Death by Gumbo by Phil Edwards is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Death by Gumbo by Phil Edwards as today's second free mystery ebook.

This title was listed as free as of the date and time of this post. 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.

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Death by Gumbo by Phil Edwards
A Jake Russo Mystery
Publisher: CreateSpace

This the second mystery (of four to date) in this series featuring the traveling reporter.

About Death by Gumbo (from the publisher): Things aren't going well for Jake Russo. He's been transferred from Sarasota to New Orleans, and he's had to leave his reporting beat and girlfriend behind. Now he's a lonely food critic — not the best job for a man who's on a diet.

But things get worse when a mysterious death occurs at the trendiest new restaurant in the city. Jake has to explore the world of traditional New Orleans cuisine, brave the new frontier of "molecular gastronomy," and handle the police in order to solve the case. His octogenerian cameraman tags along for the ride and discovers his own new talents.

As Jake investigates the murder, he'll learn the truth about New Orleans food, discover when to fake it to make it, and try to figure out what — and who — he really loves.

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.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Kindle Edition Download Link.

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

Dying to Sin by Stephen Booth is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Dying to Sin by Stephen Booth as today's free mystery ebook.

This title was listed as free as of the date and time of this post. 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.

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Dying to Sin by Stephen Booth
A Ben Cooper and Diane Fry Mystery
Publisher: Westlea Books

This 8th mystery in this series, originally published by HarperCollins in the UK, was never published in print in the US.

About Dying to Sin (from the publisher): When builder's labourer Danny Ward is asked to dig the foundations for a new wall during the conversion of Pity Wood Farm, he doesn't expect to find a human hand preserved in the clay. And when the police arrive to dig up the farmyard, they don't expect to find not one body, but two – with several years between their burials.

DS Diane Fry and DC Ben Cooper are part of the Derbyshire CID team tasked with piecing together the lives of the Sutton family who owned the farm before it was sold for development. Why would a pair of elderly brothers have the dead bodies of two women concealed on their property? And how do you even start tracking down decades of itinerant farm workers who might be able to cast light on the mystery?

With forensic evidence in short supply, Fry and Cooper have only the fragmentary memories of local people to rely on, including the landlord of the Dog Inn, the retired village bobby, and a handful of scattered neighbours in the White Peak settlement of Rakedale.

Their enquiry coincides with the arrival in Edendale of a new Detective Superintendent, and the threat of more shake-ups in 'E' Division CID that might separate Cooper and Fry permanently.

As Cooper becomes convinced that there ought to be a third body to provide the vital link and explain the burials at Pity Wood, Fry struggles to come to terms with one of the more unusual rural beliefs she's encountered so far — the magical properties of preserved body parts.

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.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Kindle Edition Download Link.

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

TNT Renews Southland for a 5th Season

TNT has renewed the LA-based crime drama Southland for a fifth season.

"Season after season, critics and fans alike have championed TNT's Southland as one of television's best dramas," said Michael Wright, president and head of programming for TNT. "This year, the show has not only solidified its impassioned fan base, but also picked up some new young-adult devotees along the way."

Southland's first season was on NBC, which renewed it for a second season then unceremoniously canceled it before airing a single episode. It found a home on TNT soon thereafter.

The fifth season of 10 episodes is expected to premiere in February 2013.

(Source: Press release.)

Teaser Trailer for Film Adaptation of Bone of Contention by Temperance Brennan

Here's a fun video … a teaser trailer for the film adaptation of one of Temperance Brennan's bestselling novels, Bone of Contention. "Action so intense … you can feel it in your bones."

Brennan is, of course, the fictional forensic anthropologist from Kathy Reichs's mystery series, the characters from which are featured in the Fox series Bones.

Bone of Contention was mentioned in at least one previous episode of the series — "The Bones on the Blue Line" — and will also, apparently, be referenced in next Monday's episode "The Suit on the Set".

Sherlock Season 2 Premieres This Sunday, May 6th on PBS

This Sunday, May 6th, 2012 the second season of Sherlock premieres on PBS's Masterpiece Mystery! (It aired earlier this year in the UK … and we've been so good about not reading all about it and spoiling the episodes!) But we have read the episode descriptions.

First up is "A Scandal in Belgravia", which picks up from the first season's cliffhanger.

How Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) manages to survive snipers, explosives, and a poolside face-off with his insane arch-nemesis Moriarty — or end up in Buckingham Palace's inner chambers, clad only in a sheet — are just the initial tantalizing questions answered when Sherlock returns with its gripping second season opener. The central enigma concerns Irene Adler (Lara Pulver), a beautiful entrepreneur whose special relationship with the rich, powerful and royal has allowed her to amass coveted information powerful enough to topple the government. A worthy match for the aloof detective, Adler masterfully maneuvers her many assets in a game that Sherlock is ill-prepared to fight: love. Two brilliant minds lock together, producing a heat that brings a blush to John's cheek and a potential change to a celibate, cerebral detective. But who will come out on top?

Watch a preview from the episode below.

Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (120504)

Here is today's list of the top bestselling free Kindle mysteries, suspense novels and thrillers.

We're using a script to embed an RSS feed from Amazon.com, which is updated hourly, but if you cannot see the box below — or have scripts blocked — you can use this link to see the relevant page on Amazon.com.

Be a Character in a Trey R. Barker Crime Novel Contest

Have you ever wanted to be a character in a book? How about a Trey R. Barker book? Now's your chance!

Between now and May 31st, 2012 when you purchase a copy of Road Gig you can receive an entry to the contest. Read the book and find the code word can get you another entry. Post a review on Amazon or B&N and you get two more entries. That's four chances in total! All the contest details are in the book.

Three lucky winners will be randomly chosen by Trey. He will announce the winners on June 15th.

Currently priced at just 99 cents, Road Gig is a 19,000 word crime fiction novella. The download includes a "Barefield" short story titled "Blood Evidence" and sample chapters from three other authors published by Down & Out Books.

Brief Teaser Video for BBC America's Copper

BBC America has released a brief — we mean really really brief — teaser for its original historical crime drama Copper.

Set in 1860s New York City, the series centers on Kevin Corcoran (Tom Weston-Jones), an intense, rugged Irish-immigrant cop working the city’s notorious Five Points neighborhood and struggling to maintain his moral compass in a turbulent world.

Copper will premiere on August 19th, 2012.

First Trailer for Cop Drama End of Watch

Yahoo! Movies has the premiere of the first trailer for the cop drama End of Watch (poster right; video embedded below).

Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña star as young Los Angeles police officers Taylor and Zavala as they patrol the city's meanest streets of south central Los Angeles.

Giving the story a gripping, first-person immediacy, the action unfolds entirely through footage from the handheld HD cameras of the police officers, gang members, surveillance cameras, and citizens caught in the line of fire to create a riveting portrait of the city's darkest, most violent corners, the cops who risk their lives there every day, and the price they and their families are forced to pay.

Written and directed by David Ayer, End of Watch opens in theaters September 28th, 2012.

The Perfect Assassin by Ward Larsen is Today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Perfect Assassin by Ward Larsen as today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal. The deal price of $0.99 is valid only for today, Friday, May 04, 2012.

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The Perfect Assassin by Ward Larsen
Publisher: Oceanview Publishing

About The Perfect Assassin (from the publisher): One perfect shot will change the course of history.

Christine Palmer, a young American doctor sailing solo across the Atlantic, makes an incredible discovery — a man narrowly clinging to his life in the frigid waters. But there is much more to this desperate survivor than meets the eye.David Slaton is a Kidon — a highly-trained, highly-precise, and highly-dangerous assassin. The Kidon is both the hunter and the hunted, and he and Christine are in grave danger. Will they win in this race against time?

Important Note: Amazon.com updates its Kindle book deal every day at approximately midnight PT. The title referenced above is available at a discounted price for Friday, May 04, 2012 only.

Download Link(s):

Amazon Kindle Daily Deal.

Mystery Bestsellers for the Week Ending May 04, 2012

A list of the top 15 mystery hardcover bestsellers for the week ending May 4th, 2012 has been posted by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books.

Last week's top title, The Innocent by David Baldacci, retains the number one position again this week.

Two new titles debut on the list.

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New at number 9 is the 12th "Southern Vampire" mystery with Sookie Stackhouse, Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris.

Growing up with telepathic abilities, Sookie Stackhouse realized early on there were things she’d rather not know. And now that she’s an adult, she also realizes that some things she knows about, she’d rather not see — like Eric Northman feeding off another woman. A younger one.

There’s a thing or two she’d like to say about that, but she has to keep quiet — Felipe de Castro, the Vampire King of Louisiana (and Arkansas and Nevada), is in town. It’s the worst possible time for a human body to show up in Eric’s front yard — especially the body of the woman whose blood he just drank.

Now, it’s up to Sookie and Bill, the official Area Five investigator, to solve the murder. Sookie thinks that, at least this time, the dead girl’s fate has nothing to do with her. But she is wrong. She has an enemy, one far more devious than she would ever suspect, who’s set out to make Sookie’s world come crashing down.

Purchase Options:

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At number 14 is the first "Spenser" mystery not written by Robert B. Parker, Lullaby by Ace Atkins.

When fourteen-year-old Mattie Sullivan asks Spenser to look into her mother’s murder, he’s not completely convinced by her claim that the police investigation four years ago was botched. Mattie is gruff, street-smart, and wise beyond her years, left to care for her younger siblings and an alcoholic grandmother in a dilapidated apartment in South Boston. But her need for closure and her determination to make things right hit Spenser where he lives — they’re the very characteristics he abides by.

Mattie believes the man convicted of the crime is innocent and points Spenser to the Southie toughs who she saw carrying her mother away hours before her murder. Neither the Boston PD nor the neighborhood thugs are keen on his dredging up the past, but as Spenser becomes more involved in the case, he starts to realize that Mattie may be onto something. Spenser will need Hawk’s help to find peace for Mattie — a job that’s more dangerous than he ever thought.

Purchase Options:

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For more mystery books news, 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.

Telemystery: AMC Orders Two Pilots for Potential Series

AMC announced today that it has ordered two pilots for potential series to air on the network.

One is Low Winter Sun, based on the BBC mini-series of the same title from 2006, which won the Royal Television Society Award for Drama Serial. In the British version, a corrupt cop is murdered by his fellow detectives, who concoct an elaborate scheme to cover up their crime … the perfect murder. But when they discover they will be investigating their own crime, they struggle to balance what they know and, given the dead man's widespread corruption, what they don't. The action in the AMC pilot is expected to be set in Detroit.

The second is an untitled legal thriller surrounding a sensational murder case.

AMC is clearly expanding its original prime time crime series offering with these two pilot orders. The network already airs The Killing, The Walking Dead, and Breaking Bad.

Winners of the 2012 Independent Publisher Book Awards Announced

The winners of the 2012 IPPYs — Independent Publisher Book Awards — were announced yesterday in 74 categories. The results for the two categories most likely to be of interest to our readers are listed below. (You can see a list of all the winners in all the categories here.)

• Mystery/Cozy/Noir Gold: Murder on Music Row by Stuart Dill (John F. Blair)

• Mystery/Cozy/Noir Silver: Safely Buried by John Pesta (CreateSpace)

• Mystery/Cozy/Noir Bronze: Wicked Wind by Helen Cothran (CreateSpace)

• Suspense Thriller Gold (tie): If Thy Right Hand by Robin Lamont (Dog Ear Publishing) and Department Thirteen by James Houston Turner (Comfort Publishing)

• Suspense/Thriller Silver: Secret Combinations by Gordon Cope (TouchWood Editions)

• Suspense/Thriller Bronze: Murder Under the Microscope by Jane Bennett Munro (iUniverse)

indicates a review by Mysterious Reviews.

The Arkeepers Series of Young Adult Books by W. J. Madsen

Several years ago we reviewed a number of children's fantasy-mysteries by W. J. Madsen. The author contacted us recently, asking if we would take a look at his new "Arkeepers" series of young adult books, and while they're more fantasy than mystery, we wanted to feature them here.

"This is somewhat of an older retool of Inspector Moustachio," Madsen told us. Young Jake Moustachio plays the Inspector in the previous series, and is the star — together with his sister Alexa and their cat Rex — of this new series. "The mysteries of the universe are now in the spirited hands of new young Keepers," is how readers are introduced to the characters. "The Moustachios have been, and will always be, the Keepers of the Universe — Angelik Arkeepers to be exact, those special enough to be chosen to watch over all that is, was, and will be, and to protect all the secrets of the universe from the Deminion Darkeepers, who would dare do it harm."

Midwest Book Review said of the books, "A whimsically adventurous romp through time and space, the Arkeepers series is an excellent gift for inquisitive young readers and a worthy contribution to public or school library collections."

There are currently four books in the series: Keepers, Angeliks, Darkeepers, and Guardians. The recommended age group is 9 and older.

W. J. Madsen is a Reading Is Fundamental booklist pick author and the recipient of three Disney iParenting Media awards for best in book.

Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (120503)

Here is today's list of the top bestselling free Kindle mysteries, suspense novels and thrillers.

We're using a script to embed an RSS feed from Amazon.com, which is updated hourly, but if you cannot see the box below — or have scripts blocked — you can use this link to see the relevant page on Amazon.com.