April 12 - It's been a while now since I read these books (I just started mysteryplaces.net in February, and am adding this feature this week), so my memories of them are being to fade a bit. The ratings (5 stars or 4 stars on Library Thing), are fairly subjective—those I particularly liked are rated higher. But other readers will undoubtedly have their own take, and each of these books has a strong sense of place, and is well worth reading.

The ones I rated most highly were Runner by Thomas Perry (reliably a good read for those who enjoy fast-paced thrillers with quick scene-changes); Bamboo and Blood: An Inspector O Novel by James Church (set in North Korea); Exit Music by Ian Rankin (classic Scottish-noir by the master of the genre); and The Lost Witness by Robert Ellis (yet another take on LAPD internal politics in Los Angeles).