Free and bargain cozy mystery ebooks in January 2014

[Terisa de morgan]

We point out free and bargain cozy mysteries to each other, and recommend certain books that are/were free (or the opposite!).

Because Kindle freebies are easiest to find, the majority of the books listed are from Amazon, but freebies and bargains from other retailers and in other formats are more than welcome!

In case no retailer is specifically mentioned in a post, it is safe to assume it's for Amazon US.

Be aware that many freebies are only free for a day, so grab them fast!

NOTE:

Cozy mysteries, also referred to simply as "cozies," are a subgenre of crime fiction in which sex and violence are downplayed or treated humorously, and the crime and detection take place in a small, socially intimate community.

Cozies virtually never dwell on sexuality or violence, or employ any but the mildest profanity.

Avoidance of explicit sex and violence, emphasis on puzzle-solving over suspense, a small-town setting, and a focus on a hobby or occupation are all frequent elements of cozy mysteries. The precise boundaries of the sub-genre remain vague, however, with the work of authors such as Aaron Elkins and Philip R. Craig considered borderline cases.

[Terisa de morgan]

The Chicago Press free ebook for this month is a cozy: Murder in Ancient China (see info here)

[Terisa de morgan]

Hearse and Buggy by Laura Bradford (An Amish Mystery) is at 1.99 at Amazon and B&N

Fallen Snow
Claire Weatherly has fled a high-stress lifestyle for a slower pace—in Amish country: Heavenly, Pennsylvania. She only planned a short visit but instead found herself opening an Amish specialty shop, Heavenly Treasures, and settling in.Claire loves her new home, and she’s slowly making friends among the locals, including Esther, a young Amish woman who works in the shop. So when the store’s former owner,the unlikable Walter Snow, is murdered, and the man Esther is sweet on becomes a suspect, Claire can’t help but get involved.

Newly returned Detective Jakob Fisher, who left Heavenly—and his Amish upbringing—as a teenager, is on the case. But his investigation is stalled by the fact that none of his former community will speak with him. Claire’s connections make her the perfect go-between.

As Claire investigates, she uncovers more than she wanted to know about her neighbors. And suddenly, everything she had hoped to find in this peaceful refuge is at risk . . .

I liked this book (and the second one). My only problem is the "expected" love triangle.

[Terisa de morgan]

Clammed Up by Barbara Ross (A Maine Clambake Mystery #1) is at 1.99$ at Amazon.

Summer has come to Busman's Harbor, Maine, and tourists are lining up for a taste of authentic New England seafood, courtesy of the Snowden Family Clambake Company. But there's something sinister on the boil this season. A killer has crashed a wedding party, adding mystery to the menu at the worst possible moment. . .

Julia Snowden returned to her hometown to rescue her family's struggling clambake business--not to solve crimes. But that was before a catered wedding on picturesque Morrow Island turned into a reception for murder. When the best man's corpse is found hanging from the grand staircase in the Snowden family mansion, Julia must put the chowder pot on the back burner and join the search for the killer. And with suspicion falling on her old crush, Chris Durand, the recipe for saving her business and salvaging her love life might be one and the same. . .

Includes Traditional Maine Clambake Recipes!

[Terisa de morgan]

Murder Past Due by Miranda James (Cat in the Stacks Mystery #1) is at 1.99$ at Amazon and B&N

There's a cat in the stacks...

...and he makes the purr-fect partner for a librarian-turned-sleuth.

Everyone in Athena, Mississippi, knows librarian Charlie Harris-and his Maine coon cat named Diesel that he walks on a leash. They also know his former classmate-turned-famous bestselling novelist, Godfrey Priest.

But someone in Athena took Godfrey off the bestseller lists- permanently, and with extreme prejudice. Now, Charlie and Diesel must browse through the history section of the town's past to find a killer.

I've read this series and I like it a lot.

[Terisa de morgan]

A trick of the light by Louise Penny (Inspector Gamache) is at 1.00$ at Amazon.

"Hearts are broken," Lillian Dyson carefully underlined in a book. "Sweet relationships are dead."

But now Lillian herself is dead. Found among the bleeding hearts and lilacs of Clara Morrow’s garden in Three Pines, shattering the celebrations of Clara’s solo show at the famed Musée in Montreal. Chief Inspector Gamache, the head of homicide at the Sûreté du Québec, is called to the tiny Quebec village and there he finds the art world gathered, and with it a world of shading and nuance, a world of shadow and light. Where nothing is as it seems. Behind every smile there lurks a sneer. Inside every sweet relationship there hides a broken heart. And even when facts are slowly exposed, it is no longer clear to Gamache and his team if what they’ve found is the truth, or simply a trick of the light.

[Terisa de morgan]

Jingle Bell Bark by Laurien Berenson (Melanie Travis Mystery) is at 1.99$ at Amazon.

It's Christmas again, and Melanie Travis barely has time to pencil in some holiday festivities. Especially once she finds herself making a list of murder suspects--and checking it twice. . .

This year, all Melanie wants for Christmas is a dull moment. Between her son Davey, her teaching job, and showing her Standard Poodle puppy, Eve, there just aren't enough hours in the day. But when Davey's usual bus driver, Henry Pruitt, disappears and is replaced by a surly, pierced, twentysomething, Melanie is concerned. The elderly, amiable Henry was a friend to all in the neighborhood, so she decides to check on him. . .only to find that he died two days earlier, under suspicious circumstances.

As if that weren't bad enough, Henry's two Golden Retrievers are now bereft of both master and home. Melanie can't just abandon them, so she brings them to her Aunt Peg, the most stubborn woman on the planet, who's now determined to find out the truth about Henry's death, no matter what it takes. Soon, the indomitable Aunt Peg has Melanie leashed to another murder investigation. And unless she sniffs out this Scrooge of a killer fast, a lump of coal in her stocking may not be the worst thing Melanie gets this Christmas. . .

I like this series but I haven't read this book yet.

[Terisa de morgan]

Death by Drowning by Abigail Keam (Josiah Reynolds Mysteries #2) is free at Amazon.

In spite of having to recover from serious injuries from her fall down a cliff with O'nan, Josiah Reynolds is back to sleuthing. This time her friend, Irene Meckler, asks Josiah to investigate the death of her nephew which was ruled accidental. Irene has her doubts.
Along with her best friend Matt, and Jake Dosh, a physician assistant hired by Josiah's daughter, Josiah again makes the rounds of quirky characters that can only be found in the mysterious world of antebellum homes, bourbon and horse racing of Kentucky's Bluegrass region.

[Loosheesh]

Originally Posted by Terisa de morgan

A trick of the light by Louise Penny (Inspector Gamache) is at 1.00$ at Amazon.

This one shows Louise Penny as the Publisher and the Macmillan copy cannot be found through a direct search (I got the link from my MYK page from when I bought the book in Oct). Strange

[koland]

I'm hoping it's a promo version, added so it can be a "free Matchbook" offering and not just a pirated copy. I doubt she's left Macmillan.

The sample looked like it was probably the macmillan book (if it was the $1 one the sample was showing, for, that is; I never can tell, when it shows two like that, if the sample is always the one whose ASIN you are viewing).

[Terisa de morgan]

I don't know. I was checking the book list in Amazon (and frankly, not a lot of knowledge about Amazon editions )

[Loosheesh]

Originally Posted by koland

I'm hoping it's a promo version, added so it can be a "free Matchbook" offering and not just a pirated copy. I doubt she's left Macmillan.

The sample looked like it was probably the macmillan book (if it was the $1 one the sample was showing, for, that is; I never can tell, when it shows two like that, if the sample is always the one whose ASIN you are viewing).

My copy (the Macmillan one) has a copyright notice at the beginning of the book, which the sample of the copy on sale doesn't have. Also, mine has a "Teaser" and "Discussion Questions" in the TOC that the sale copy doesn't show in its own TOC.

[AnemicOak]

The copyright notice for the $1 version is at the end of the book and says...

A TRICK OF THE LIGHT. Copyright © 2011 by Three Pines Creations, Inc. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010. www.minotaurbooks.com

[Loosheesh]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

The copyright notice for the $1 version is at the end of the book and says...

It looks like they both have that same copyright notice at the end of the book, but the (previous) Macmillan copy has an additional notice at the beginning of the book which says:

The author and publisher have provided this e-book to you for your personal use only. You may not make this e-book publicly available in any way. Copyright infringement is against the law. If you believe the copy of this e-book you are reading infringes on the author’s copyright, please notify the publisher at: us.macmillanusa.com/piracy.

[Lynx-lynx]

Originally Posted by Terisa de morgan

A trick of the light by Louise Penny (Inspector Gamache) is at 1.00$ at Amazon.

Amazon Aus has this for $1.12

Edit:

Product details

Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 604 KB
Print Length: 350 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0312655452
Publisher: Louise Penny (23 December 2013)
Sold by: Amazon Australia Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00HHEVJFM
Text-to-Speech: Enabled