FREE/BARGAIN - Mystery, Suspense, Thriller - 2015

[TrevorViking]

Originally Posted by kg3

FREE @ Amazon:

The Killing Bee (A Jacob Burns Mystery #4) - Matt Witten
-Cozy Mystery
-Signet, 2001
-#1 & 2 in this series were previously free

Amazon US----Amazon UK

Spoiler:

Controversy abounds at the public elementary school where Jacob and Andrea Burns send their two sons. Somebody's cheating on the standardized tests. The principal wants to fire the new fifth grade teacher. Ambitious parents are frantic to get their kids into the gifted and talent program. The school psychologist is way too eager to label kids ADD. All of these frustrations literally come to a head when the principal gets fatally bashed in the skull with a spelling bee trophy.

Praise for The Killing Bee and the Jacob Burns Mysteries

"Witten delights with his charming characters, especially Burns himself." - Publishers Weekly

"A success. Fast...lighthearted... Witten presents his characters and plot twists in a straightforward and believable manner." - Albany Times-Union

"Matt Witten returns with another mystery featuring stay-at-home dad Jacob Burns. This is a delightfully refreshing series, and this installment does not disappoint. The Killing Bee is a very satisfying cozy read - good characters, good plot, well-timed action." - Reviewing the Evidence

"Interesting characters, a substantial plot, and a subtle sense of humor." - The Mystery News

"An enjoyable cozy with well-drawn characters." - The Charlotte Austin Review

"The perfect escape... The Killing Bee is a fast, witty, thoroughly engrossing novel that I was sorry to see end. This one is a keeper!" - Murder Express

"Charming, witty and moving...an irresistible read. Jacob Burns is a welcome addition to crime fiction." - Don Winslow, author of Savages

"A winner. Mystery fans are going to love this guy." - Laura Lippman, author of The Most Dangerous Thing

"Jacob Burns is a wise-cracking, write-at-home dad with a nose for trouble. While solving mysterious deaths in Saratoga Springs, he manages to see into the heart of his community with a great deal of humor and tenderness." -- Sujata Massey, Agatha Award-winning author of the Rei Shimura mysteries

*Also posted in Cozy Mystery Thread

Three of this four book series have been free recently. The OCD in me wants to immediately buy book three to complete the series, despite knowing that I'll likely never read any of them.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by TrevorViking

Three of this four book series have been free recently. The OCD in me wants to immediately buy book three to complete the series, despite knowing that I'll likely never read any of them.

Created just for you:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=138205

The Ebook Buying Addicts' Support Thread.

Remember: "We understand and we are here to help."

[Mort1997]

Originally Posted by TrevorViking

Three of this four book series have been free recently. The OCD in me wants to immediately buy book three to complete the series, despite knowing that I'll likely never read any of them.

I have got book 3 which was free ( along with the others in 2012/2013). I'd recommend putting it in your wishlist and waiting for it to go for free.

[TrevorViking]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

Created just for you:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=138205

The Ebook Buying Addicts' Support Thread.

Remember: "We understand and we are here to help."

Thanks! I think I should have been a charter member, then maybe I would've been cured by now.

Originally Posted by Mort1997

I have got book 3 which was free ( along with the others in 2012/2013). I'd recommend putting it in your wishlist and waiting for it to go for free.

Sweet, I'll be patient.

[Mort1997]

Free on Amazon UK - Seeing Red by Roger Ormerod

'On a lonely road on the borders of Wales, Gledwyn Griffiths crashes his car and dies. It seems like a simple road accident to everyone except the man's grieving daughter, Angie. She becomes obsessed with the possibility of a conspiracy to murder her vulnerable, colour blind father. Detective Sergeant Harry Kyle had promised a favour to a friend - Angie’s exasperated husband.
He persuades Harry to visit Angie and convince her that her suspicious are groundless, lest she becomes mad. But the more that Harry probes into the circumstances surrounding Gledwyn Griffiths's death, the more suspicious he in turn becomes and the fonder he grows of Angie... And the more credible a murder plot becomes. As the evidence leads Harry to the culprit, an attack will leave him ‘Seeing Red’. '

UK
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Seeing-Red-R...ndeavour+press

US
http://www.amazon.com/Seeing-Red-Rog...ndeavour+press

Au
http://www.amazon.com.au/Seeing-Red-...ndeavour+press

Can
http://www.amazon.ca/Seeing-Red-Roge...ndeavour+press

[Mort1997]

Free on Amazon UK - The Survivors by Anne Edwards

'Who was Luanne Woodrow? Only one man at the glamorous ski resort knew the answer. His name was Hans Aldik. He was a world-famous writer. And he was following this hauntingly beautiful, strangely reticent girl for a single purpose. She was the only surviving member of the Woodrow family. All the others had been murdered in one of the most notorious crimes of the century. Luanne alone held the key to the Woodrow mystery. For ten years she has been living at Laurel Groves, a rest home of sorts, her only refuge after the mass murder of six members of her family. Now, awkward and frightened, she has come outside its protective walls for the first time since the tragedy to vacation in Switzerland. Suddenly Hans Aldik appears, a handsome, kind man who is initially interested in Luanne only because he is writing a book about the Woodrow murders, a crime for which Luanne - although tried and acquitted - still retains deep-rooted feelings of guilt.
But she was without memory, and clung to sanity by a fragile thread. And it was Hans Aldik’s intent to lead her back to London, back to the scene of the horror, back to the truth she so desperately feared… Together they begin to unravel the girl's horrible past; delving into the secrets of her strange family. In a chilling and tense atmosphere, the years of Luanne's childhood unfold and as she discovers more and more, her terror grows... '


UK
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Survivors-An...ndeavour+press

US
http://www.amazon.com/Survivors-Anne...ndeavour+press

Au
http://www.amazon.com.au/Survivors-A...ndeavour+press

Can
http://www.amazon.ca/Survivors-Anne-...ndeavour+press

[Mort1997]

Free on Amazon UK - The Quick and the Dead (A Sister Agnes Mystery) by Alison Joseph

'Sister Agnes is facing a crisis of faith. Working in a hostel for the homeless, Sam, a sixteen-year-old runaway, is forced to return to her family and then goes missing, and Agnes begins to question her relationship with God. Furious with the authorities, she feels she must do what she can to pull the runaway girl back from the brink of self-destruction. She sets out on a mission to find Sam and finds herself with a group of anti-road protesters in their tree-top encampment at the edge of Epping Forest. Amidst the beggars, travellers and anarchists, Sam is revelling in their fireside talk of apocalypse. But she is also contemplating returning to live with the father who deserted her sixteen years earlier and who, suspiciously to Agnes’s mind, has suddenly re-appeared. For the moment however Sam seems secure at the camp, a magic fortress in the sky, though its tents and tree houses can only provide a temporary bulwark against destruction.
But even that safety is illusory. Only hours after Agnes’s arrival a body is found. Of a brutally murdered young girl… '


UK
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Quick-Dead-S...ndeavour+press

US
http://www.amazon.com/Quick-Dead-Sis...ndeavour+press

Au
http://www.amazon.com.au/Quick-Dead-...ndeavour+press

Can
http://www.amazon.ca/Quick-Dead-Sist...ndeavour+press

[Mort1997]

Free on Amazon UK -Seaghost by William Lovejoy

'Devlin McCory designed Seaghost, an invincible, unstoppable, deadly seagoing stealth vessel…and then was murdered, and his designs stolen. Seeking justice for his father’s murder, ex-Navy SEAL Kevin McCory steals the Seaghost from the dark, restricted waters of the U.S. Naval Research and Development Center. But he isn’t the only one… The Warriors of Allah steal the Sea Spectre, a second stealth vessel, on the same night that McCory takes back what is rightfully his. Eager to inflict as much death and destruction on the Western world as possible, the terrorist group moves down the Atlantic seaboard, striking quickly and racking up high American casualties. With the Navy, the Pentagon, and the FBI on his trail, McCory must avoid capture, ensure justice for his father, and take down the terrorists in the Sea Spectre. As invisible as the terrorists in the SeaGhost, McCory is the only one who can find them…and stop them before it’s too late…'

UK
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Seaghost-Wil...ndeavour+press

US
http://www.amazon.com/Seaghost-Willi...ndeavour+press

Au
http://www.amazon.com.au/Seaghost-Wi...ndeavour+press

Can
http://www.amazon.ca/Seaghost-Willia...ndeavour+press

[ATDrake]

X-link to the DRM-free megathread for this Tuesday's Wildside Press freebie:

Hue and Cry by the late Thomas B. Dewey, a vintage murder 1st-in-series mystery originally out in 1944, starring Singer Batts, a Shakespearean scholar running a small town hotel in Ohio.

Also, the current Humble Music Book Bundle contains at the better-than-average tier 2 backlist murder mysteries by Greg Kihn centred around Beatles memorabilia, out from Open Road Media. It's probably too pricey for just the mysteries alone, but if there's anything else you wanted in the bundle, it'd probably be worth it.

[sufue]

Originally Posted by Mort1997

I have got book 3 which was free ( along with the others in 2012/2013). I'd recommend putting it in your wishlist and waiting for it to go for free.

Although Witten definitely seems to cycle through making each of the four books in the Jacob Burns series free from time to time, he also cycles them all through the US Kindle Countdown deal, so if you don't want to wait, the other three are US Kindle Countdown deals right now, for about 1 3/4 more days. I read at least a couple of these back in the DTB days, and enjoyed them.

Breakfast at Madeline's is the first in the series, at $1.99, before going up to $3.99.
link: http://www.amazon.com/Breakfast-Made...dp/B00AFLQK1M/

Spoiler:

Greetings, potential readers! Breakfast at Madeline's was previously published by Signet and received the Malice Domestic Award. The Library Journal called Breakfast at Madeline's "the perfect antidote for a rainy day."

Synopsis

Jacob Burns - husband, father, and frustrated writer - has finally sold a screenplay. To a major Hollywood studio, no less. But success isn't all it's cracked up to be. Now he has writer's block and spends his days drinking coffee at his favorite cafe, Madeline's. That is, until one warm autumn morning when Donald Penn, an eccentric Madeline's regular, hands Jacob a key and drops dead at his feet. Soon Jacob's home is burglarized and his family threatened, and he becomes involved in a puzzling mystery that exposes him to some of the finest families in Saratoga Springs, New York - and some of the worst in human behavior.

Grand Delusion is the second in the series, at $0.99 before going up to $3.99.
link: http://www.amazon.com/Grand-Delusion...dp/B00BCO9O6E/

Spoiler:

Greetings, potential readers! Grand Delusion was previously published by Signet; it’s book #2 in the Jacob Burns mystery series.

Synopsis

Jacob Burns is getting used to the good life. With a spot of money in the bank and a loving family at home, he’s never been happier. Except for the fact his drug-dealing neighbors’ rowdy antics keep him up all night. Complaining to the cops doesn’t bring satisfaction – maybe because the drug dealers’ landlord is a cop himself!

Residents of Saratoga Springs’ West Side have been trying to clean up their down-and-dirty neighborhood, and Jacob’s been doing his share. But when Jacob’s nemesis – the cop landlord – is murdered, Jacob becomes the prime suspect. He ends up on the run from the law, with nobody he can truly count on but his own family – and a homeless nine-year-old boy who may hold the key to solving the murder.

Strange Bedfellows is the third in the series, also at $0.99 before going back up to $3.99.
http://www.amazon.com/Strange-Bedfel...dp/B00DDT55W8/

Spoiler:

Greetings, potential readers! Strange Bedfellows was previously published by Signet; it's book #3 in the Jacob Burns mystery series. Book #1, Breakfast at Madeline's, received the Malice Domestic Award.

Synopsis

Jacob Burns is a loving husband, devoted father, and work-at-home writer. And he's about to be saddled with a whole new profession - campaign manager. Jacob's old college roomie, Will Shmuckler, is in a tough race for Congress against a perennial local favorite, and he wants Jacob to help him win.

But the race is cut short when their opponent is shot dead, and Shmuckler is arrested for the crime. Jacob knows his friend is innocent - and he sets out to prove it. Between the dead man's secret paramours and his even more secret campaign contributors, there is no shortage of suspects - and they take Jacob from the quiet streets of Saratoga Springs to Albany's halls of power, where he finds that some people will do anything to get a vote. Fortunately, Jacob's wife Andrea is able to help him solve the murder.

[sufue]

The Dying of the Light is the fourth in the Augustus Maltravers series by Robert Richardson. It's a repeat US Kindle countdown at $0.99 for about 1 3/4 more days before going up to $3.99.

Link to previous post with info:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho....php?p=3098009

[sufue]

Dead Broke is the fourth in the Bruce Kohler series by Elizabeth Zelvin. It's on US Kindle Countdown at $0.99 for about 3 1/4 more days. Zelvin's books tend to cycle through being free and being on Countdown, so if you prefer to be patient, you might be able to pick this one up free in the future. If not, here's the current info:

link: http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Broke-Mys...dp/B00VYZL4XM/

Spoiler:

The FOURTH witty adventure in Elizabeth Zelvin’s Bruce Kohler Series

TRIPLE VENTI SKINNY MACCHIATO WITH CYANIDE, PLEASE…

Sophia might have been in recovery, but even alcohol would have been healthier than that coffee she drank after her Twelve Step meeting. The cyanide in it killed her a lot faster than her addiction might have--it’s instant, reliable, and means someone hates you a lot.

But people who knew her through the program had reason to like her a lot--especially one of her grateful sponsees who just happened to be one-third of a crack amateur detective team. Enter Zelvin’s Three Musketeers of Murder--Bruce Kohler, recovering alcoholic and amateur sleuth extraordinaire, and his friends, techno-geek Jimmy (who's also recovering) and Jimmy’s girl friend Barbara, New York’s brashest, funniest co-dependent.

It seems Jimmy, who has twenty years of recovery in AA, has discovered an addiction he didn't know he had. He’s now in Debtors Anonymous. When he confesses all to Barbara--no costly vacation this year!--she makes an announcement of her own. Wouldn’t you know, the news has come at the worst possible time.

And that’s before Jimmy’s sponsor dies. As always with these three, the trail winds through the program and out again, as they search for a murderer mean enough to kill the soft-hearted Sophia. But surprise! She had more than one enemy…

A special treat: if you think Barbara was bossy before, wait till you see her with raging hormones. She’s a tough customer, sure--and sometimes a challenge to her friends and loved ones--but she’s a laugh-out-loud gift to the reader. Because she’s always blurting what we’re thinking.

For fans of witty mysteries, cozies, everyone who loves New York, bold, outspoken women sleuths like Sara Paretsky’s V.I. Warshawski, amateur detectives, sly, clever wordsmiths like Dorothy Cannell, Jennifer Crusie, and Harlan Coben. Fans of the CBS series Elementary will particularly enjoy the insider Twelve Step perspective.

[badgoodDeb]

Originally Posted by TrevorViking

Three of this four book series have been free recently. The OCD in me wants to immediately buy book three to complete the series, despite knowing that I'll likely never read any of them.

It also appears to be "Prime Borrow-able" for free, if you are a Prime member. I think I'll wait till I read the three that I've already downloaded (well, #1 and #2, anyway) and then just borrow it, if I like the series. But thanks for noticing that its a series. Those are always fun to read, providing they turn out to be my style.

[Fbone]

A Nun in the Closet by Dorothy Gilman is $1.99 at most retailers. Fawcett now Random House 1975. GR 3.92

http://smile.amazon.com/Nun-Closet-D...+in+the+closet

[Fbone]

Crooked Roads by Alec Cizak is FREE at Amazon today. WARNING! Published by All Due Respect Books who only publish "low-life literature."

http://smile.amazon.com/Crooked-Road...+by+Alec+Cizak