JOKEY, CHATTY TOUR through the fringes of science, from Ben Franklin’s electrocuted turkey to nuking the moon.

TENSE JAPANESE THRILLER, told from the perspective of a master pickpocket at the mercy of a crime kingpin.

SAVVY, WITTY MYSTERY centers on death and insurance fraud among rich, horsey Californians. Good neo-noir fun!

CROSSWORDS, VINTAGE COUTURE, pigs spice up a fun tale of a Manhattan artist trying to choose among her suitors.

A DEEPLY RESEARCHED LOOK at the Institute for Advanced Study’s post-WWII computer innovations; alas, too vague.

THE DEATH OF A FRIEND takes psychologist/sleuth Maisie Dobbs back to her Cockney roots. Stylish 1930s cosy!

THE INSIDE STORY of a Florida murder case serves as a base for a larger argument on sentencing teen offenders. B MINUS

TROUT: A TRUE STORY OF MURDER, TEENS, AND THE DEATH PENALTY
University Press of Florida
2012

FASCINATING LOOK AT the life of a “dance bar girl” in Mumbai, India, is alternately depressing and inspiring. B PLUS

BEAUTIFUL THING: INSIDE THE SECRET WORLD OF BOMBAY’S DANCE BARS
Black Cat
2012

TEENAGE MONSTERS FACE challenges both ordinary and extraordinary; clever tale mixes fantasy with the mundane. B PLUS

HEMLOCK GROVE
FSG Originals
2012