Thursday, July 02, 2015

Butter Off Dead by Leslie Budewitz, New on the Mystery Bookshelf during July 2015

New on the Mystery Bookshelf during July 2015 …

Butter Off Dead by Leslie Budewitz

Butter Off Dead by Leslie Budewitz, An Erin Murphy, Food Lovers' Village Mystery (3rd in series)

Publisher: Berkley

Butter Off Dead by Leslie Budewitz, Amazon Kindle format

The merchants of Jewel Bay, Montana, try to heat up chilly winter business with a new film festival. But their plans are sent reeling when a dangerous killer dims the lights on a local vendor …

In an attempt to woo tourists to Jewel Bay and cheer up the townies, Erin Murphy, manager of the specialty local foods market known as the Merc, is organizing the First Annual Food Lovers' Film Festival, filled with classic foodie flicks and local twists on favorite movie treats. But when her partner in planning, painter Christine Vandeberg, is found dead only days before the curtain rises, Erin suspects someone is attempting to stop the films from rolling.

To make matters worse, Nick — Erin's brother and Christine's beau — has top billing on the suspect list. Convinced her brother is innocent and determined that the show must go on, Erin has to find who's really to blame before Nick gets arrested or the festival gets shut down. But the closer she gets to the killer, the more likely it becomes that she'll be the next person cut from the program …

Butter Off Dead by Leslie Budewitz

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

Burn for Me, A Hidden Legacy Novel of Romantic Suspense by Ilona Andrews, 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, Avon …

Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews

Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews

A Hidden Legacy Novel of Romantic Suspense (1st in series)

Publisher: Avon

Price: $1.99 (as of 07/02/2015 at 3:00 PM ET).

Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews, Amazon Kindle format

Nevada Baylor is faced with the most challenging case of her detective career — a suicide mission to bring in a suspect in a volatile situation. Nevada isn't sure she has the chops. Her quarry is a Prime, the highest rank of magic user, who can set anyone and anything on fire.

Then she's kidnapped by Connor "Mad" Rogan — a darkly tempting billionaire with equally devastating powers. Torn between wanting to run and wanting to surrender to their overwhelming attraction, Nevada must join forces with Rogan to stay alive.

Rogan's after the same target, so he needs Nevada. But she's getting under his skin, making him care about someone other than himself for a change. And, as Rogan has learned, love can be as perilous as death, especially in the magic world.

Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews

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Important Note: Price(s) verified as of the date and time shown. Price(s) are subject to change at any time. Please confirm the price of the book before purchasing it.

One Way or Another by Elizabeth Adler, New in Bookstores during July 2015

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

One Way or Another by Elizabeth Adler

One Way or Another by Elizabeth Adler, A Novel of Suspense

Publisher: Minotaur Books

One Way or Another by Elizabeth Adler, Amazon Kindle formatOne Way or Another by Elizabeth Adler, Nook formatOne Way or Another by Elizabeth Adler, iTune iBook formatOne Way or Another by Elizabeth Adler, Kobo format

One moment Angie Morse is standing on the deck of a large luxury yacht and the next she feels a stinging blow to her head, a champagne bottle welded by a beautiful woman. And then a push. She is in the water. She can see people on the yacht, but they don't seem to notice that she is gone, and all seem to have deliberately turned their backs as the yacht begins to slowly pull away from her. These are her friends and one is her love. Each one had a reason for getting rid of her, though she would never have thought it would come to this. Until now.

Revenge burns so deeply inside her that she knows she will survive somehow. She will get them. Each one of them-three men and one woman. She will get them all. One way or another.

One Way or Another by Elizabeth Adler

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

Spellcasting In Silk by Juliet Blackwell, New on the Mystery Bookshelf during July 2015

New on the Mystery Bookshelf during July 2015 …

Spellcasting In Silk by Juliet Blackwell

Spellcasting In Silk by Juliet Blackwell, A Lily Ivory, Witchcraft Mystery (7th in series)

Publisher: NAL

Spellcasting In Silk by Juliet Blackwell, Amazon Kindle format

Lily would like nothing better than to relax, enjoy her friends, and take care of business at her store, which is booming thanks to San Francisco's upcoming Summer of Love Festival. But as the unofficial witchy consultant to the SFPD, she is pulled into yet another case.

A woman has jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge, and her apparent suicide may be connected to a suspicious botanica in the Mission District. When the police investigate the shop, they ask Lily to look into its mysterious owner, whose granddaughter also appears to be missing. As Lily searches for the truth, she finds herself confronted with a confounding mystery and some very powerful magic …

Spellcasting In Silk by Juliet Blackwell

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

House Reckoning, A Joe DeMarco Thriller by Mike Lawson, 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, Atlantic Monthly Press …

House Reckoning by Mike Lawson

House Reckoning by Mike Lawson

A Joe DeMarco Thriller (9th in series)

Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press

Price: $1.99 (as of 07/02/2015 at 1:00 PM ET).

House Reckoning by Mike Lawson, Amazon Kindle format

DeMarco always knew that his father Gino had a shady job for a local mafioso, but he didn't understand that Gino had been a hitman until he was murdered. Now, nearly twenty years later, one of Gino's former mob associates is dying of lung cancer, and he wants to get something off his chest before retiring to his grave: the truth about Gino's killer. The shocking information, and the powerful position the killer now occupies, sends DeMarco on a mission of revenge with terrible consequences. And after the secret being kept for so long, DeMarco has to rush to do something about it: the killer is on the brink of taking a job in Washington, D.C. that will leave him untouchable.

With his job, his morals, and his very life on the line, DeMarco must ask himself: How far will he go for revenge?

House Reckoning by Mike Lawson

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Important Note: Price(s) verified as of the date and time shown. Price(s) are subject to change at any time. Please confirm the price of the book before purchasing it.

New This Week: Summer Rain, An Inspector Alan Banks Short Story by Peter Robinson

A mystery from the past bursts in upon the present in this gripping Inspector Banks short story …

Summer Rain by Peter Robinson

Summer Rain by Peter Robinson

An Inspector Alan Banks Short Story

Publisher: William Morrow Impulse

Price: $1.99 (as of 07/02/2015 at 12:30 PM ET).

Summer Rain by Peter Robinson, Amazon Kindle format

Inspector Alan Banks confronts one of the most puzzling cases of his career — when a tourist claims that several decades earlier, in a previous life, he witnessed a murder committed nearby.

Banks doesn't believe in the supernatural. Or superstition. But when evidence of a crime comes to light, he begins to wonder: How did this mysterious visitor know about a killing possibly committed before he was born?

Summer Rain by Peter Robinson

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Important Note: Price(s) verified as of the date and time shown. Price(s) are subject to change at any time. Please confirm the price of the book before purchasing it.

Winners of the Summer 2015 CWA Dagger Awards Announced

Mystery, Suspense and Thriller Book Awards

The winners of the Summer 2015 Dagger Awards have been announced by Crime Writers' Association. The nominees for the remaining three Dagger Awards were also released, with the winner being announced in November.

And the winners are …

• International: Camille by Pierre Lemaitre (Quercus)

• Dagger in the Library: Christopher Fowler:

• Historical: The Seeker by S. G. MacLean (Quercus)

• Debut Dagger: Last Of The Soho Legends by Greg Keen

• Non-Fiction: In Plain Sight: The Life and Lies of Jimmy Savile by Dan Davies (Quercus)

• Short Story: "Apocrypha" by Richard Lange (Sweet Nothing — Mulholland Press)

• Diamond (Lifetime Achievement): Catherine Aird

A Conversation with Legal Thriller Writer Paul Levine

Omnimystery News: Author Interview with Paul Levine

We are delighted to welcome author Paul Levine to Omnimystery News today.

Paul's latest legal thriller, Bum Rap (Thomas & Mercer; July 2015 trade paperback and ebook formats) features characters from both of his series novels. We recently had the opportunity to catch up with him to talk about his new book.

— ♦ —

Omnimystery News: Bum Rap is your first crossover thriller, one that features characters from both of your series. For those readers new to your work, introduce us to Jake Lassiter, Steve Solomon, and Victoria Lord.

Paul Levine
Photo provided courtesy of
Paul Levine

Paul Levine: Jake Lassiter is a linebacker-turned-lawyer, a guy with a tough bark and a tender heart. After a few seasons barely hanging onto the Miami Dolphins' roster — "My butt was so far down Shula's bench, my feet were in Ocala" — he sneaked into night law school. He passed the Bar exam on his fourth try and became a criminal defense lawyer. "Most of my clients are guilty," he bemoans in Bum Rap.

Steve Solomon is defense lawyer with a flexible code of ethics: "If the law doesn't work … work the law." Solomon infuriates his lover and law partner, Victoria Lord, with his shady stunts, his tacky ads, his shameless self-promotion. Far worse, in Bum Rap, his recklessness gets him charged with murder.

Victoria is the opposite of Solomon in every way. A patrician upbringing and Ivy League schools, she does everything by the book … while Solomon burns the book. Solomon is a beer and burger guy who loves baseball; Victoria is a Chardonnay and paté gal who adores ballet. Yet, together, they're more than the sum of their parts … and they form a powerful team in the courtroom.

OMN: You've written several stand-alone novels as well. When starting a new book, how do you decide if it will be one of a series or a stand-alone?

PL: Generally, I know immediately if this is a freestanding thriller, Lassiter novel, or a Solomon & Lord novel. The plot idea informs me who the protagonist should be. With Bum Rap, something else was at play. I wanted to write a novel loosely based on a true story, a Bar-girl racketeering enterprise involving Russian gangsters on South Beach. It quickly became apparent to me that there were juicy roles for all three of my protagonists: Jake Lassiter would defend Steve Solomon on charges of killing a Russian club owner … and fall for Solomon's lover, Victoria Lord.

OMN: How do you categorize your books?

PL: Right now, Bum Rap is ranked number one on Amazon Kindle's bestseller lists in both the "legal thriller" and "mystery" categories. It's also ranked third in the "crime thriller" category. So, I'll go with those three genres. But certainly the general category of "suspense" would apply. There are also ample doses of humor in my books. Lassiter has a wry, self-deprecating wit and a jaundiced view of the "so-called justice system." That's the one area where Lassiter and Solomon agree. "Always assume your client is guilty," Solomon says. "It saves time."

OMN: Tell us something about Bum Rap that isn't mentioned in the publisher's synopsis.

PL: Certain passages made my editor laugh out loud so hard her spittle flew into Puget Sound.

OMN: How involved were you with the cover design for Bum Rap?

PL: The editors and Thomas & Mercer involved me in cover design the moment we signed a contract, and I really appreciated it. I've been published by major New York houses since 1990, and trust me, this was much more collaborative. I didn't want the typical dark, ominous cover that signaled traditional thriller. While a murder is at the heart of this story, there's humor, too. There's also the Miami Beach setting … .hence the tide rolling over the sand. It was a tricky cover to do, and I'm very pleased with it.

OMN: Describe your writing process for us.

PL: I try, oh how I try to outline. I generally have Act One outlined in detail, but that's not saying much because I have short first acts. In classical structure, at the conclusion of the first act, the hero's quest is defined. I then outline about halfway into Act Two, roughly the place where a major plot twist occurs. Then I start writing the book. Once I have a feel for where I'm going, I go back and finish the outline of the second act, which ends with with a plot development that sinks the protagonist to his/her lowest point. Hey, if this seems formulaic, don't blame me. Blame Aristotle.

OMN: And where do you most often find yourself writing?

Paul Levine in his office
Photo provided courtesy of
Paul Levine

PL: I have a conventional study with bookshelves, desk, computer … and bottle of Jack Daniels. I type; I pace; I walk into the kitchen in search of salty snacks and chocolate. Pretty much the same as every other writer.

OMN: How do you go about researching the plot points of your stories? And particularly challenging topics?

PL: I've often talked to medical examiners about autopsy procedure, detectives about police technique, criminal defense lawyers, prosecutors and judges about specific courtroom details, even though I was a trial lawyer. As for challenging topics, I wrote a stand-alone thriller called "Ballistic" that involved the takeover of an Air Force missile silo by a religious cult. I traveled to Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and was in the launch capsule when they test-fired a missile down the Pacific where it struck an island. Hawaii. No! Just kidding. An uninhabited island.

OMN: If we could send you anywhere in the world to research the setting for a story, where would it be?

PL: Is that an offer? It doesn't have to be terribly exotic. After seeing the movie In Bruges, I'd say Bruges, Belgium. Italy would be fine. I'd say Shickshinny, PA, but I've spent too much time there already.

OMN: What are some of your outside interests? And have any of these found their way into your books?

PL: When I was younger, I was an avid windsurfer. I went to Puerto Rico, Aruba, Maui, the Columbia River Gorge, in addition to my Miami beaches. So, Lassiter was a windsurfer. But we've both gotten older. Now, our mutual hobby is making the perfect gin and tonic. Hint: freeze the tonic water for your ice cubes, and the best brand is Fever Tree. A good gin wouldn't hurt, either.

OMN: What is the best advice — and harshest criticism — you've received as an author? And what might you say to aspiring authors?

PL: Advice received: Read! Learn from others.

Criticism: Stay on the plot.

Advice given: Keep your ass in the chair. Don't talk about writing; don't blog about writing; don't even think about writing. Write!

OMN: Have any particular authors influenced how and what you write today?

PL: I was most influenced by John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee books that I read as a young adult. There's a lot of McGee in Lassiter.

OMN: When selecting a book to read for pleasure, what do you look for?

PL: I don't have a checklist for books. Whatever appeals to me at the time. I just read Anthony Doerr's All the Light We Cannot See, which won the Pulitzer. He's such a great writer I wanted to take a sledgehammer to my computer and become an artisanal cheesemaker. And I don't even like brie.

OMN: What's next for you?

PL: Next? Remember that gin and tonic I mentioned a few minutes ago? It's 5 p.m.

— ♦ —

Paul Levine worked as a newspaper reporter, a law professor and a trial lawyer before becoming a full-time novelist. Obviously, he cannot hold a job. Paul claims that writing fiction comes naturally: he told whoppers for many years in his legal briefs. His books have been translated into 23 languages, none of which he can read.

For more information about the author, please visit his website at Paul-Levine.com and his author page on Goodreads, or find him on Facebook and Twitter.

— ♦ —

Bum Rap by Paul Levine

Bum Rap by Paul Levine

A Jake Lassiter/Solomon vs. Lord Crossover Mystery

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Amazon.com Print/Kindle Format(s)BN.com Print/Nook Format(s)

NFL linebacker-turned-lawyer Jake Lassiter has had it with shifty clients, dirty prosecutors, and a legal system out of whack. It's enough to make a man want to leave Miami and never look back — until he gets a call from Victoria Lord, the better half of hot local legal team Solomon & Lord. Her partner in life and law has been arrested for murder. What's worse: the only person who can clear him has fled the city. Now it's up to Jake and Victoria to track down the witness — a stunning "Bar girl" — before she's roped in by the feds … or eliminated by the Russian mob.

Jake knows that if he doesn't get to the witness first, his client's case is lost. Luckily, he's got some good advice from his college football coach: "Buckle your chin strap and hit somebody." And sometimes, the only way to win a tough case is to do just that.

Bum Rap by Paul Levine

Today's Selection of Daily Deals for Thursday, July 02, 2015

Omnimystery News is pleased to feature a selection of today's Daily Deals found on Thursday, July 02, 2015 at 7:30 AM ET …

Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell

Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell

A Kurt Wallander Mystery (1st in series)

Publisher: The New Press

Kindle Daily Deal Price: $1.99

Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell, Amazon Kindle format

It was a senselessly violent crime: on a cold night in a remote Swedish farmhouse an elderly farmer is bludgeoned to death, and his wife is left to die with a noose around her neck. And as if this didn't present enough problems for the Ystad police Inspector Kurt Wallander, the dying woman's last word is foreign, leaving the police the one tangible clue they have — and in the process, the match that could inflame Sweden's already smoldering anti-immigrant sentiments.

Unlike the situation with his ex-wife, his estranged daughter, or the beautiful but married young prosecutor who has peaked his interest, in this case, Wallander finds a problem he can handle. He quickly becomes obsessed with solving the crime before the already tense situation explodes, but soon comes to realize that it will require all his reserves of energy and dedication to solve.

Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell

Cinderella Girl by Carin Gerhardsen

Cinderella Girl by Carin Gerhardsen

A Conny Sjöberg, Hammarby Mystery (2nd in series)

Publisher: Penguin Group

Nook Daily Find Price: $2.99

Cinderella Girl by Carin Gerhardsen, Nook format

Three-year-old Hanna wakes up to find she has been abandoned. Her family is gone. The house is locked. She is trapped.

Meanwhile, a teenage girl has been found murdered aboard the Cinderella, a cruise ship which sails between Sweden and Finland.

Detective Chief Inspector Conny Sjöberg visits the girl's home to deliver the tragic news. But as he investigates, it becomes chillingly clear that the girl's younger sister is in grave danger — unless the police can trap a vicious killer.

And all the while, somewhere in Stockholm, a little girl waits to be found and rescued …

Cinderella Girl by Carin Gerhardsen

For more deals that may have been found after this post was created, see our Daily Deals page on Omnimystery News for an updated list.

Important Note: Price(s) verified as of the date and time shown. Price(s) are subject to change at any time. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of the purchase will be the price paid for the book. Please confirm the price of the book before purchasing it.

Today's Selection of Free MystereBooks for Thursday, July 02, 2015

Omnimystery News is pleased to feature a selection of Free MystereBooks found on Thursday, July 02, 2015 at 6:30 AM ET …

Double Edge by Thomas Locke

Double Edge by Thomas Locke

The Fault Lines Series

Publisher: Revell

Price: FREE!

Double Edge by Thomas Locke, Amazon Kindle format

Dog Days Murderous Nights by Emily Page

Dog Days Murderous Nights by Emily Page

A Winnona Peaks Mystery

Publisher: Emily Page

Price: FREE!

Dog Days Murderous Nights by Emily Page, Amazon Kindle format

Black Sands by Carl Goodman

Black Sands by Carl Goodman

A Technothriller

Publisher: Carl Goodman

Price: FREE!

Black Sands by Carl Goodman, Amazon Kindle format

Key West Legacy by Matt Day

Key West Legacy by Matt Day

A Charlie Flanigan Private Investigator Mystery

Publisher: Clean Sweep Publishing

Price: FREE!

Key West Legacy by Matt Day, Amazon Kindle format

New England Clam Murder by Summer Prescott

New England Clam Murder by Summer Prescott

A Rocky Cove Culinary Cozy

Publisher: Maven Publishing

Price: FREE!

New England Clam Murder by Summer Prescott, Amazon Kindle format

For a summary of all of today's titles, plus any that may have been added since this post was created, visit our Free MystereBooks page. This page is updated daily, typically by 8 AM ET.

Important Note: Price(s) verified as of the date and time shown. Price(s) are subject to change at any time. The price displayed on the vendor website at the time of the purchase will be the price paid for the book. Please confirm the price of the book before purchasing it.

Wednesday, July 01, 2015

Review: The Mummy Mystery by Martin Widmark

Mysterious Reviews: Reviews of New Mysteries, Novels of Suspense, and Thrillers

A Mysterious Review of The Mummy Mystery by Martin Widmark. The Whodunit Detective Agency.

Review summary: The storyline in this children's series book is basically an expanded version of a 2-minute mystery for adults, where a situation is described, known facts presented, and then the reader is left to deduce whodunit. And while it starts out promising, it doesn't end quite as strong as it could. (Click here for text of full review.)

Our rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Mummy Mystery Martin Widmark

The Mummy Mystery
Martin Widmark
The Whodunit Detective Agency
Grosset & Dunlap (May 2015)

Available from Amazon.comAvailable from Barnes & NobleAvailable from iTunesAvailable from Kobo

Publisher synopsis: What's going on at the art museum in Pleasant Valley? Did the Egyptian mummy really come to life after 3,000 years? The terrified night watchman claims that he saw the mummy walking around the museum. The very same night, the most valuable painting in the museum was cut out of its frame. Once again, young detectives Jerry and Maya are called in by the chief of police to get to the bottom of the strange and spooky events.

The Witch Tree, An Anna Denning Mystery by Karin Kaufman, 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 author …

The Witch Tree by Karin Kaufman

The Witch Tree by Karin Kaufman

An Anna Denning Mystery (1st in series)

Publisher: Karin Kaufman

Price: 99¢ (as of 07/01/2015 at 7:00 PM ET).

The Witch Tree by Karin Kaufman, Amazon Kindle format

Just days before Christmas in the mountain town of Elk Park, Colorado, genealogist Anna Denning discovers a client's body. When she starts asking questions no one wants answered, she becomes the killer's next target.

Still grieving the death of her husband, Anna must draw on her wounded faith to enter a world of wicca and witchcraft — reminders of a past she buried long ago — and discover the secret of the Witch Tree.

The Witch Tree by Karin Kaufman

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Important Note: Price(s) verified as of the date and time shown. Price(s) are subject to change at any time. Please confirm the price of the book before purchasing it.

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