Magic, divination, rituals, and spirits in Hong Kong.

Woman rescues man.

Do I need to say more to make you want to read this? How about: original and well-researched, a mix of romance, sleuthing, and adventure?

The plot spirals out from Selkie and Alister’s search for his son, who was abducted thirty years ago, into a struggle to rescue Alister’s soul from sorcery. As always, Selkie is courageous and intuitive, and helped by a team of friends and intriguing new allies. I loved the scene with the “villain hitters.” And the effect on the villain, if that character can be called one. At times, I found myself wondering how the story might have played out if Selkie’s best friends hadn’t been available, if she’d had to rely only on her new acquaintances in a strange place. But her world is one of connections—emotional, social, spiritual, and synchronistic.

After finishing this book, I began reading a conventional cozy mystery and went into Selkie Moon withdrawal. Longing for the truly out-of-the ordinary.

This is the last big multi-author giveaway that I'll participate in for a while, perhaps the only one this year, so dig in.

I recommend Virginia King’s Laying Ghosts, the prequel to her Selkie Moon Series. Fans of my Mae Martin books will probably like this series, mystical mysteries with strong settings and psychological depth.

Theresa Crater’s Under the Stone Paw has elements of mystery, science fiction, and fantasy. I don’t normally read the latter two genres, but I was so caught up in her portrayal of Egypt and its ancient sites, I broke my normal genre reading boundaries.

British author Jordaina Sydney Robinson has been my critique partner for years. I’m not being biased when I say she’s one of the funniest and most original writers in the mystery genre. Beyond Dead is more fun than you ever imagined the afterlife could be.

You can download these and many others, including my book Shaman's Blues, the first and only time it ever will be free. Happy reading in the new year.

One of my rare promotional posts. Here's an opportunity to discover new authors.

Free Books: Mystery, Suspense and Thriller with an Identity Crisis Theme

Facing the truth of who you really are. Discovering a new role and breaking free from an old one. Inner and outer words getting turned upside down. That’s an identity crisis, and what could be a stronger theme for a novel? I’ve read two of the books on offer and recommend them, Virginia King’s Laying Ghosts and Theresa Crater’s Under the Stone Paw. If you don’t already have the first Mae Martin mystery The Calling, you can get a copy as part of this promotion.

Here goes—one of my rare promotional posts.

Author Ann R. Tan organizes excellent promotions, checking the quality of the books to be included. Many of them look like the kind of mysteries my readers enjoy, and all are marked down to 99 cents for three days, July 27, 28 and 29. Snake Face, book three in the Mae Martin series, has never been discounted before and probably won’t be discounted again, so this is a great time to get a copy. Happy summer reading!