Free/Bargain Suspense/Mystery/Thriller May 2013

[sufue]

Originally Posted by Apache

Barnes and Noble has Nook Mysteries in Bundles for sale.
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/?dre...book&view=grid
Apache

Some cool bundles, and thanks for the tip!

I found, though, that at least a couple of these are cheaper elsewhere. I didn't check exhaustively, but the McFetridge "Toronto" bundle shows up as $9.99 at Amazon for me (link) vs. $10.18 at BN; and the Gail Bowen bundle is $7.99 and couponable at Kobo (link) vs. $10.94 at BN.

Some of the others I checked were the same price wherever I looked, but if you're format agnostic, it's worth double-checking before you buy at BN.

[frddgls]

The Gail Bowen bundle from Orca's Rapid Reads imprint. From Orca's website:

Rapid Reads are short novels and non-fiction books for adult readers. In our increasingly fast-paced world we believe there is a need for well-written, well-told books that can be read in one sitting. Rapid Reads are intended for a diverse audience, including ESL students, reluctant readers, adults who struggle with literacy and anyone who wants an high-interest quick read.

Rapid Reads focus first and foremost on strong writing and storytelling. We are committed to providing books that will help adults achieve their literacy goalsin an interesting and accessible way. Each novel in the Rapid Reads series is written between a 2.0 and 4.5 reading level. The plots are contemporary and entertaining, with adult language and themes. Reading guides with plot summaries and discussion questions for Rapid Read titles are available for free download. Learn more about Rapid Reads.

[koland]

Northern Fire - A Jack Stone Thriller (Jack Stone Thrillers)
by Steven Savile, Steve Lockley
Crossroad Press

Jack Stone just wants a quiet life. He's done his time. He's out of the Regiment. He doesn't want to fight any more. All he wants to do is go home, but going home means facing his demons and he's not ready to do that. Not yet. And given the choice he never would be. But when a friend turns to him for help, Jack's got no choice but to go back to the estates of his youth and the crime families he thought he'd escaped for good. Because one thing you don't do if you are Jack Stone is turn your back on a friend, even if it means cleansing the streets with fire.

http://www.amazon.com/Northern-Fire-.../dp/B00CPQD9IW

[koland]

In Search Of Africa
by Frank Coates
HarperCollins

Kip Balmain, a young Australian boy taken to a small town in Africa, finds himself caught up in the violence of colonial Kenya. As the country struggles towards independence, Kip also struggles to understand his mother′s vindictive hatred of the father he has never met - and resolves to uncover the mystery of his parentage.

In Uganda, Rose Nasonga, a girl at risk after her idyllic village life becomes a nightmare of civil war, uses her beauty to escape into the world of fashion, but learns that her new life can be equally destructive.

Out of the horrors of war, across the boundaries of time and race, Kip and Rose discover that their lives are mysteriously linked. And that the paths they travel alone, and ultimately together, lead them inexorably to their greatest discovery.

http://www.amazon.com/In-Search-Of-A...dp/B0035IICGI/
http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/In-Se...LFg/page1.html

[mitford13]

Free on Amazon:

The Hydrogen Murder (The Periodic Table Series) by Camille Minichino

"The Hydrogen Murder," the first in the Periodic Mysteries series, is back, reissued as an e-book.

Meet retired physicist Gloria Lamerino, an intrepid sleuth who signs on as a consultant with the Revere, Massachusetts police department. Gloria uncovers scientific fraud, solves a murder, and engages in her first physical combat, all in the same week.

[OddCosine]

Originally Posted by mitford13

Free on Amazon:

The Hydrogen Murder (The Periodic Table Series) by Camille Minichino

"The Hydrogen Murder," the first in the Periodic Mysteries series, is back, reissued as an e-book.

What do you do with a dead chemist? Barium. Thanks for finding this, it looks interesting.

[sufue]

Bloody Mary by J.A. Konrath is free again today, and says it will be free until May 31. IMS, it was last free a couple of months ago.

Link: http://www.amazon.com/Bloody-Mary-Th...dp/B00BB62RZI/

blurb:

Start with a tough but vulnerable Chicago cop. Add a hyperactive cat, an ailing mother, a jealous boyfriend, a high-maintenance ex-husband, and a partner in the throes of a mid-life crisis.

Stir in a psychopath littering the city with body parts. Mix with equal parts humor and suspense, and enjoy Bloody Mary--the second novel in the funny, frightening world of Lieutenant Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels.

Join Jack as she struggles to repair her train wreck of a personal life while tracking down and convicting one of the scariest serial killers in recent memory--a killer for whom getting caught is only the beginning...

[ClareK]

Poisoned Pen Press has made another book available for 99 cents at Kobo, Amazon, Apple and Barnes & Noble. It is "The Gold of Thrace" by Aileen Baron, a retired professor of archaeology. Description: "When the first member of the staff at a Turkish excavation is murdered and a mosaic floor disappears from her site overnight, archaeologist Tamar Saticoy plunges into the shady side of the antiquities trade in a quest to discover who is responsible for the theft of important artifacts."

Poisoned Pen Press's other discounted books are listed on http://www.poisonedpenpress.com/category/promos/

[NightBird]

Free from Accent Press: The Destruction of Evidence by Katherine John. #7 and latest in Trevor Joseph series.

No evidence remained on the bodies of Alun Pitcher, a well-liked, wealthy, careful and cautious businessman, and his family after they'd been wrapped in brown paper and string, doused in petrol and ignited. The fires had destroyed any evidence, or so the pathologist and the local police believed.

Defeated, the local force asks for outside help. Following success in solving a previous 'cold' case, Inspector Trevor Joseph and Sergeant Peter Collins are called in. Their superiors trust them to provide answers to the questions that have confounded the local force.

Did the murderer or murderers possess knowledge of police procedure and criminal investigative methods that have resulted in the perfect, unsolvable crime? Why would anyone want to kill a well-liked family who have no known enemies? How did the murderer or murderers overcome three grown men and a woman without anyone seeing anything, or hearing a sound? And, most important of all, was all the evidence really destroyed?

[NightBird]

The Good Thief's Guide to Vegas by Chris Ewan is $3.15 from Macmillan. Third in a 4-book series.

Charlie Howard isn’t only a part-time crime writer and part-time thief; he’s also a magician. For his next trick, he’ll relieve Josh Masters, the famous illusionist vying for the affections of Charlie’s friend Victoria, of $60,000 in casino chips stashed in his hotel safe.
Revenge would be sweet—if there weren’t a dead redhead floating in Masters’ bathtub and if Masters hadn’t just disappeared in a puff of smoke after cheating at roulette. Convinced that Charlie was in on the scam, the casino’s owners give him an impossible mission: either pull off an elaborate heist to reimburse the house for every dollar his “accomplice” made off with, or enjoy a one-way trip into the desert.

The Fatal Touch by Conor Fitzgerald is $2.41 from Bloomsbury USA. Second and latest in Alec Blume series.

Alec Blume returns to action in this intricate and heart-pounding new novel. With the help of his associate Caterina, Blume is called to the scene of a death connected to a spate of muggings. Though the Carabinieri-military police-are trying to control the investigation, Blume, never one to bow to authority, pursues it his own way.When it becomes clear that the victim is an art forger, enemies-and hidden treasures-begin to emerge. Relying on old friends and intuitions, Blume hurls himself into the center of the mystery, risking his job, his neck, and just about anyone who trusts him.Immersed in its old-world setting and written with satisfying detail about inks and signatures and the tools of forgery, this is a riveting novel, with rich characters and a spectacular conclusion. Conor Fitzgerald is the author of The Dogs of Rome, also featuring Commissario Alec Blume. He has lived in Ireland, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Italy. He has produced a current affairs journal for foreign embassies based in Rome, and founded a successful translation company. He is married with two children and lives in Rome.

No Holds Barred by Lyndon Stacey is $2.79 from Severn House. Second in series. Audiobook available for $3.99.

The second in the exciting new mystery series featuring ex-police dog handler Daniel Whelan - When ex-police dog handler Daniel Whelan is asked by his former boss to help a friend who is struggling to run her husband’s haulage company while he is recovering from a vicious attack, he and his German shepherd, Taz, rapidly find themselves attracting the wrong sort of attention. Daniel investigates and soon finds evidence of some very masty business indeed - but after several violent warnings, he begins to wonder . . has he bitten off more than he can chew?

[NightBird]

Small Sacrifices (nonfiction) by Ann Rule is $.99. Originally published by Dutton in 1987.

When Diane Downs and her three children were shot on a quiet, country road, residents of Springfield, Oregon, were frightened. A bushy haired stranger had flagged down their car, Diane told police, as she described how the man had coldly opened fire on her sleeping children. Despite the fact she was shot, too, the young mother managed to drive to the hospital in time to save all but one child. But something about her story was fishy, and detectives began to suspect Diane was lying. Was it possible that she was the shooter? Absolutely not, her supporters insisted. Diane, they said, adored her children. When investigators suggested a motive, Diane was indignant. Not only would she never harm her own children, she certainly would never do it for the reason detectives suggested. Was the attractive blonde the wonderful mother she claimed to be? Or was she a woman so obsessed, she would kill her own young to achieve her goal? Ann Rule's critically acclaimed SMALL SACRIFICES, was an instant bestseller, and later Farrah Fawcett was nominated for an Emmy for her portrayal of Downs in the TV miniseries based on Rule's book.

Crime fiction from Tom Piccirilli: The Last Kind Word is $.99 from Random House.

From International Thriller Writers Award winner and Edgar Award nominee Tom Piccirilli, this mesmerizing suspense novel explores the bonds of family and the ways they’re stretched by guilt, justice, and the chance for redemption.

Raised in a clan of small-time thieves and grifters, Terrier Rand decided to cut free from them and go straight after his older brother, Collie, went on a killing spree that left an entire family and several others dead. Five years later, only days before his scheduled execution, Collie contacts Terry and asks him to return home. He claims he wasn’t responsible for one of the murders—and insists that the real killer is still on the loose.

Uncertain whether his brother is telling the truth, and dogged by his own regrets, Terry is drawn back into the activities of his family: His father, Pinsch, who once made a living as a cat burglar but retired after the heartbreak caused by his two sons. His cardsharp uncles, Mal and Grey, who’ve recently incurred the anger of the local mob. His grandfather, Old Shep, who has Alzheimer’s but is still a first-rate pickpocket. His teenage sister, Dale, who’s flirting with the lure of the criminal world. And Kimmy, the fiancée he abandoned, who’s now raising a child with his former best friend.

As Terry starts to investigate what really happened on the day of Collie’s crime spree, will the truth he uncovers about their secrets tear the Rands apart?

Walking the razor-sharp edge between love and violence, with the atmospheric noir voice that is his trademark, The Last Kind Words demonstrates why Tom Piccirilli has become a must-read author.

[NightBird]

The Crimes of Jordan Wise by Bill Pronzini is $1.99. Audiobook available for $2.99. This is a great standalone by Pronzini if you like lots of twists and turns.

Jordan Wise is a mild-mannered accountant with a large San Francisco engineering firm in the late 1970s. By his own admission, the first thirty-four years of his life were dull, empty. But that all changes when he meets and falls in love with Annalise Bonner, an ambitious young woman who craves excitement, a life on the edge. With her as the catalyst, Wise concocts and executes a meticulous plan to steal more than half a million dollars from his firm. They escape to the Virgin Islands, but their plans to live a life of quiet luxury are beset by unexpected pitfalls -- and Wise is forced to carry out two more ingenious schemes as a result. All three of his crimes are perfect -- or are they?THE CRIMES OF JORDAN WISE is a classic tale of love, greed, betrayal, and violence told with Bill Pronzini's characteristic twists and turns and his special brand of suspense. It is also a powerful psychological examination of a man, a woman, and the wages of sin.

[NightBird]

Free from Corvalis Press: Jackrabbit Junction Jitters by Ann Charles. Second and latest in her Jackrabbit Junction humorous mystery series.

Claire is back, raining trouble throughout Jackrabbit Junction in another fast-paced, fun, sexy suspense.

A burglar is on the loose! Claire wastes no time forming suspicions, but she's sidetracked by a treasure hunt.

Even with help from her boyfriend, Claire is swirling in a whirlpool of chaos. Throw her crazy sister into the torrent, along with an angst-ridden teen, a jittery bride, and some randy old men, and Claire struggles just to keep a toehold in the current.

Then her mother arrives ...

[NightBird]

For Inspector Morse fans: Inspector Morse: The First Three Novels by Colin Dexter for $9.99, reduced from $19.72.

Featuring the first three books in this classic crime series starring Inspector Morse: Last Bus to Woodstock, Last Seen Wearing and The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn.

Last Bus to Woodstock: The death of Sylvia Kaye figured dramatically in Thursday afternoon's edition of the Oxford Mail. By Friday evening Inspector Morse had informed the nation that the police were looking for a dangerous man – facing charges of wilful murder, sexual assault and rape. But as the obvious leads fade into twilight and darkness, Morse becomes more and more convinced that passion holds the key . . .

Last Seen Wearing: Morse was beset by a nagging feeling. Most of his fanciful notions about the Taylor girl had evaporated and he had begun to suspect that further investigation into Valerie’s disappearance would involve little more than sober and tedious routine . . . The statements before Inspector Morse appeared to confirm the bald, simple truth. After leaving home to return to school, teenager Valerie Taylor had completely vanished, and the trail had gone cold. Until two years, three months and two days after Valerie’s disappearance, somebody decides to supply some surprising new evidence for the case . . .

The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn. Morse had never ceased to wonder why, with the staggering advances in medical science, all pronouncements concerning times of death seemed so disconcertingly vague. The newly appointed member of the Oxford Examinations Syndicate was deaf, provincial and gifted. Now he is dead . . . And his murder, in his north Oxford home, proves to be the start of a formidably labyrinthine case for Chief Inspector Morse, as he tries to track down the killer through the insular and bitchy world of the Oxford Colleges . . .

[NightBird]

Free from Endeavor Press: Shattered Clues by Mel Hodgkinson.

Autumn 1868, England.

Inspector Drewes is called to the scene of an unidentifiable body.

The corpse of a 35-year-old man has been found in Henshawe Street.

The motive? Unknown.

Returning from the scene of the murder Drewes anticipates a quiet evening in the company of his friend the police surgeon and his brother.

He finds one of them brutally slain.

As family, friendship and death become intertwined, Drewes finds himself caught up in deadly plot.

Amid personal betrayal and fractured relationships he can trust no one.

And when the diligent Inspector finds the shocking truth it is more deadly than he could ever have imagined.

'Shattered Clues' is a brilliant re-imagining of the classic Victorian detective story that will captivate readers from the first page to the last.