FREE/BARGAIN — Mystery, Suspense & Thrillers

[Fbone]

Neon Prey (A Prey Novel Book 29) by John Sandford is $1.99

https://smile.amazon.com/Neon-Prey-N...al-text&sr=1-1

[ZodWallop]

The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler is $2.99 at Amazon US.

In noir master Raymond Chandler's The Long Goodbye, Philip Marlowe befriends a down on his luck war veteran with the scars to prove it. Then he finds out that Terry Lennox has a very wealthy nymphomaniac wife, whom he divorced and remarried and who ends up dead. And now Lennox is on the lam and the cops and a crazy gangster are after Marlowe.

There's a lot of cheap Raymond Chandler books on Amazon, but I'm pretty sure they are pirate editions, based on the fact they use the original pulp covers and Chandler isn't in the public domain. The book I'm linking to is the legit edition.

[Kieran Seymour]

Stephen Gallagher's made some of his back catalogue available for free on Amazon until Friday.

The Authentic William James (Novel / Sebastian Becker #3)
amazon.co.uk | amazon.com

As the Special Investigator to the Lord Chancellor’s Visitor in Lunacy, Sebastian Becker delivers justice to those dangerous madmen whose fortunes might otherwise place them above the law. But in William James he faces a different challenge; to prove a man sane, so that he may hang. Did the reluctant showman really burn down a crowded pavilion with the audience inside? And if not, why is this British sideshow cowboy so determined to shoulder the blame?

In Gethsemane (Novella)
amazon.co.uk | amazon.com

In the years following the Great War, a skeptical conjuror and a spiritualist medium merge their interests to tour the regional lecture halls of the United Kingdom.

One Dove (Short Story / Sebastian Becker)
amazon.co.uk | amazon.com

"Soiled Dove" (slang, British, coined in the nineteenth century for a woman of lost reputation) Standalone short story featuring Sebastian Becker, Special Investigator to the Lord Chancellor's Visitor in Lunacy. This period mystery with an Edwardian setting includes the sample first chapter of THE AUTHENTIC WILLIAM JAMES.

Out of Bedlam (2 x Short Story)
amazon.co.uk | amazon.com

Two more short stories from the author of The Bedlam Detective and The Kingdom of Bones. Out of Bedlam features Sebastian Becker, Special Investigator to the Lord Chancellor's Visitor in Lunacy.

Melody James (Novella)
amazon.co.uk | amazon.com

In the lobby of a Blackpool hotel, one year after the end of the Great War, Britain's spymaster recruits a young sideshow fortune-teller for a mission of historic importance.

[sufue]

The American Agent has been dropping in price from £1.49 to £0.99 to FREE now at Kindle UK. Only in the UK - it's sitting at $11.99 (ouch!) in the US.

Link below is still good.

Originally Posted by sufue

The American Agent is the 15th and most recent (2019) in the Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear. It has dropped to £1.49 at Kindle UK - a really nice price for a most-recent-in-series.

link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07H3FTY8B

[tch65721]

Livia Lone (A Livia Lone Novel Book 1) by Barry Eisler - FREE

“An absolutely first-rate thriller.” —New York Times Book Review

Seattle PD sex-crimes detective Livia Lone knows the monsters she hunts. Sold by her Thai parents along with her little sister, Nason; abused by the men who trafficked them; marooned in America…the only thing that kept Livia alive as a teenager was her determination to find Nason.
Livia has never stopped looking. And she copes with her failure to protect her sister by doing everything she can to put predators in prison.
Or, when that fails, by putting them in the ground.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DYC113A

After "buying" the ebook for FREE the audiobook price shows $1.99.

[sufue]

Donna Leon titles often go on sale for $1.99, but it's more unusual to see one on sale for $0.99.

The Waters of Eternal Youth is the 25th in Leon's excellent IMO Commissario Brunetti series, now at $0.99 at Kindle and Kobo US (coupon/VIP).

Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0163BZ34C
Kobo US: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the...ternal-youth-5

Spoiler:

The twenty-fifth mystery in the New York Times–bestselling series “is cause for celebration. . . . Leon brilliantly exposes the corrupt world of Venice” (Bay Area Reporter).

At a fundraising dinner for a Venetian charity, a wealthy and aristocratic patroness asks Brunetti if he will investigate the fifteen-year-old attempted drowning of her granddaughter, which left the girl irreparably brain damaged. Brunetti’s not sure what to do, but out of a mixture of curiosity, pity, and a willingness to fulfill the wishes of a guilt-wracked older woman—who happens to be his mother-in-law’s best friend—he agrees.

Brunetti soon finds himself unable to let the case rest, if indeed there is a case. Awash in the haunting story of a woman trapped in a damaged perpetual childhood and the rhythms and concerns of contemporary Venetian life, from historical preservation to housing to new waves of African migrants, The Waters of Eternal Youth is another wonderful addition to this series.

“Donna Leon’s Venetian mysteries never disappoint . . . A bittersweet story that makes us appreciate Brunetti’s philosophical take on the indignities, insanities, and cruelties of life.” —The New York Times Book Review

“A new Brunetti adventure is always worth celebrating. . . . In a marvelous and moving last scene, we glimpse a moment of almost transcendent beauty that makes us realize again how important this series is to our reading lives.” —Booklist (starred review)

“Leon’s latest novel marks the 25th anniversary of her wonderfully atmospheric series. . . . A sweet poignancy flows through Leon’s narrative like the faint smell of chrysanthemums bordering the ancient palazzos.” —Minneapolis Star-Tribune

[sufue]

Dreamland is a recent (2020) non-series title by Nancy Bilyeau. It is a Kindle Countdown deal at $0.99/£0.99 in the US/UK respectively, for about 5 more days.

Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZL5ZBCQ
Kindle UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07ZL5ZBCQ

Spoiler:

'Achingly believable' - Publishers Weekly

'This fast-paced, engrossing novel from Bilyeau... gives readers an up-close and personal view of New York’s Gilded Age' - Library Journal

'Beautifully written and impeccably researched, Dreamland is a rollicking ride.' - Fiona Davis, bestselling author of The Chelsea Girls

'A marvelous book!' - Ellen Marie Wiseman, bestselling author of What she Left Behind and The Life she was Given

'Bilyeau is at the height of her talents in the immersive and gripping Dreamland' - Heather Webb, USA Today bestselling author

'Bilyeau’s thrilling novel plunges deep into Dreamland’s maze of pleasure and menace' - Marlowe Benn, bestselling author of Relative Fortunes

'Nancy Bilyeau's passion for history infuses her books' – Alison Weir

The year is 1911 when twenty-year-old heiress Peggy Batternberg is invited to spend the summer in America’s Playground.

The invitation to Coney Island is unwelcome. Despite hailing from one of America’s richest families, Peggy would much rather spend the summer working at the Moonrise Bookstore than keeping up appearances with New York City socialites and her snobbish, controlling family.

But soon it transpires that the hedonism of Coney Island affords Peggy the freedom she has been yearning for, and it’s not long before she finds herself in love with a troubled pier-side artist of humble means, whom the Batternberg patriarchs would surely disapprove of.

Disapprove they may, but hidden behind their pomposity lurks a web of deceit, betrayal, and deadly secrets. And as bodies begin to mount up amidst the sweltering clamor of Coney Island, it seems the powerful Batternbergs can get away with anything… even murder.

Extravagant, intoxicating, and thumping with suspense, bestselling Nancy Bilyeau’s magnificent Dreamland is a story of corruption, class, and dangerous obsession.

[sufue]

The first six titles (of seven) in CJ Sansom's much nominated and awarded Matthew Shardlake series are all £0.99 at Kindle UK right now.

• Dissolution: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003O86FM2/
• Dark Fire: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003O86FLI/
• Sovereign: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003O86FKY/
• Revelation: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003GK22A2
• Heartstone: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003XREHV0/
• Lamentation: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00K6ECROM

[sufue]

The first three titles in Mel Starr's excellent IMO Hugh de Singleton series are on sale at both Kindle US and UK.

The Unquiet Bones, $0.99/£0.95
Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HPUM58S/
Kindle UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00HPUM58S/

A Corpse at St Andrew’s Chapel, $1.99/£1.92
Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D86OWWU/
Kindle UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00D86OWWU/

A Trail of Ink, $2.99/£2.88
Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EUBOYBQ/
Kindle UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00EUBOYBQ/

[sufue]

The Thirst is the eleventh in the Harry Hole series by Jo Nesbo. It has dropped to £0.99 at Kindle UK as part of the Daily Deal (only good for a couple more hours - sorry - been busy...).

link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01LXW31Q5/

Spoiler:

Harry Hole is back in the blistering Sunday Times number one bestseller!

‘The king of all crime writers’ Sunday Express

There’s a new killer on the streets

A woman is found murdered after an internet date. The marks left on her body show the police that they are dealing with a particularly vicious killer.

And he’s out for blood

Under pressure from the media to solve the crime, the force know there’s only one man for the job. But Harry Hole is reluctant to return to the place that almost took everything from him. Until he starts to suspect a connection between this killing and his one failed case…


*JO NESBO HAS SOLD 45 MILLION BOOKS WORLDWIDE*

*Watch out for Knife, the new Harry Hole thriller, out now*

[sufue]

Poets and Murder is the last in the Judge Dee series by Robert van Gulik. It has dropped to $1.99 at Kindle US. Titles in this series are usally pretty expensive, so grab it if you want it.

link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008L42U32

Spoiler:

Judge Dee, the master detective of seventh-century China, sets out to solve a puzzling double murder and discovers complex passions lurking beneath the placid surface of academic life. A mild-mannered student is rumored to have been slain by a fox-demon, while a young dancer meets her death as she dresses to perform for the magistrate's illustrious dinner guests—an obese Zen monk revered for his calligraphy, a beautiful poetess accused of murder, and the past president of the imperial academy. To connect the present crimes with betrayals and adulteries from decades past, the clever judge must visit a high-class brothel and the haunted shrine of the Black Fox. From the moment the young scholar is found dead on the eve of the Autumn Festival, the pace never lets up.

"The China of old, in Mr. van Gulik's skilled hands, comes vividly alive again."—Allen J. Hubin, New York Times Book Review

"If you have not yet discovered Judge Dee, I envy you that initial pleasure. . . . For the magistrate of Poo-yang belongs in that select group headed by Sherlock Holmes."—Robert Kirsch, Los Angeles Times

[sufue]

It's not clear whether Above the Bay of Angels is going to be the start of a new series for Rhys Bowen, or whether it's going to be a stand-alone. (It may be clear at the end if you've read it, but I haven't!) But, in any case, this recent (Feb 2020) title has dropped to £0.99 at Kindle UK as part of today's daily deal.

link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07T6KS3QH/

Spoiler:

“…Sweeping and intimate, warm and gripping. I loved it!” —Louise Penny, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Chief Inspector Gamache novels

A single twist of fate puts a servant girl to work in Queen Victoria’s royal kitchen, setting off a suspenseful, historical mystery by the New York Times bestselling author of The Tuscan Child and The Victory Garden.

Isabella Waverly only means to comfort the woman felled on a London street. In her final dying moments, she thrusts a letter into Bella’s hand. It’s an offer of employment in the kitchens of Buckingham Palace, and everything the budding young chef desperately wants: an escape from the constrictions of her life as a lowly servant. In the stranger’s stead, Bella can spread her wings.

Arriving as Helen Barton from Yorkshire, she pursues her passion for creating culinary delights, served to the delighted Queen Victoria herself. Best of all, she’s been chosen to accompany the queen to Nice. What fortune! Until the threat of blackmail shadows Bella to the Riviera, and a member of the queen’s retinue falls ill and dies.

Having prepared the royal guest’s last meal, Bella is suspected of the poisonous crime. An investigation is sure to follow. Her charade will be over. And her new life will come crashing down—if it doesn’t send her to the gallows.

[sufue]

Rest in Pieces is the second in the Mrs. Murphy series by Rita Mae Brown. I remember reading and quite enjoying the early titles in this series back in DTB days. It has dropped to $1.99 at Kindle and Kobo US.

Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FC1LEW
Kobo US: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/rest-in-pieces

Spoiler:

Mrs. Murphy thinks the new man in town is the cat's meow.... Maybe she should think again. Small towns don't take kindly to strangers--unless the stranger happens to be a drop-dead gorgeous and seemingly unattached male. When Blair Bainbridge comes to Crozet, Virginia, the local matchmakers lose no time in declaring him perfect for their newly divorced postmistress, Marry Minor "Harry Haristeen." Even Harry's tiger cat, Ms. Murphy, and her Welsh Corgi, Tee Tucker, believe he smells A-okay. Could his one little imperfection be that he's a killer? Blair becomes the most likely suspect when the pieces of a dismembered corpse begin tuming up around Crozet. No one knows who the dead man is, but when a grisly clue makes a spectacular appearance in the middle of the fall festivities, more than an early winter snow begins chilling the blood of Crozet's very best people. That's when Ms. Murphy, her friend Tucker, and her human companion Harry begin to sort throughout the clues . . . only to find themselves a whisker away from becoming the killer's next victims.

[sufue]

The Lighthouse is the next-to-last in the Adam Dalgliesh series by PD James. It has dropped to $2.99 at Kindle and Kobo US.

Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FCKHZQ
Kobo US: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-lighthouse-13

Spoiler:

A secure and secluded retreat for the rich and powerful becomes the setting for an unsettling series of murders.

Combe Island off the Cornish coast is a restful haven for the elite. But when one of its distinguished visitors is found hanging from the island’s famous lighthouse in what appears to have been a murder, the peace is shattered. Commander Adam Dalgliesh is called in to handle the sensitive case, but at a difficult time for him and his depleted team. He is uncertain about his future with his girlfriend Emma Lavenham; his principle detective Kate Miskin is going through an emotional crisis; and the ambitious Sergeant Francis Benton-Smith is not happy about having a female boss. After a second brutal killing, the whole investigation is jeopardized, and Dalgliesh is faced with a danger even more insidious than murder.

[sufue]

And now on sale at Kindle UK...

Death at Whitewater Church, #1, £1.99
link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00X7UI4KI/

Treacherous Strand, #2, £1.84
link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07TRD9Z31/

Originally Posted by sufue

I've had a chance to read ARCs of the first two titles in Andrea Carter's Inishowen series. I liked both books - I found the mysteries themselves suitably puzzling, if a bit bleak, but I enjoyed the setting and sense of the remote Inishowen peninsula even more. Treacherous Strand, the second in the series, has now dropped to $1.99 at Kindle and Kobo US (coupon/VIPable), and the first title, Death at Whitewater Church, is still $0.99 at Kindle US (but not on sale at Kobo US).

Death at Whitewater Church, #1, at Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DZ1WHP3/

Treacherous Strand, #2, at Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TRD9Z31
and at Kobo US: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/treacherous-strand-2