Review: Shark Skin Suite by Tim Dorsey

A Mysterious Review of Shark Skin Suite by Tim Dorsey. A Serge A. Storms Mystery.

Review summary: This 18th Florida adventure is rather tame for the series, which isn't a negative comment in this context. The plot, such as it is, is rather confusing, though the courtroom scenes towards the end are really terrific theater. On balance, more positives than negatives, with a topical storyline that isn't quite at edgy as fans may expect. (Click here for text of full review.)

Our rating:

Shark Skin Suite
Tim Dorsey
A Serge A. Storms Mystery
William Morrow (January 2015)

Publisher synopsis: When it comes to swimming with the sharks, there is no bigger kahuna than Serge Storms. Binging on a marathon of legal movies set in Florida, Serge finds his calling: the law. Never mind law school or that degree, Serge becomes a freelance fixer — wildcat paralegal and pilgrim to the hallowed places where legal classics of the big screen such as Body Heat, Cool Hand Luke, and Absence of Malice were filmed practically in his own backyard.

One of Serge's old flames, young lawyer Brook Campanella, is also a rising star thanks to her expertise in the field of foreclosure law. Ruthless at taking down the greedy banksters kicking people out of their homes, she lands a major class-action lawsuit, and wins big. The opposition is determined to shut her down and they'll go to extreme lengths to do it.

Luckily for her, Serge has been hired to do some investigative legwork on the case. There's nothing he likes better than saving a damsel in distress, especially when it means kicking a bunch of shyster butt. The mayhem comes to a hilarious head at the Key West courthouse, at the height of the island's raucous Fantasy Fest street carnival, and no one, including Serge, will ever be the same.

        

Measure of Danger, A Kade Sims Thriller by Jay Klages, Now Available at a Special Price

Amazon Kindle Countdown Deals are limited-time discounts on Kindle-exclusive books.

Omnimystery News is pleased to present you with one of today's titles … but take advantage of this deal now as the price will go up to its digital list price soon! (See the countdown clock on the book product page to see how much time remains on this deal.)

Measure of Danger by Jay Klages

A Kade Sims Thriller (1st in series)

Publisher: Jay Klages

Price: 99¢ (as of 03/30/2015 at 7:00 PM ET).

  

Success in a secret operation could be his redemption. But to get inside the mysterious group known as The Chapter, he'll have to become one of them.

Kade Sims is a young former intelligence officer, recruited by the FBI to secretly collect evidence of organized crime at an agricultural biotech company in rural Oregon. But when he uncovers the activities of a high-tech militia and an imminent threat to the nation, he realizes he's the only one who has a chance to stop a savage terror attack already in progress.

And when he's made an associate of The Chapter, Kade will learn there's no escaping their network …

— Measure of Danger by Jay Klages

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New This Week: Midnight Mass — The Investigation, An Amos Freeman Thriller by Andrew Delaphaine

Omnimystery News is pleased to present 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 March 2015 and priced $4.99 or less …

Midnight Mass — The Investigation by Andrew Delaphaine

An Amos Freeman Thriller (2nd in series)

Publisher: Gramercy Park Press

Price: $2.99 (as of 03/30/2015 at 6:30 PM ET).

  

After the spectacular Christmas Eve robbery of Trinity Church by some men in hooded monks' robes and plastic masks of the face of Jesus Christ, Amos Freeman is surprised to get a call from a mayor's aide telling him to be at Gracie Mansion at 2 p.m.

Lindstadt has the top political and police honchos at Gracie Mansion to organize the investigation. But he surprises them (as well as Freeman) when he plucks Freeman out of NYPD obscurity, appointing him as his personal liaison officer to Operation Trinity.

As she delves into the investigation, deeper and deeper, Amos's life is pulled apart by different forces: his dead-end marriage, the tension on the job, and now by an assignment the mayor will not let him turn down — a job that tosses him into the unsavory stew of conflicting (and hidden) agendas among the power elite of New York City's political leaders, police department bosses, Episcopal Church hierarchy and Wall Street financiers.

— Midnight Mass — The Investigation by Andrew Delaphaine

See also the first book in this series, Midnight Mass — The Crime for 99¢ on Kindle.

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The Legal Limit, A Suspense Thriller by Martin Clark, Now Available at a Special Price

Omnimystery News is always searching for newly discounted mystery, suspense, thriller and crime novels for our readers to enjoy.

Today, we're pleased to present the following title, now available at a special price courtesy of the publisher, Vintage …

The Legal Limit by Martin Clark

A Suspense Thriller

Publisher: Vintage

Price: $1.99 (as of 03/30/2015 at 6:00 PM ET).

  

Gates Hunt is a compulsive felon, serving a stiff penitentiary sentence for selling cocaine. His brother, Mason, however, has escaped their bitter, impoverished upbringing to become the commonwealth's attorney for their rural hometown in Virginia, where he enjoys a contented life with his wife and spitfire daughter.

But Mason's idyll is abruptly pierced by a wicked tragedy, and soon afterward trouble finds him again when he is forced to confront a brutal secret he and his brother had both sworn to take with them to the grave, a secret that threatens everyone and everything he holds dear.

— The Legal Limit by Martin Clark

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Down Don't Bother Me by Jason Miller, a New 1st in Series Mystery Introducing Slim

Omnimystery News is pleased to present you with one of this month's new 1st in Series titles, a mystery, thriller or suspense novel that introduces a recurring character (or characters) …

Down Don't Bother Me by Jason Miller

A Slim in Little Egypt Mystery (1st in series)

Publisher: Bourbon Street Books

  

What we know about the character: Slim is a mine employee in Southern Illinois with a reputation for "bloodhounding", finding lost souls when the police can't or won't. For more information about his first murder, see a synopsis of the book, below.

In the depths of the Knight Hawk, one of the last working collieries in downstate Illinois, the body of a reporter is found, his mini-recorder tied around his neck and a notepad stuffed in his mouth.

The Knight Hawk's owner, Matthew Luster, isn't happy. He wants answers — and he doesn't want the cops or any more press poking into his business. To protect himself and the operation, he turns to Slim, a mine employee with a reputation for "bloodhounding"-finding lost souls when the police can't or won't. Luster needs Slim to locate a missing photographer named Beckett, a close associate of the victim … who just happens to be his son-in-law.

A hard-working single father barely making ends meet, Slim accepts the job — after Luster offers him a guaranteed pension and job security for life. But when you make a deal with the devil, you're going to get burned … . and now Slim is all too close to the flames. Circumstances have lead him into the grimy underworld of Little Egypt, Illinois — a Babel's Tower of rednecks, rubes, freaks, tweakers, gun nuts, and aging hippies-and it quickly becomes clear that he's much more involved in the murder than an innocent man should be.

— Down Don't Bother Me by Jason Miller

Blood Harvest, A Suspense Thriller by Sharon Bolton, Now Available at a Special Price

Omnimystery News is always searching for newly discounted mystery, suspense, thriller and crime novels for our readers to enjoy.

Today, we're pleased to present the following title, now available at a special price courtesy of the publisher, Minotaur Books …

Blood Harvest by Sharon Bolton

A Suspense Thriller

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Price: $2.99 (as of 03/30/2015 at 5:00 PM ET).

  

The Fletchers' beautiful new house is everything they dreamed it would be. Built between two churches in Heptonclough, a small village on the moors that time forgot, it ought to be paradise for this young family of five, but they barely have a chance to settle in before they find that they're anything but welcome. Someone seems to be trying to drive them away — at first with silly pranks but then with threats that become increasingly dangerous, especially to the oldest child, ten-year-old Tom Fletcher, who begins to believe that someone is always watching him.

The adults in Tom's life are trying to help, including his parents; the vicar next door, younger and more dashing than you'd expect a vicar to be; and a therapist, Evi Oliver, who believes him more than she wants to. But there are other clues that something isn't quite right in Heptonclough, including the mysterious accidental deaths of three toddlers over the last ten years. It is not until Tom's siblings, two-year-old Milly and five-year-old Joe Fletcher, go missing in turn that the little village's evil secret turns the Fletchers' dreams into a nightmare.

— Blood Harvest by Sharon Bolton

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The Sweetest Heist in History by Octavia Spencer, a New Randi Rhodes, Ninja Detective Mystery for Cadet Sleuths

Omnimystery News is pleased to present in this post a new First Clues: Mysteries for Kids series title published this month …

The Sweetest Heist in History by Octavia Spencer

Series: Randi Rhodes, Ninja Detective

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Recommended for Cadet Sleuths, Ages 10 to 12

  

Randi Rhodes and her fellow ninja detectives, DC and Pudge, were flying high after solving the Case of the Time-Capsule Bandit. But life in sleepy Deer Creek has begun to feel … a bit boring. There are no crimes to investigate! But a trip to New York City to visit Randi's aunt changes that!

While the ninja detective trio explores Randi's old neighborhood in Brooklyn, they uncover an art heist. Except no one will believe them. So they'll just have to catch the criminals in the act …

— The Sweetest Heist in History by Octavia Spencer

Ladies' Night, A Novel of Suspense by Mary Kay Anderson, Now Available at a Special Price

Omnimystery News is always searching for newly discounted mystery, suspense, thriller and crime novels for our readers to enjoy.

Today, we're pleased to present the following title, now available at a special price courtesy of the publisher, St. Martin's Press …

Ladies' Night by Mary Kay Anderson

A Novel of Suspense

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Price: $2.99 (as of 03/30/2015 at 4:00 PM ET).

  

Grace Stanton's life as a rising media star and beloved lifestyle blogger takes a surprising turn when she catches her husband cheating and torpedoes his pricey sports car straight into the family swimming pool. Grace suddenly finds herself locked out of her palatial home, checking account, and even the blog she has worked so hard to develop in her signature style.

Moving in with her widowed mother, who owns and lives above a rundown beach bar called The Sandbox, is less than ideal. So is attending court-mandated weekly "divorce recovery" therapy sessions with three other women and one man for whom betrayal seems to be the only commonality.

When their "divorce coach" starts to act suspiciously, they decide to start having their own Wednesday "Ladies' Night" sessions at The Sandbox, and the unanticipated bonds that develop lead the members of the group to try and find closure in ways they never imagined. Can Grace figure out a new way home and discover how strong she needs to be to get there?

— Ladies' Night by Mary Kay Anderson

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The Icing on the Corpse by Liz Mugavero, New on the Mystery Bookshelf during March 2015

New on the Mystery Bookshelf during March 2015 …

The Icing on the Corpse by Liz Mugavero, A Kristan Connon, Pawsitively Organic Gourmet Pet Food Mystery (3rd in series)

Publisher: Kensington

  

Kristan "Stan" Connor is thrilled to be invited to the Groundhog Day festivities in quirky Frog Ledge, Connecticut. Her organic, home-baked pet treats are a big hit at the annual celebration, though an important guest is curiously absent …

When Helga Oliver, the town's elderly historian, is found crumpled in the basement of the Historical Museum, the close-knit town is devastated. But after some tenacious digging, Stan discovers Helga was pushed down the stairs — and that this picture-perfect New England town may hide some dark secrets …

Stan's dogged determination reveals Helga's ties to an unsolved death in 1948 … but how does that connect to Adrian Fox, who's just arrived in town to shoot an episode of Celebrity Ghost Hunters? Stan is going to have to be very careful in chasing down the killer — if she wants to live to see another winter …

— The Icing on the Corpse by Liz Mugavero

To see more new paperback titles scheduled to be published this month, visit The Mystery Bookshelf for March 2015. For new hardcover mysteries, visit New Mysteries where for a list of March 2015 mysteries, novels of suspense, and thrillers is provided.

Live To See Tomorrow, A Catherine Ling Mystery by Iris Johansen, Now Available at a Special Price

Omnimystery News is always searching for newly discounted mystery, suspense, thriller and crime novels for our readers to enjoy.

Today, we're pleased to present the following title, now available at a special price courtesy of the publisher, St. Martin's Press …

Live To See Tomorrow by Iris Johansen

A Catherine Ling Mystery (3rd in series)

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Price: $2.99 (as of 03/30/2015 at 3:00 PM ET).

  

Catherine Ling is one of the CIA's most prized operatives. Raised on the unforgiving streets of Hong Kong, she was pulled into the agency at the age of fourteen, already having accumulated more insight and secrets than the most seasoned professionals in her world. If life has taught her anything, it is not to get attached, but there are two exceptions to that rule: her son Luke and her mentor Hu Chang.

When Luke was kidnapped at the age of two, it nearly broke her. Now, nine years later, her son has astonishingly been returned to her and Catherine vows never to fail him again. But when her job pulls her away from home, she relies on the brilliant and deadly Hu Chang to safeguard Luke in her absence. Now Erin Sullivan, an American journalist with mysterious ties to Hu Chang, has been kidnapped in Tibet. If Catherine doesn't agree to spearhead the CIA rescue mission, she knows that Hu Chang himself will go, a possibility she can't risk.

But she will be facing a monster whose crimes stretch back forty years, always eluding the CIA. And the job grows even more complicated when Catherine meets Richard Cameron, a supposed ally who's clearly not telling all he knows. Their attraction is immediate, but Catherine isn't at all sure that he can be trusted. If she's going to rescue this journalist with a story worth killing for, she'll need to keep Cameron very close.

From the treacherous landscape of the Himalayas to the twisting back alleys of San Francisco, the clock is ticking for Catherine and those she loves most. At every turn she faces a ruthless enemy who is determined to keep the truth buried, even if it means that none of them live to see tomorrow.

— Live To See Tomorrow by Iris Johansen

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The Angel Court Affair by Anne Perry, New in Bookstores during March 2015

Today's featured new hardcover mystery, suspense, or thriller title scheduled to be published during March 2015 is&nbsp…

The Angel Court Affair by Anne Perry, a Charlotte and Thomas Pitt Mystery (31st in series)

Publisher: Ballantine

    

As the nineteenth century draws to a close, most of Europe is in political turmoil, and terrorist threats loom large across the continent. Adding to this unrest is the controversial Sofia Delacruz, who has come to London from Spain to preach a revolutionary gospel of love and forgiveness that many consider blasphemous. Thomas Pitt, commander of Special Branch, is charged with protecting Sofia — and shielding Her Majesty's government from any embarrassment that this woman, as beautiful as she is charismatic, might cause.

When Sofia suddenly vanishes and two of her female disciples are gruesomely murdered, Pitt is challenged as never before. Is Sofia's cousin, wealthy banker Barton Hall, somehow involved? And why has handsome cricket star Dalton Teague insinuated himself into Pitt's investigation? Fearful that this sensational crime may trigger an international incident, Pitt welcomes the help of three allies: his clever wife, Charlotte; her great-aunt, Lady Vespasia; and Victor Narraway, Pitt's friend and former commander at Special Branch. From the narrow streets of Toledo and a lonely monastery high in the hills of Spain, to the halls and wharves of London, Pitt and his friends race against time in their desperate bid to catch a murderer.
— The Angel Court Affair by Anne Perry

For a list of more new hardcover titles to be published this month, visit our New Mysteries page for March 2015. For new paperback mysteries, visit The Mystery Bookshelf where a selection of March 2015 mysteries, novels of suspense, and thrillers are shelved.

Marked Fur Murder by Dixie Lyle, New on the Mystery Bookshelf during March 2015

New on the Mystery Bookshelf during March 2015 …

Marked Fur Murder by Dixie Lyle, A Deirdre "Foxtrot" Lancaster Mystery (3rd in series)

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

  

When zillionairess Zelda Zoransky decides to throw one of her famous parties — with a guest list as colorful and diverse as her private zoo — it's up to Deirdre "Foxtrot" Lancaster, assistant extraordinaire, to pull the whole thing off. But even with the help of her telepathic cat Tango and ectoplasmic pooch Whiskey, it's one killer assignment. Especially when she finds a corpse in the pool …

The victim is the sister of Deirdre's boyfriend, Ben. The cause of death appears to be a plugged-in hair dryer that fell in the water. Ben, however, insists that a few volts couldn't have killed Ann. Like him, she's a descendent of the Cowichan tribe who, according to legend, has a way with lightning. One of the guests must have marked her for murder! But when the suspects include a Russian pet psychic, a schizophrenic writer, and a random rock star, it's more than puzzling to Whiskey, Tango, and Foxtrot.

— Marked Fur Murder by Dixie Lyle

To see more new paperback titles scheduled to be published this month, visit The Mystery Bookshelf for March 2015. For new hardcover mysteries, visit New Mysteries where for a list of March 2015 mysteries, novels of suspense, and thrillers is provided.

Death by Cashmere, A Seaside Knitters Mystery by Sally Goldenbaum, Now Available at a Special Price

Omnimystery News is always searching for newly discounted mystery, suspense, thriller and crime novels for our readers to enjoy.

Today, we're pleased to present the following title, now available at a special price courtesy of the publisher, NAL …

Death by Cashmere by Sally Goldenbaum

A Seaside Knitters Mystery (1st in series)

Publisher: NAL

Price: $1.99 (as of 03/30/2015 at 1:00 PM ET).

  

Not long after Isabel "Izzy" Chambers opens up a knitting shop in the sleepy fishing town of Sea Harbor, Massachusetts, a diverse group of women begins congregating each week to form the Seaside Knitters.

Izzy raises some eyebrows when she rents the apartment above her shop to Angie Archer, whose reputation for loose behavior and a quick temper has made her unpopular with many locals. But could any of them have wanted her dead? Angie's body is discovered drowned in the harbor, her long red hair tangled like seaweed in a lobster trap.

An official investigation rules the death an accident. There are speculations of too many whiskey sours, a slippery wharf, a dark night … But Izzy and the Seaside Knitters smell something fishy. When several strange incidents occur above the shop, the women decide to take matters into their own hands. But before long, their small-town sense of security is frayed, and the threat of more violence hangs over this tightly knit community …

— Death by Cashmere by Sally Goldenbaum

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The Void, The Tanner Sequence by Timothy S. Johnston, New This Week from Carina Press

Carina Press is a digital-first imprint from Harlequin, publishing books in an interesting and diverse selection of genres including contemporary romance, steampunk, gay/lesbian fiction, science-fiction, fantasy, and — but of course — mystery and suspense.

We've selected one of their recently published titles to feature here today …

The Void by Timothy S. Johnston

The Tanner Sequence (3rd in series)

Publisher: Carina Press

Price: $2.99 (as of 03/30/2015 at 12:30 PM ET).

  

2403 AD. It would be easier to kill him than to trust him …

Transporting a serial killer might seem like a simple job for CCF Homicide Investigator Kyle Tanner. After spending years apprehending murderers, he's ready to hang up his pistol. Babysitting a prisoner will bring him to Alpha Centauri, where he can search for a way to escape the CCF forever.

When his ship breaks down in deep space and a CCF research vessel comes to his aid, Tanner realizes he's in terrible danger: the scientists on board have blocked his distress call. And when Tanner's prisoner escapes, he begins to suspect that the proximity of the research vessel had nothing to do with luck and everything to do with the CCF's relentless reach.

Facing near-certain death by his own organization, Tanner must unravel a tangled skein of vengeance, duplicity and murder in deep space. But he's being held at the will of master puppeteers, and if he can't cut the strings, he'll dance straight to a gruesome, excruciating death …

— The Void by Timothy S. Johnston

See all three books in the highly rated Tanner Sequence Series for $2.99 each on Kindle.

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Telemystery: Case Histories, New This Week on DVD

Telemystery, your source for one of the most comprehensive listings of crime drama, amateur sleuth, private investigator, mystery and suspense television series, mini-series and made-for-television movies, now available on or coming soon to DVD, Blu-ray disc, or Video-on-Demand, is profiling one series from our site being released this week.

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Case Histories

The Complete Collection

 

Jason Isaacs stars as Jackson Brodie, an ex-cop now trying to make a living as a private detective in Edinburgh. Tough but good-hearted, Brodie can't turn a blind eye to injustice and people in need. Although it does little to line his pockets, he finds himself investigating everything from lost cats to missing children and killers on the run.

While Brodie tries to bring resolution to his clients, his own life is unfailingly turbulent. He adores his young daughter (Millie Innes) but struggles to see her regularly. He thoroughly exasperates his assistant, Deborah (Zawe Ashton), and his former colleague on the force, Louise (Amanda Abbington), who nonetheless has a soft spot for him. And he has complicated romantic relationships, particularly with beautiful actress Julia (Natasha Little).

Based on the crime novels by Kate Atkinson, Case Histories features sharp scripts, well-drawn characters, and a ruggedly beautiful Scottish setting.

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Visit the Telemystery website to discover more television mystery series currently available on and coming soon to DVD, Blu-ray disc, or video on demand.