July 2012 Kindle Mysteries for $3.99 or less

Earlier today we mentioned that Amazon has updated its monthly list of 100 Kindle books for $3.99 or less. For the month of July, these books have been conveniently sorted them into categories, one of which is Mysteries & Thrillers. We are providing a summary of all 24 titles in this category below, sorted by price, with series information where appropriate.

Important Note: The prices shown are only available through the month of July 2012 and may change without prior notice. Please confirm the price of book before completing your purchase.

$0.99 Kindle mysteries …

• Children of the Fog by Cheryl Kaye Tardif.

$1.99 Kindle mysteries …

• Getaway by Lisa Brackmann.
• Don't Know Jack by Diane Capri. The Hunt for Reacher (1st).
• The Khmer Kill by Barry Eisler. A Dox Short Story.
• Love Thy Neighbor by Mark Gilleo.
• Bullet for a Star by Stuart M. Kaminsky. A Toby Peters Mystery (1st).
• The Styx by Jonathon King.
• Mai Tai One On by Jill Marie Landis. An Em Johnson, Tiki Goddess Mystery (1st).
• Box Nine by Jack O'Connell.
• In Pursuit of Spencer by Otto Penzler.
• Bloodman by Robert Pobi.

$2.99 Kindle mysteries …

• Stay at Home Dead by Jeffrey Allen. A Deuce Winters Mystery (1st).
• Blood Alley by Tom Coffey.
• They're Watching by Gregg Hurwitz.
• Silent Kills by C. E. Lawrence. A Lee Campbell Mystery (1st).
• The Brahams Deception by Louise Marley.
• Perdition U.S.A. by Gary Phillips. An Ivan Monk Mystery (1st).
• The Grove by John Rector.
• Scared Stiff by Annelise Ryan. A Mattie Winston Mystery (2nd).
• Torch by Cheryl Strayed.
• The Wowzer by Frank Wheeler Jr.
• The Lost Van Gogh by A. J. Zerries.

$3.99 Kindle mysteries …

• The Detachment by Barry Eisler. A John Rain Thriller (7th).
• Second You Sin by Scott Sherman. A Kevin Connor Mystery (2nd).

A&E Orders Bates Motel Direct to Series

No pilot needed here! A&E announced today that it has ordered direct to series the Psycho prequel Bates Motel. The project was first announced this past January.

Inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's famous film thriller, the contemporary series will explore the relationship between Norman Bates and his mother before he became a serial killer. Though no pilot per se will be filmed, Anthony Cipriano wrote the screenplay that would have served as one — and will presumably be the first of the series' 10 episodes.

NBC has its own version of a serial killer prequel series. It has announced the drama Hannibal, based on a character created by Thomas Harris, which is set to air during the 2012/2013 television mid-season.

Bates Motel is scheduled to premiere on A&E in 2013.

Mystery and Suspense Films, New This Week on DVD (120703)

Checking through our list of films currently scheduled for release this week on DVD and/or Blu-ray disc, shown below are those that fall into the mystery, suspense, thriller and adventure categories.

See also a list of current mystery and suspense DVD, Blu-ray, or VOD deals on Amazon.com.

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Purchase/Rental Options

The Hunter (2011)

Film Synopsis (from the studio): Willem DaFoe stars as Martin David, a skilled and focused mercenary, who is sent into the Tasmanian wilderness on a hunt for a tiger believed to be extinct. Hired by an anonymous company that wants the tiger's genetic material, Martin arrives in Tasmania posing as a scientist. He proceeds to set up base camp at a broken-down farmhouse, where he stays with a family whose father has gone missing. Usually a loner, Martin becomes increasingly close to the family. However, as his attachment to the family grows, he is led down a path of unforeseen dangers, complicating his deadly mission.

Directed by Daniel Nettheim from a screenplay adapted from the novel of the same title by Julia Leigh, the film runs 100 minutes and is rated R for language and brief violence.

Watch a trailer for the film below:

Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (120702)

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.

Top 25 Free Mysteries and Thrillers from iTunes

Some of you may have noticed a new feature on our sidebar: the Top 25 Free Mysteries and Thrillers available from the iTunes iBookstore.

Click on any of the titles displayed — they are on a five-second cycle — and you'll be taken to the book's iTunes webpage. iTunes may also automatically start — if not, you'll be given the option to open it — from which you can download the book to your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. (These ebooks are iOS versions only.)

The list of free titles is automatically updated frequently by Apple. The top titles will likely only rarely change, but there's almost certainly something new to discover lower on the list every day.

In addition to this sidebar feature, we will continue to promote newly free titles, from iTunes as well as other vendors, as we discover them ourselves on our Free MystereBooks page.

Telemystery: George Gently, Mannix, Midsomer Murders, and The Streets of San Francisco, 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 four series being released this week.

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Martin Shaw is back as Inspector George Gently, a by-the-book cop from London now working in the North East of England, in the British crime drama George Gently.

This corner of the country is just starting to experience the social changes sweeping the rest of 1960s Britain, but the former Scotland Yard detective finds that crime occurs here the same as anywhere else. In his meticulous manner, Gently examines the passions and planning that lead to murder, his methods more often than not offset by those of his cocky young sidekick, Sergeant John Bacchus (Lee Ingleby).

George Gently: Series Four is available on DVD and Blu-ray disc and consists of two feature-length episodes, in which Gently investigates the suspicious death of an ex-informant facing a seemingly hopeless future, as well as the murder of a young woman poised on the brink of an exciting new chapter in her life.

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Mike Connors stars as a hard-boiled and gritty detective, who constantly defies rules and regulations and is able to take a flurry of fist fights, high-speed car chases and bullet wounds in stride, in Mannix.

This penultimate season of the series features a large number of special guest stars, including (from the press release) Joan Van Ark, Greg Morris, Sam Elliott, Pernell Roberts, Sandy Kenyon, Mark Lenard, James Sikking, Frank Langella, Michael Conrad, Joe E. Tata, Stacy Keach Sr., Nancy Kovack, Victor Buono, Barbara Babcock, Anne Baxter, William Boyett, Diana Muldaur, John Milford, Jack Murdock, John Colicos, Victor French, Alan Fudge, Hayden Rorke, Paul Carr and Linda Evans.

Mannix: Season Seven is available on DVD and consists of episodes that originally aired on CBS during the 1973/1974 television season.

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The cozy villages of Midsomer County reveal their most sinister secrets in Midsomer Murders, inspired by the mysteries of Caroline Graham.

Detective Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby (John Nettles) has policed the murderous county for decades, and now he's ready to retire. In these four episodes, Barnaby investigates his final cases before leaving the denizens of Midsomer in the capable hands of his cousin, DCI John Barnaby (Neil Dudgeon). The series also stars Jason Hughes as Detective Sergeant Ben Jones.

Midsomer Murders: Set Twenty is available on DVD and Blu-ray disc and consists of episodes that originally aired on ITV in late 2010 and early 2011.

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Twenty year veteran police Detective Lt. Mike Stone (Karl Malden) is partnered with young, college educated Inspector Steve Keller (Michael Douglas) who has a lot to learn about being a police detective, in The Streets of San Francisco.

Guest stars at this mid-point of the series — it ran for five seasons — include (from the press release) guest stars such as Leslie Nielsen, Susan Strasberg, Jacqueline Scott, Johnny Weissmuller Jr., Bill Bixby, Andrew Duggan, Bernie Kopell, Don Stroud, Edward Mulhare, Dabney Coleman, Katherine Cannon, William Campbell, Mariette Hartley, Herbert Jefferson Jr., Francine York, Vic Morrow, George Murdock, A Martinez, Tim O'Connor, Bruce Kirby, Dean Stockwell, Dee Wallace, and Belinda Montgomery.

Two DVD sets are being released this week.

The Streets of San Francisco: Season Three (Volume 1) is available on DVD and consists of episodes that originally aired on ABC from mid-September through mid-December 1974.

The Streets of San Francisco: Season Three (Volume 2) is available on DVD and consists of episodes that originally aired on ABC from mid-December 1974 through mid-March 1975.

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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.

Suggestion of Death by Janet Kole, Free During July 2012

Last Fall, mystery author Janet Kole visited Omnimystery News to tell us why practicing law is … murder! She featured her book Suggestion of Death in the post, and wrote today to tell us that it is free to download from Smashwords during the month of July 2012.

Visit the Suggestion of Death page on Smashwords, add the book to your cart, and use this coupon code — SSWIN — at checkout to receive the book for free. This promotion is valid through July 31st, 2012 only.

A synopsis of the book is provided below.

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Suggestion of Death by Janet Kole
Publisher: CreateSpace

About Suggestion of Death (from the publisher): "Ripped from the headlines," this murder mystery involves pedophile priests, AIDS and "Big Law" lawyers with a unique narrator.

The horrors begin when the narrator sees a peculiar message on the law firm's monitors: "Prepare to die." It is a suggestion that someone will die. And someone does: a much beloved retired partner, David St. Clair, beaten to death in his home. Then the firm's managing partner, Michael Bolden, disappears.

The unnamed narrator, whose gender is also never revealed, is a former prosecutor who has in the past helped the police solve crimes, who starts by investigating former partners, and young lawyers, who have been dismissed from the firm under a cloud.

David St. Clair had been the managing partner when they were fired. One suspect is an abusive lawyer who stole money from the firm. Another is a young lawyer dismissed for raiding client funds to underwrite a gambling habit. The narrator talks to a young man, Matt Moran, who was framed by Michael for sexual harassment, and then dismissed. The narrator brings into the investigation another partner at the firm, in order to bounce ideas around. Melanie is a chain-smoking, outspoken iconoclast, a good foil for the staid narrator. Both the narrator and Mel think Michael is somehow involved.

Then another firm partner is murdered, this time in the firm's main conference room. Jud Levy's heart has been ripped from his chest, although the cause of death is a single gunshot to the head. Are the murders related? Jud helped Michael ruin the reputation of Matt Moran. Did Matt kill Jud? Anatole, known as Ant, Michael's best friend and a public service lawyer, is brutally beaten outside the firm's offices.

The narrator discovers that there is a connection among David, Michael and Ant. Each in some way has been involved with the Blessed Brothers of Mercy, a teaching order of monks. David has been a big contributor to the BBM, and Michael and Ant had each been part of the order for a period of time. The narrator meets with the head of the order, who reveals that the order has been the site of rampant sexual abuse for many years. Ant was investigating the abuse and the abusers for the diocese. Michael had been abused. He had recently discovered that he had acquired AIDS from his abuser.

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):

Smashwords Book Download Link.

Paul H. Yarbrough on Why We Like Mysteries

We are pleased to welcome debut novelist Paul H. Yarbrough as our guest blogger today.

Paul's "Southern Novel" is Mississippi Cotton (WiDo Publishing, April 2011 paperback and ebook editions), in which an adventurous young boy and his cousins snoop around in a mystery that is better left to the grown ups.

Today Paul gives us his thoughts about why we like mysteries.

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Someone has posed the question as to why people are drawn to mystery stories. Let us see if we can figure it out. Possibly a redundant appellation, since anything that is fact isn't a story, it is nonfiction; that is to say, all mysteries are stories. This isn't nit-picking because, as facts are dull, theories are interesting. For example, when Einstein finally showed that E=mc² it became a fact that any freshman physics major could accept; not to mention any layman should he want to spend the time. However whether any given black hole could suck in any other black hole is a mystery (not yet a fact) and, for those who have the time, a great mental stimulation; therefore still a mystery. And certainly not dull.

But man doesn't necessarily require the arcane ranges of sub-atomic, particle-physics to satisfy an urge for mystery-solving. For many (including some scientific- doctorate-types) there are a multitude of stories involving science fiction, murder, spy, etc.

But the interest, as often as not, is not in the concealment, but in the handling of the solution. For example, in the old mystery T.V. series, Columbo, there was no ambiguity as to who the killer was. The interest was what clues would be found, and how would they be used. In Erle Stanley Gardner's Perry Mason stories, there was never any doubt as to who-didn't-do-it. Readers certainly knew Mason's client didn't. The unknown was how Mason would prove it, while simultaneously demonstrating who-did-done-it. On the other hand, Ellery Queen stories always bring the readers (or viewers) along as a player in the solution of who-and-why-it-got-done.

For science fiction, try The Invasion of the Body Snatchers. For spy stories, take a Tom Clancy reading trip.

Some of the most well-known writers of mystery have used the crutch of characters to add to, and build on the mystery of the narrative. We may solve the mystery but will often not understand or solve the mystery of the character's personality. Whether Raymond Chandler's Phillip Marlowe, Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes (forget trying to figure out Dr. Watson) or a litany of Poe's created literary brethren, the characters are eccentric and frequently impenetrable to us.

The powerful thrust of every mystery is revealed at the end of the story when, upon capturing all the previous secrets, and having bared all, we are satisfied; but only temporarily. The lust for more pulls us in. For, once we have found the answer, we seek another mystery. Michael Crichton's terrific science fiction novel, The Andromena Strain, was a great mystery, which when finally solved we are left with an epilogue that effectively says: Are you sure you know everything? It is mystery that ends without ending; a great story.

The world is full of its own mysteries; and therein are an infinite number of them. So why do we need fictitious mysteries when there are an abundant source of unsolved mysteries around us. The answer probably is for the same reason people go fishing. They don't need to fish for food. They don't even need to fish in order to eat fish. They do it because they enjoy it. It doesn't matter whether or not the mystery is true or not. They do it for the adventure. So is solving mysteries an adventure? Mostly, yes.

I think without mystery, without uncertainty, the conclusion is always the beginning. It is one thing for God to be the Alpha and the Omega; He understands all. So knowing everything is no mystery to Him, though I don't think he gets bored. But as mortals, we thrive for what is unrevealed: "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." (Corinthians I, 2:9 KJV)

We are creatures of mystery, created in mystery and bred and cultured in mystery. Each time a mystery of life is unlocked, another reports for attention.

But have we figured out why we seek to solve them? Think about the following statement made by Socrates: "I know that I know nothing at all." Is there a mystery to be solved in what he said? The answer is no. If you disagree and want to solve it, knock yourself out. But I warn you, it is a paradox; a truly unsolvable mystery. The point is: It is a mystery why we are driven to solve mysteries. If we solved the one we would forever eliminate the other; then we have no mystery. And we have lost a great adventure. Anyway, that is what I think.

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Paul H. Yarbrough, born and reared in Jackson, Mississippi, now lives in Houston, Texas. He is working on an additional novel set in Mississippi, circa 1953-54, A Mississippi Whisper, and reworking a earlier unpublished novel set in 1952 around Shiloh, Tennessee, The Tennessee Walls. For more information about the author and his books, visit his website at PaulHYarbrough.com or his blog, Southern Stories and Study.

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About Mississippi Cotton:

In 1951 the body of an unknown white man is found in the Mississippi river along the Mississippi Delta. Two black men discover it while fishing. A young boy, Jake Conner, visits his country cousins in the small Delta town of Cotton City and begins parallel journeys discovering the dead man’s identity and fate. Along the journey Jake befriends a stalwart black man recently back from the Korean War, who teaches him that Confederates were gray because they were merged in the black and white of Mississippi.

He learns of dark forces of the past, and with the camaraderie of his family, the acquaintance of a simple-minded sharecropper, and the eccentricities of a strange woman from the past, also gets a look into the future of the agrarian land of Mississippi.

Amazon's 100 Kindle Books for $3.99 or less for July 2012

Every month, Amazon selects 100 Kindle books and prices them at $3.99 or less. Their list for July was published yesterday, and conveniently includes a Mysteries & Thrillers category.

We're going to go through the titles one by one later today, sorting by author and price and adding a comment or two here and there, but for those of you who want a head start, here are links to the full list and, more importantly, of course, to the mysteries and thrillers.

Silver Lies by Ann Parker is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Silver Lies by Ann Parker 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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Silver Lies by Ann Parker
An Inez Stannert, Silver Rush Mystery
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press

About Silver Lies (from the publisher): As 1879 draws to a close, this Rocky Mountain boomtown has infected the world with silver fever. Joe Rose, a precious-metals assayer, was found trampled into the muck behind Inez Stannert's saloon. A lady educated on the East Coast, Inez has a past that doesn't bear close scrutiny, including her elopement with a gambling man who has recently disappeared.

Most townsfolk, including Inez's business partner, Abe Jackson, dismiss Joe's death as an accident. But Inez wonders: Why was this loving husband and father carrying a brass token good for "one free screw" at the parlor house of Denver madam Mattie Silks?

When Joe's widow Emma asks Inez to settle Joe's affairs, almost against her will, Inez uncovers skewed assays, bogus greenbacks, and blackmail.

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.

Apple iBook Download Link (via iTunes).

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

Murder on the Mind by L. L. Bartlett is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Murder on the Mind by L. L. Bartlett 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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Murder on the Mind by L. L. Bartlett
A Jeff Resnick Mystery
Publisher: Polaris Press

Former insurance investigator Jeff Resnick is introduced in this first mystery (of four to date) in this series.

About Murder on the Mind (from the publisher): After a brutal mugging in Manhattan leaves him with a broken arm and fractured skull, Jeff Resnick reluctantly agrees to recover at the home of his estranged half brother, Richard. At first, Jeff believes his graphic nightmares of a slaughtered buck are just the workings of his traumatized mind. But when a local banker is found in the same condition, Jeff believes the attack has left him with a sixth sense--an ability to witness murder before it happens. Piecing together clues he saw in his visions, Jeff attempts to solve the crime. His brother Richard is skeptical, but unsettling developments begin to forge a tentative bond. Soon, things that couldn’t be explained by premonition come to light, and Jeff finds himself probing into dangerous secrets that touch his own traumatic past in wintry Buffalo--and the killer is ready to eliminate Jeff’s visions permanently.

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.

Mystery Godoku Puzzle for July 02, 2012

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 B G H I L T W Y

Sheriff Bo Tully is introduced in this mystery by Patrick F. McManus, with "The" (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!

Russian Teaser Trailer for Jack Reacher

A Russian teaser trailer for Jack Reacher has been posted on YouTube. It looks suspiciously like it was filmed using a hand-held camera at a screen, so it may not be there for long. And it wasn't. We've deleted it from this post.

Tom Cruise stars as the titular character in a film based on the novel One Shot by Lee Child.

There's really not much of interest in the trailer, which seems all action shots and no plot. And there's surprisingly little of Tom Cruise in the trailer; his Chevelle has a higher profile.

The Christopher McQuarrie directed film opens in theaters December 21st, 2012.

Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (120701)

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.

Review: Drift Away by Jeff Shelby

We've just published our Review of Drift Away by Jeff Shelby. A Noah Braddock Mystery. Jeff Shelby Ebook, June 2012.

Our rating:

Available to purchase from …