prior notice, so please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Free Kindle Edition Download Link.

B&N Free Nook Book Download Link.

Apple Free iBook Download Link (via iTunes).

For more free mystery ebooks, visit our Free MystereBooks page.