INTRIGUING JAPANESE THRILLER centers around a complex plot to frame an average man for political assassination. SOLID B

REMOTE CONTROL
Kodansha USA
2011

DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY DRAMA from J. D. Mason is as well-crafted as ever, but even grimmer than her other books. SOLID B

SOMEBODY PICK UP MY PIECES
St. Martin’s Press
2012

STEAMPUNK SUPERNATURAL ALT-HISTORY with plenty of action is a ripping yarn that’s tremendous Victoriana fun. B PLUS

THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE CLOCKWORK MAN
Pyr
2011

GRITTY LOCAL COLOR, vivid Florida characters star in thriller that could have used a bit more polish and focus. B MINUS

DEVIL’S SLEW (DETECTIVE BARRETT RAINES MYSTERIES)
Minotaur Books
2011

AMBITIOUS, QUIRKY PARABLE of NJ suburbanites compelled to reenact LYSISTRATA’s sex strike feels a bit uneven. SOLID B

THE UNCOUPLING
Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
2011

FANS OF CHELSEA HANDLER will laugh at these stories about her many pranks and impostures; others might shrug. SOLID B

LIES THAT CHELSEA HANDLER TOLD ME
Grand Central Publishing
2011

DISTINGUISHED SCOTTISH POET, essayist, novelist Jackie Kay’s amazing memoir about finding her birth parents. A MINUS

RED DUST ROAD: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL JOURNEY
ATLAS
2011

THOUGHTFUL RECESSION-ERA RIFFS on women’s fiction tropes in the latest gem from UK megastar Elizabeth Buchan. B PLUS

SEPARATE BEDS
Viking Adult
2011

FREEWHEELING, WARM-HEARTED, hilarious time travel fantasia stars Dick Cheney (and the mordant wit of Bob Smith). A MINUS

REMEMBRANCE OF THINGS I FORGOT: A NOVEL
University of Wisconsin Press
2011

AN EPISTOLARY ROMANCE for the social media era adds witty touches, some strong characterizations to its gimmick. SOLID B

SAVE AS DRAFT
Simon & Schuster
2011