FREE/BARGAIN — Mystery, Suspense & Thrillers

[sufue]

Blotto, Twinks and the Ex-King's Daughter is the first in the Blotto & Twinks series by Simon Brett. It has dropped to $0.99 at Kindle and Kobo US. Be careful - there are a couple of versions out there, one of which is definitely more than $0.99 <grin>. This is sort of a fun series that makes me think of Rhys Bowen's Lady Georgie series with some PG Wodehouse mixed in.

Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/Blotto-Twinks...dp/B00OGV2JK8/
Kobo US: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/blo...g-s-daughter-4

Spoiler:

'Murder most enjoyable' Colin Dexter

Ex-Princess Etheline, daughter of the exiled king of Mitteleuropia, has been kidnapped during a visit to Tawcester Towers, ancestral seat of the Dukes of Tawcester, and ducal family honour demands that she should be rescued.

The Dowager Duchess entrusts the task to her son, the Right Hon. Devereux Lyminster, known universally as 'Blotto'. He is, of course, terribly handsome, honourable and brave, but as sadly deficient in the brains department as his sister 'Twinks' is gifted.

So the siblings set off, accompanied by trusty chauffeur, Corky Froggett. They drive across many countries to Mitteleuropia, a realm now ruled by a usurper, the ex-king's brother, where they suspect the princess has been taken.

Can brave Blotto and Twinks rescue Ethelinda, or will they meet their end in the evil clutches of King Vlatislav?

[sufue]

The Blind Man of Seville is the first in the Javier Falcón series by Robert Wilson. It has dropped to $2.99 at Kindle and Kobo US (coupon/VIPable). I've not read this series, but have read and quite enjoyed Wilson's stand-alone, A Small Death in Lisbon.

Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/Blind-Seville...dp/B003WJQ6IG/
Kobo US: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the...n-of-seville-3

Spoiler:

A Spanish detective investigates a series of grisly killings in a crime thriller that maintains “an almost unbearable pitch of excitement” (Booklist).

Called to a gruesome crime scene, Inspector Javier Falcón is shocked and sickened by what he finds. Littered like flower petals on the victim's shirt are the man's own eyelids, evidence of a heinous crime with no obvious motive. When the investigation leads him to read his late father's journals, he discovers a disturbing and sordid past. Meanwhile, more victims are falling. While Falcón struggles to solve the case, he finds the missing section of his father's journal-and becomes the murderer's next intended victim. Combining suspenseful storytelling with a thoughtful exploration of the human psyche, The Blind Man of Seville confirms bestselling and award-winning author Robert Wilson as one of the greatest literary mystery writers working today.

[sufue]

Man Overboard is the 12th in the Ali Reynolds series by J.A. Jance. It has dropped to $1.99 at Kindle and Kobo US.

Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/Man-Overboard...dp/B01HMXUSR2/
Kobo US: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/man-overboard-25

Spoiler:

Ali Reynolds returns in this suspenseful thriller featuring New York Times bestselling author J.A. Jance’s signature “fast pacing, surprising plot twists, and a strong, principled heroine” (Booklist).

Cybersecurity expert Roger McGeary finally has his life back on track after years of struggling with depression. But when he falls from the balcony of his suite on an all-expenses-paid cruise, the police quickly dismiss it as an accident. Unsatisfied, Roger’s tough-as-nails aunt, Julia Miller, is determined to find answers and closure. By contacting Roger’s childhood friend Stuart Ramey to help her solve the mystery of his fate, Julia unwittingly sets up a collision course with a serial killer.

Stuart, his sidekick Cami Lee, and journalist-turned-amateur-sleuth Ali Reynolds put the full resources of cutting edge online security firm High Noon Enterprises into learning the truth about Roger’s death. With Cami on the high seas investigating the ship from which Roger disappeared, Stuart stays tied to his computer, locked in a battle of wits and technology against an unusually twisted adversary. When the heartless killer sets sights on Stuart, High Noon must race against time to save him and countless others.

[ATDrake]

Bargain @ $1.99 from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in the US only (couponable/VIP-eligible at Kobo, price should otherwise be the same at other retailers):

Two titles by the late Polish author Stanisław Lem (Wikipedia), usually known for his award-winning science fiction, but he also wrote literary and mystery:

The Chain of Chance, a vacation murder mystery set in Italy, investigated by a former astronaut.

An ex-astronaut investigates a string of potential murders in this novel by the Kafka Prize–winning author of Solaris.

Vacation is supposed to be relaxing. But while traveling in Naples, several American tourists die in a most macabre and unusual way: committing suicide in a fit of madness. The cases are too similar to be coincidental, and the prevailing theory soon assumes that a serial poisoner is on the loose.

Called in to investigate, and stem the rash of death before it becomes an epidemic, is a former astronaut from the States. As he follows the path of the last victim, he is confronted with a mystery that proves the truth is always stranger than fiction—and that we are all casualties of fortune in the end.

Called “a Jorge Luis Borges for the Space Age, who plays in earnest with every concept of philosophy and physics, from free will to probability theory,” Stanislaw Lem now tackles the suspense genre with his famed intensity and intelligence, weaving a taut and enigmatic tale as only a great novelist can (The New York Times Book Review).

Hospital of the Transfiguration a semi-autobiographical literary psychological thriller taking place in an insane asylum in Nazi-occupied Poland.

As the Nazis occupy Poland, a young doctor joins the staff of an insane asylum only to find a world of pain and absurdity to match the horrors outside.

It is 1939. The Nazis have just begun their occupation of Poland. Stefan Trzyniecki, a young doctor, alienated from his family and unsettled by the fate of his country, accepts an invitation to join the staff of a hospital for the mentally disturbed.

The mayhem inside the walls of the institution is matched only by the chaos outside. Stefan’s colleagues are hardly less deranged than their patients: surgeons obsessed with death, doctors haunted by the past, and nurses infected with cruelty. By the time the horrors of the war creep past the doors of Stefan’s supposed sanctuary, he is forced to confront uncomfortable truths about the state of his profession—and face inevitable consequences about his own part in the madness.

[ZodWallop]

Some early James Ellroy is on sale at Amazon.

Brown's Requiem: In James Ellroy’s first novel, a PI investigates a deadly conspiracy at one of Los Angeles’s most exclusive country clubs

It would be a stretch to call Fritz Brown a detective. A PI in name only, he washed out of the police force at twenty-five, and makes a cash living doing under-the-table repo work for a sleazy used-car dealer. It’s an ugly job, but Fritz is not one to say no to easy money.
*
That doesn’t mean he won’t take a case now and then. A caddy visits his office, asking Fritz to dig up dirt on the golf-nut who’s dating his sister. Convinced by the caddy’s suspiciously fat wad of bills, Fritz agrees to investigate, hoping for a chance to meet the girl. Instead he finds himself embroiled in a tangled world of country club intrigue, where wealth can buy innocence and murder is not half as rare as a hole-in-one.

[soulfuldog]

Chris Brookmyre - Black Widow (Jack Parlabane book 7) £0.99 in the UK and $1.32 in the US

Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/Black-Widow-A...dp/B010RGSEP4/
Kindle UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Widow...dp/B010RGSEP4/
Kobo UK: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/black-widow-50?

A celtic Gone Girl... guaranteed to keep you guessing' - Ian Rankin

*WINNER Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year*
*WINNER Bloody Scotland McIlvanney Prize for Crime Novel of the Year*

Twists abound in the brilliant new psychological thriller from master author Chris Brookmyre - perfect for readers of The Girl on the Train, I See You and Disclaimer.

[ReadingManiac]

These holiday sales are killing me...

[sufue]

Finally....

The Pot Thief Who Studied Ptolemy is the second in the Pot Thief series by J. Michael Orenduff, and the only one in the series I did not have, having previously read it from the library. It has dropped to $1.99 at Kindle and Kobo US (coupon/VIPable).

Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/Thief-Studied...dp/B00HO12CSQ/
Kobo US: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the...tudied-ptolemy

Spoiler:

To steal back a collection of missing pots, Hubie must break in to a high-end high rise

Pot thief Hubie Schuze is back, and this time his larceny is for a good cause. He wants to recover sacred relics lifted from San Roque, a mysterious pueblo that is closed to outsiders. Usually Hubie finds his pottery a few feet underground—but these artifacts are one hundred fifty feet above the New Mexico soil, on the top floor of the Rio Grande Lofts.

Hubie will need all his deductive skills to craft the perfect plan—which is thwarted when he encounters the beautiful Stella. And then he is arrested for murder. That tends to happen when you are in the room with the body, with blood on your hands. Follow Hubie as he stays one step ahead of security toughs, one step behind Stella, and never too far from a long fall.

The Pot Thief Who Studied Ptolemy is the 2nd book in the Pot Thief Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.

[sufue]

The Woman In Blue is the eighth in the Dr Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths. It has dropped to £0.99 at Kindle UK.

link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Woman-Blue-...dp/B013UV9DG2/

Spoiler:

NOW CONTAINS THE FIRST CHAPTERS OF THE CHALK PIT, THE CHILLING NEW DR RUTH GALLOWAY MYSTERY COMING FEB 2017. The murder of women priests in Norfolk's spooky shrine town of Walsingham draws forensic archaeologist Dr Ruth Galloway into a thrilling new adventure. A must-read for all crime fiction fans, especially addicts of Ann Cleeves' VERA books and TV series.

'Ever-more ingenious detective stories with a powerful sense of place' The Times

When Ruth's friend Cathbad sees a vision of the Virgin Mary, in a white gown and blue cloak, in Walsingham's graveyard, he takes it in his stride. Walsingham has strong connections to Mary, and Cathbad is a druid after all; visions come with the job. But when the body of a woman in a blue dressing-gown is found dead the next day in a nearby ditch, it is clear that a horrible crime has been committed, and DCI Nelson and his team are called in for what is now a murder investigation.

Ruth, a devout atheist, has managed to avoid Walsingham during her seventeen years in Norfolk. But then an old university friend asks to meet her in the village, and Ruth is amazed to discover that she is now a priest. She has been receiving vitriolic anonymous letters targeting women priests - letters containing references to local archaeology and a striking phrase about a woman 'clad in blue, weeping for the world'.

Then another woman is murdered - a priest. As Walsingham prepares for its annual Easter re-enactment of the Crucifixion, the race is on to unmask the killer before they strike again...

[GA Russell]

ATTENTION ZODWALLOP!!!

The Complete Crime Stories - James M. Cain - $1.99
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Crim...dp/B00VSLI6LA/

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by GA Russell

ATTENTION ZODWALLOP!!!

The Complete Crime Stories - James M. Cain - $1.99
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Crim...dp/B00VSLI6LA/

Purchased! (Finally)

[ATDrake]

Through December 31st, almost all the volumes in Akashic Books' Akashic Noir anthology series (for which we've gotten a couple of volumes free* during last year's generous Xmas countdown giveaway, are just $2.99 in the US at multiple retailers (couponable/VIP discount eligible @ Kobo).

Also, at Amazon CA & UK, many volumes are discounted to $3.70 CAD or around £2.25 (but apparently not at Kobo CA or UK, sadly).

This is an excellent series which for the main part commissions brand new stories (except from “The Classics” volumes which provide themed reprints) from well-known authors set in selected cities throughout the US and worldwide, and a really good way to introduce yourself to the works of new or new-to-you authors writing in particular locales. Especially if you're interested in international authors, many of whom are well established in their home countries but appearing for the first time in English translations in the Akashic Noir volumes.

Approximately 70+ of the volumes are on sale, which would set you back quite a bit if you got the lot, but not as much as picking them up off-sale would go (they rarely discount, and are usually some $10 USD or more).

Linkage for the lot @ Kobo US, Amazon main, and Amazon CA & Amazon UK.

The announcement page on their blog, and the Noir series page on their website which gives the full details of the authors and contents of each title. NB: There are a couple of omnibus editions as part of the sale, so if you want the Boston volumes, be sure to get Boston & Boston Noir 2: The Complete Set ($2.99 Amazon US, will have to price match @ Kobo US) instead of the individuals. And if you're interested in trying out your language skills, San Juan Noir also exists in the original Spanish-language edition, also part of the sale.

* We received Moscow Noir, Rome Noir, Barcelona Noir, Havana Noir, and Brussels Noir (also once offered as a Kobo VIP free book selection), according to a forum search.

[ATDrake]

Bargain @ £0.99 in the UK on a number of international authors, apparently as part of various Boxing Week sales (should be the same price at all retailers):

• The Scarred Woman by Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen (SYKM, Wikipedia), 7th and latest (released just a few months ago) in his popular Glass Key Award-winning Department Q series starring a cold case division in Copenhagen, from Quercus. NB: This latest installment is kind of dependent on having read previous volumes, since there's a longstanding supporting character situation which gets finally gets seen to.
• #1-10 of the Hanne Wilhelmsen series (the entirety available in English thus far) by Norwegian author Anne Holt (SYKM, Wikipedia; apparently known as “Norway's Queen of Crime”), starring a lesbian police officer in Oslo, from Grove/Atlantic's Corvus imprint (couponable/VIP discount eligible @ Kobo). #8 was a finalist for 3 different awards in English translation.
• #1-3 in the Sandhamn Murders series by Swedish author Viveca Sten (SYKM, Wikipedia), set on a summer resort island in Sweden, from the exclusive AmazonCrossing imprint. This is a rather good series which gives a nice showcase on small town island life, which I quite enjoy and am pleased to see more volumes available in English translation (the Swedish series is at 8 novels + 1 short story collection thus far, and the French translations are already up to #5). It goes on sale reasonably frequently in North America, but rarely in the UK, so this is a good price to get them at, if you're interested.
• Almost the entire catalogue of mystery/thriller specialty small press Orenda Books (5x bonus points @ Kobo UK, and VIP-discount eligible), with authors from around the world, including the pseudonymous writing team of Michael Stanley (SYKM; Barry Award-winning Detective Kubu series set in Botswana; HarperCollins has the North American rights), bestselling Norwegian authors Gunnar Staalesen (Wikipedia), Kjell Ola Dahl (Wikipedia), Agnes Ravatn (Wikipedia), and Thomas Enger (Wikipedia), Finnish authors Kati Hiekkapelto (Wikipedia) and Antti Tuomainen (SYKM), up and coming Icelandic authors Lilja Sigurðardóttir and Ragnar Jónasson (SYKM; Barry Award finalist for a novel in the sale), Canadian author Paul E. Hardisty (SYKM; series stars a South African engineer taking international assignments), and more. Linkage for the lot, sorted by price @ Kobo UK and Orenda's official website with more information on their books and authors.

Also available @ $0.99 USD/$1.99 CAD/£0.99 GBP in US, Canada, and UK as part of assorted Boxing Week sales from publisher Canelo's Abandoned Bookshop imprint (5x points and couponable/VIP-eligible @ Kobo, probably the same price elsewhere):

The Iron Chariot by pseudonymous Norwegian author Stein Riverton (Wikipedia), apparently a vintage classic Nordic crime novel praised by bestselling author Jo Nesbø.

Canelo also has a bunch of other mystery/thrillers and historical literary fiction discounted to the same prices if you care to browse their listings, including a novel by 1926 Italian Nobel Prize for Literature recipient Grazia Deledda (Wikipedia), exploring the aftermath of a wrongful crime conviction.

[sufue]

A bunch (nine) of Peter Robinson titles are the UK Kindle Daily Deal at £1.19 each for the last day of 2017.

link for all nine: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/search/?...&price=119-119

• In a Dry Season
• A Necessary End
• Innocent Graves
• A Dedicated Man
• Wednesday's Child
• Dead Right
• The Hanging Valley
• Dry Bones that Dream
• Past Reason Hated

[GA Russell]

Happy New Year!

Birthday, Deathday - Hugh Pentecost - $1.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0096LJP00