I grabbed some of these from a Mystery Collection offer I came across on Twitter, a whole bunch of  mysteries offered for free by a group of authors in Kindle format.  Find the offer here, free mystery books , until November 12th, others I already had on my Kindle.  Speaking of which, have I mentioned how I miss the “carousel” effect of my old Kindle?  I find the new format more difficult to keep organized.  Then, again maybe it is just me…

Cut and Run by Mary Burton, was a dark mystery involving abduction, murder, twins separated at birth,  and illegal baby sales.  Macy and Faith both work investigating crimes albeit in different capacities.  Fate and series of crimes brings them together uncovering old secrets.  Fast read with some interesting characters.  I enjoyed the story line and the parallels between the old crimes and the new.

A Litter of Bones was a very dark and gruesome read, with  some graphic animal cruelty which made it difficult for me to read in places.  A child serial killer appears to be at work again, however there is a problem, the original case was solved and the killer is behind bars.  Who is replicating his crimes, including details never revealed, and why?  Fast paced thriller with some very scary moments and a rather tragic ending.

The Stolen Girls is a good police procedural with a very “torn from the headlines” feel to it.  It addresses the treatment of immigrants awaiting asylum, governmental corruption, organ sale, and human trafficking.  I found that some of the coincidences were a little much to believe but overall it was a good read.  Lottie is a not entirely likable protagonist and makes some very questionable choices, however the characterization serves to make here more human.

Broken Glass was a fascinating mystery that didn’t always read smoothly.  There are plots and subplots and mini plots all running throughout the book with some parts better written (or perhaps translated?) than others.  Overall, it was a book I didn’t want to put down, I just had to know the resolution.  Nik is a cop with a litany of issues, on par with Jack Taylor, who finds himself blackmailed into investigating a case, which no one wants disturbed.  The deeper he goes, the more secrets, lies, and murders pile up.  I would definitely read another in this series.

The Body in the Boot is the first in a new series.  The sleuth is a retired disabled police officer, who has opened a PI business to take his mind off of the chronic, unrelenting pain that he is in due to a degenerative spinal condition and his recent bereavement. He gets involved in a case that crosses the ocean, involves missing women, and evil medical businesses.  This could have done with some tightening up in the editing department and some more proofreading, but I liked reading a more realistic portrayal of someone suffering from chronic pain.  Too often protagonists shake off all manner of injuries with no ill effects, but here the effect of chronic illness on a person’s entire life is well done.

Dark Crimes is the first in the Sophie Allen police procedural series.  A well done portrayal of a midlife mother, wife, and professional dealing with trying to find some balance in all her roles.  Themes of domestic abuse and misogyny are central to the story line which begins with murders of a daughter and a mother drawing Sophie and her team into the case.  I would read more in this series.

Someone Else’s Daughter was a quick read and I was very satisfied that it didn’t have the “pat” ending I thought it was headed toward.  Miranda Steel is a survivor of a violent, abusive marriage to a  somewhat powerful or at least connected man.  She has spent thirteen years surviving and trying to track down her daughter after the court system failed her.  A clue leads her to Atlanta and an exclusive neighborhood, where a killer is murdering young girls.  Miranda gets entangled in the murder case as she hunts for her daughter.  I am not sure if I will read another, too much reliance on coincidences and the protagonist does not come across as believable.  She is more like a comic book super hero.