Mystery Reads

Featured Book: Peace, Love, and Crime: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of the ’60s by Sandra Murphy

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Rebellion, revolution, and rock and roll defined the ‘60s. As music moved from country to folk protest songs, rock became the voice of the “turn on, tune in, drop out,” generation. Peace, love, and harmony were the goals. Meditation, mysticism, and psychedelic drugs were the way to enlightenment. Peace, love, and crime were often the result, sometimes humorous, sometimes deadly.

And the music played on. As Harold says in The Big Chill, “There is no other music, not in my house.”

Spinning their chosen tunes and the tale of its matching crime are: Earl Staggs, Jack Bates, Linda Kay Hardie, Jeanne DuBois, Terrie Farley Moran, Heidi Hunter, Merrilee Robson, Claire A. Murray, Michael Bracken, Maddi Davidson, Joseph S. Walker, Dawn Dixon, Karen Keely, Paul D. Marks, Wendy Harrison, Mary Keliikoa, Maxim Jakubowski, James A. Hearn, C. A, Fehmel, Catina Williams, Josh Pachter, and John Floyd, talented writers all.

Buy Peace, Love, and Crime: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of the ’60s Here

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Featured Book: Victim of a Delusional Mind by K. J. North

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Free Book
Tragedy enters the quaint coastal town of New Haven, Oregon when the recently released convict,
Ross Conrad, vows to make good on a ten-year-old threat.
Private Investigators, Troy and Eva Winters take on the case when they realize their good friend,
Jasmine, is the object of his delusional obsession. When the threat becomes deadly and Jasmine turns up missing, Troy and Eva go on the hunt for Ross and his captive. The chase leads them from the Oregon coast to the dense forest of Puget Sound, Washington. Following clues and evidence of bodies left behind, Troy and Eva must find Jasmine before her time runs out.

Buy Victim of a Delusional Mind Here

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Featured Book: Hostile Witness by Rebecca Forster

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Free!
“Perfect…Impossible to put down.” L. Levenson, CBS Legal Correspondent.
A prominent Judge is murdered, and a sixteen year-old girl, Hannah Sheraton, is accused. Only Josie Bates, an attorney with a shameful past, will defend her. But the more Josie digs the more she realizes that politics, privilege, and family connections are a combustible combination that will either free Hannah or destroy them both.

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Featured Book: Last Girls Alive by Jennifer Chase

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Half-buried in the muddy earth and surrounded by puddles of water lies the naked body of a beautiful young girl. Her pale skin looks like porcelain in the early morning light. Her fragile arms bent and crooked like a broken doll.

When Detective Katie Scott is called to the discovery of a young girl buried on the grounds of a former children’s home in Pine Valley, California, she’s hopeful it’s the end to a devastating cold case she’s been working on. No one has seen Candace Harlan since she ran away from Elm Hill Manor five years ago. Her death will be a tragedy, but it will also bring peace to those who miss her most. But the girl in the ground is not Candace.

The victim is almost identical to Candace in every way, but fear grips Katie as she takes in the black ink that decorates the girl’s back—a terrifying message tattooed on her skin after she drew her last breath.

Forcing down traumatic memories of losing her own parents, Katie is certain someone mistook this poor soul for Candace, and that this crumbling home for lost girls is at the heart of this terrible crime. She sets to work digging into the tragic history of the owners who lost so many children of their own and tracking down the last six residents and the staff who cared for them—but no one wants to talk, let alone remember.

The next day, a second girl’s body is found down by the creek at high water, the same words etched into her skin. Katie’s worst fear is confirmed: someone is picking off the last of the Elm Hill girls one by one. But what does the tattoo mean? And what monster would target these innocent girls who have already been through so much?

Katie must dig deep to confront her own fears and protect the vulnerable—but as the body count rises further, will there be anyone left to save?

An absolutely gripping, dark, and totally unputdownable serial killer thriller that will keep you racing through the pages all night long. Fans of Lisa Regan, Rachel Caine and Melinda Leigh will read in one sitting!

Buy Last Girls Alive Here

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Featured Book: Hostile Witness by Rebecca Forster

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Download FREE! A prominent judge is dead, a sixteen year old girl is accused, and only one woman, Josie Bates, is willing to risk her reputation to defend the girl. But when wealth, power, and privilege join forces to stop her, it’s more than Josie’s reputation on the line…it’s her life. Inspired by one of the first trials where a child was tried as an adult, Hostile Witness has kept over 3 million readers up all night.

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Featured Book: Bushranger Gold by David Cairns of Finavon

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In 1853, Australia was rocked by the robbery of £6,000 of gold from an escorted shipment on a country road heading from the McIvor gold fields to Melbourne, Within days, 400 men were searching the bush for the audacious bushrangers who numbered between 6 and 15 depending on who was telling the story. Despite aboriginal trackers and extensive searches, they could not be found. The full weight of the constabulary was thrown behind the case and a round up of possible suspects began. The leader was a man by the name of Joe Grey. He disappeared and was never heard of again. Or was he? The ship that some of the bushrangers intended to use to escape to London left Melbourne and was never seen again. Mystery upon mystery. And then there is the involvement of one of Australia’s most famous bushrangers, Frank Gardiner.
This is a fast-paced story of a daring robbery in the rumbustious times of the Victorian gold rush and what happened next.

Buy Bushranger Gold Here

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Welcome to Mystery Reads

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Looking for your next great mystery? We are here to help you find it. From sleuths to suspense and even romance, we are looking for the best mystery books for you to read. Come join our newsletter to stay on top of our latest finds and maybe even win a book!

Let us know your favorite Mystery genre and what you would like to see on our site.

Featured Book: Princess of Independence by Icarus Bobain

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About Featured Book: Princess of Independence by Icarus Bobain

Princess Cristina Trivulzio Belgiojoso is a forgotten figure of the Italian Revolution
Born into a family of nobility, Belgiojoso learned at a young age what
foreigners interested in ruling the Italian States could be like.
She spent the rest of her life dedicated to uniting her home country and ousting those foreigners
who only brought harm and discord to the country.
After a failed marriage to a prince and being banished to live in Paris,
Belgiojoso met many key players in the French Government, helping to further her cause.
Her social circles were ones that everyone desired to be part of.
When Belgiojoso becomes a mother, with no father to help her, she still works toward her goal of a unified country, raising her daughter to understand the importance of her heritage.

Will she have to choose between being a mother or being a patriot?

This Fiction book is available in these Formats: eBook, Print

Buy Book Here.

Featured Book: The Last Noah by David Cuff

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About Featured Book: The Last Noah by David Cuff

To celebrate the launch of my author website and blog, The Last Noah is on promotion until at least the end of February, at 99¢ for the kindle edition and $9.95 for the paperback. (Similar reductions apply in other currencies.)
It's “a unique take on the sci-fi genre which throws questions at you from the word go” and “a fine addition to anyone’s book collection who loves a fast-moving sci-fi adventure”.

Robin and Miranda go to bed in their separate rooms, but wake up somewhere else. Somewhere that is alien and way outside their comfort zone. However, as they discover more about their new surroundings and have several unusual and action-packed adventures, they begin to suspect that all may not be as it first seemed. As the days progress, their passion for each other grows as their relationship develops emotionally and physically. However, is someone or something watching them? Why do they keep discovering things that don’t feel right? And what’s the story behind the various androids who they meet during their adventures?

As well as being a fast-moving science fiction action and adventure novel, this book touches on several social topics. Covert surveillance; humanity’s journey after the extinction of Earth; how AI might develop; and whether humans would, one day, upload their minds into robots (and, if so, what sort of society might result?)

In space, nobody is watching your reality. Or are they? Follow the mysterious adventures of our two unwilling space travellers, and discover what is really going on…

This SciFi book is available in these Formats: eBook, Print

Buy Book Here.

Deceit and Discipline: A Victorian Lady in Disguise Heist Novel by Cherry Redde

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A fine lady must pose as a mere snip of a housemaid to carry off a bold diamond heist. The catch? Her humble disguise exposes her to the harsh law of domestic discipline. This fast-paced Victorian historical crime novel moves from the infamous bordellos of London to the perverse practices of an isolated manor house full of eccentrics.

Targeted Age Group:: adults

What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
There's nothing more inspiring than a spunky anti-heroine willing to go undercover to carry off her heist.

Featured Book: Road to Freedom by Leigh Lincoln

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About Featured Book: Road to Freedom by Leigh Lincoln

Promotion: $0.99 From Feb. 17-24, 2021
A marriage which shouldn’t be. The path to forgiveness begins in unlikely places. And love can bloom among the thorns.
Immigrant Francisco has escaped the cruelty of Cuba, but has been a man without a true home. Now terminal cancer has driven him into the arms of Stacy.
Traveling half-way around the world together, they each have a journey to take. Francisco confronts his past. While Stacy tries to open her heart after a devastating first marriage. Both pushing each other in ways they are unwilling to accept.
Can he make amends and say he’s sorry for his wrongs? Can she learn to let go and be free to love again?

This Christian Focused book is available in these Formats: eBook, Print, Audiobook

Buy Book Here.

Featured Book: Death and a Crocodile by Lisa Betz

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About Featured Book: Death and a Crocodile by Lisa Betz

In ancient Rome, sensible women don’t investigate murders.
Or do they?
Livia’s father is dead and her innocent brother accused of murder. What’s a girl to do?
Find the criminal herself, obviously.
So Livia and her spunky maidservant pound the ancient Roman pavements in search of the killer, with the help of a reluctant lawyer, a lovelorn merchant, and a handful of loyal servants. Will she find the killer in time, or will her meddling lead her into deadly peril?
You’ll love this fast-paced mystery set in first-century Rome, featuring a feisty amateur sleuth, a cast of eccentric characters, a glimpse of the early church, and an unrepentant, sausage-snatching cat.
“Definitely a recommend-to-all-your-friends kind of novel!” Goodreads review.

This Mystery book is available in these Formats: eBook, Print

Buy Book Here.

Featured Book: Badlands Born by Wade Peterson

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About Featured Book: Badlands Born by Wade Peterson

**Free on Amazon February 15-19 2021**

She tried to take the easy way out. But life after death is killer…

Jasmine Shaw believed being dead would solve all her problems. But instead of reconnecting with her deceased twin brother, she wakes up in a grim desert afterlife where zombies want to munch on her brains. And no sooner does she escape that fate than she’s pursued by an indestructible psycho samurai.

Harried and terrified, Jasmine teams up with an Eighties glam-rocker wannabe to navigate the unforgiving landscape. But with a horde of flesh-eaters and the katana-wielding nutjob hot on their heels, all roads seem to lead to ruin.

Will Jasmine find her sibling at the passage to Heaven, or will she be skewered by a warrior’s blade?

Badlands Born is the first book in the gritty post-apocalyptic Badlands Born fantasy series. If you like complex heroines, gruesome ghouls, and Eighties Easter eggs, you’ll love Wade Peterson’s page-turning tale.

Buy Badlands Born to not die again today!

This Fantasy book is available in these Formats: eBook, Print

Buy Book Here.

Concrete Jungle by Mary Odile LeClair

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When Nylah Diamond, a young psychiatry student, becomes aware of a new case study, she becomes obsessed with it. Something about it intrigues her.

She wants to know about every detail, every statement, every piece of evidence and everyone involved.

Someone else wants it left in the past.

She becomes determined to help piece together everything that has seemingly been hidden and scattered everywhere for so long.

Things that were meant to stay scattered and hidden. Something does not make sense.

Some things from childhood stick with you forever. Small things, big things, what seem like such insignificant things, change things. Change people.

If Nylah does not let sleeping dogs lie, she may be the next to get bitten.

All of the things you think do not matter, matter most. What you think matters most may mean nothing at all. People are animals. Savages. It is a concrete jungle out there. Something as small as a snake in the grass or a spider in a tree can take down a lion, the king of the jungle.

© Copyright 2021

Targeted Age Group:: This book is geared toward those eighteen and over. I don't believe there to be a maximum age limit.

What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
The name of my debut book is ‘Concrete Jungle’, and its inspiration is the jungle we live in every day. The world. People are animals. Some are savages. Some are butterflies. It’s a dog-eat-dog world. My different experiences with all sorts of people are what has been its main inspiration.

The Arms of Death: Loch Lonach Mysteries with a Scottish Slainte, Book One by Maggie Foster

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An ICU nurse unable to save one of her patients finds herself far too close to finding out why in this unique blend of culture and crime from a Best of Texas Books Award-winning author.

Book One in the Loch Lonach Mysteries with a Scottish Slainte series

Ginny Forbes is a nurse with an insatiable curiosity, a special talent for critical thinking, and a gift for getting into trouble. When one of her ICU patients dies unexpectedly, she finds herself on the trail of a centuries-old secret.

Ginny is no stranger to investigation. Her hobby requires ferreting out and fitting together the traces of her ancestors, to create a mosaic of their lives. She knows how to dig and she knows how to read between the lines.

When a handsome newcomer offers to help, she allows him to tag along, but reports back on his actions to her long-time boyfriend, also an historian and genealogist.

Following the clues seems no more than a lark, but between the cause of death and the growing jealousy of her two helpers, Ginny is about to find out just how dangerous idle curiosity can be.

A page-turning mystery packed with suspense perfect for fans of Miss Marple, Lord Peter Wimsey, and Brother Cadfael.

Read what people are saying about The Arms of Death:

“I loved this book. As an avid mystery fan, I’m pretty particular about my authors. Maggie had me by page four, and it was a page turner from there. The book had the perfect amounts of suspense and romance, always a good combination. I look forward to book two of the series.” Amazon Reader, Sally S.

“A jolly romp with a strong mystery and excellent characterisation. The setting is marvelous, adding a lot to the atmosphere of the story.” UK reader

“Miss Marple but with a strong Scottish theme. Enjoyed it very much!” UK reader

“Murder and mayhem is part of the legacy of the House of Forbes. Ms. Foster weaves a page-turning mystery of twists and turns with a complex yet logical plot that leads to a satisfactory and realistic conclusion.” Bart Forbes, President, Clan Forbes Society, Inc.

“A very well-plotted and enjoyable mystery. Highly recommended.” The Wishing Shelf Book Awards

FIRST PLACE BEST MEDICAL THRILLER – Texas Association of Authors 2019, Best of Texas Books Awards.

SILVER MEDAL WINNER – 2019 PenCraft awards for Writing Excellence.

FINALIST – Wishing Shelf Book Awards 2019

Targeted Age Group:: 12 and up

What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
The best writing advice I ever got was, "Write the book you are dying to read." I love murder mysteries. Can't get enough of them. And I love writing them as much as I love reading them.