Mystery Bestsellers for the Week Ending January 31, 2014

A list of the top 15 Mystery Hardcover Bestsellers for the week ending January 31st, 2014 has been posted by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books.

In a rather amazing twist, one of last year's longest running number one bestsellers, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, has regained the top spot this week. Otherwise, just a bit of shuffling among the remaining top ten.

One new title enters the list this week (rank in [brackets]).

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[11]: An Officer and a Spy
Robert Harris

Paris in 1895. Alfred Dreyfus, a young Jewish officer, has just been convicted of treason, sentenced to life imprisonment at Devil's Island, and stripped of his rank in front of a baying crowd of twenty-thousand. Among the witnesses to his humiliation is Georges Picquart, the ambitious, intellectual, recently promoted head of the counterespionage agency that "proved" Dreyfus had passed secrets to the Germans.

At first, Picquart firmly believes in Dreyfus's guilt. But it is not long after Dreyfus is delivered to his desolate prison that Picquart stumbles on information that leads him to suspect that there is still a spy at large in the French military.

As evidence of the most malignant deceit mounts and spirals inexorably toward the uppermost levels of government, Picquart is compelled to question not only the case against Dreyfus but also his most deeply held beliefs about his country, and about himself.

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Today's Mystery and Suspense Update from Big Fish Games (140131)

Here is today's mystery and suspense update from Big Fish Games …

• The New Release is Mystery of the Ancients: Three Guardians (Collector's Edition).

• The Daily Deal is Deadly Voltage: Rise of the Invincible, just $2.99 today only!

• The current Catch of the Week is Abyss: The Wraiths of Eden, just $2.99 through Sunday, February 02, 2014 only.

Visit the Omnimystery Entertainment Network for more games of mystery and suspense!

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The New Release today is Mystery of the Ancients: Three Guardians (Collector's Edition)

Uncover the secrets of Green Hill! After receiving a frantic call from your niece, you arrive in Green Hill to discover that things have really gone to the birds. A flock of mysterious crows has been terrorizing the town, attacking citizens and causing them to vanish in their tracks. But they're just the hired help. A strange man in a feathered cloak has a vendetta against your niece's boyfriend, and he'll stop at nothing to clear his path to revenge. Can you uncover the secrets behind his feathered fury and rescue Green Hill before it's too late? Find out in this gorgeous Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game!

This is a special Collector's Edition release full of exclusive extras you won't find in the standard version, including: In the bonus game, the Dead King's crown corrupts an ally; Screensavers, soundtracks, and concept art; Collectible figures from the game; and an Available Strategy Guide.

A sample version is available to download and play for free for one hour.

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Today's Daily Deal is Deadly Voltage: Rise of the Invincible

A mysterious force from a parallel universe wreaks havoc on a small town as a scientist fights to stop it from taking over the world! With its dazzling animation, super-charged gameplay and electrifying story, this is a hidden object adventure for all ages! Plug in today!

A sample version is available to download and play for free for one hour. You can purchase this game today only — Friday, January 31, 2014 — for $2.99.

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The current Catch of the Week is Abyss: The Wraiths of Eden

Find your missing fiancé in the deepest parts of the ocean! Discover and investigate a forgotten underwater city that hides many spine-chilling secrets and supernatural forces which still lurk in every corner of this mysterious world. Face an ancient evil that is hiding in the deepest chambers of the once idyllic city of Eden. Hold your breath and dive into this breathtaking underwater Hidden Object adventure!

A sample version is available to download and play for free for one hour. You can purchase this game at the special price of $2.99 through Sunday, February 02, 2014.

Review: The Spook Lights Affair by Marcia Muller and Bill Pronzini

A Mysterious Review of The Spook Lights Affair by Marcia Muller and Bill Pronzini. A Carpenter and Quincannon Mystery.

Review summary: The second mystery in this series, consisting of two cases investigated separately that are (of course) connected, is an enjoyable one, and takes advantage of and makes clever use of several unique elements from the time and place that the action is set, San Francisco in the late 1800s. (Click here for text of full review.)

Our rating:

The Spook Lights Affair
Marcia Muller and Bill Pronzini
A Carpenter and Quincannon Mystery
Forge Books (December 2013)

Publisher synopsis: In 1895 San Francisco young debutantes don't commit suicide at festive parties, particularly not under the eye of Sabina Carpenter. But Virginia St. Ives evidently did, leaping from a foggy parapet in a shimmer of ghostly light. The seemingly impossible disappearance of her body creates an even more serious problem for the firm of Carpenter and Quincannon, Professional Detective Services.

Sabina hadn't wanted to take the assignment, but her partner John Quincannon insisted it would serve as entrée to the city's ultra rich and powerful. That means money, and Quincannon loves the almighty dollar. Which is why he is hunting the bandit who robbed the Wells, Fargo office of $35,000.

Working their separate cases (while Sabina holds John off with one light hand), the detectives give readers a tour of The City the way it was. From the infamous Barbary Coast to the expensive Tenderloin gaming houses and brothels frequented by wealthy men, Quincannon follows a danger-laden trail to unmask the murderous perpetrators of the Wells, Fargo robbery. Meanwhile, Sabina works her wiles on friends and relatives of the vanished debutante until the pieces of her puzzle start falling into place. But it's an oddly disguised gent appearing out of nowhere who provides the final clue to both cases — the shrewd "crackbrain" who believes himself to be Sherlock Holmes.

      

Lethal Vintage, A Sunny McCoskey, Napa Valley Mystery by Nadia Gordon, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Lethal Vintage by Nadia Gordon, now available at a special price, courtesy of the publisher, Chronicle Books.

The ebook format of this title was priced at $1.99 from the listed vendors (below) as of the date and time of this post (01/30/2014 at 5:00 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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Lethal Vintage by Nadia Gordon
A Sunny McCoskey, Napa Valley Mystery (4th in series)
Publisher: Chronicle Books

A decadent day of poolside sunbathing turns into a scandalous night — culminating in murder.

By morning, the police are pounding on Sunny McCloskey's door, and she is once again thrust into the center of a tense investigation involving a hedge-fund billionaire with a spectacular estate in California's Napa Valley.

  

Important Note: This book was 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.

A New MystereBook: Showdown at Verity by Terry Mort

Here is a mystery, suspense, or thriller ebook that we recently found by sleuthing (as it were) through new or recently reissued titles from independent publishers during January 2014 priced $4.99 or less …

Showdown at Verity by Terry Mort was first published in paperback by Pinnacle in 2004 and introduces Pinkerton agent Ethan Grey. This is the first appearance as an ebook for this mystery/western.

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Showdown at Verity by Terry Mort
An Ethan Gray Mystery
Publisher: Terry Mort
Publication Date: January 28, 2014
Price: $2.99 (as of 01/30/14 04:30 PM ET)

Ethan Grey has seen too many good people die to regret killing the bad ones. An educated man, a former sailor who shelled Vicksburg for the Union Navy, Grey has come to Hell's own training ground on the Mexican border. The Pinkertons want him to find out who hijacked an army payroll and left eight soldiers dead beneath the blazing sun.

Amid ambush and bloody betrayal, he's right at home.

  

Important Note: This book was listed for the price indicated on the date and time as shown. Prices can and do change without prior notice. Please confirm the price of the book before completing your purchase.

The Tenth Justice, A Suspense Thriller by Brad Meltzer, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Tenth Justice by Brad Meltzer, now available at a special price, courtesy of the publisher, HarperCollins.

The ebook format of this title was priced at $3.99 from the listed vendors (below) as of the date and time of this post (01/30/2014 at 4:00 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 Tenth Justice by Brad Meltzer
A Suspense Thriller
Publisher: HarperCollins

Landing a prestigious position as a Supreme Court clerk fresh out of Yale Law, Ben Addison is on the ultra-fast track to success — until he inadvertently shares a classified secret with the wrong listener. And now the anonymous blackmailer who made a killing with Ben's information is demanding more. Guilty of a criminal act, his golden future suddenly in jeopardy, Ben turns for help to his roommates — three close friends from childhood, each strategically placed near the seats of Washington power — and to his beautiful, whip-smart fellow clerk, Lisa Schulman.

But trust is a dangerous commodity in the nation's capital. And when lives, careers, and power are at stake, loyalties can shatter like glass … and betrayals can be lethal.

        

Important Note: This book was 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.

A New Infinity Ring Adventure: The Iron Empire by James Dashner

We are pleased to present you with one of this month's new First Clues: Mysteries for Kids books: The Iron Empire by James Dashner, a Infinity Ring Adventure.

For more information about the book, which is recommended for readers aged 10 to 12, see a synopsis, below.

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The Iron Empire by James Dashner
Series: Infinity Ring
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Format(s): Hardcover, eBook

They've sailed on the Santa Maria, defended famous cities from Vikings and Mongols, and come face-to-face with some of the greatest figures in history. Now, at long last, Dak, Sera, and Riq travel back in time to the moment it all began. Their mission: to save the life of young Alexander the Great.

But they are not the only time travelers in ancient Greece. An epic battle against their most dangerous foe awaits them … and history will be written by the victors.

Fix the past. Save the future. It's now or never!

        

The Bride's Kimono, A Rei Shimura Mystery by Sujata Massey, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature The Bride's Kimono by Sujata Massey, now available at a special price, courtesy of the publisher, Harper.

The ebook format of this title was priced at $3.99 from the listed vendors (below) as of the date and time of this post (01/30/2014 at 3:00 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 Bride's Kimono by Sujata Massey
A Rei Shimura Mystery (5th in series)
Publisher: Harper

Antiques dealer Rei Shimura has managed to snag one of the most lucrative and prestigious jobs of her career: a renowned museum in Washington, D.C., has invited her to exhibit her kimonos and give a lecture on them. Accompanied by a gaggle of Japanese office ladies bent on a week of shopping, Rei lands in the capital. But her big break could ultimately break her.

Within hours one of the kimonos is stolen, and then Rei's passport is discovered in a shopping mall dumpster — on the dead body of one of the Japanese tourists. Trouble is only beginning, though, for now Rei's parents have arrived and so has her ex-boyfriend.

To track down the kimono and unmask a killer, Rei's got to do some clever juggling, fast talking, and quick sleuthing, or this trip home could be her last.

        

Important Note: This book was 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.

Miss Dimple Picks a Peck of Trouble by Mignon F. Ballard, New in Bookstores in February 2014

Today's new hardcover mystery title, scheduled to be published during February 2014 by Minotaur Books, is Miss Dimple Picks a Peck of Trouble by Mignon F. Ballard.

For a list of more new hardcover mysteries published this month, visit our New Mysteries page for February 2014. For new paperback mysteries, visit The Mystery Bookshelf where a selection of February 2014 mysteries, novels of suspense, and thrillers are shelved.

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Miss Dimple Picks a Peck of Trouble
Mignon F. Ballard
Series: Miss Dimple Kilpatrick (4th)

It's the summer of 1944 and the world seems mired in a war that will never end. On the home front, the people of Elderberry, Georgia, are doing everything they can to support the troops. Even with a war on, the peaches are ripe for picking. As veteran teacher Miss Dimple Kilpatrick and her colleagues work in the orchard, they hear frantic calls for help: An eighteen-year-old girl, Prentice, has been missing — and is later found murdered.

Miss Dimple and her fellow teachers-turned-sleuths are determined to find the killer. Although Prentice had recently broken up with her boyfriend, the most obvious suspect isn't always the right one: Prentice may have been keeping some secrets; and a local woman claims to have witnessed the whole abduction — except she also believes she is Scarlett O'Hara, that Nazi spies are pursuing her, and that she knows where the Confederate gold is buried. Figuring out what really happened to Prentice is sure to be a challenge. But Miss Dimple, who has taught the town's first graders for decades, has never been daunted by a challenge.

        

Telemystery: Bones Renewed for a 10th Season

Fox has renewed Bones for a 10th season.

The long-running comedy/drama, based on characters created by crime novelist Kathy Reichs, stars Emily Deschanel as Dr. Temperance Brennan, who has an uncanny ability to read clues left behind in a victim's bones. Her partner in solving crimes is FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz).

"Over the course of nine seasons, Bones has grown from a hit crime procedural into a beloved pillar of our lineup that resonates with fans in a way that only the best of shows can," said Kevin Reilly, Fox's Chairman of Entertainment. "Our viewers have embraced Emily, David and the entire cast and characters of Bones as their very own, and I think they are going to love what Hart Hanson and Stephen Nathan have planned for Season 10!"

Stephen Nathan will be showrunning the tenth season, as Hart Hanson splits his time between the series and the new Fox drama Backstrom, based on a character created by Swedish crime novelist Leif G. W. Persson.

Damned If You Don't, A Hannah Fox, Catskill Mountain Mystery by Anita Page: Amazon's The Big Deal Promotion

Every so often Amazon releases a new selection of Kindle books priced up to 85% off as part of The Big Deal Promotion.

Today's featured mystery, suspense, or thriller title is Damned If You Don't by Anita Page. This Kindle book was listed at $0.99 as of the date and time of this post, Thursday, January 30, 2014 at 1:30 PM ET, and should be available at this price through Sunday, February 02, 2014.

More information about the book is below; if other vendors have priced-matched this title, links to their sites are also shown.

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Damned If You Don't by Anita Page
A Hannah Fox, Catskill Mountain Mystery (1st in series)
Publisher: Glenmere Press

Raised in the Sixties on picket lines and peace marches, activist Hannah Fox can't turn her back when a friend's land is targeted by an eminent domain scam that threatens her small town in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York. When the developer behind the fraudulent scheme is murdered and her young friend becomes a suspect, Hannah probes the dead man's shameful past. She faces hard choices, convinced the murder was a heroic act even when it's clear she may be the killer's next victim.

Hannah volunteers at a domestic abuse hotline. Trying to help the women and children whose lives become entwined with her own, she is caught in the town's secrets, lies, and double dealing. Trouble invades her private life as she tries to curb the mounting attraction between herself and Jack Grundy, Senior Investigator for the New York State Police, while watching her own marriage crumble.

  

Important Note: This book was 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.

Angel Sleuth, A Murder Mystery by Lesley A. Diehl, Now at a Special Price

MystereBooks is pleased to feature Angel Sleuth by Lesley A. Diehl, now available at a special price, courtesy of the publisher, Untreed Reads.

The ebook format of this title was priced at $2.99 from the listed vendors (below) as of the date and time of this post (01/30/2014 at 1:00 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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Angel Sleuth by Lesley A. Diehl
A Murder Mystery
Publisher: Untreed Reads

Kaitlin Singer needs time off — from a philandering husband, from a writing career stalled on a buzzard as a main character, and from the stash of chocolate in her lingerie drawer. Her decision to return to her childhood home might seem like the perfect way to get her life back together were it not for her mother foisting two visitors on her, guests who claim to be guardian angels. Perhaps not all is lost, for the angels might just be the companions she needs to help her solve the murder of a local newspaper columnist.

To uncover clues to the crime, Kaitlin takes over the dead woman's work, writing the column as well as volunteering in the senior center, moves that put her in the path of the killer. She and her guests will need assistance from a pot-bellied pig and some pool skills to bring the murderer down.

  

Important Note: This book was 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.