Manhattan Beach By: Jennifer Egan

Sad to say that this one did nothing for me.  I didn't find it noir-ish at all.  I found nothing engaging in any of the characters.  The timeline was all over the place.  I found myself waiting for it to be over.

Materpieces of Murder Ed. By: Jonathan Goodman

A fascinating collection of essays, news reports, lectures, diaries, etc... all having to do with famous (and not so famous) murders from across time and locales.

Death by Coffee By: Alex Erickson

This was cute-but, and I can't put my finger on it, I felt there was something missing. There wasn't a lot of set up as to who Krissy was or the town of Pine Hills, and I'm not sure I bought into her need to investigate the death.  With all that said, the characters are quirky and the writing was excellent.

The Black Prism By: Brent Weeks

An amazing fantasy adventure!  Kip is not like any hero you've ever encountered, and that's what makes this tome so great!  Brent Weeks is a hell of a creative storyteller!!

Crime and Poetry By: Amanda Flower

I'm torn on this one.  On the one hand, the premise is creative and the characters are interesting and fun, and the wiring is excellent!  On the other hand, I figured out who had done it way before Violet did, and I don't buy that the police hadn't figured out prior to Violet.  It didn't make sense.  And yet, I still enjoyed reading it.

Paranoia By: Joseph Finder

My initial thought was that this was a really long book for Mr. Finder.  He usually writes in the 300-400 page range and this one is 564 pages.  While reading it I thought could he have trimmed any of this?  And the answer is no-it's all necessary and adds to the fantastic intrigue that packs all 564 pages.  The reveal  is SO not what you might think.  Brilliant read!

Killer Instinct By: Joseph Finder

The more of his books I read, the more I realize that Joe Finder is a flawless writer.  His characters are so real, with very little description, the action is intense, the twists will snap your head and the endings always catch you off guard and are very satisfying.  Killer Instinct is all of these and more!