FREE/BARGAIN — Mystery, Suspense & Thrillers

[Mort1997]

Free today on Amazon UK - Mid Watch by Edward Ellsberg

Spoiler:

When Victor Cushing joins the crew aboard U.S.S Manhattan for a highly risky endeavour, his mind is in turmoil…

Educated, and confident in his future prospects, Vic marries Margery Holmes and Vic is desperate to ensure their future is secure.

Now, with Margery about to give birth to their first child and complications expected, the last place Vic wants to be is aboard the Manhattan, on a near-impossible endeavour.

Vic’s duty was to keep watch in the fire-rooms for the final hours of the race, starting at midnight.

Reaching the required twenty-two knots with their ageing boilers would be an immense task.

But they needed to reach this speed to win the Engineering Efficiency Competition.

When the water levels start to drop, alarms bells start to ring.

Vic knows that the ship cannot handle such speeds and does everything he can, abiding by his orders, to ensure the lives of the sixty-one sailors is not put at risk for the sake of winning the red ‘E’.

However, Captain Byrers has his own personal reasons for winning and orders them to continue at full speed, despite the risks.

When the Manhattan catastrophe goes to trial, Vic is accused of misconduct and put on trial for multiple charges.

Having barely survived the catastrophe himself, this was not the way he expected his reunion with Margery to begin.

The Navy Department decide to keep Captain Albert Byrer and Chief Engineer’s name in the clear and court-martial Vic as being solely responsible for the tragedy that killed so many.

But with the help of Margery’s father, Vic takes on a civil lawyer, a rather unconventional move in a Navy trial.

Even so, the chance of being successfully defended against these charges are slim. With barely any witnesses left, it’s his word against that of a dodgy Russian sailor.

However, Judge Wendell Rice, appointed as Vic’s lawyer, might be regarded as an incompetent choice in respect to Naval laws, but he has a few tricks up his sleeve, and a past that would rock the court…

UK
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01N7OK3...ndeavour+press

US
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N7OK39F...ndeavour+press

Au
https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01N7OK...ndeavour+press

Can
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01N7OK39F/...ndeavour+press

[sufue]

The Vanishing Thief is the first in the Victorian Bookshop series by Kate Parker. It has dropped to $2.99 at Kindle and Kobo US.

Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/Vanishing-Thi...dp/B00BDQ39I0/
Kobo US: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-vanishing-thief

Spoiler:

Georgia Fenchurch appears to be an unassuming antiquarian bookseller in Victorian London, but the life she leads is as exciting as any adventure novel. For Georgia is a member of the Archivist Society, a secret association of private investigators led by the mysterious Sir Broderick.

When a frantic woman comes to Georgia claiming that her neighbor, Nicholas Drake, has been abducted by the notorious Duke of Blackford, Georgia and the Archivist Society agree to take the case. But Drake is no innocent—he is a thief who has been blackmailing many of the leading members of London society. To find Drake and discover who is behind his abduction, Georgia and her beautiful assistant, Emma, will have to leave the cozy confines of their bookshop and infiltrate the inner circles of the upper crust—with the help of the dashing but dubious Duke of Blackford himself.

But the missing thief and his abductor are not the only ones to elude Georgia Fenchurch. When she spies the man who killed her parents years ago, she vows to bring him to justice once and for all…at any cost.

The second in the series, The Counterfeit Lady, is also on "sale" for $5.99, which is a lot for a sale price on a 2014 title, but it seems to be more regularly $11.99, so I guess $5.99 is a sale compared to that...

Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/Counterfeit-L...dp/B00G3L16G2/
Kobo US: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-counterfeit-lady

Spoiler:

The new mystery set in Victorian England from the author of The Vanishing Thief...

Who would suspect antiquarian bookseller Georgia Fenchurch of leading a double life—as a private investigator for the clandestine Archivist Society in Victorian London? When England’s national security is compromised, Georgia must pose as a titled lady to root out a spy…

A cousin of Georgia’s dear friend, Lady Phyllida Monthalf, is brutally murdered in her home during the theft of blueprints of a new battleship designed by her husband—who now stands accused of her murder…and treason. The Duke of Blackford, in service to Whitehall, enlists Georgia and the Archivist Society to assist in the investigation. Playing the part of the duke’s new paramour, Georgia gains entry into the upper echelons of London’s elite, where amidst elegant dinners and elaborate parties a master spy schemes to lay hands on the stolen plans.

The duke is no stranger to the world of international espionage, but Georgia is out of her element in more ways than one. She must not allow her genuine attraction to the duke—or her obsession with finding her parents’ killer—to distract her from her role. But when a mysterious stranger threatens to expose her, the counterfeit lady may be in real trouble…

[sufue]

The CEO Came DOA is the fifth in the Alvarez Family series by Heather Haven. Per SYKM, it was a finalist for the 2017 Lefty Award for Best Humorous Mystery. It is a US Kindle Countdown deal at $0.99 for almost three more days.

link: https://www.amazon.com/Came-Alvarez-...dp/B01HSMVBDC/

Spoiler:

LEFTY Finalist for Best Humorous Mystery 2017 - Someone is trying to sabotage the Initial Public Offering of 'Read-Out', a small Silicon Valley start-up, and Lee Alvarez has been hired to find the culprit. Meanwhile, the first Alvarez grandchild is about to be born while Lee is planning her very own Christmas wedding; or rather letting her mother plan it. When Lee finds the CEO hanging by the neck in his boardroom wearing nothing but baby blue boxer shorts, she has to ask herself, was it suicide? Or was it murder? If so, was the saboteur responsible, one of his business partners, or even his famous rock star ex-wife? There are too many suspects and the bodies start piling up just in time for Christmas. Ho, ho, ho

[sufue]

The Cat Who Played Brahms is the fifth in the Jim Qwilleran (with Koko and Yum Yum!!!) series by Lilian Jackson Braun. It has dropped to $1.99 at Kindle and Kobo US.

Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/Cat-Who-Playe...dp/B000OCXJ7K/
Kobo US: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the...layed-brahms-1

Spoiler:

Is it just a case of summertime blues or a full-blown career crisis? Newspaper reporter Jim Qwilleran isn't sure, but he's hoping a few days in the country will help him sort out his life.

With cats Koko and Yum Yum for company, Qwilleran heads for a cabin owned by a longtime family friend, "Aunt Fanny." But from the moment he arrives, things turn strange. Eerie footsteps cross the roof at midnight, Local townsfolk become oddly secretive. And then, while fishing, Qwilleran hooks on to a murder mystery. Soon Qwilleran enters into a game of cat and mouse with the killer, while Koko develops a sudden and uncanny fondness for classical music...

[sufue]

Wobble to Death is the first in the Sergeant Cribb series by Peter Lovesey. It has dropped to $1.99 at Kindle and Kobo US.

Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/Wobble-Death-...dp/B004HYHB3E/
Kobo US: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/wobble-to-death-2

Spoiler:

In 1879, race walking competitions, known as "wobbles," were all the rage. The death of a contender, followed by a second murder, introduces London's no-nonsense cop Sergeant Cribb who had a penchant for extreme sports.

[rbruce1314]

Three Lambert and Hook series books by J.M. Gregson (nos 6,12 and 15) down to £0.99 in UK and $1.23 in USA till midnight today (Weds15th):

UK:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stranglehol...mbert+and+hook

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Malice-Afor...mbert+and+hook

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Death-Eleve...mbert+and+hook

USA::https://www.amazon.com/Stranglehold-...mbert+and+hook

https://www.amazon.com/Malice-Aforet...mbert+and+hook

https://www.amazon.com/Death-Elevent...mbert+and+hook

Seemingly not reduced in AmazonAus or AmazonCa.......

[sufue]

Servant of the Crown Mysteries, 3 Book Box Set is a (you guessed it) 3 book box set of the Servant of the Crown mysteries by Denise Domning. It is a repeat freebie right now at Kindle US, no idea why or for how long. This series appears to be self-pub, but I've read the first one and enjoyed it, and keep meaning to read the next two, but they've never yet floated to the top of my huge TBR pile.

More info in this previous post: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh....php?p=3379893

[sufue]

Funnily enough, sort of how you don't hear some particular word or name for years, and then hear it twice in two days...

After the discussion of Robert McCammon's Matthew Corbett series in this thread not too long ago, including my complaints about the prices, the first title in the series, Speaks the Nightbird, has dropped to $1.99 at Kindle and Kobo US (couponable/VIPable at Kobo).

Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/Speaks-Nightb...dp/B00F9H59Z0/
Kobo US: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/speaks-the-nightbird

Spoiler:

Murder sparks a witchcraft charge and mob fury in this “absorbing historical mystery” set in seventeenth-century America from a New York Times–bestselling author (Publishers Weekly).

It’s 1699 in the coastal settlement of Fount Royal in the Carolinas when Rachel Howarth is sentenced to be hanged as a witch. She’s been accused of murder, deviltry, and blasphemous sexual congress, and the beleaguered, God-fearing colonial village wants her dead. But Matthew Corbett, young clerk to the traveling magistrate summoned to Fount Royal to weigh the accusations, soon finds himself persuaded in favor of the beguiling young widow.

Struck first by her beauty, Matthew believes Rachel to be too dignified, courageous, and intelligent for such obscene charges. The testimony against her is fanatical and unreliable. Clues to the crimes seem too convenient and contrived. A number of her accusers appear to gain by her execution. And, if Rachel is a witch, why hasn’t she used her powers to fly away from the gaol on the wings of a nightbird?

God and Satan are indeed at war. Something really is happening in the newly established settlement—of that Corbett is certain. As his investigation draws him into the darkness of a town gone mad, and deeper into its many secrets, Corbett realizes that time is running out for him, for Rachel, and for the hope that good could possibly win out over evil in Fount Royal.

From the award-winning author of Boy’s Life and Gone South, Speaks the Nightbird is, in the words of Stephen King, “a rarity in popular fiction, a book that manages to be thoughtful as well as entertaining.”

Sadly the second in the series is still sitting at an outrageous $13.99...and yes, I need to check my local library...

Originally Posted by sufue

Thank you all!

I'll have to give this series a try, and also check out the Will Thomas ones - although at $10 - $15 for the Thomas titles and $7 and up for the McCammon ones, it may be a while

I've e-Reader-IQ'd both authors...thanks again!

[sufue]

Invisible City is the first in the Rebekah Roberts series by Julia Dahl. It won/was nominated for a bazillion (seven, actually, per SYKM) awards when it was published in 2014. It has dropped to $2.99 at Kindle US.

Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Cit...dp/B00GL3XIX6/
Kobo US: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/invisible-city-2

Spoiler:

A finalist for the Edgar and Mary Higgins Clark Awards, in her riveting debut Invisible City, journalist Julia Dahl introduces a compelling new character in search of the truth about a murder and an understanding of her own heritage.

Just months after Rebekah Roberts was born, her mother, an Hasidic Jew from Brooklyn, abandoned her Christian boyfriend and newborn baby to return to her religion. Neither Rebekah nor her father have heard from her since. Now a recent college graduate, Rebekah has moved to New York City to follow her dream of becoming a big-city reporter. But she's also drawn to the idea of being closer to her mother, who might still be living in the Hasidic community in Brooklyn.

Then Rebekah is called to cover the story of a murdered Hasidic woman. Rebekah's shocked to learn that, because of the NYPD's habit of kowtowing to the powerful ultra-Orthodox community, not only will the woman be buried without an autopsy, her killer may get away with murder. Rebekah can't let the story end there. But getting to the truth won't be easy—even as she immerses herself in the cloistered world where her mother grew up, it's clear that she's not welcome, and everyone she meets has a secret to keep from an outsider.

[Mort1997]

Free Today on Amazon UK - Murder at the Courthouse (The Hidden Springs Mysteries Book #1) by A. H. Gabhart

Spoiler:

After a few years as a police officer in Columbus, Michael Keane has no trouble relaxing into the far less stressful job of deputy sheriff in his small hometown. After all, nothing ever happens in Hidden Springs, Kentucky. Nothing, that is, until a dead body is discovered on the courthouse steps. Everyone in town is a little uneasy. Still, no one is terribly worried--after all the man was a stranger--until one of their own is murdered right on Main Street.

As Michael works to solve the case it seems that every nosy resident in town has a theory. When the sheriff insists Michael check out one of these harebrained theories, his surprising discovery sends him on a bewildering search for a mysterious killer that has him questioning everything he has ever believed about life in Hidden Springs.

UK
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Murder-Cour...M4PRQGSAPR06FF

US - looks free to me
https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Courth...M4PRQGSAPR06FF

Au
https://www.amazon.com.au/Murder-Cou...M4PRQGSAPR06FF

Can
https://www.amazon.ca/Murder-Courtho...M4PRQGSAPR06FF

[jselby]

$1.99 on amazon.com

The Body in the Library: A Miss Marple Mystery (Miss Marple Mysteries Book 3)
Agatha Christie

https://www.amazon.com/Body-Library-.../dp/B000FC10WU

[sufue]

Yip/Tuck is the fourth in the Pampered Pets series by Sparkle Abbey. It has dropped to $1.99 at Kindle and Kobo US (couponable/VIPable at Kobo).

Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/Yip-Tuck-Pamp...dp/B00D6RNSFI/
Kobo US: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/yip-tuck

Spoiler:

A killer has been unleashed.
Book Four in the bestselling Pampered Pets Mystery Series

One of Laguna Beach’s best-known plastic surgeons may need a new leash on life. Unless he’s just taking a very long nap on the bench outside Melinda Langston’s Bow Wow Boutique . . .

Dr. O’Doggle continued to give us the silent treatment. Fluffy eyed him intently. I studied him too. Tova Randall wasn’t my BFF, to say the least, but I didn’t wish her boyfriend any bad luck.
My neighbor, Darby, relaxed her grip on Fluffy’s leash. The big Afghan lunged toward Dr. O and knocked him over.
Tova’s handsome hunk rolled off the bench and dropped with a thud at our feet.
Darby gasped. My stomach knotted. “No, no, no.” I shook my head. “Not again.”
I knelt down and shook his shoulders. “Dr. O’Doggle?” I grabbed his suit lapels and yelled, “Jack?”
No response. No, “I’m fine.” No, “Stop yelling in my face.” No, “Get your hands off me.”
No, no, no.
I checked his throat for a pulse. Nothing. But he was still warm. My fingers brushed against something knotted around his throat, and I’m not talking about his tie. I pulled back his shirt for a better look. I sucked in a breath, my nose filled with a light female perfume I didn’t recognize. A thin dog leash was wound tightly around his neck. Identical to the kind I sold at the shop.
This was not an accident.
“Is he . . .?” Darby asked softly.
I looked up at her. “Dead. No more late night walks for him.”

Sparkle Abbey is the pseudonym of two mystery authors (Mary Lee Woods and Anita Carter). They are friends and neighbors as well as co-writers of the Pampered Pets Mystery Series. The Pen name was created by combining the names of their rescue pets – Sparkle (Mary Lee’s cat) and Abbey (Anita’s dog). They reside in central Iowa, but if they could write anywhere, you would find them on the beach with their laptops and depending on the time of day, with either an iced tea or a margarita.

[elaysee]

A collection of Clara Benson's first three Angela Marchmont mysteries is free right now at Amazon US. These are Kindle Unlimited titles so I presume won't be elsewhere. The fourth in series is on 99¢ sale as well.

These are self-published, but I've read the series, cozy detecting in 1920s Great Britain. They'd probably be a decent read for someone who likes Agatha Christie more for characters/atmosphere than for the mystery plot, or perhaps a Kerry Greenwood/Phyrne Fisher fan. For me, these aren't in the same league as either author, but the person who put me on to them is more of a fan than I am - tastes vary and all.

The first book is atypical of the series, in having a different viewpoint character, and from there things mostly settle onto Marchmont's viewpoint.

Book 1:

On his return from South Africa, Charles Knox is invited to spend the weekend at the country home of Sir Neville Strickland, whose beautiful wife Rosamund was once Knox's fiancee. But in the dead of night Sir Neville is murdered. Who did it? As suspicion falls on each of the house guests in turn, Knox finds himself faced with deception and betrayal on all sides, and only the enigmatic Angela Marchmont seems to offer a solution to the mystery. This 1920s whodunit will delight all fans of traditional country house murder stories.

[Little.Egret]

Free, not US


Touch and Go: A Golden Age Mystery by Patricia Wentworth

The Black Cabinet: A Golden Age Mystery by Patricia Wentworth

Not US
https://www.amazon.com/s/?url=search...tle=golden+age

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?url=sear...tle=golden+age

https://www.amazon.ca/s/?url=search-...tle=golden+age

[pdurrant]

Triple Crown by Felix Francis, his sixth sole-author 'Dick Francis' novel is £0.99 in Amazon's Kindle Daily Deal today.