A top novel became a free Kindle eBook download as part of a promotional campaign that will last for at least part of the weekend, according to a source at Amazon books.

The Fortunate Only, a gritty, face-paced thriller, has landed on the bookstore’s zero-cost promotional list for just a short time. Acclaimed by casual readers and critics alike, this moving crime novel has been referred to as the ideal marriage between suspense, terror and beauty.

Recently, Melissa Stark, a noted literary critic for the HCB Book Review, named The Fortunate Only the best book of the year, and other literary critics have pegged the novel as a potential best seller.

It isn’t known how long the novel will remain on the Amazon books no-cost list, since the website usually withholds this type of information. That said, because the promotion began July 27, it cannot last any longer than July 29 and may expire as soon as July 28.

Why the Promotion?

Amazon.com has a relatively large collection of zero-cost eBook downloads in its bookstore; however, many of these are not high quality. That said, occasionally, the website will offer a free Kindle book that has significant commercial and critical appeal.

Usually, readers have to move quickly to take advantage of these kinds of offers before they expire. Zero-cost promotions may last from one to five days; however, buyers don’t really have any way of knowing when the novel will be taken off the no-cost list.

In most cases, authors will decide how long they want their novels to remain at no cost. If they have offered full publishing rights to Amazon books, the authors have the freedom to make their novel a free Kindle download for up to, but not more than, five days every 90-day period. With that said, authors can either offer their work at zero-cost for five consecutive days, five one-day periods, and everything in between.

Ultimately, since only the author knows how long the promotion will last, readers have no idea when they will have to pay full price. This frequently leaves procrastinating and reluctant readers disappointed when promotions expire without warning.