FAST-PACED THRILLER ROCKETS from a mysterious death on the Harvard campus to a crisis at the White House. B PLUS

ANONYMOUS SOURCES
Gallery Books
2013

AN INTRIGUING LOOK AT Internet crime, from spam to stalking, and how law enforcement agencies prosecute it. SOLID B

THE INTERNET POLICE : HOW CRIME WENT ONLINE, AND THE COPS FOLLOWED
W. W. Norton & Company
2013

POIGNANT, ROUGH-HEWN STORY of an unlikely friendship between two proud Southern Appalachian women. Touching. SOLID B

THE FUNERAL DRESS
Broadway Books
2013

A FRESH THAI TWIST on the chick-lit thriller! Charming novel stars a Bangkok reporter new to Washington, DC. SOLID B

FROM BANGKOK WITH DESPAIR: (MIS)ADVENTURES IN D.C.
Tichakorn Hill
2013

Mixing the charm of chick lit with the suspense of a thriller requires a deft hand; in her debut novel, From Bangkok with Despair: (Mis)adventures in D. C., Tichakorn Khroopan Hill is well up to the task. The book follows Joyjira, a Thai reporter trying to make a new life in the US after a nasty breakup back in Bangkok. Joy’s an engaging character, whose breathless love for Hello Kitty and designer shoes is balanced by her practical approach to the challenges of her new life and new job.

The camaraderie (and occasional savage backbiting) of a city newsroom is vividly depicted here, as are perspectives of the Thai community in the US, from restaurant chefs to international students. If there’s fault to find with From Bangkok with Despair, it’s that the book does so much at once: it’s a coming of age story, a Beltway thriller, and a romance. Joy’s distinctive voice and character are strong enough to tie the book together, though, and delightful enough to leave readers wanting more from Tichakorn Khroopan Hill.

A FRESH THAI TWIST on the chick-lit thriller! Charming novel stars a Bangkok reporter new to Washington, DC.

LOVELY, ELEGAIC MEDITATION by Julian Barnes on ballooning, photography, and the death of his beloved wife. B PLUS

LEVELS OF LIFE
Knopf
2013

EERIE TALE FUSES science fiction, horror, and suspense. Riveting, tense, and not for the fainthearted! B PLUS

THE SHINING GIRLS: A NOVEL
Little, Brown & Company
2013

SPOOKY, INTRIGUING JAPANESE noir thriller about a man on the run from his family legacy of evil. Sharp, smart. B PLUS

EVIL AND THE MASK
Soho Crime
2013

THE WARS OF THE ROSES and the women who masterminded their court intrigues and alliances. Fresh perspective! SOLID B

BLOOD SISTERS: THE WOMEN BEHIND THE WARS OF THE ROSES
Basic Books
2013