78.
The Lady Killer, by Ed McBain. McBain slammed out this entire novel in a nine-day period at a Martha's Vineyard vacation house. One draft. And, although it only follows one plotline (instead of McBain's usual A and B plots), it's as good as anything else he's written. That asshole. As far as plot goes, the cops at the Precinct are racing against time (like McBain himself) after receiving a note threatening to kill "the lady" at 8 that night. We get lots of false leads, and the reader will solve the identity of the victim well before the cops do, but it's still a fun and quick read, with the usual snappy dialogue. Recommended.
79.
Dearly Devoted Dexter, by Jeff Lindsay. The second Dexter book is just as good as the first. Dexter is forced to hide his "hobby" to avoid the attention of his nemesis, Doakes, and eventually gets sucked into a case involving ex-CIA spooks. This, in turn, spirals into ghastliness (the tortures perpetrated by the villain are amongst the nastiest I've ever read about), and comedy (the twists Dexter's romantic life take are wonderful). Again, the Miami police department comes across as a gang of morons, but it's not like they ever exactly had a stellar reputation. We do see one cop, finally, do something impressive near the end of the book, so they're looking better than they did in the first novel. Overall, a quick and gruesome read. Highly recommended, but read the first novel for starters.
80.
Portable Childhoods, by Ellen Klages. Wow. I'd only read one Klages story to date ("Triangle," probably the weakest story in the collection), and hadn't known what to expect, really. But it was there at the library, and had an intro by Neil Gaiman, so I figured I'd give it a shot. That one story aside, there isn't a story here I don't adore. Some are slight ("Ringing Up Baby," a cute look at the ability to preselect genetic traits in children, and "Intelligent Design," reinterpreting God as a pre-teen), but most are touching. "Basement Magic," a Nebula-winner in 2005, and "Green Glass Sea," which was expanded into Klages's first novel, are probably the best-known, but I'm partial to "A Taste of Summer," a beautiful tale of magic and ice cream. The titular story (one of a handful of tales first seeing print in this volume) is probably my personal favorite, and will likely me a favorite of any parent. I just can't speak highly enough of this volume. Highest recommendation.
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