[sufue]

Some random US Kindle Countdown deals; most have been Countdown deals before:

Paper Phoenix is a non-series title by Michaela Thompson (Mickey Friedman). It's at $1.99 for about 2 more days, before going up to $2.99.
link: http://www.amazon.com/Paper-Phoenix-.../dp/B00DD0B6HK

Spoiler:

"Wickedly delicious... What makes (Thompson's) book so particularly wonderful is the way it accomplishes the detective novel's covert mission of urban analysis and social criticism." - San Francisco Examiner

"(Thompson) knows how to create that sense of place which is so important to any novel, but particularly to crime fiction; her characters are believable men and women in a real world..." -P.D. James

First comes divorce, then comes murder…

…or at least sweet thoughts of murder. Maggie Longstreet has plenty of them after slimy, ambitious Richard trades her in for a more recent model. She’s so depressed she can barely get out of bed when Larry Hawkins, a seemingly not-at-all depressed acquaintance, commits suicide out of the blue. Suddenly Maggie goes on high alert, remembering something her evil ex said about Larry—something highly suspicious.

And from there, it's just a short segué to a bracing new development:

“When some women get divorced they go back to school, I thought. Some do volunteer work at the hospital, or join communes and learn to birth calves. Some have affairs with inappropriate men. My new interest is burglary. Maggie Longstreet, former wife and mother, past president of the Museum Guild, now starting a career as a second-story woman.”

Fortunately, Maggie isn’t alone in her adventure—a very attractive, much younger man proves a lot more fun than Richard ever was. In fact, the real delight of this witty, sly mystery is seeing Maggie come alive again after a suffocating marriage. Set in the’70s, it has a bit of that Mad Men feel of women on the brink of something big. And completely unexpected.

You know Maggie’s going to be okay when she says: “I’d rather have had one of those cute little guns with a mother-of-pearl handle, but this (diamond pin) would have to do. I concealed it in my hand. At least now I was armed—or pinned.”

Full House is the third in the Jake Samson & Rosie Vicente series by Shelley Singer. It's at $1.99 for about 3 more days, before going up to $2.99.
link: http://www.amazon.com/Full-House-Lai...dp/B00I8Z5WMK/

Spoiler:

The THIRD action-packed mystery in the witty Jake Samson and Rosie Vicente detective series.

“Breathtaking action is offset by the wise-cracking Jake and Rosie. The tension will keep you reading all night long. Compelling characterization by Singer makes this series a must-read, with authentic details and witty dialogue.” - Mystery Time

A CULT LEADER, A CACHE OF CASH, AN UNHOLY MESS!

An ark in the middle of suburban Oakland was interesting but not strange by California standards. Even one built by peaceful cultists preparing for the coming flood. Until sometime private eye Jake Samson is hired to find Noah, their leader, who has disappeared with a lovely devotee and a quarter million in cash. The cult suspects foul play. The police aren’t convinced.

As Jake and his carpenter sidekick, Rosie, trail the wealthy visionary from a health-food factory in Sonoma to a casino in Tahoe, thugs, drugs and the murdered body of Noah’s attractive assistant add up to a lot less than a biblical tale. And Jake's got a gut feeling the floodgates are just the beginning to open.

“Jake remains his loyal, intelligent and quirky self, which is plenty to rejoice about.” - Contra Costa Times

(and Samson's Deal, the first in the series is still free: http://www.amazon.com/Samsons-Deal-L...dp/B00DDU756Q/)


Doubleback, the second in the Georgia Davis series by Libby Fischer Hellmann is at $0.99 for about 6 more days before going up to $4.99.
link: http://www.amazon.com/Doubleback-Geo...dp/B002SG7OWG/

Spoiler:

Little Molly Messenger is kidnapped on a sunny June morning. Three days later she's returned, apparently unharmed. Molly's mother, Chris, is so grateful to have her daughter back that she's willing to overlook the odd circumstances.

A few days later, the brakes go out on Chris's car.

An accident? Maybe. Except that it turns out that Chris, the IT manager at a large Chicago bank, may have misappropriated three million dollars. Not convinced that his daughter is safe, Molly's father hires Private Investigator Georgia Davis to follow the money and investigate Chris's death.

Doubleback, the sequel to the acclaimed Easy Innocence, reunites PI Georgia Davis with video producer Ellie Foreman (An Eye For Murder, A Picture Of Guilt, An Image Of Death, A Shot To Die For). The two women track leads from Northern Wisconsin to an Arizona border town, where illegal immigrants, smuggled drugs, and an independent contractor called Delton Security come into play. Georgia and Ellie go to great lengths to find the truth, and Georgia discovers that you can cross a line, but sometimes you have to double back.

Doubleback was chosen by the Great Lakes Bookseller Association as their Autumn, 2009 "Great Lakes Great Read."