Blowback by Brad Thor

I enjoy reading a book and being transported to an interesting place, and its a rude shock to have an author mix in his political opinions. I can turn on the TV 24 hours a day to watch angry people pontificate, it's totally uncool to have this guy spewing and taking my money while he's doing it. What kind of person would use a book as a forum to call a former first lady a bitch, ball buster, and then have the climax of the book including her being video taped giving someone a BJ. Really? A professional would not behave like this.

Whack-a-Mole by Chris Grabenstein

Danny and Ceepak are in top form for perhaps the best book in the series. These books are silly and make for a very light and enjoyable read. An innocent discovery on the beach in Sea Haven leads to a string of gruesome clues and one chilling conclusion: a long dormant serial killer is poised to strike again.

Heartshot by Steven F. Havill

This was a pleasant surprise, in the same way Craig Johnson's walt Longmire mysteries slowly take hold. Interesting regular people you come to like - look forward to reading another in this series.

Septuagenarian undersheriff Bill Gastner of Posadas County, N.M., is the skeptical, endearing narrator of this mystery debut by a writer of Westerns ( Timberblood ). Conscious of advancing age and his bulging waistline, Gastner distrusts both computers and the skills of newly elected sheriff Martin Holman, a former used-car salesman. When a large stash of cocaine is found in the car of five teenagers killed in a crash, local officials are stymied. A young state cop is brought in to mingle with the victims's friends, posing as Gastner's grandson. In short order, a grief-stricken father shoots the undercover cop, a moody teenager dies in a suspicious "suicide," and Gastner has a heart attack. Eventually Gastner, the surprisingly capable Holman and detective Estelle Reyes expose a complicated drug-smuggling operation. Airplanes, real and model, loom large in the denouement and the climactic flying sequence is a corker. If the villain's identity is not surprising, readers still will enjoy this caper and look forward to future appearances of curmudgeonly charmer Gastner.

Marker by Robin Cook

Written well, interesting plot, but I will stay away from this author. Too many superfluous side stories that go on and are dead ends. One character talks to another and is referred to another who then refers them to another to no avail.

From Russia With Love by Ian Fleming

Much better than I remembered, and other than the abrupt and unclear ending, a very enjoyable read.

The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing by Tarquin Hall

This book is well written and has very good reviews, but I will not be reading this author again. Too slow and boring. I got 2/3 through the book and just didn't care.

The Second Perimeter by Mike Lawson

I wouldn't suggest this book to anyone, but I sure enjoyed it. I've enjoyed all of Lawson's books I've read thus far and look forward to the next.

PW: The second outing for political troubleshooter Joe DeMarco, who's employed by House Speaker John Mahoney, proves that Lawson's fine debut, The Inside Ring (2005), was no fluke. Soon after DeMarco's arrival at the U.S. naval base in Bremerton, Wash., which an espionage ring has infiltrated, dead spies start turning up. Their control, a beautiful Chinese national, Li Mei, appears to be killing her underlings once they complete their jobs. After Li Mei gets her hands on top secret information about nuclear submarine technology, she boldly takes the next step—kidnapping one of DeMarco's operatives, who, theoretically, could be tortured into revealing more secrets about nuclear subs. While the author's prose is highly readable and his plot fast-paced, it's the character of DeMarco, a man of insecurities, weaknesses and outright defects, that separates this new series from the herd. DeMarco also has a dry, self-deprecating sense of humor that contrasts nicely to the solemn gravity of his professional circumstances.