The Defector by Daniel Silva

Gabriel Allon is pulled out of semi-retirement when Russian defector Gregori Bulgavov disappears from his comfortable life in London. The British are willing to believe Bulganov re-defected, but Allon knows otherwise. Once again, Allon assembles a talented team to free a friend from a seemingly impossible situation. This book is a sequel to Moscow Rules, but can stand alone. I'd recommend reading Moscow Rules first, though. Daniel Silva is the master of the spy thriller, and this one is no exception. I like the earlier Gabriel Allon books best, but as long as Silva keeps writing them, I'll keep reading them.

Wanting by Richard Flanagan

In Wanting, Flanagan draws the parallels in the lives of the Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin and writer Charles Dickens, illustrating that both reason and desire coexist in all humans.
Mathinna, the native Aboriginal girl from the Van Dieman's Land was "adopted" by the Franklins as Lady Jane, Sir John's wife, wished to transform her into a proper English woman, but her real intentions were questionable.
In 1854, when the Arctic Voyagers failed to return, Lady Jane asked Dickens to defend her husband by refuting notion of cannibalism. Dickens wrote a play about the doomed Northwest Passage, starring himself and in the process fell in love with a young actress, Ellen Ternan.
All the characters were torn between reason and desire, especially when Lady Jane visited the St. Joseph Orphanage. She could have "saved" Mathinna... There are some raw and heart-wrenching depictions in the novel that haunt me after reading it. However, Flanagan was excellent in exploring the ramifications of colonialism and the moral dilemmas we must face up to.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

An international best-seller, this book is set in Sweden. The main character is Mikael Blomkvist, a financial journalist who is at loose ends because he recently lost a libel case. He is hired by the elderly patriarch of the very wealthy Vanger family to look into the disappearance of Harriet Vanger. Harriet disappeared 40 years ago and is presumed to have been murdered, although her body has never been found. The book is primarily a murder mystery, and a pretty interesting one, but several other storylines are woven into the plot. The tension and complexity build as the novel progresses, and it all comes together quite nicely. The characters are varied, different and not always easy to like. Although there are a few inconsistencies in the plot, the fine writing and masterful pacing more than make up for these minor distractions.

This book is not for everyone, as there is graphic violence, language and sex scenes.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by C. Alan Bradley

You are going to love Flavia de Luce, the 11-year-old narrator, aspiring chemist and heroine of The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. She's plucky, quirky, smart and independent. She lends a fresh and interesting voice to this classic mystery story.

Could this be the first of a series? I hope so.

Nothing Right by Antonya Nelson

Nothing Right consists of 11 engaging short stories, encompassing themes of love, loss, family, addiction, conflicts, affairs of the heart, and struggles in everyday life. It is reader friendly. If your time is limited, you can pick one story randomly and start reading. Once you begin, you will want to finish the whole book. Nelson has created some very believable characters. Sadness, hope and humor infiltrate each of the stories. In Shauntrelle, a hilarious divorcee who tries to reinvent herself found a temporary roommate in Houston. She reminded me of Dustin Hoffman in the movie Tootsie. Another one of my favorites was We and They, a mini family saga of the nontraditional Landers, told from the perspective of their teenager, whose language, world view and understanding of his adopted younger siblings, Otis and Angel, are astonishing. You will feel his joy and pain. I enjoyed this novel and hope to read more of Nelson's books.

Roadside Crosses by Jeffrey Deaver

California Bureau of Investigation agent and body language expert Kathryn Dance is hot on the trail of a killer who telegraphs his intent to kill by leaving roadside memorials before he takes a victim. Although I usually enjoy Jeffrey Deaver, I was disappointed by Roadside Crosses. The plot twists weren't very surprising, the romantic side plot wasn't very interesting, and I felt the book's momentum was slowed by the unnecessary explanations of blogging and gaming. Ho hum.

Relentless by Dean R. Koontz

Relentless is about author Cubby Greenwich, who has just published the latest in a string of successful novels. It gets panned by one particularly vicious critic, who turns out to be more than just a critic. Cubby and his family end up on the run, relentlessly pursued by the murderous critic.

I have been a fan of Dean Koontz for more than 20 years and I'm happy to say he just keeps getting better. Relentless is classic Koontz--a genuine thriller with quirky characters you care about (including a great dog), plenty of humor, and just a touch of science fiction. It's very well done.