Decembers Best Reads

Sex, Thugs, and Rock and Roll - Todd Robinson, editor. Thuglit's second collection. Maybe not as consistent all the way through as the original (Hardcore Hardboiled), but still a first-class collection by excellent writers. Probably out of print, but worth looking up.

Moonlight Mile - Dennis Lehane. The much-anticipated sequel to Gone, Baby, Gone. Also not quite as good as the original, but Lehane now has a much broader oeuvre for comparison. The story is excellent, if somewhat constrained by Kenzie's inner angst over his work. Could use a little more Bubba, but Yefim the Russian gangster is a prize. 

Below the Line, John McFetridge and Scott Albert. Big fun for anyone interested in how movies get made, or don't. A pastiche of fictional stories of what happens on a movie set, drawn from the authors' experiences. The book is good throughout, but the scene where the transport captain takes the star to a hockey game is worth the entire cost. Definitely out of print, worth picking up at a used bookstore if you can find it.