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Requiem for an Assasin
Barry Eisler

In Eisler's predictable sixth thriller to star half Japanese, half American assassin John Rain (after 2006's The Last Assassin), Rain's longtime rival, rogue CIA agent Jim Hilger, kidnaps Rain's sniper friend Dox and threatens to kill Dox unless Rain murders three people Hilger wants dead. Despite his ambivalence about his chosen trade, Rain carries out the hits with little remorse. Rain's adventures take him to the usual glamorous locales—Paris, London, Amsterdam—while throughout he remains nostalgic for his Japanese heritage. In a subplot, Rain's Mossad agent lover, Delilah, enlists some Israeli colleagues in an attempt to foil a major terrorist plot. The revelation of why the three murder victims were selected comes as the book's one real surprise. - Publisher's Weekly

This book doesn't veer far from the typical action/adventure story, but it's fast paced and enjoyable with an interesting protagonist.


The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs
Alexander McCall Smith

In The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs, Professor Dr. Von Igelfeld is mistaken for a veterinarian and not wanting to call attention to the faux pas, begins practicing veterinary medicine without a license. He ends up operating on a friend’s dachshund to dramatic and unfortunate effect. He also transports relics for a schismatically challenged Coptic prelate, and is pursued by marriage-minded widows on board a Mediterranean cruise ship. -Amazon.com

Hilarious book with a mishap at every turn.

The Rottweiler
Ruth Rendell

The first victim had bite marks on her neck so the London papers nicknamed her killer, “the Rottweiler.” He has been stalking the small and diverse London community of Lisson Grove, where Inez Ferry runs an antique shop frequented by a motley collection of eccentric individuals. When the Rottweiler’s trinkets start showing up in the shop, suddenly, everyone Inez knows is a suspect, and the killer feels all too close. Enthralling and deeply unsettling, The Rottweiler alternates expertly between the mind of a psychopath and the daily affairs of those living in his shadow. It is a transfixing mystery that only Ruth Rendell could write. - BN

Excellent mystery with an intriguing cast of characters that weave in and out of eachother's lives. Ruth Rendell is a fantastic mystery writer!

Exile
Richard North Patterson

David Wolfe is a successful American lawyer being primed for a run for Congress. But when the phone rings and he hears the voice of Hana Arif—the Palestinian woman with whom he had a secret affair in law school—he begins a completely unexpected journey.

The next day, the prime minister of Israel is assassinated by a suicide bomber while visiting San Francisco. Soon, Hana is accused of being the mastermind behind the murder. Now David faces an agonizing choice: Will he, a Jew, represent her?

The most challenging case of David’s career requires that he delve deep into the lives of Hana and her militant Palestinian husband, all the way back to Israel and the West Bank. There he uncovers the couple’s dangerous connections…culminating in an explosive trial where the stakes are Hana’s life—and the future of two peoples. - Publisher

Overall a good book with the author exploriing both sides of the Israeli / Palestinian conflict. The ending is a bit predictable.

Her (Audio)
Laura Zigman

Zigman's novel features a cast of neurotic characters. Narrator Elise is paranoid about the presence of her fiancé's ex-fiancée, and fiancé Donald seems afraid to let his ex, Adrienne, go. Even super-beautiful Adrienne is insecure and clingy, and the waves of self-involved tension even radiate out to include Elise's friends. Ilana Levine gives a solid performance, clear and appropriately ironic, but it cannot detract from the fact that the 6-hour audiobook is about 3 hours too long. Elise's fearful rants become redundant and tiresome after the first chapter, and there seems to be no motivation for her grating behavior. What should be humorous scenes of pseudo-obsession--Elise's "drive-bys" past the competition's house, late night forays into Donald's desk drawers--just seem pathetic after the third time she does them. And she's only getting started.. - Audiofile

A for Awful. Bad from the beginning, but being trapped in the car with a long commute and nothing to do...I listened.