Dead Sisters, Dead Gurus and a Fraud on a Cornish Headland: This Week's Free Mysteries

by Betta Ferrendelli

The Friday Edition starts with a district attorney's suspicious death and sends her reporter sister, Samantha Church, into drug smuggling, corruption and addiction. One reviewer called it a classic whodunit with rich characters, and that matches what the blurb promises. It's sitting at 4.07 with nearly 1,900 ratings, which is solid for a free series starter, and I'd point it at anyone who likes a journalist digging where she probably shouldn't.

“I received a copy of "The Friday Edition" by Betta Ferrendelli in exchange for an honest review. This is a classic whodunit mystery murder with rich characters that keep the reader engaged in the story right to the end. I especially like even though we are given short glimpses of the killer activity”

by Michelle Cox

A Girl Like You is Chicago in 1935, with Henrietta Von Harmon caring for a hostile mother and seven younger siblings after the Crash and her father's suicide. Add a dead matron and a detective with his own secrets, and you get a mystery with a big romance streak. At 3.73 with almost 2,000 ratings, it's a mixed bag. One reviewer admitted they weren't entirely in love with it but were invested enough to want the answer, which is an honest and pretty relatable reaction.

“This was one category in the Challenge I took on in January (a challenge that I am enjoying immensely)! And another “first” for me as I have never experienced a reading challenge before: A book on your TBR shelf by a debut author whose book you are both excited and nervous to read. And this was what”

by J.H. Mann

Hidden Depths is more financial crime thriller than whodunit. Catherine Carlyon is staring down years in prison after getting pulled into a fraud by a man she trusted, and she makes a choice on a Cornish headland that changes everything. It has a 4.1 from only 83 readers, so it's a bit under the radar, but readers mention the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly settings and a plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Good pick if you like your crime with a paper trail and a coastline.

“Set on the coastline of Cornwall and the stunning Isles of Scilly, “Hidden Depths” is a financial crime thriller which the author JH Mann, has succeeded in creating an evocative, atmospheric story with an intriguing premise. The depths of deceit, lies and guilt that Catherine kept hidden was astonis”

by Hailey Hartley

Corpse Pose is the cozy of the week. A wellness guru dies during Lily Ashton's sunrise yoga class on Seabreeze Pier, and her golden retriever Bodhi sniffs out the clues while someone sends warnings to back off. It has a lovely 4.46, though only 52 people have rated it, and the reviews split. One loved Bodhi's nose, while another found it contrived with a rushed ending and not much character development. Not for everyone, but if a dog detective is your weakness, it's free.

“I enjoyed meeting Lily and her sweet golden retriever Bodhi whose nose found lotsa great clues for the case. When a wellness guru was murdered at Lily’s yoga class, she took it personally as the cancellations started. She wouldn’t back down for anything and luckily Bodhi was great at sniffing out ev”

by Shane Boulware

Soulstealer: Nythan is the one I can't quite place. The blurb is mostly a wall of award mentions and review quotes, and the only plot detail I got from the reviews is a 19-year-old boy named Nythan. It sits at 3.6 with 43 ratings, and reactions swing from an ARC reader's measured take to someone saying it blew their mind and they couldn't put it down. If you like a gamble and don't mind the genre being a bit fuzzy, it costs nothing to try.

“I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Soulstealer will introduce you to Nythan. He is a 19 year old boy who wants a normal life. Well, he did until the day that he was attacked. When he wakes up in the hospital, he realizes that he isn't himself and he's not alone”