So Help Me God by Larry D. Thompson is Today's Fifth Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature So Help Me God by Larry D. Thompson as today's fifth 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.

— ◊ —

So Help Me God
Larry D. Thompson
Publisher: Story Merchant Books

Miraculously awakening from a twelve-year coma, television evangelist Thomas Jeremiah Luther eagerly resumes his world-wide ministry while secretly plotting to seize control of conservative Christian political power in America.

When a teenage member of Luther’s congregation almost dies from an abortion, he convinces her family to file a multi-million dollar medical malpractice case against the physician and abortion clinic. The right verdict will shut down abortion clinics all over the country and send the religious right and power brokers of all stripes flocking to his door.

With two powerful and charismatic lawyers arguing the case, the nation is riveted to this landmark courtroom battle where the one of the most heated points in the national debate will be decided: When exactly does life begin?

  

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.

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

Hooligans by William Diehl is Today's Fourth Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Hooligans by William Diehl as today's fourth 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.

— ◊ —

Hooligans
William Diehl
Publisher: Story Merchant Books

Jake Kilmer is a cop for the Feds. His specialty is a branch of the Mafia known as the Cincinnati Triad. He's pursued them for years, and now they've set up shop in Dunetown, Georgia.

This time, they will not escape the Hooligans, a tough squad of ex-cops that Jake has organized.

This time, he'll settle the score once and for all …

  

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.

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

The Hunt by William Diehl is Today's Third Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Hunt by William Diehl as today's third 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.

— ◊ —

The Hunt
William Diehl
Publisher: Story Merchant Books

This thriller was originally titled 27 when first published by Villard in 1990.

As the world trembles with the approach of World War II, a woman dies at the hands of Hitler's henchmen. Her murder forever changes her lover, Francis Scott Keegan, a relentless anti-Nazi mercenary, who becomes locked in a desperate cat-and-mouse game with the Third Reich's perfect spy, a man of a thousand faces.

In an arena that encompasses presidents and gangsters, spies and sirens, the deadly present and the dark past, Keegan pursues his elusive quarry into the cutting edge of world events—and into the secret inner workings of a terrifying mission known only as "27".

  

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.

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

Bloody Murdock by Robert J. Ray is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Bloody Murdock by Robert J. Ray 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.

— ◊ —

Bloody Murdock
Robert J. Ray
A Matt Murdock Mystery
Publisher: Camel Press

This is the first mystery (of five) in this series, originally published in 1986 by St. Martin's Press.

PI and ex-cop Matt Murdock is picky about the cases he takes on. Being a bodyguard isn’t his favorite gig, especially when the client is a high-handed number-cruncher like Ellis Dean. But Murdock is short on funds, and the case is a puzzler. It doesn’t hurt that it features the death, accidental or otherwise, of a beautiful woman.

Murdock has a weakness for damsels in distress, even after it’s a little late for rescue. Gayla Jean Kirkwood, killed in a car wreck on the Pacific Coast Highway, was a good-time girl, high-class waitress and wannabe starlet. Dean fires Murdock and ends up dead, clearing the way for Murdock to sign on with Gayla Jean’s sister, Meg Kirkwood, a gorgeous dead ringer for her sister. The case will offer other female distractions, including a fresh-faced and overly eager girl reporter. Who would want Gayla Jean dead? Was it a scorned lover? Someone at the chic club where she worked? The men who paid to photograph her naked? Or was she simply collateral — the real target being the Mexican actor driving the doomed car?

As his investigation continues, Murdock and his client will discover just how dirty deals in Hollywood can get. If they live long enough.

  

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.

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

Telling Lies by Cathi Stoler is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Telling Lies by Cathi Stoler 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.

— ◊ —

Telling Lies
Cathi Stoler
Publisher: Camel Press

How many lies does it take to get away with murder?

Magazine Editor Laurel Imperiole is vacationing in Florence, Italy, with Aaron Gerrard, Chief of Detectives of New York City's 13th Precinct Identity Theft Squad. A chance encounter brings Laurel to a startling realization: she's just bumped into a dead man: Jeff Sargasso, an art dealer and husband of a close friend who supposedly died in the World Trade Center on 9/11. When he vanished, Sargasso had been brokering the sale of a priceless masterpiece that was lost during World War II to CEO Alfred Hammersmith and billionaire Miayamu Moto. Hammersmith perished along with Sargasso on 9/11, and it is believed that the access codes to the $15 million deposit — ten percent of the asking price died — with them. Could Sargasso have faked his own death to steal the money?

The painting's whereabouts are unknown. Laurel enlists the help of private detective Helen McCorkendale, and together they follow the threads that lead from Florence, Italy, to New York. On the way, the women tangle with Israeli Mossad agent Lior Stern and several stop-at-nothing collectors. All are determined to have the painting for themselves. Ignoring Aaron's advice, Laurel puts their volatile relationship in jeopardy.

As Helen and Laurel search for Sargasso, the painting and the money, they find themselves enmeshed in a sinister skein of lies that could end in death.

  

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.

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

The Hangman's Daughter and The Dark Monk by Oliver Pötzsch are Today's Kindle Daily Deal

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Hangman's Daughter and The Dark Monk by Oliver Pötzsch as today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal.

The deal price of $0.99 each is valid only for today, Sunday, July 29, 2012.

— ◊ —

The Hangman's Daughter
Oliver Pötzsch
A Magdalena Kuisl Mystery
Publisher: Mainly Murder

This book was originally published in Germany in 2008 under the title Die Henkerstochter. The second book in the series, The Dark Monk, is also available today for 99 cents.

Magdalena, the clever and headstrong daughter of Bavarian hangman Jakob Kuisl, lives with her father outside the village walls and is destined to be married off to another hangman's son — except that the town physician's son is hopelessly in love with her. And her father's wisdom and empathy are as unusual as his despised profession. It is 1659, the Thirty Years' War has finally ended, and there hasn't been a witchcraft mania in decades. But now, a drowning and gruesomely injured boy, tattooed with the mark of a witch, is pulled from a river and the villagers suspect the local midwife, Martha Stechlin.

Jakob Kuisl is charged with extracting a confession from her and torturing her until he gets one. Convinced she is innocent, he, Magdalena, and her would-be suitor to race against the clock to find the true killer. Approaching Walpurgisnacht, when witches are believed to dance in the forest and mate with the devil, another tattooed orphan is found dead and the town becomes frenzied. More than one person has spotted what looks like the devil — a man with a hand made only of bones. The hangman, his daughter, and the doctor's son face a terrifying and very real enemy.

Important Note: This book was listed at the price mentioned above 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.

Netflix to Air French Crime Drama Engrenages

Netflix has acquired a non-exclusive right to air the French crime drama Engrenages. Three 10-episode seasons of the series aired on Canal Plus in 2005, 2008, and 2010; a fourth season is expected to debut later this year. The Netflix deal includes all four seasons (to date); a fifth and sixth season have been ordered by the French network.

In English-speaking countries, the series is marketed as Spiral … though the French translation of the title is "gears". Netflix will air the series in French with English subtitles.

Engrenages follows the actions of a police department headed by a female captain. It seems to us that each season covers a single case, though we could be wrong about that.

An American version of the series is in development by Sam Mendes.

Below is a promotional video prepared by the international distributor of the series.

This Week's Bestselling Mystery and Suspense Games to Download (120728)

Here is this week's list of the top ten bestselling games to download from Amazon.com, many of which have a mystery or suspense theme.

We're using a script to embed an RSS feed from Amazon.com, which is frequently updated, 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.

See also these pages: Mystery Games to download to your PC and Mystery Games available as Android Apps.

Today's Bestselling Free Kindle MystereBooks (120728)

Here is today's list of the Bestselling Free Kindle Crime Fiction: the top nine mysteries, novels of suspense, 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 click on the image to the right or use this link to see the relevant page on Amazon.com.

MystereBooks: This Week's Update of Kindle Books Priced $2.99 or Less (120728)

Every month Amazon publishes a list of 100 Kindle books priced $3.99 or less. We thought we'd take that idea and improve on it, publishing a list of 100 Kindle mystery books priced $2.99 or less and updating it every week!

Here is our general criteria for selecting titles to include: books from major or specialty publishers of crime fiction and those written by authors familiar to us. There are far more than 100 to choose from, so we use our best judgment to narrow it down.

And just a reminder … as we add new titles, older ones are removed from the list. These books aren't likely to be repeated, so we encourage you to check in frequently!

Just a note or two before we get to today's update.

• Two more first two in series titles from Poisoned Pen Press were newly discounted this past week, the "Lena Jones" mysteries by Betty Webb and the "John the Eunuch" mysteries by Mary Reed and Eric Mayer. The first in each series is 99 cents — free on iTunes — and the second is $2.99.

• Just a couple more days before July's Amazon 100 Kindle Books for $3.99 or less sale ends. We've tried to avoid duplicating titles from this sale on our own list, but there's always a chance one or two might have slipped in.

Below are listed the new $2.99 or less titles we added today; click on the cover or title for more information or to purchase the Kindle edition.

Important Note: Prices can and do change without prior notice! We strongly urge you to confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of purchase is the price of the book.

Silenced by Allison Brennan.
A Lucy Kincaid Mystery (4th).

Taking a Stand by Ken Casper.

Blood Men by Paul Cleave.

A Discount for Death by Steven F. Havill.
A Posadas County Mystery (12th).

One for Sorrow by Mary Reed and Eric Mayer.
A John the Eunuch Mystery (1st).

Two for Joy by Mary Reed and Eric Mayer.

Trap Line by Carl Hiaasen and Bill Montalbano.

Separate Cases by Robert J. Randisi.
A Miles Jacoby Mystery (4th).

Stand-Up by Robert J. Randisi.
A Miles Jacoby Mystery (6th).

Desert Noir by Betty Webb.
A Lena Jones Mystery (1st).

Desert Wives by Betty Webb.
A Lena Jones Mystery (2nd).

A Cool Breeze on the Underground by Don Winslow.
A Neal Carey Mystery (1st).

 

New TV Spot for Skyfall

A new TV spot for the film Skyfall aired during last night's Olympics Opening Ceremonies, and the studio has uploaded it to its YouTube channel; we've embedded it below.

The 23rd film in this long-running franchise, Skyfall is Daniel Craig's third turn as James Bond. Directed by Sam Mendes from an original screenplay by John Logan, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, the film opens in the UK on October 26th, 2012 and in the US on November 9th, 2012.

The Long Midnight of Barney Thomson by Douglas Lindsay is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Long Midnight of Barney Thomson by Douglas Lindsay 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.

— ◊ —

The Long Midnight of Barney Thomson
Douglas Lindsay
A Barney Thomson Thriller
Publisher: Blasted Heath

Barney Thomson — awkward, diffident, Glasgow barber — lives a life of desperate mediocrity. Shunned at work and at home, unable to break out of a twenty-year rut, each dull day blends seamlessly into the next.

However, there is no life so tedious that it cannot be spiced up by inadvertent murder, a deranged psychopath, and a freezer full of neatly packaged meat.

Barney Thomson's uninteresting life is about to go from 0 to 60 in five seconds, as he enters the grotesque and comically absurd world of the serial killer …

  

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.

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

Murder on the Interstate by Jean Henry Mead is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Murder on the Interstate by Jean Henry Mead 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.

— ◊ —

Murder on the Interstate
Jean Henry Mead
A Logan & Cafferty Mystery
Publisher: Medallion Press

This is the third mystery in this series.

Dana Logan and Sarah Cafferty are traveling along a northern Arizona interstate when they discover the body of a young woman in her Mercedes convertible. The killer returns to disable their motorhome and "Big Ruby" McCurdy, a truck driver, comes to their rescue. While following the killer's pickup to get his license number in the 18-wheeler, they find that he's not only stalking them, but is involved in a homegrown terrorist group that plans to take down the government.

  

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.

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

Death of a Cozy Writer by G. M. Malliet is Today's Kindle Daily Deal

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Death of a Cozy Writer by G. M. Malliet as today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal.

The deal price of $1.99 is valid only for today, Saturday, July 28, 2012.

— ◊ —

Death of a Cozy Writer
G. M. Malliet
An Inspector St. Just Mystery
Publisher: Mainly Murder

We said this winner of the 2008 Agatha Award for Best First Novel "will entertain readers with its characters, setting, and board game-like features, but in the end will captivate them with a compelling denouement in a familiar gathering of the suspects in the drawing room."

From deep in the heart of his eighteenth century English manor, millionaire Sir Adrian Beauclerk-Fisk writes mystery novels and torments his four spoiled children with threats of disinheritance. Tiring of this device, the portly patriarch decides to weave a malicious twist into his well-worn plot. Gathering them all together for a family dinner, he announces his latest blow — a secret elopement with the beautiful Violet … who was once suspected of murdering her husband.

Within hours, eldest son and appointed heir Ruthven is found cleaved to death by a medieval mace. Since Ruthven is generally hated, no one seems too surprised or upset — least of all his cold-blooded wife Lillian. When Detective Chief Inspector St. Just is brought in to investigate, he meets with a deadly calm that goes beyond the usual English reserve. And soon Sir Adrian himself is found slumped over his writing desk — an ornate knife thrust into his heart. Trapped amid leering gargoyles and concrete walls, every member of the family is a likely suspect. Using a little Cornish brusqueness and brawn, can St. Just find the killer before the next-in-line to the family fortune ends up dead?

Read our review of Death of a Cozy Writer by G. M. Malliet.

Important Note: This book was listed at the price mentioned above 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.

AMC Cancels The Killing

AMC has elected not to renew The Killing for a third season. This news comes as no surprise to anyone, who watched the first season only to discover that the whole premise of the season, "Who killed Rosie Larson?", was not to be resolved until the end of the second season.

On some level this cancellation is disappointing news, as we were really impressed by the performances of the actors playing the two principal characters, Mireille Enos and Joel Kinnaman. But it's unlikely we'd ever completely trust showrunner Veena Sud developing a new storyline for the series, fearing we would be "surprised" again by some new "twist" she'd insist was integral to the success of the series yet was anything but. So it's probably all for the best.