I've sorely neglected my book reviews over the past few months but here are a couple of highly recommended reads:
In "A Spot of Bother," the follow-up to Mark Haddon's "The Curious Incident of The Dog in The Nighttime," protagonist George Hall becomes convinced that his eczema is actually cancer. He launches into a psychological tailspin while trying to channel a host of other problems: his daughter, Katie, is raising a toddler and is engaged to the unlikable Ray, his wife, Jean, is having an affair with George's co-worker and his son, Jamie, has been dumped by his boyfriend. Haddon does an amazing job of getting into the head of each character, intimately describing Jean's waffling over her affair, Katie's overwhelmed state as a single mother and George's depression. The book is hilariously odd but also touching and it leaves the reader with a genuine sympathy for poor George.
I can't claim to be a big mystery enthusiast but Em recommended this book after I got my "28 on the 28th" Virgo tattoo. It describes a murder case in which a female's severed limbs and head are found in a locked bathroom by two admirers: Hayakawa, a collector of tattoo skins, and Matsushita, the lovestruck brother of a Detective. Two subsequent murders add intrigue to the plot and impel the investigators to enlist the services of Kamizu, the "Boy Genius." Kamizu analyzes the deaths, interviews the prime suspects and quietly but impressively solves the case. The book is quite a page-turner, not only because of its suspense but also because it incorporates the Japanese traditions of myth and superstition, ritual, and familial relationships. The author, Takagi, is apparently Japan's most acclaimed mystery writer and I can see why! 
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