All fiction this month

Guilty by Definition -Susie Dent

The author is a lexicographer and this book is a must for word fiends and lit lovers. Set in Oxford at the offices of the Clarendon English Dictionary ( sub for the OED) Dent offers puzzles, arcane words, and literary references to move the mystery along. Great fun and a wonderful solution!

Heart the Lover -Lily King

King writes another outstanding tale in her second novel. Realistic characters, story , and emotions. Three college friends/lovers and their reunion decades later that allows for clarification of past traumas.

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer-Ragnar Jonasson

I have never been disappointed by Icelandic fiction. Loved this one as well. Dark, atmospheric ( how do they live in that cold?)with a shocking finale.

Buckeye- Patrick Ryan

Ryan astutely depicts a small town in Ohio from the 1940's at the end of WW II over several decades as the country changes. The story is centered on two couples who are tangibly and intimately connected. A big story with a small, but effective, focus.

Pick a Color-Souvankham Thammavongsa

A short, but pointedly funny book by an acclaimed author. Your nail tech is more than just a service worker. See her as an individual.

Great Disasters- Grady Chambers

Six boys in a Chicago high school in 2000 grow apart and together over the years. How they navigate life's challenges is predicated in many ways by the follies of the teen years.