1-3: The Shadow: Hell’s Heat Wave: three issues of the graphic Shadow adventure by Michael W. Kaluta and Joel Goss and drawn by Gary Gianni.

Everyone has their guilty pleasures. James Patterson is one of mine. Not everything mind you. I was a fan before he turned into a factory, churning out books with a variety of writers. I still like some of his series novels, Alex Cross, Women’s Murder Club, Witch & Wizard, and Maximum Ride. I don’t read any of the standalones though. I tried a few and was less than impressed.

4: The 9th Judgment: Four women in the male dominated world of police work. A cop, a prosecutor, a medical examiner, and a crime reporter all team up to solve murder cases.

5: Cross Fire: Alex Cross has a case involving a sniper shooting down unsavory characters in D.C.(how do they decide), crooked congressmen, lobbyists, judges. At the same time arch enemy Kyle Craig, former FBI agent, former friend, serial killer, has escaped from prison and is taunting Cross. And we must not forget his upcoming marriage to Bree.

6: Witch & Wizard: The Gift: the latest in the urban fantasy series involving siblings Whit and Wisty Allgood and their battle with the new totaliarian government that outlaws all form of creativity.

7-8: the first two novels in the new Starfleet Academy series based on the time line established in the recent movie. Kirk and company’s years learning how to be Starfleet officers.

9: Losing The Peace- William Leisner: a Next generation novel set after the Borg invasion and efforts of the Federation, led by Picard and the Enterprise, to recover.

10: Unspoken Truth- Margaret Wander Bonanno: a novel set during the time of the film ST IV when the crew is facing court-martial for stealing and destroying the Enterprise. Spock’s ward Saavik is alone as she learns more about her past and her efforts to stop a conspiracy to bring down Ambassador Sarek.

11: Judas Payne by Michael Hemmingson & Webb’s Weird Wild West by Don Webb: patterned after the old Ace doubles. Read a book, flip it over and read another. A novel and a cllection of western stories with a weird slant.

12: Get Real – Donald E. Westlake: Dortmunder and company get involved with a reality show producer that wants to watch them plan and carry out one of their patented nothing-can-go-wrong-until-it-does capers. The latest in the comic crime series by the late author.