1943 NEW YORK vividly captured in this fourth Rosie Winter mystery; twisty plot, wisecracking dames. B PLUS #beachread

WHEN WINTER RETURNS: A ROSIE WINTER MYSTERY
Harper Paperbacks
2010

FASCINATING TRUE TALE of the rise, fall of Al Capone. Thorough research (and new finds) make up for dull prose. SOLID B

GET CAPONE: THE SECRET PLOT THAT CAPTURED AMERICA’S MOST WANTED GANGSTER
Simon & Schuster
2010

PRIZE-WINNING FRENCH NOVEL disappoints; despite beautiful prose, everything happens “offstage”. Frustrating! C PLUS

UNFORGIVABLE
Simon & Schuster
2010

INGENIOUS MASHUP of two beloved ’50s movie tropes–rebellious teens and alien creatures–in a zippy, fun book. SOLID B

GO, MUTANTS!
Ecco
2010

ANOTHER RAUCOUS, RIOTOUS adventure, the fourth for the Spellman clan of private detectives. Love! Death! SATs! A MINUS

THE SPELLMANS STRIKE AGAIN (SPELLMAN FILES SERIES)
Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group
2010

THE EVERYDAY DRAMAS of English family life, close up and in detail, form the heart of this elegant, spare novel. B PLUS

THE BRADSHAW VARIATIONS
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
2010

THE EVERYDAY DRAMAS of English family life, close up and in detail, form the heart of this elegant, spare novel. B PLUS

THE BRADSHAW VARIATIONS
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
2010

THE LAST DECADE OF THE COLD WAR played out in evocative scenes of family dysfunction, suburban DC angst. SOLID B

SOMETHING RED
Scribner Book Company
2010

SPACE OPERA GOES RIDICULOUS in Tom Holt’s first comic SF novel; lovely nonsense a la Douglas Adams. A MINUS #beachread

BLONDE BOMBSHELL
Little, Brown Book Group
2010

WISECRACKING LA DETECTIVES have a 4th outing in this fast-paced whodunnit full of twists and turns. B PLUS #beachread

CUT, PASTE, KILL (LOMAX AND BIGGS SERIES #4)
St. Martin’s Press
2010