Poster, Trailer for Art Heist Thriller Trance

A new poster (right; click for larger imate) and red-band trailer for the art heist thriller Trance were released earlier this month … which we missed at the time. The film's tagline: "Inside the mind. Outside the law."

James McAvoy stars as Simon, a fine art auctioneer, who teams up with a criminal gang to steal a Goya painting worth millions of dollars. But after suffering a blow to the head during the heist he awakens to discover he has no memory of where he hid the painting. When physical threats and torture fail to produce answers, the gang's leader Frank (Vincent Cassel) hires hypnotherapist Elizabeth Lamb (Rosario Dawson) to delve into the darkest recesses of Simon's psyche. As Elizabeth begins to unravel Simon's broken subconscious, the lines between truth, suggestion, and deceit begin to blur.

Directed by Danny Boyle from an original screenplay by Joe Ahearne and John Hodge, Trance opens in theaters April 5th, 2013. Watch the red-band trailer below.

First Clues, Mysteries for Kids: New Titles for March 2013

First Clues: Mysteries for Kids is pleased to announce a selection of new mystery, suspense and thriller books (including series titles) scheduled for publication during March 2013, listed in approximate order of reading level, from books for younger readers to books for teens and young adults.

— ♦ —

Cupcake Chaos
Carolyn Keene
Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew

These series titles, with younger aged amateur sleuths based on the original characters in the "Nancy Drew" series, are recommended for readers aged 7 to 9.

Spring has sprung in River Heights, along with a brand-new cupcake café! The Lucky Ladybug, run by twin bakers and celebrities Gwendolyn and Carolyn Porter, is the talk of the town. Nancy, Bess, and George can't wait to taste some of the delicious cupcakes!

But on the day of the opening, the ceremony — and the cupcakes — are ruined by hundreds of live ladybugs that invade the store. It's up to Nancy and the Clue Crew to get to the bottom of this cupcake disaster before the Lucky Lady Bug Cupcake Café has to close for good!

— ♦ —

Secret Sand Sleuths
Sarah Kinney
Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew Graphic Novels

This series of graphic novels are an extension of the "Clue Crew" series of books, and are recommended for readers aged 7 to 9.

A beautiful sand sculpture at the modern art museum is ruined! Fortunately, Nancy and the Crew are on the scene, and while they might not understand all the artwork, they know they like to solve a mystery! Following a mysterious hum, they get lost in the vast museum, and may end up facing more than they can handle.

— ♦ —

Hold Fast
Blue Balliett

This stand-alone novel is recommended for readers aged 7 to 9.

Where is Early's father? He's not the kind of father who would disappear. But he's gone … and he's left a whole lot of trouble behind.

As danger closes in, Early, her mom, and her brother have to flee their apartment. With nowhere else to go, they are forced to move into a city shelter. Once there, Early starts asking questions and looking for answers. Because her father hasn't disappeared without a trace. There are patterns and rhythms to what's happened, and Early might be the only one who can use them to track him down and make her way out of a very tough place.

— ♦ —

The First Samurai
Geronimo Stilton
Geronimo Stilton Graphic Novels

These graphic novels are recommended for readers aged 7 to 9.

It's feudal Japan of the first Tokugawa dynasty, and the Pirate Cats are trying to be assigned a specific fiefdom by the emperor. Why? You'll have to read this tale to find out — it will be a legendary romp, with Geronimo Stilton unwittingly becoming a legendary swordsman, Trap showing off his legendary appetite, and Thea Stilton accidentally inventing Kabuki theater! A rattastic tale of honor, acrobatics, and … cars?

— ♦ —

The Boardwalk Mystery
Gertrude Chandler Warner
The Boxcar Children

The books in this long-running series are recommended for readers aged 7 to 9.

The Aldens are visiting the New Jersey shore and enjoying the beach and the boardwalk attractions. A family friend has just bought an amusement pier, and the children are excited to help out. But there are rumors that the rides aren't safe, and someone has stolen a zombie from the haunted house! Can the Boxcar Children find out what's behind all the trouble?

— ♦ —

Thea Stilton and the Dancing Shadows
Thea Stilton
Geronimo Stilton

The books in this spin-off to the "Geronimo Stilton" mysteries are recommended for readers aged 7 to 9.

The Thea Sisters are headed to Italy for a ballet competition! But the mouselets aren't just there to dance — they are there to investigate. A group is plotting to rig the prestigious contest, and the future of the mouselets' new friend — an aspiring ballerina — is at stake! Can the Thea Sisters stop this scheme before it's too late?

— ♦ —

The Secret of the Long-Lost Cousin
M. Masters, based on a concept by Bruce Lansky
Can You Solve the Mystery?

This new series of short cases are probably best suited for readers at the upper end of the 7 to 9 age group.

Twelve-year-old amateur sleuths — and best friends — Hawkeye Collins and Amy Adams love to solve cases. They invite readers to follow the clues and sketches to solve crimes in their hometown of Lakewood Hills.

All of the books in the "Can You Solve the Mystery?" series contain 9-10 short mysteries. Readers are given written clues as well as visual clues to help them solve the crime. The answers and a brief wrap-up are given in the back of the book.

Three additional books in the series are also being published this month …

• The Case of the Chocolate Snatcher and 8 other mysteries

• The Case of the Video Game Smugglers and 9 other mysteries

• The Case of the Mysterious Dognapper and 9 other mysteries

— ♦ —

Day of Doom
David Baldacci
The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers

The books in this action adventure series are recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

It started with a kidnapping. A shadowy organization known only as the Vespers snatched seven members of the Cahill family and demanded a series of bizarre ransoms from around the world. Thirteen-year-old Dan Cahill and his older sister Amy began a global treasure hunt, determined to bring back whatever Vesper One needed, so long as it kept the hostages safe.

But when they deliver the last ransom, Amy and Dan discover Vesper One's terrifying endgame. The objects he demanded are vital pieces in a Vesper plot that will harm millions of innocent people. Now the two siblings and their friends are in an all-out sprint to stop Vesper One … before the whole world goes BOOM.

— ♦ —

The Alamo
Roland Smith
I, Q

These action thrillers are recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

Fresh off a "too close" encounter with the terrorist group, the Ghost Cell, in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Q and Angela head to San Antonio, Texas. As their parents' band, Match, prepares for a concert at the Alamo, the two discover that the Ghost Cell has its tentacles everywhere, including the Lone Star State. With each passing hour, Q and Angela uncover more clues and discover more leads. And the mysterious Boone and his SOS group leave them with more questions than answers, for there is much more to Boone than meets the eye. With time running out to stop another Ghost Cell attack, Angela and Q and the others begin to wonder. Are they following the Ghost Cell or is the Ghost Cell following them?

— ♦ —

Strike Three, You're Dead
Josh Berk

This stand-alone mystery, which may also serve as the first in a new series, is recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.

Lenny Norbeck is a die-hard baseball lover. Unfortunately, he's no player himself (according to him, he's "the worst there ever was.") But he'd make a heck of an announcer. He gets a lot of practice sitting with his best friends, Mike and Other Mike, watching Phillies games from their lawn couch — a sweet outdoor TV arrangement Mike's dad hooked them up with. Being a real announcer is his dream, and he gets his chance to prove himself when he enters an "Armchair Announcer" contest and wins. The prize: he gets to be the broadcaster, live, for one inning at a real Phillies game.

The game goes very wrong, though. Before Lenny gets to do his inning, a young, promising pitcher fresh out of the minors literally drops dead on the mound. The official verdict is that he died of a heart attack, but Lenny has a hunch there's something more going on. So he and the Mikes set out to investigate. The suspects are many, and though the trio barks up the wrong tree a few times, they are always right on the heels of the real killer.

— ♦ —

First Clues: Mysteries for Kids is your source for information on over 200 mystery series for children and young adults, where each series is conveniently listed under four different age categories (New Sleuths, ages 4 to 6; Future Sleuths, ages 7 to 9; Junior Sleuths, ages 10 to 12; and Apprentice Sleuths, ages 13 and older).

Please Welcome Author Amnon Kabatchnik

by Amnon Kabatchnik

We are delighted to welcome author Amnon Kabatchnik as our guest today.

Amnon's fourth volume in his "Milestone Plays of Crime, Mystery, and Detection" series is Blood on the Stage: 1975-2000 (Scarecrow Press, September 2012 hardcover and ebook formats).

We asked Amnon to tell us how the series came about and what's next for him.

— ♦ —

As an author, I am often asked what triggered the books I wrote. When I reflect on what inspired me to create and compile the four volumes of the Blood on the Stage: Milestone Plays of Crime, Mystery and Detection Series (1900-1925; 1925-1950; 1950-1975; and 1975-2000) as well as Sherlock Holmes on the Stage: A Chronological Encyclopedia of Plays Featuring the Great Detective it is clear that these projects are the culmination of two of my life-long loves: reading and theatre.

Photo provided courtesy of
Amnon Kabatchnik

I was born in Tel Aviv. While my native tongue is right-to-left Hebrew, in my boyhood I learned the English language mostly through American movies and by wallowing in the paperbacks, with colorful, enticing picture covers, that came to Israel at the time. I began to dabble in the works of mystery writers Arthur Conan Doyle, Ellery Queen, Agatha Christie, S.S. Van Dine, Erle Stanley Gardner, Earl Derr Biggers (I still remember vividly the cover of Biggers' Charlie Chan novel The Black Camel), and became hopelessly enamored with detective fiction.

At first a faithful reader, I gradually developed a yen for collecting books in the genre, a passion that has prevailed and mushroomed through the years. By now I have amassed an enormous collection of detective novels, short story volumes, anthologies, true crime, horror, studies and biographies in the field — and play scripts, many out of print. What began as a hobby to collect any book by key mystery writers became a relentless hunt for first editions in dust jackets and fine condition. (Whenever I move to a new dwelling, my first and utmost consideration is the wall space for book cases — not an inexpensive requirement in Santa Monica, where I live).

Since first grade, I have performed in school plays, and following high school, I appeared in a semi-professional theatre in Tel Aviv, named Zira (The Ring). My life took a sharp turn when an invitation came from an uncle who lived in Lowell, Massachusetts to come to the U.S. for my studies. I enrolled at Boston University as both a Journalism and Theatre major.

It so happened that BU had decided to revamp the theatre area, engaged an actor from Ireland's Abbey Theatre, Michael Laurence, to head a new, professionally oriented department — and Laurence cast me (foreign accent and all) in the title role of Hamlet in a show that inaugurated a newly purchased theatre. My humble efforts at BU brought me a Rodgers & Hammerstein Award, a thousand dollars that were very meaningful to a newcomer.

After receiving a BS degree in Journalism and Theatre (summa cum laude), my professors urged me to enroll at the Yale University School of Drama. My affinity toward plays of suspense — which appealed to me because of their strong plots; driving, relentless forward movement; issues of life and death; and nerve-wracking, heart-pumping climaxes — caused me to choose for my thesis productions such dramas as Jean-Paul Sartre's No Exit at BU, and Jacinto Benavente's The Passion Flower at Yale (years later, both plays would be included in my book Blood on the Stage).

I garnered my MFA degree in Directing at Yale and came to New York City to practice the field I had studied. I was fortunate to land the position of Assistant Director at the Phoenix Theatre to internationally renowned directors Tyrone Guthrie (on Friedrich Schiller's Mary Stuart and Karel Capek's The Makropolous Secret) and Tony Richardson (on Ionesco's The Chairs and The Lesson), and from then on I proceeded to direct off-Broadway, national road companies, summer stock, university theatres, and abroad (in Canada and Israel, returning to my home town to stage plays for the Habimah National Theatre).

I directed dramas and comedies by Anton Chekhov, Henrik Ibsen, George Bernard Shaw, Luigi Pirandello, Tennessee Williams, William Inge, Thornton Wilder, Lillian Hellman and scores of musicals, but whenever the opportunity came, my interest in the mystery play led me to choose such fare as Arsenic and Old Lace, Angel Street (Gaslight), The Cat and the Canary, The Mousetrap, Ten Little Indians, Dial "M" for Murder, Wait Until Dark, Night Watch, Bad Seed, The Heiress, Winterset, A Shot in the Dark, An Inspector Calls, Catch Me If You Can, Cliffhanger, and Dracula. A year or so ago I directed in New York a revival of the gothic thriller Ladies in Retirement for off-Broadway's Pulse Ensemble Theatre.

Blood on the Stage is a true labor of love. It combines my hobby of voracious reading of detective literature and my profession of directing plays. The project started years ago as a checklist of milestone plays in the genre and gradually developed into a full-scale endeavor. In the pursuit of old, out-of-print manuscripts and yesterday's newspapers and magazines, during the 1990s I traveled to a number of near and far libraries. Most helpful were the Olin and Uris libraries at Cornell University and the New York Public Library of the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, Manhattan, where I found the scripts of obscure old melodramas as well as such lost plays as the stage version of The Mystery of the Yellow Room (1912), a locked-room classic by Gaston Leroux (author of the original novel, The Phantom of the Opera).

Tracking the genre's lost plays became an enjoyable part of the project. I was delighted to discover Owen Davis' Nellie, the Beautiful Cloak Model (1906), arguably the most popular melodrama of its era, at the archives of the Center for Motion Picture Study in Beverly Hills, California, where I also unearthed the play Everybody Comes to Rick's (1940) by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison, the basis for the movie Casablanca. At some point I dug some dusty play scripts at the old, now defunct bookstores in Manhattan's Greenwich Village.

A major surprise that I encountered upon the research trail were obscure, pirated dramatizations of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes adventure The Sign of Four, written and produced in America at the turn of the 20th century. I was also astonished by the large number of main-stream novelists, playwrights and poets who have mixed their ink with blood penning crime, mystery and detection plays. Among them are Great Britain's John Masefield, John Galsworthy, Somerset Maugham, John Osborne, Graham Greene, and the Americans Eugene O'Neill, John Steinbeck, Ayn Rand, William Saroyan, William Faulkner, Herman Wouk, Horton Foote, James Baldwin, Tennessee Williams.

Also, unexpectedly, some show business celebrities joined the fray: George M. Cohan, Mae West, Raymond Massey, Emlyn Williams, Michael Redgrave, Robert Shaw, Dore Schary, Woody Allen, and Stephen Sondheim.

All these authors, and many more, are represented in the four volumes Blood on the Stage, 1900-1925; Blood on the Stage, 1925-1950; Blood on the Stage, 1950-1975, and the newly published Blood on the Stage, 1975-2000. The productions are arranged in chronological order and are all works of enduring importance, pioneering contribution, singular innovation, or outstanding success. The stories involve murder, theft, chicanery, kidnapping, espionage, or political intrigue. Each entry contains a plot synopsis, production data, and the opinions of well-known critics and scholars. The latest book includes an overview of such memorable psychological thrillers and baffling whodunits as Deathtrap by Ira Levin, Buried Child by Sam Shepard, American Buffalo by David Mamet, Agnes of God by John Pielmeier, A Soldier's Play by Charles Fuller, Beyond Reasonable Doubt by Jeffrey Archer, Hapgood by Tom Stoppard, A Few Good Men by Aaron Sorkin, Postmortem by Ken Ludwig, Death and the Maiden by Ariel Dorfman, Killer Joe by Tracy Letts, and the musicals Chicago, Sweeney Todd, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Les Miserables, The Phantom of the Opera — altogether more than 80 plays produced in the last quarter of the twentieth century.

Now that I have covered the development of the mystery play throughout the 20th century (four volumes, 2558 pages), I am embarking on a prequel that will cite the most important theatrical works of crime and punishment beginning with the ancient Greeks — whose stages were awash with blood — and culminating at the end of the 19th century, a sort of "from Oedipus, the first stage investigator, to Sherlock Holmes, the greatest."

— ♦ —

Born in Tel Aviv, Israel, Amnon Kabatchnik received his BS degree in theatre and journalism from Boston University where he graduated summa cum laude, and won the Rodgers & Hammerstein Award.

Kabatchnik also holds an MFA degree in directing from the Yale School of Drama. He served as Professor of Theatre at several universities, including Stanford University and Ohio State University, and directed numerous dramas, comedies, thrillers and musicals for off-Broadway, national road companies, resident theatres, summer stock, and abroad.

In addition to the Blood on the Stage volumes, Kabatchnik is also the author of Sherlock Holmes on the Stage: A Chronological Encyclopedia of Plays Featuring the Great Detective.

Visit Amnon Kabatchnik online at AmnonKabatchnik.com.

— ♦ —

Blood on the Stage: 1975-2000
Amnon Kabatchnik

Milestone Plays of Crime, Mystery and Detection

Amnon Kabatchnik provides an overview of the most important and memorable theatrical works of crime and detection of this period. Continuing the work of his previous volumes (1900-1925, 1925-1950, and 1950-1975), Kabatchnik describes more than 80 full-length plays produced in the last quarter of the 20th century, with an emphasis on New York and London performances.

Arranged in chronological order, the productions are all works of enduring importance, pioneering contributions, singular innovations, or outstanding success. Many of the most notable playwrights of the era are represented, including Ariel Dorfman, Larry Gelbart, Ira Levin, David Mamet, Terence Rattigan, Reginald Rose, Sam Shepard, Stephen Sondheim, Aaron Sorkin, and Tom Stoppard. The stories involve murder, theft, chicanery, kidnapping, political intrigue, or espionage, with each entry including a plot synopsis, production data, and the opinions of well-known and respected critics and scholars.

        

Furies by D. L. Johnstone is Today's Fourth Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Furies by D. L. Johnstone as today's fourth free mystery ebook (An Ancient Alexandrian Thriller; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, February 27, 2013 at 7:40 AM ET. 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.

For a summary of all of today's featured titles, plus any that may have appeared before and are repeat freebies, visit our Free MystereBooks page. This page is updated daily, typically by 8 AM ET.

— ♦ —

Furies
D. L. Johnstone
An Ancient Alexandrian Thriller
Publisher: D. L. Johnstone

It's 36 AD. The city of Alexandria is a center of Roman commerce — and a sinful playground for the pleasure-seeking rich and powerful.

For wealthy merchant Decimus Tarquitius Aculeo, however, Alexandria has become a living hell. Ruined by a string of mysterious investment disasters, deserted by friends and family, his reputation in tatters, Aculeo is forced to eke out a meagre existence in the poorest, back streets of the city. He's desperate to find the man he blames for the debacle and recover what he's lost.

Aculeo's quest forces him deep into treacherous, unfamiliar territory, Alexandria's criminal underworld. And entangles him in a web of corruption, conspiracy and murder.

A common slave is found murdered in the magnificent temple of the god Serapis. Days later, the brutalized body of a high-priced hetaira is discovered floating in a canal, after an evening entertaining the city's elite. The grim truth soon becomes clear: a ruthless killer is moving among Alexandria's aristocrats, commercial titans, and philosophers.

And ominous clues connect those murders to Aculeo's quest, with disturbing revelations about his own past.

Aided by an Egyptian mortuary attendant, a brilliant philosopher, a lovely hetaira, and his last remaining friends, Aculeo must hunt down a terrifying murderer in the highest echelons of society if he hopes to reclaim the life he has lost.

But first, he must survive …

  

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.

Crimson Hit by Bob Burton with L. J. Martin is Today's Third Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Crimson Hit by L. J. Martin with Bob Burton as today's third free mystery ebook (A Dev Shannon Thriller; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, February 27, 2013 at 7:30 AM ET. 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.

For a summary of all of today's featured titles, plus any that may have appeared before and are repeat freebies, visit our Free MystereBooks page. This page is updated daily, typically by 8 AM ET.

— ♦ —

Crimson Hit
L. J. Martin with Bob Burton
A Dev Shannon Thriller
Publisher: Wolfpack Publishing

Dev Shanon loves his job. He makes good money, travels all over, meets interesting people … and drags them off in chains to face justice. Too bad his latest assignment is personal.

Julio Sanchez has made the fatal mistake of taking out one of Dev's oldest friends … and Dev will have revenge, even if it costs him his life.

  

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.

Zero Point by Tim Fairchild is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Zero Point by Tim Fairchild as today's second free mystery ebook (A Josh Turner Adventure Thriller; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, February 27, 2013 at 7:20 AM ET. 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.

For a summary of all of today's featured titles, plus any that may have appeared before and are repeat freebies, visit our Free MystereBooks page. This page is updated daily, typically by 8 AM ET.

— ♦ —

Zero Point
Tim Fairchild
A Josh Turner Adventure Thriller
Publisher: Tim Fairchild

Deep inside a volcanic lava tube in the Canary Islands, a clue to an ancient archaeological treasure is discovered.

Sinister forces, driven by greed and revenge, will stop at nothing in their effort to control the world’s newest energy source; an energy device that will make oil obsolete.

A new and powerful weapon of mass destruction is on its final countdown to unleash nature's ultimate fury; the likes never before witnessed by mankind.

The fanatical leader of a secular movement will stop at nothing to ensure the ancient discoveries are never brought to light, even if it means … murder.

It’s a race against time as archaeologist, Josh Turner, and his friends, set out to stop the threat and save the lives of millions while seeking to discover the ancient artifacts before they are lost forever.

  

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 Delphi Agenda by Rob Swigart is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Delphi Agenda by Rob Swigart as today's free mystery ebook (An Action Thriller; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, February 27, 2013 at 7:10 AM ET. 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.

For a summary of all of today's featured titles, plus any that may have appeared before and are repeat freebies, visit our Free MystereBooks page. This page is updated daily, typically by 8 AM ET.

— ♦ —

The Delphi Agenda
Rob Swigart
An Action Thriller
Publisher: booksBnimble

Papyrologist Lisa Emmer's world flips when the Surete meets her at her Metro station with news of the savage murder of the esteemed Paris historian Dr. Raimond Foix, her friend and mentor in the study of ancient documents. Horrified, Lisa finds clues at the crime scene left behind for her by her mentor — clues to a secret kept hidden for centuries. These clues make her a prime suspect in the murder investigation, and also put her directly in the cross-hairs of a deadly commando group that proves to be none other than a contemporary offshoot of the Inquisition.

They want an ancient document that reveals a secret so explosive it could change the world — a document they've been tracking for centuries. Led by a sadistic priest and a vicious but very accomplished nun with excellent military cred, their mission is to destroy the document — no matter what the cost in blood.

Desperate to clear her name and to stay alive, with the help of a handsome yet mysterious banker, Lisa must solve the clues and uncover the millennia-old secret before her adversaries can find and destroy it. Since she was a child Lisa had suffered from uncontrollable fugue states. Now she discovers just in time that what she always thought was a liability may in fact be an almost paranormal ability to see things in ways others cannot. The trail leads everywhere from ancient cemeteries and tombs throughout France to Istanbul and Greece, as Lisa and Steve desperately stay one step ahead of their enemies, solving the clues to a dangerous treasure hunt their lives now depend upon.

  

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 Investigation by Stanislaw Lem is Today's Sci-Fi/Fantasy Kindle Daily Deal

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Investigation by Stanislaw Lem as today's Amazon Kindle Sci-Fi/Fantasy Daily Deal.

The deal price of $1.99 is valid only for today, Wednesday, February 27, 2013.

— ♦ —

The Investigation
Stanislaw Lem
A Metaphysical Crime Novel
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

A young officer at Scotland Yard is assigned to investigate a puzzling and eerie case of missing — and apparently resurrected — bodies.

To unravel the mystery, Lt. Gregory consults scientific, philosophical, and theological experts, who supply him with a host of theories and clues.

First published in Poland in 1959, the author has ambivalent feelings about this book. "I am not entirely happy with The Investigation," he writes, "although it is quite well written and keeps the reader in suspense. The ending, a departure from the literary genre, addresses certain philosophical issues by showing possible explanations and courses of events. … My attachment to this idea results from the fact that I was always interested in the role played by pure chance, coincidence and fate."

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.

Whole Lotta Trouble by Stephanie Bond is Today's Kindle Romantic Suspense Daily Deal

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Whole Lotta Trouble by Stephanie Bond as today's Amazon Kindle Romantic Suspense Daily Deal.

The deal price of $1.99 is valid only for today, Wednesday, February 27, 2013.

— ♦ —

Whole Lotta Trouble
Stephanie Bond
A Humorous Romantic Mystery
NeedToRead Books

Sometimes the best laid plans go sideways …

Three single female mystery book editors living in Manhattan meet regularly for drinks to discuss their demanding jobs and their rollercoaster love lives. Tallie Blankenship is a small town girl made good, determined to leave her mark in publishing. Her senior editor is taking a leave of absence for mysterious reasons and has entrusted her with the manuscript of their most popular (and eccentric) author, and Tallie sees the responsibility as a huge stepping stone. But she's livid when the author's agent, infamous bad-boy Jerry Key yanks the project and gives it to her coworker who's willing to sleep with him in return.

Felecia Redmon is a city-bred senior editor with an impressive stable of writers, yet she fantasizes about being a homemaker, stocks her pantry with designer household products and bakes like Betty Crocker. Her brief relationship with agent Jerry Key was a demeaning disaster; he keeps resurfacing to make her life miserable, professionally and personally. When she receives a nude picture of herself in the office mail that she suspects Jerry sent, Felicia is desperate for revenge.

Jane Glass is a neurotic e-book editor with an identity crisis. She's adopted, and of unknown ethnic background, so she celebrates every cultural holiday and dresses flamboyantly with no apologies. Jane, too, has a beef with agent Jerry Key—a client of his plagiarized one of her e-book authors, and she knows that Jerry was fully aware.

The women decide to give Jerry a taste of his own medicine, and as carefully as they would mold a bestselling plot, they concoct a plan to lure the bad-boy agent into a compromising situation, take a digital photo of him, then send it to everyone in his e-mail address book. The plan goes off without a glitch … until they discover the next morning that Jerry is dead, and not of humiliation. To make matters worse, half of Manhattan's publishing industry received a picture of him at the crime scene that they sent.

The shaken women realize how incriminating their escapade will look to the police. They agree to remain silent, but loyalties are strained, especially after another person close to them turns up dead. Toss in a missing manuscript worth millions, a sexy cop too smart for their good, and a plot twist on a scope larger than anyone could have imagined, and the women suddenly realize that when it comes to friendship, flirtation and felony, they're in a whole lotta trouble.

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.

Dead Asleep by Jamie Freveletti is Today's Kindle Daily Deal

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Dead Asleep by Jamie Freveletti as today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal.

The deal price of $0.99 is valid only for today, Wednesday, February 27, 2013.

— ♦ —

Dead Asleep
Jamie Freveletti
An Emma Caldridge Mystery
Harper

Biochemist Emma Caldridge comes to a remote tropical island in the Caribbean in search of minerals believed to reverse the aging process. What she finds instead are the bloody remnants of a bizarre religious ritual. And here, where the local people speak in whispers about sea monsters, ancient voodoo curses, and rampaging evil, she discovers something far more real … and more terrifying.

One by one the island's innocent inhabitants are descending into a paralyzing sleep of the dead — victims of a long-dormant, terrifying, and incurable pandemic that could once again wreak unimaginable havoc if it escapes from the island to spread like wildfire across the globe.

Trapped by a global quarantine, Emma must break through the fear and superstition to get to the truth, and stop the real evil, before she herself succumbs to the death sleep … along with millions of others.

Because the evil here has an all-too-human face …

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.