I need to get caught up on some novels I’ve read during the past couple weeks. Here are three.

Under the Skin, by James Carlos Blake. I stumbled across this book in Hyde Brothers used bookstore here in Fort Wayne. It was excellent. The book is in the roman noir genre, where the “good guys” are part of, or at least on the fringes of, the criminal element. This was a fabulous book. I’ll gobble up any other books I find by Blake (got one more on my shelf right now).

Severance Package, by Duane Swierczynski. This was an unusual book, the whole thing occurring within a period of a couple hours. The employees of a shadowy firm are gathered for a special Saturday morning meeting. The boss tells them that they are being shut down immediately, the building is in lockdown with no escape, and everyone needs to die. They can take a poison, or he’ll shoot them in the head–their choice. It’s a bit high-concept and artsy, but entertaining and unpredictable. I’ll definitely read more by this guy with the funny name.

Flinch, by Robert Ferrigno. Another good-author find at Hyde Brothers. Ferrigno’s written three books for the Black Lizard imprint, and I’ve now read all three. Ferrigno is terrific. The protagonist in “Flinch” and “Scavenger Hunt” is an entertainment writer trying to solve a serial murder case.