FREE/BARGAIN — Mystery, Suspense & Thrillers

[sufue]

A Hundred Thousand Dragons is the fourth in the Jack Haldean historical mystery series by Dolores Gordon-Smith. I've read and enjoyed a couple of the early books in this series, although not this one. It has dropped to $1.99/£1.99 at Kindle and Kobo US, and at Kindle UK - and probably at Kobo UK also, but I don't check there. And it's discountable at Kobo...

Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004ZGLDVK
Kobo US: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-h...sand-dragons-1
Kindle UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004ZGLDVK

Spoiler:

"A hundred thousand dragons lie, underneath an Arabian sky..."

How do a few lines of poetry, a chance encounter in a London hotel, and a death in Sussex lead to a lost city in Arabia, and to the tombs of the Whispering Dead? Jack Haldean has evaded the truth for years, but now, enmeshed in the web of murder, theft and deception, he must find the answer and face up to the truth - a truth as deadly as any dragon . . .

[Tarana]

A Case of Need By Michael Crichton $1.99 Amazon, Kobo and B&N

Sleep No More By Greg Iles $1.99 Amazon, Kobo and B&N
Thriller

[sufue]

Another Joffe Books freebie - this one good through June 1, according to the email I got, but I wouldn't wait if you want it...just grab it now...

The Sedleigh Hall Murder (originally pubbed in 1980 as A Certain Blindness) is the first in the Eric Ward series by Roy Lewis. Per above, it's free right now at Kindle US and UK.

Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07S5CGHGF/
Kindle UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07S5CGHGF/

I haven't read any of this series, so can't offer an opinion...

Spoiler:

A SUSPICIOUS DEATH AND A LARGE INHERITANCE WITHOUT ANYONE TO RECEIVE IT.

Eric Ward thinks there is something odd about Arthur Egan's life and death. But Ward is a former police inspector, and trained to be suspicious.

Egan left a large sum. But Ward makes no progress tracing the dead man's offspring. A photograph of an unknown tombstone is his only clue.

He discovers Egan served a term for manslaughter, and that the evidence against him may have been planted. Why had he accepted his fate so meekly?

Despite warnings that he is wasting the firm's time, Ward persists in his investigations.

AND HIS PERSISTENCE LEADS TO MURDER.

And by the time he realizes why, he finds his life and career are both at risk.

AND WHAT IS THE CONNECTION TO LORD MORCOMB AT SEDLEIGH HALL?

This fast-paced mystery will have you enthralled from the start. Set in England in the late 1970s, this is the first book to feature Eric Ward. More coming soon.

[Lynx-lynx]

following on from sufue (), amazon aus, and elsewhere, has Roy Lewis
boxsets and singles for 99c:

https://www.amazon.com.au/COMPLETE-I...text=ROY+LEWIS
8 books in that series

https://www.amazon.com.au/ERIC-WARD-...text=ROY+LEWIS
books 8 to 14

and a number of books in various series (NB: i haven't read any by this author before, but will give him a go now)

Edit
Kobo doesn't seem to have this author in ebook format

[Tarana]

Fiddlers - Ed McBain $1.99 Amazon, Kobo
Book 55 in 87th Precinct series.

Murder, Take Two By Carol J. Perry $.99 Amazon, Kobo and B&N
Cozy (cat on cover)

The Virgin in the Ice By Ellis Peters $1.99 Amazon, Kobo and B&N
Cadfael series Book 6. Historical mysteries

[Tarana]

Smiley’s People By John le Carré $1.99 Amazon,Kobo and B&N
Thriller - Amazon lists as book 7 of 9 in Smiley series.

The Drop By Dennis Lehane $2.99 Amazon, Kobo and B&N
Crime

The Judas Goat By Robert B. Parker $1.99 Amazon, Kobo and B&N
Crime

Dark, Witch & Creamy By H.Y. Hanna FREE Amazon, Kobo and B&N
Cozy - 1st of series

[Tarana]

The Whole Cat and Caboodle By Sofie Ryan $1.99 Amazon, Kobo and B&N
Cozy (cat on cover)

Little Green By Walter Mosley $1.99 Amazon, Kobo and B&N
Crime

[sufue]

A Capitol Death is the seventh and next-to-most-recent (2019) in the Flavia Albia series by Lindsey Davis. At least, anyway, until the newest book comes out this July... I've quite enjoyed this spin-off series featuring Falco's daughter as the protagonist. Capitol has dropped to $2.99 at Kindle and Kobo US.

Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J4RMSVW
Kindle US/Smile: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07J4RMSVW
Kobo US: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-capitol-death-1

Spoiler:

In Rome, ruled by the erratic Emperor Domitian, Flavia Albia is dragged into the worst sort of investigation—a politically charged murder—in Lindsey Davis’s next historical mystery, A Capitol Death.

A man falls to his death from the Tarpeian Rock, which overlooks the Forum in the Capitoline Hill in Ancient Rome. While it looks like a suicide, one witness swears that she saw it happen and that he was pushed. Normally, this would attract very little official notice but this man happened to be in charge of organizing the Imperial Triumphs demanded by the emperor.

The Emperor Domitian, autocratic and erratic, has decided that he deserves two Triumphs for his so-called military victories. The Triumphs are both controversial and difficult to stage because of the not-so-victorious circumstances that left them without treasure or captives to be paraded through the streets. Normally, the investigation would be under the auspices of her new(ish) husband but, worried about his stamina following a long recovery, private informer Flavia Albia, daughter of Marcus Didius Falco, steps in.

What a mistake that turns out to be. The deceased proves to have been none-too-popular, with far too many others with much to gain from his death. With the date of the Triumphs fast approaching, Flavia Albia must unravel a truly complex case of murder before danger shows up on her own doorstep.

[sufue]

When Maidens Mourn is the seventh in the Sebastian St. Cyr series by CS Harris. It has dropped to $1.99/£1.49 in the US/UK respectively. I've quite enjoyed the books I've already read in this series, so happy to see this one go on sale!

Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005OW8FOC
Kobo US: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/when-maidens-mourn
Kindle UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005OW8FOC/

Spoiler:

When Gabrielle Tennyson is murdered, aristocratic investigator Sebastian St. Cyr and his new reluctant bride, the fiercely independent Hero Jarvis, find themselves involved in an intrigue concerning the myth of King Arthur, Camelot, and a future poet laureate...

[sufue]

Another title in Elizabeth Lemarchand's Tom Pollard/Gregory Toye series has dropped to $0.99/£0.99 at Kindle US/UK respectively. This is a Kindle Countdown Deal, good for a bit more than 4 days.

Step in the Dark, #8
Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NJ5V5M1
Kindle UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07NJ5V5M1

In addition, as I've mentioned before, the first in the series, Death of an Old Girl, seems to be long term at $0.99/£0.99, so if you want to try the first one first, you can do it inexpensively.
Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FHK31X8/
Kindle UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07FHK31X8/

[salty-horse]

Perfect Gallows by Peter Dickinson is $1.99 on Amazon.com

The twisted circumstances surrounding an unspeakable crime, an old man’s fortune, and a production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest come to light four decades on in this masterful tale of greed, deception, and murder by CWA Gold Dagger winner Peter Dickinson

Behind his practiced facade of cheerful sophistication, the renowned actor Adrian Waring is a haunted man. The ghost that torments him is from an earlier era, when a world war raged and Adrian was still Andrew, the guest and possible heir of his rich uncle, Arnold Wragge. Wragge had returned from the diamond mines of South Africa with a fortune and a loyal servant named Samuel Mkele, and when his own son vanished, presumably in the smoke of combat, the old man looked to his poor relation as a potential replacement. Andrew’s true interests lay elsewhere, however, in applause and the attentions of eager young ladies, both of which he realized he could have by starring in his cousin’s amateur production of The Tempest. But young Andrew’s fledgling theatrics would prove merely to be the opening act of a horrific human tragedy, forcing him to keep a terrible truth locked inside himself—even four decades after a body was discovered hanging from a perfect dovecote gallows . . .

A master practitioner of the literary art of mystery and murder, author Peter Dickinson stands tall alongside P. D. James, Ruth Rendell, Reginald Hill, and other luminaries of contemporary British crime fiction. A brilliant innovator unafraid to tamper with the rules of genre, he is at the very top of his game with this gripping, twisting, and altogether remarkable psychological thriller.

Review by Jo Walton on Tor.com: Perfect Mystery: Peter Dickinson’s Perfect Gallows

[BetterRead]

Death in Captivity: A Second World War Mystery by Michael Gilbert is currently on sale for $1.99 at Amazon US and Kobo.

A man is found dead in an escape tunnel beneath an Italian prisoner-of-war camp. Did he die in an accidental collapse—or was this murder? Captain Henry 'Cuckoo' Goyles, master tunneller and amateur detective, takes up the case.

This classic locked-room mystery with a closed circle of suspects is woven together with a thrilling story of escape from the camp, as the Second World War nears its endgame, and the British prisoners prepare to flee into the Italian countryside.

Author Gilbert was himself taken prisoner during WWII and sent to a POW camp in Italy. This book, informed by his experiences, is dedicated to 2 of his fellow prisoners.

[sufue]

The fourth title in Edward Marston's Domesday book series (my favorite of his series) is on sale right now at Kindle UK for £1.49.

The Lions of the North
Kindle UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08514B7CZ/
Kindle UK/Smile: https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08514B7CZ/

Spoiler:

Ralph Delchard, a soldier who fought at the Battle of Hastings, and Gervase Bret, a talented lawyer, have been commissioned by William the Conqueror to look into irregularities brought to light during the compilation of the Domesday Book, the great survey of England. Their investigations take them throughout the kingdom, but the pair often find themselves embroiled in more sinister mysteries in the towns they visit. The King’s work is a dangerous business.

A wealthy Yorkshire merchant enjoys the security of his castle, guarded as it is by his pet lions. When the beasts literally make a meal of an anonymous young man attempting to gain entry, Ralph Delchard and Gervase Bret cannot help but wonder why anyone would make such a suicidal effort, and soon suspect there is more at stake.

The first three titles have each been on sale in the not too distant past, so maybe Allison & Busby are working their way through the series. That would be pretty cool!

And also, the first book, The Wolves of Savernake, is still inexpensive at £1.90 in the UK, so if you want to try the first one first, you can, without spending too much money: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B082PBF45Q

[sufue]

Death on the Marais is the first in Adrian Magson's Inspector Lucas Rocco series. It's free (!!!) right now at Kindle US, but not anywhere else (yet) that I could find. I've read and liked the first few Rocco titles, including this one. (I'm a little bit biased since I really like France and most things French, but I still think others would like this series...and it has 4.6 stars at Amazon and 3.99 at GoodReads.)

Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JCZ4SRY

Spoiler:

FULLY REVISED NEW EDITION

Praise for Adrian Magson

'… a classic crime star in the making' Daily Mail

'A gripping police procedural' Eurocrime

France, 1963. It's a time of great change in France, not least for Inspector Lucas Rocco. As part of a nationwide 'initiative' to broaden police operations, he finds himself moved from the Paris metropolis to a small village. His new patch might be rural, but it's certainly not uneventful: on his first day, he finds a murdered woman wearing a Gestapo uniform lying in a British military cemetery.

When the body is removed by order of a magistrate from the police mortuary before Rocco can finish his investigation, he realises he's up against a formidable enemy. An enemy who will go to any lengths – even murder – to stop his investigation.

[sufue]

Another freebie in the Jeri Howard series by Janet Dawson, this time the ninth book: A Killing At The Track.

Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005GIGEDI
Kindle UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005GIGEDI

Spoiler:

THE LURE OF THE TRACK, A RIDE ON THE WILD SIDE, AND DANGER AT EVERY TURN…
"This little gem of a mystery centers around murder, mayhem and race-fixing at a fictional racetrack ... Dawson, a longtime racing fan, has really done her homework well... " --California Thoroughbred

Intrepid Jeri Howard, Janet Dawson’s savvy female private eye, steps into the Winner’s Circle in Dawson's NINTH action-packed mystery, set almost entirely at a track seething with intrigue. Author Dawson takes us to the fascinating and forbidden backside, where you practically need a hotwalker for the humans, as owners fret, jockeys throw fits, and vets sweat to hold overworked horses together with duct tape.

Overworked is a hazard of the job, but “injured” can result in lost fortunes or death—and not just death for horses, as Jeri soon finds out. You don't have to be a detective to know that if it's a track, there’s always a bad actor out there, looking to make a killing the easy way. And if they have to kill to do it, our intrepid PI’s not going to rest until the desperation stakes.

So here’s how it goes—one dead jockey, then two dead jockeys, three exotic poisons, and several possible payoffs—Jeri’s positively in a lather! But you can wager she’s going to show her stuff in the stretch and take home the purse. (She’s reliable that way.)

Dawson’s complex plot is a pleasure, but the rich backside lore makes this one a sure thing. When you can practically feel the breeze as the horses sweep by, you know you can't lose!

Dick Francis fans will be in heaven, as well as lovers of women sleuths of all kinds, but especially female private investigators like Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone, Linda Barnes’ Carlotta Carlyle and Marcia Muller’s Sharon McCone.