Top Ten Los Gatos Library Fiction Books

1. The art of racing in the rain: Garth Stein     

Evaluating his life on the eve of his death, atypical canine Enzo considers the sacrifices his master, Denny Swift, has made in his pursuit of becoming a professional race car driver, and the dog's own efforts to preserve the Swift family.

2. Wolf Hall: Hilary Mantel 

Assuming the power recently lost by the disgraced Cardinal Wolsey, Thomas Cromwell counsels a mercurial Henry VIII on the latter's efforts to marry Anne Boleyn against the wishes of Rome, a successful endeavor that comes with a dangerous price.

3. Getting rid of Matthew: Jane Fallon

Virginia desperately wants to get away from her "preposterously protective parents," but when an unusual confluence of events sends her whole town sailing away leaving her behind, she finds herself beginning to shrink. (amazon)

4. Bad luck and trouble, Lee Child

From a helicopter high above the empty California desert, a man is sent free-falling into the night…. In Chicago, a woman learns that an elite team of ex–army investigators is being hunted down one by one.... And on the streets of Portland, Jack Reacher—soldier, cop, hero—is pulled out of his wandering life by a code that few other people could understand. (amazon)

5. Beggarman, thief: Irwin Shaw

Wesley, haunted by his father's murder, begins a strange and deeply personal quest; Billy becomes involved with a girl who leads him into unexpected dangers; Gretchen finds new challenges and experiences a remarkable twist to her life. (amazon)

6. The elegance of the hedgehog, Muriel Barbery

The lives of fifty-four-year-old concierge Rene Michel and extremely bright, suicidal twelve-year-old Paloma Josse are transformed by the arrival of a new tenant, Kakuro Ozu.

7. Death benefit, Robin Cook

Launching a private investigation when their mentor dies under suspicious circumstances, medical students Natalie Savondnik and Ronald Goodall uncover a sinister operation through which private life insurance policies are being manipulated to allow investors to benefit from the deaths of others.

8. Before I go to sleep: S.J. Watson

Memories define us. So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep? Your name, your identity, your past, even the people you love—all forgotten overnight. And the one person you trust may be telling you only half the story. Welcome to Christine's life. (amazon)

9. One shot, Lee Child

Six shots. Five dead. One heartland city thrown into a state of terror. But within hours the cops have it solved: a slam-dunk case. Except for one thing. The accused man says: You got the wrong guy. Then he says: Get Reacher for me. And sure enough, from the world he lives in—no phone, no address, no commitments–ex–military investigator Jack Reacher is coming. (amazon)

10. Worst case: James Patterson     

Detective Michael Bennett and FBI Abduction Specialist Emily Parker reluctantly team up to stop a killer targeting not only the children of New York's wealthiest families--but the entire city of New York.