I came across a good read at Borders the other day - Mistress of the Art of Death by Arianna Franklin. It was so good, I bought the sequel, which usually disappoint, but this one did not - the Serpent's Tale. These are historical fiction, but with a twist that they are also murder mysteries, like Umberto Eco's Name of the Rose (a classic). I hope she doesn't burn out like Grisham and start cranking out trash every other month or so.
“I know up on the top you are seeing great sights, but down at the bottom we, too, should have rights. "Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories"” by Dr. Seuss