Kindle Genre Watch (28 Nov 09)

Genre fiction - as opposed to nonfiction, graphic novels and picture books - lends itself to enjoyable Kindle reading because when you pick up a book of fiction you don't necessarily expect it to be illustrated. Authors of mysteries, science fiction, fantasy, romance novels and westerns paint word pictures and their readers use their own imagination to picture the scene of the crime or the stare of a vampire or the track of an alien space craft hurtling towards earth.

better_part.jpgNow you can spend less time searching for new genre fiction and more time reading it as I watch for newly-released genre fiction in the Kindle Storeso you don't have to. Recent genre fiction releases include:

FANTASY

The Better Part of Darkness by Kelly Gay. Pocket. Kindle edition $6.39. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"Charlie Madigan is a divorced mother of one, and a kick-ass cop trained to take down the toughest human and off-world criminals. She's recently returned from the dead after a brutal attack, an unexplained revival that has left her plagued by ruthless nightmares and random outbursts of strength that make doing her job for Atlanta P.D.'s Integration Task Force even harder. Since the Revelation, the criminal element in Underground Atlanta has grown, leaving Charlie and her partner Hank to keep the chaos to a dull roar. But now an insidious new danger is descending on her city with terrifying speed, threatening innocent lives: a deadly, off-world narcotic known as ash." -books.simonandschuster.com/
"... Intricate world-building and richly complex characters mix with a fast-paced plot to create a standout start to a new series." - Publishers Weekly.

First Lord's Fury by Jim Butcher. Ace. Kindle edition $9.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled. This is the 6th and final book in the Codex Alera series that began with The Furies of Calderon.
"For years he has endured the endless trials and triumphs of a man whose skill and power could not be restrained. Battling ancient enemies, forging new alliances, and confronting the corruption within his own land, Gaius Octavian became a legendary man of war - and the rightful First Lord of Alera. But now, the savage Vord are on the march, and Gaius must lead his legions to the Calderon Valley to stand against them - using all of his intelligence, ingenuity, and furycraft to save their world from eternal darkness." - us.penguingroup.com.

Mercury Falls by Robert Kroese. St. Culain Press. Kindle edition $1.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"Years of covering the antics of End Times cults for The Banner, a religious news magazine, have left Christine Temetri not only jaded but seriously questioning her career choice. That is, until she meets Mercury, an anti-establishment angel who’s frittering his time away whipping up batches of Rice Krispy Treats and perfecting his ping-pong backhand instead of doing his job: helping to orchestrate Armageddon. With the end near and angels and demons debating the finer political points of the Apocalypse, Christine and Mercury accidentally foil an attempt to assassinate one Karl Grissom, a thirty-seven-year-old film school dropout about to make his big break as the Antichrist. ...a humorous novel in the vein of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Terry Pratchett's Discworld series..." - Amazon.

MYSTERIES/THRILLERS

Village of the Ghost Bears by Stan Jones. Soho Crime. Kindle edition $9.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled. This is the 4th mystery novel featuring Inupiat Eskimo and Alaska State Trooper Nathan Active, who first appeared in White Sky, Black Ice.
"Alaska State Trooper Nathan Active must figure out what connects a dead hunter on a remote Arctic lake with a year-old fatal plane crash in the Brooks Range and a fire at the Chukchi Recreation Center that killed eight people, including the town's basketball star. The case turns out to involve a lucrative polar bear poaching operation and the intense bond between a brother and sister from the village of Cape Goodwin, famous in the Arctic for twins, polar bears, and schizophrenia." - www.sohocrime.com.

A Catered Birthday Party by Isis Crawford. Kensington Books. Kindle edition $9.99. Text-to-Speech: Blank.
"When sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons sign on to cater a prize pooch's birthday bash, they think they're ready for anything. But they haven't bargained for a killer with a bone to pick. A Little Taste of Heaven catering certainly knows how to feed people. Dogs, however...? Bernie and Libby will have their chance to impress guests of the four-legged variety when they lay out the spread for Trudy the Pug's birthday luncheon. But this isn't just any doggie 'do. Trudy's owner, Annabel Colbert, is one of the richest women in town - and as mascot of the Colbert toy company, Trudy herself is a bona fide celebrity. When the big day arrives, Trudy and her canine cohorts are ready to dig in to the delicacies - but the first to dip her fangs into the wine is Annabel. Mere moments later, the hostess is shrieking she's been poisoned." - Amazon.

ROMANCE

A Highlander Christmas by Janet Chapman. Pocket. Kindle edition $6.39. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"Camry MacKeage has absolutely no intention of telling her parents that she left her job as a NASA physicist for the small-town life of a dog-sitter - which is why she's spending the holidays alone in coastal Maine with her furry friends Tigger and Max. Unfortunately, her irresistibly handsome rival, scientist Luke Pascal, accidentally spilled the beans. Now he's on a mission from her mother to tempt Camry home for the family's annual winter solstice celebration. But Luke is hiding his own secret, and he'll need a little bit of magic to earn Camry's trust...and a whole lot of mistletoe to seduce his way into her heart." - Amazon.

The Lost: 4 All-New Stories of Paranormal Desire and Suspense by J. D. Robb, Patricia Gaffney, Mary Blayney, and Ruth Ryan Langan. Jove. Kindle edition $6.39. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"J. D. Robb's Missing in Death investigates a female tourist's disappearance during a ferry ride. In Patricia Gaffney's The Dog Days of Laurie Summer, a woman awakens to a familiar yet unsettling world. In Mary Blayney's Lost in Paradise, a man locked in an island fortress finds hope for freedom in an enigmatic nurse. And Ruth Ryan Langan's Legacy belongs to a young woman who unearths a family secret buried on the grounds of a magnificent but imposing Irish castle." - berkleyjoveauthors.com.

Dying Scream by Mary Burton. Zebra Books. Kindle edition $4.47. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"An aspiring artist. A high-school senior. A stripper. Three women who seemed to have nothing in common except their sudden disappearance. But one man knew them all. Wealthy, privileged Craig Thornton even claimed to love them. And for that, they paid the ultimate price. When Adrianna Barrington receives an anniversary card from her husband Craig, she assumes it's some crackpot's idea of a joke. After all, Craig is dead. But then come phone calls, flowers, messages...all reminding her how much Craig misses her. While Adrianna begins to doubt her sanity, grisly remains are found on the Thornton estate. Detective Gage Hudson is convinced the bodies are linked to Craig. But the biggest shocks are yet to come." - Amazon.

A Precious Jewel by Mary Balogh. Random House. Kindle edition $6.39. Text-to-Speech: Disabled.
"She was unlike any woman he’d ever met in the ton or the demimonde. But Sir Gerald Stapleton frequented Mrs. Blyth’s euphemistically dubbed 'finishing school' for pure, uncomplicated pleasure - and nothing else. So why was this confirmed bachelor so thoroughly captivated by one woman in particular? Why did he find himself wondering how such a rare jewel of grace, beauty, and refinement as Priss had ended up a courtesan? And when she needed protection, why did Gerald, who’d sworn he’d never get entangled in affairs of the heart, hasten to set her up as his own pampered mistress to ensure her safety - and have her all to himself?" - Amazon.

Immortal by V. K. Forrest. This is book 3 in the Clare Point series following Eternal and Undying. Kensington. Kindle edition $9.60. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"For centuries, the Kahill vampire clan has lived quietly among locals and tourists in the tranquil beachfront village of Clare Point. Magnetic, fearless Fin Kahill has dedicated his life to ridding the world of its most vicious serial killers. Fin is used to roaming the earth freely - not getting stuck in sleepy Clare Point. But when the clan needs him close by, Fin agrees to take a summer job on the town's tiny police force. He expects little excitement - until he meets Elena, an ethereal Italian beauty...As Fin struggles against his feelings for Elena, the peace in Clare Point is shattered by the inexplicable murder of a tourist. When the killer strikes again, Fin wonders if a member of his own clan is responsible. The only one he can turn to is Elena, but he knows that falling in love with a human can be a deadly mistake. Yet just as Fin edges closer to solving the murders, he discovers Elena may not be exactly who, or what, she appears." - Amazon.

SCIENCE FICTION

The Battle of Devastation Reef by Graham Sharp Paul. Book 3 of the Helfort's War series, following The Battle at the Moons of Hell and The Battle of the Hammer Worlds. Del Rey. Kindle edition $6.39. Text-to-Speech: Disabled.
"The savage Hammer Worlds are not only near invincible but almost certain to win their war to crush the Federated Worlds and control humanspace - unless the Feds can find and destroy their secret antimatter warhead facility. Only dreadnoughts, the lone Federated ships able to withstand antimatter missile attacks, can do the job, and only Lieutenant Michael Helfort has the skill to lead them. But skill may not be enough, because Helfort is more than the newly appointed captain: He’s a hero, and this means that his own senior officers want him to fail - and that the enemy’s kingpin wants him dead." - Amazon.

Halo: Evolutions by Tobias S. Buckell et al. Tor. Kindle edition $9.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"When humanity expanded beyond the safety of Earth to new stars and horizons, they never dreamed what dangers they would encounter there. When the alien juggernaut known as the Covenant declared holy war upon the fragile human empire, millions of lives were lost, but millions of heroes rose to the challenge. In such a far-reaching conflict, not many of the stories of these heroes, both human and alien, have a chance to become legend. This collection holds eleven stories that dive into the depths of the vast Halo universe, not only from the perspective of those who fought and died to save humanity, but also those who vowed to wipe humanity out of existence. Included in this collection are all-new, never-before-told stories by: Tobias S. Buckell, B.K. Evenson, Jonathan Goff, Kevin Grace, Tessa Kum and Jeff Vandermeer, Robt McLees, Eric Nylund, Frank O'Connor, Eric Raab, Karen Traviss, and Fred Van Lente.

Star Trek: Vanguard: Precipice by David Mack. Pocket. Kindle edition $6.39. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"On a post-apocalyptic world in the Taurus Reach, undercover Starfleet Intelligence agent Cervantes Quinn finds an ancient Shedai conduit. Unfortunately, the Klingons have found it first and sent an army to claim it. Light-years away on Vulcan, reporter Tim Pennington answers a cryptic call for help and ends up stalking interstellar criminals with an unlikely partner: T'Prynn, the woman who sabotaged his career and is now a fugitive from justice..." -books.simonandschuster.com.

WESTERNS

The Tears of God by David Thompson. (Wilderness, 62). Leisure. Kindle edition $3.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"Mountain man Nate King would never leave anyone in need, but he has his hands full this time trying to protect both a freight train and a colony of Shakers from a band of Pawnees on a personal vendetta." - Amazon.

Circle Star by Tatiana March. Resplendence Publishing. Kindle edition $6.50. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"After thirteen years in the East, Susanna Talbot stands to inherit the Arizona ranch she grew up on, but only provided she marries Connor McGregor, the young drifter who once forged a bond with her father. Susanna will do whatever it takes to claim her right to land - even seek a union with a man who believes she ruined his life. But first she must find him. Connor McGregor rode into the desert without a backward glance thirteen years ago, believing Susanna had banished him from Circle Star. Now a man of twenty-eight, he has no interest in coming to her aid. Will he bury his bitterness, or leave Susanna on the mercy of the ruthless neighbor Burt Hartman, who covets the ranch and will stop at nothing - including rape and murder."

Bad Business by J. R. Roberts. (The Gunsmith, 336). Jove. Kindle edition $4.79. Text-to-Speech: Disabled.
"Widow Lillian Kingsforth desperately needs Clint Adams's help. She's being pressured to sell her hotel by several gambling entrepreneurs who believe the property could be put to better use - and whose business practices include attempting to murder her." - Amazon.

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