RIPPED-FROM-THE-HEADLINES problem novel never quite takes off despite some lovely writing and characterization.

SPOOKY AND ATMOSPHERIC tale of a small town’s morbid traditions is YA sensation Melissa Marr’s first for adults.

FAST-PACED, WITTY THRILLER follows a spy turned full-time mom fighting international crime and cranky toddlers.

BROODING AND EVOCATIVE Swedish police procedural/thriller relies on mood, not action. Crisp translation shines.

FAST-PACED GARDENING MYSTERY features a spunky sleuth and an only-in-New-York supporting cast. Good fun!

SWEEPING HISTORICAL ROMANCE of an American heiress and an English duke has old-fashioned Whartonesque charm.

CRANKY COTSWOLDS SLEUTH Agatha Raisin’s 22nd mystery (!) is engrossing, fresh, and deftly plotted. Hurray!

ANOTHER CHARMING 1930s mystery for “Her Royal Spyness” as she hits the Riviera with Chanel, Wallis Simpson.

AMUSING CHICK-LIT FLUFF about a family whose women are cursed with romantic disaster never quite takes off.

UNFORGETTABLE, VIVID, POETIC tale of a teenage girl’s hardscrabble Mississippi life as Hurricane Katrina hits.