Review: Strike Three You're Dead by Josh Berk

A Mysterious Review of …

Strike Three You're Dead by Josh Berk. A Lenny & the Mikes Mystery.

Review summary: This is an incredibly entertaining book, one that should greatly appeal middle school readers. And the mystery is cleverly devised, too. Lenny's narration is replete with funny lines, and the situations he finds himself him are more humorous than not. All in all, a terrific start to this series. (Click here for text of full review.)

Our rating:

Strike Three You're Dead
Josh Berk
A Lenny & the Mikes Mystery
Knopf (March 2013)

Publisher synopsis: 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.

      

Winner of the 2013 Spotted Owl Mystery Award Announced

Friends of Mystery has announced the winner of the 2013 Spotted Owl Award … House Blood, a Joe DiMarco thriller by Mike Lawson.

This annual award is given by the Portland (Oregon)-based organization to the best mystery by a Pacific Northwest author.

Mr. E. Reviews Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries Series 1

Purchase/Rental Option(s)

This Australian crime drama is based on a character created by Kerry Greenwood, with eleven of the thirteen episodes adapted from the books in the series. Anyone who has read these mysteries — which I have … not all, but several over the years — will suspect that casting would be the key to success here. And I'm pleased to report that the casting is nearly ideal.

Read the full text of our review at Mr. E. Reviews Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries Series 1.

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

Murder at Whitegates Manor by Eleanor Taylor is Today's Second Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Murder at Whitegates Manor by Eleanor Taylor as today's second free mystery ebook (A Cozy Historical Mystery; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, March 31, 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.

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Murder at Whitegates Manor
Eleanor Taylor
A Cozy Historical Mystery
Publisher: CreateSpace

When Catherine Morton arrives at Whitegates Manor, she discovers that the house was the scene of a fatal accident the previous year. But when the other guests starting dying in suspicious circumstances, it becomes clear that the "accident" was murder, and that the murderer is killing again.

Can she trust the handsome Mr Stanton? Will he help her to uncover the murderer? Or does his evasive manner hide a guilty secret? And how long will it be before the murderer kills again?

  

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.

A Cold Dark Place by Gregg Olsen is Today's Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature A Cold Dark Place by Gregg Olsen as today's free mystery ebook (An Emily Kenyon Thriller; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, March 31, 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.

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A Cold Dark Place
Gregg Olsen
An Emily Kenyon Thriller
Publisher: Pinnacle Books

In a secluded farm house in the Pacific Northwest, a family has been slaughtered--and a teenage son has disappeared. Single mother and cop, Emily Kenyon spearheads a dark hunt for a killer. But Emily's teenage daughter Jenna is one step ahead of her.

Jenna knows the boy suspected of murdering his family and wants to help him — perhaps too much. Then within days of the first murder, another family is butchered, this time in Iowa. And on the heels of this brutal slaying, another follows in Salt Lake City. Eerie similarities link the crime scenes. But an even darker connection threatens to claim even more victims.

As Emily fits the puzzle pieces together, she realizes the danger surrounding her daughter is worse than she'd imagined. Now in a desperate race to save Jenna, Emily must match wits with the most cunning, diabolical killer she's faced yet in her career — a killer who's just placed her and her daughter at the top of his list …

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.

Falling to Pieces by Vannetta Chapman is Today's Nook Daily Find

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Falling to Pieces by Vannetta Chapman as today's Barnes & Noble Nook Daily Find.

The deal price of $1.99 is valid only for today, Sunday, March 31, 2013.

Note: The price has been matched by Amazon.com for today only.

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Falling to Pieces
Vannetta Chapman
A Shipshewana Amish Mystery (1st in series)
Zondervan

When two women — one Amish, one English — each with different motives, join forces to organize a successful on-line quilt auction, neither expects nor wants a friendship. As different as night and day, Deborah and Callie are uneasy partners who simply want to make the best of a temporary situation.

But a murder, a surprising prime suspect, a stubborn detective, and the town's reaction throw the two women together, and they form an unlikely alliance to solve a mystery and catch a killer.

 

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.

Deadly Farce by Jennifer McAndrews is Today's Kindle Daily Deal

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Deadly Farce by Jennifer McAndrews as today's Amazon Kindle Daily Deal.

The deal price of $1.99 is valid only for today, Sunday, March 31, 2013.

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Deadly Farce
Jennifer McAndrews
Avalon Books

When Hollywood heavyweight Shepard Brown fears someone is trying to kill him, he asks newly licensed private investigator Lorraine Keys to keep him safe. Friends with Shepard since elementary school, Lorraine knows he can be more than a little melodramatic. Though she agrees to meet him on location in Atlantic City, New Jersey, to review the situation, the last thing she expects is to find truth in his claims. After all, a poisoned pizza? But after getting caught in the center of yet another attempt on Shepard's life, Lorraine is forced to admit he's right about the danger — and determined to find a way to protect him while searching for the culprit.

With her meddling friend Barb along for the ride and her boss anxiously tracking her every move, Lorraine must juggle the chaos of a film set, the lure of the casinos, the mutual attraction of a hunky co-star, and a minefield of Shepard's ex-girlfriends all while keeping Shepard safe and uncovering the identity of the killer … before she becomes the next target.

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.

MystereBooks: The Reid Bennett Mystery Series by Ted Wood, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature all ten mysteries in the "Reid Bennett" series by Ted Wood, now available at a special price, courtesy of the author. (Editor's note: We recall reading the first few titles in this series back when they were first published in the mid-1980s, and remember them as being crisply written stories with strong plotlines. We are thrilled that the author has made the entire series available as ebooks.)

The ebook format of these titles were priced at $2.99 each from the listed vendors (below) as of the date and time of this post (03/30/2013 at 5:30 PM 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.

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Dead in the Water by Ted Wood
A Reid Bennett Mystery (1st in series)
Publisher: Reid Bennett

First published in hardcover by Scribner in 1983.

His life destroyed because of a bad rap he took for murdering two guys to prevent a rape, Reid Bennett relocated to Murphy's Harbor, a quaint little town in Canada. But was it really the quiet little place it seemed to be?

A corpse and a scared woman, each found on a different side of the lake. Then, another corpse. Reid, with his German shepherd Sam by his side, must go above and beyond the call of duty to get to the bottom of this mystery. The only way he can solve it and remain alive is to stretch the traditional definition of a police officer.

      

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Also available for $2.99 each, the rest of the mysteries in this series …

Murder on Ice
Amazon Kindle Store | Apple iBookstore | Kobo eBooks

Live Bait
Amazon Kindle Store | Apple iBookstore | Kobo eBooks

Fool's Gold
Amazon Kindle Store | Apple iBookstore | Kobo eBooks

Corkscrew
Amazon Kindle Store | Apple iBookstore | Kobo eBooks

When the Killing Starts
Amazon Kindle Store | Apple iBookstore | Kobo eBooks

On the Inside
Amazon Kindle Store | Apple iBookstore | Kobo eBooks

Flashback
Amazon Kindle Store | Apple iBookstore | Kobo eBooks

Snowjob
Amazon Kindle Store | Apple iBookstore | Kobo eBooks

A Clean Kill
Amazon Kindle Store | Apple iBookstore | Kobo eBooks

Important Note: These books were listed at the above mentioned price 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.

MystereBooks: The Winston Churchill Thriller Trilogy by Michael McMenamin and Patrick McMenamin, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature the "Winston Churchill" trilogy of thrillers by Michael McMenamin and Patrick McMenamin, now available at a special price, courtesy of the publisher, Enigma Books.

The ebook format of these titles were priced at $2.99 each from the listed vendors (below) as of the date and time of this post (03/30/2013 at 4:30 PM 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.

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The DeValera Deception by Michael McMenamin and Patrick McMenamin
The "Winston Churchill Trilogy" with Bourke Cockran Jr. and Mattie McGary (1st in series)
Publisher: Enigma Books

Read our review of The DeValera Deception by Michael McMenamin and Patrick McMenamin

In the summer of 1929 Weimar Germany still has a secret military agreement with the USSR to develop new weapons beyond the Ural Mountains. Ultimately, both want to dismember the newly revived independent Poland, but to distract Britain from helping the Poles, the new Irish Free State is placed at risk by conspirators and arms dealers intent on fomenting an IRA coup d'état.

Winston Churchill is about to travel to North America when the new Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald asks him to handle a secret assignment. The IRA intends to buy large quantities of arms in the United States and an SIS team will investigate. Churchill is to enlist American President Herbert Hoover to prevent the weapons from reaching Ireland. But Churchill has his own unofficial team gather evidence as well.

Bourke Cockran Jr., a law professor and former military intelligence agent, is the son of Churchill's old Irish American mentor. Mattie McGary, Churchill's goddaughter, works for William Randolph Hearst. Attracted to each other, their tempers often clash as Cockran and Mattie follow a trail from New York to Los Angeles through Canada to discover who is funding the IRA and where the arms are assembled.

But Mattie is also keeping secrets from Cockran, who has an agenda of revenge: to kill the leader of the IRA team who is responsible for the murder of his wife in the Irish Civil War. These plans interfere with foiling the arms shipment and an IRA plot to assassinate Churchill. And time is running out ...

      

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Also available for $2.99 each, the second and thirds books in the trilogy …

The Parsifal Pursuit
Amazon Kindle Store | Apple iBookstore | Kobo eBooks

The Gemini Agenda
Amazon Kindle Store | Apple iBookstore | Kobo eBooks

Important Note: These books were listed at the above mentioned price 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.

Telemystery: Gangs of New York to be Developed as Television Series

Martin Scorsese and Miramax are teaming up to develop a television series based on the 2002 crime film Gangs of New York. The series will draw from the multitude of events surrounding organized gangs at the turn of the century and shortly thereafter in America, not only in New York, but in other cities such as Chicago and New Orleans and the birth of organized crime in America.

"This time and era of America's history and heritage is rich with characters and stories that we could not fully explore in a two hour film," said Scorsese. "A television series allows us the time and creative freedom to bring this colorful world, and all the implications it had and still does on our society, to life. I am excited to partner with Miramax in telling these stories."

No time frame was mentioned in the press release, nor was a network identified.

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Gangs of New York (2002)

Directed by Martin Scorsese from an original screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Kenneth Lonergan.

In 1846, as waves of Irish immigrants poured into the New York neighborhood of Five Points, a number of citizens of British and Dutch heritage who were born in the United States began making an open display of their resentment toward the new arrivals. William Cutting (Daniel Day-Lewis), better known as "Bill the Butcher" for his deadly skill with a knife, bands his fellow "Native Americans" into a gang to take on the Irish immigrants; the immigrants in turn form a gang of their own, "The Dead Rabbits," organized by Priest Vallon (Liam Neeson). After an especially bloody clash between the Natives and the Rabbits leaves Vallon dead, his son goes missing; the boy ends up in a brutal reform school before returning to the Five Points in 1862 as Amsterdam (Leonardo DiCaprio).

Now a strapping adult who has learned how to fight, Amsterdam has come to seek vengeance against Bill the Butcher, whose underworld control of the Five Points through violence and intimidation dovetails with the open corruption of New York politician "Boss" Tweed (Jim Broadbent). Amsterdam gradually penetrates Bill the Butcher's inner circle, and he soon becomes his trusted assistant. Amsterdam also finds himself falling for Jenny Everdeane (Cameron Diaz), a beautiful but street-smart thief who was once involved with Bill. Amsterdam is learning a great deal from Bill, but before he can turn the tables on the man who killed his father, Amsterdam's true identity is exposed, even though he has concealed it from nearly everyone, including Jenny.

        

Reviews of Mystery and Suspense Books for Kids, New This Week on Book Trends (130330)

Book Trends, a review site for young adult's and children's books, published several new book reviews this past week. We're presenting here a summary of those in the mystery/suspense/thriller category.

One Came Home by Amy Timberlake. Lexile measure: 690L (ages 11 to 13). Reviewed by a 6th grade student, who writes, "This story would be certainly liked by everybody. I mean who doesn't like a page-turning mystery, quest, and adventure book? It is also thrilling." (Read the full review of this mystery novel here.)

For more reviews of children and young adult books of all genres, visit Book Trends; their reviews will amaze you! You can also follow Book Trends on Twitter.

MystereBooks: Two Sherri Travis Mysteries by Phyllis Smallman, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature the first two mysteries in the "Sherri Travis" series by Phyllis Smallman, now available at a special price, courtesy of the author.

The ebook format of these titles were priced at $1.99 each from the listed vendors (below) as of the date and time of this post (03/30/2013 at 8:00 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.

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Margarita Nights by Phyllis Smallman
A Sherri Travis Mystery (1st in series)
Publisher: McArthur & Company

In a small Florida beach town, Sherri Travis is a bartender with attitude and a woman with an inconveniently murdered husband who turns out to be as much trouble to her dead as he was alive.

Sifting through the debris of Jimmy's life, Sherri finds more than a few people who wanted her lying, scheming, scam artist husband gone — but which one actually did the deed?

      

Click on the Amazon button to see also the special Whispersync offer associated with this title.

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Sex in a Sidecar by Phyllis Smallman
A Sherri Travis Mystery (2nd in series)
Publisher: McArthur & Company

Florida has two seasons. The rainy season brings hurricanes, the dry season delivers tourists — both can be nasty.

Sherri Travis is tending bar at the Bath and Tennis Club where two women have been murdered. A rich socialite, who comes in daily for her quota of side-cars, decides to commit suicide by being the next victim, but first she has to decide who the murderer is.

      

Important Note: These books were listed at the above mentioned price 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.

The Philosopher's Game by Steve Jovanoski is Today's Fifth Featured Free MystereBook

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Philosopher's Game by Steve Jovanoski as today's fifth free mystery ebook (A Novel of Suspense; Kindle format only).

This title was listed for free as of the date and time of this post, March 30, 2013 at 7:50 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.

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The Philosopher's Game
Steve Jovanoski
A Novel of Suspense
Publisher: PocketRocket Press

Turning his passion for philosophy into a career was meant to be a defining moment for Julian. At a young age, he'd become a lecturer at a prestigious university. But Julian's life hasn't worked out as planned, and soon he finds that the only reprieve from his humdrum existence is the intellectual debating that takes place in his lectures.

When Julian receives a mysterious email that promises change — something he has long desired — he finds the offer impossible to refuse. All he has to do is play The Game and play it by its rules. Julian quickly learns that when the rules of The Game are broken, penalties apply. People around him are murdered and his own life is thrown into jeopardy.

He discovers that a secret organisation, The Philosophers' Society, is behind it all. They're experimenting with people's lives and they're after something powerful. Thrown together with one of his students, the alluring Isabella, Julian finds an unlikely ally in the deadly game. Together they find themselves on the run from The Philosophers' Society and its sadistic killer Isaiah.

  

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.