The Affair - by Lee Child

If you're a Jack Reacher fan and have ever wondered how it all began, this volume in his series (#16) explains the story leading up to the end of his career as a military cop, his separation from the Army, and the start of his "wandering" ways.

In this story, Major Reacher is given an undercover assignment to monitor the local law enforcement response to a rape and murder in Carter Crossing, Mississippi. There are potentially serious political implications to the Army, as Senator Carlton Riley, the chair of the Armed Services Committee has a son at nearby Fort Kelham with possible ties to the victim. Reacher matches wits with and is attracted to Sheriff Elizabeth Deveraux, a beautiful former Marine MP.

If you're a Reacher fan, this is a must-read, as it fills in some of the back story of the quirks and nature of the character you've come to know.  If you've never tried a Jack Reacher novel before, this might be a good book to start with.

Nine Dragons - by Michael Connelly

This is a novel in the Harry Bosch series (#15), although his half-brother, Mickey Haller, also makes a minor appearance and reporter Jack McEvoy is mentioned.  In this novel, a murder case in South Los Angeles becomes personal and Bosch must go to Hong Kong to try to rescue his daughter.

I previously read "The Drop" and "The Fifth Witness," so this novel filled in a little of Harry Bosch's more recent background that I had already glimpsed in these sequels.  Harry is a no-nonsense detective.  In this book (as in others), he shows that while he may make some mistakes, he is a take-charge guy, who trusts his instincts and is comfortable being in control of his destiny.  In this book, he races against time to find clues and follow the evidence, but all is not always what it seems.  I like Connelly's writing and this story did not disappoint me.

Lullaby Town - by Robert Crais

This is another early Elvis Cole/Joe Pike novel (third in the series - published in 1992).  In it, Peter Allen Nelson, a high profile Hollywood director, hires Cole to find his ex-wife and the son that he abandoned on his rise to fame.  When he tracks them down on the east coast, however, he uncovers an unexpected mob connection and things get complicated.

I liked this better than "The Monkey's Raincoat," but its not close to being my favorite book that I've read thus far in the series (I absolutely love the later ones).