Two Special Programs "M" is for Mystery

Two Special Programs

"M" is for Mystery Homepage STORE INFO | AUTHOR EVENTS

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Our Two Special Programs

In the years since we introduced the two special programs described below, each has expanded organically to fill a variety of needs as they arose. We are happy to say that not only have these programs stood the test of time, they have become a permanent, popular feature of our customized service. Read on, and see where your own interests might mesh with these schemes.

(1) 'Signed&Selected'

To help our customers discover new authors, each month we announce our own well-considered picks, in four designations: 'S&S' I, II, III, and 'Mystorical'. Each book is discussed in our weekly newsletter at the time of its selection. Below is a full explanation of the categories and how the program works, as well as listings of the most current and recent picks.

(2) 'Book-by-the-Month' Gift Program

Perfect for birthday or holiday-time gift giving! This is a personalized program you can tailor as you wish, and at the same time be relieved of having to choose titles, wrap and send -- because we do that part. You or your designated giftee can choose the format (hardcover, trade paper, or mass market) and subscription length (six months or a year). For program pricing and further details, scroll down (past the 'S&S' info.).

If you have any questions about the information here, please email us at info@mformystery.com or call us at 650-401-8077. Outside the Bay Area, call us toll free at 888-405-8077.

'SIGNED&SELECTED' and 'MYSTORICAL' PROGRAMS

All 'S&S' and 'Mystorical' picks are made each month by "M" owner Ed Kaufman, who sifts through a veritable avalanche of books to single out selections worthy of special attention. There are four categories of picks: the debuts ('S&S' I); the non-debuts ('S&S' II); the traditional, or "cozy" mysteries ('S&S' III); and mysteries with historical settings ('Mystorical' -- our own coinage). After the sifting comes the actual reading (with help from our knowledgeable staff). Each book chosen is a signed first edition. Any 'S&S' book may be ordered from us by anyone at any time, but keep in mind that our stock of signed firsts is limited. 'S&S' subscribers are guaranteed to receive the monthly selection automatically.

TO SUBSCRIBE: If you would like to subscribe to any one or more of the 'S&S'/'Mystorical' categories, simply send us an email (info@mformystery.com) and state the following: your category preference, your full name, address, phone, and credit card details. There is NO charge to sign up. If you live outside the area, our regular shipping charges apply. Subscribers who are area residents can have the book held for pickup at the store, or sent. ALSO: Subscribers to two or more categories receive a 10 percent discount on ALL their 'S&S'/'Mystorical' purchases.

'SIGNED&SELECTED' I

'S&S' I features books by first time mystery/crime authors. It's always risky buying a book by a first time author; minimal reviews and no history to go by. Let us check them out for you. This is a good category for collectors. Signed debuts are highly sought after when an author becomes popular.

'S&S' I August: DAVID CARNOY - Knife Music (Overlook, $24.95)

"Carnoy injects an uncommon level of medical expertise, from physical trauma through hospital hierarchy, into his fine debut thriller about the fraught world of doctors. The novel certainly works as medical drama, but it is also a gripping detective story and a revealing character study about what makes docs tick... Veteran detective Hank Madden, in charge of the case, is a brilliantly realized secondary character. Utterly baffling until the very last page," said Booklist. The author is executive editor at CBS Interactive and is interviewed regularly on TV as a tech expert, appearing on CNN, CNBC, MSNBC and other media outlets. This is his first novel.

Previous Selections:

July: JOHN VERDON - Think of a Number (Crown Books, $22.00)
June: DOUGLAS CORLEONE - One Man's Paradise (Minotaur Books, $24.99)
May: PAUL DOIRON - The Poacher's Son (Minotaur Books, $24.99)
April: ELLEN HORAN - 31 Bond Street (Harper, $25.99)
March: CARLA BUCKLEY - The Things That Keep Us Here (Random House, $25.00)
February: PAUL THEROUX - A Dead Hand - A Crime In Calcutta (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $26.00)
January: LOU BERNEY - Gutshot Straight (William Morrow, $24.99)
December: BRAD PARKS - Faces Of The Gone (St. Martin's Press, $25.99)
November: KWEI QUARTEY- Wife Of The Gods (Random House, $24.00)
October: LOU MANFREDO - Rizzo's War (St. Martin's Press, $24.99)

'SIGNED&SELECTED' II

'S&S' II was created to introduce you to authors we're afraid you may have missed. These are writers who still have a relatively small audience after releasing several books, and we think it's a crime. We wouldn't characterize them as underrated -- they are often lauded by critics. The public simply hasn't found them in large enough numbers to make them household names.

'S&S' II August: ALEX KAVA - Damaged (Doubleday, $24.95)

"At the start of Kava's exciting, if grisly, eighth Maggie O'Dell novel (after Black Friday), Liz Bailey, a 27-year-old Coast Guard rescue swimmer, retrieves a stainless steel cooler from Florida's Pensacola Bay. Inside are human body parts. FBI special agent Maggie and Charlie Wurth, the Department of Homeland Security's deputy director, once again team to investigate. Meanwhile, Maggie's hunky new boyfriend, Col. Benjamin Platt, comes to Florida in search of monstrous bacteria killing too many soldiers... Maggie must venture into the eye of Hurricane Isaac as this intense thriller builds to an eye-popping revelation that will leave fans eager for the sequel," said Publishers Weekly.

Previous Selections:

July: R.J. ELLORY - The Anniversary Man (Overlook, $24.99)
June: THOMAS PERRY - Strip (Houghton Mifflin, $26.00)
May: SCOTT TUROW - Innocent (Grand Central, $27.99)
April: CORNELIA READ - Invisible Boy (Grand Central, $24.99)
March: CRAIG MCDONALD - Print The Legend (St. Martin's, $24.99)
February: J. SYDNEY JONES - A Requiem In Vienna (Minotaur Books, $24.99)
January: JAMES HIME - Where Armadillos Go To Die (Minotaur Books, $25.99)
December: R.J. ELLORY - A Quiet Belief In Angels (Overlook Press, $24.95)
November: ARCHER MAYOR - Price Of Malice (Minotaur Books, $24.99)
October: TIMOTHY HALLINAN - Breathing Water (William Morrow, $24.99)

'SIGNED&SELECTED' III

'S&S' III selections are traditional, or "cozy" mysteries. We created this category because we realized that 'S&S' I and II tend to be slanted toward serious, literary and noir novels. If you prefer your murders to happen offstage, or without the gory details and peppering of four-letter words often found in mainstream thrillers, 'S&S' III is for you. There are so many wonderful writers, both new and well-known, in this category.

'S&S' III May: JOANNE FLUKE - Apple Turnover Murder (Kensington, $24.00)

Publishers Weekly said: "Cozy fans will welcome bestseller Fluke's charming 13th Hannah Swensen mystery. Hannah is working long hours at her bakery, the Cookie Jar, in Lake Eden, Minn., as well as dating two men... When Hannah winds up serving as a magician's assistant for a charity show, she has the misfortune to find Bradford, the show's host, backstage stone cold dead. With her usual wit and flair, amateur sleuth Hannah narrows down the list of suspects in Bradford's murder, but can she catch the culprit before she becomes the next victim? Scrumptious recipes include mocha nut butterballs and chocolate marshmallow cookie bars." And Library Journal concluded:"The ever popular Fluke writes engaging cozies with one part great characters, one part gentle story, and three parts the best recipes in the genre."

Previous Selections:

February: NANCY ATHERTON - Aunt Dimity Down Under (Viking, $24.95)
December: SUSAN KANDEL - H Is For Hitchcock (HarperCollins, $13.99 trade paperback original)
November: CAROLYN HART - Merry, Merry Ghost (William Morrow, $15.95, trade paperback original)
October: EMILY ARSENAULT - The Broken Teaglass (Random House, $25.00)
September: COLIN COTTERILL - Merry Misogynist (Soho, $24.00, SIGNED bookplates)
August: LAURIE MOORE - Woman Strangled News At Ten (Gale Group, $25.95)
July: R. T. RAICHEV - The Little Victim (Soho, $25.00)

'MYSTORICAL'

'MYSTORICAL' is our historical mystery category. We never know where our Way-Back machine will stop; it could be the early 1900's or Ancient Rome. All we know is that if you're stuck in the past, we're happy to accommodate you.

'Mystorical' August: PETER QUINN - The Man Who Never Returned (Overlook, $24.95)

Publishers Weekly starred: "Quinn delivers a satisfying solution to the real-life mystery of Joseph Crater, a New York City judge who disappeared in 1930, in this stellar hard-boiled historical, a sequel to The Hour of the Cat (2005). In 1955, a New York newspaper magnate offers PI Fintan Dunne carte blanche to investigate the case in the hope that Dunne will provide him with a sensational exclusive. Crater vanished just as an official inquiry into judicial corruption, ordered by then governor Franklin Delano Roosevelt, was getting underway... Quinn not only makes the existence of clues at such a late date plausible but also concocts an explanation that's both logical and surprising. The depth and complexity of the lead character is a big plus."

Previous Selections:

July: KELLI STANLEY - City of Dragons (Minotaur Books, $24.99)
June: TONY HAYS - The Divine Sacrifice (Forge, $24.99)
May: SHEILA YORK - A Good Knife's Work (Five Star, $25.95)
April: Anne Perry - The Sheen On The Silk (Ballantine,$27.00)
March: KENNETH WISHNIA - The Fifth Servant (William Morrow, $25.99)
February: JERI WESTERSON - Serpent In The Thorns (St. Martin's Press, $24.99)
January: ELIOT PATTISON - Eye Of The Raven (Counterpoint, $26.00)
December: C.S. HARRIS - What Remains Of Heaven (Penguin, $23.95)
November: JAMES BENN - Evil For Evil, A Billy Boyle WWII Mystery (Soho Press, $25.00)
October: CHARLES TODD - A Duty To The Dead (HarperCollins, $24.99)

BOOK-BY-THE-MONTH GIFT PROGRAM

Here at "M" we have the answer to the question "What's a great birthday or holiday gift for that special book-lover in your life?" Our Book-by-the-Month Gift program offers either a 6-month or 12-month subscription. WE select the titles and send to your recipient, each month. All we need from you (or your giftee) is some clue as to kinds of mysteries and/or authors preferred. Prepay by cash, check or credit card. We send a special gift notification card to your giftee, if you desire.

The subscription prices have remained the same for several years. Because of the significant increases in the cost of books and shipping, we have reluctantly increased the subscription prices, which include shipping and handling. The new subscription prices are as follows:

6 months Mass Market Paperback: $75.00
12 months Mass Market Paperback: $150.00

6 months Trade Paperback: $125.00
12 months Trade Paperback: $250.00

6 months Hardcover: $200.00
12 months Hardcover: $400.00

The hardcover option can be combined with one of the 'Signed and Selected' programs.

STORE HOURS:
MONDAY through SATURDAY from 10:30 AM to 6:00 PM,
SUNDAY from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM,
and evenings until approximately 9:00 PM when an author is scheduled to appear at 7:00 PM.

Email your comments, orders or suggestions to
info@MforMystery.com

"M" is for Mystery Homepage

86 East Third Avenue
San Mateo, CA 94401
www.MforMystery.com
Phone: 650-401-8077
Toll free outside the Bay Area: 888-405-8077
Fax: 650-401-8079

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