Private Demon, Lynn Viehl.  This second novel in Viehl's Darkyn series is rather weaker than the first.  The trouble seems to be too many subplots given equal space without any of them getting wrapped up.  Continuing with the characters from If Angels Burn, Viehl chronicles Alex's duties as Darkyn physician, while giving equal time to the new life of her brother, disgraced priest John and hardly any effort to the central plot - that of a physically and emotionally weak 'heroine' that needs rescued by her demonic lover.  A nasty exploration of racism replaces the complex politics of the first novel, and as nothing is resolved the effect is a rather violent muddle.  Maybe the third entry will redeem the series, but I'd recommend skipping this one altogether.

Proven Guilty, Jim Butcher.  Butcher takes Dresden into slightly darker territory in this seventh series entry. Still possessed by the demon coin, Harry gets a call to help out Michael's daughter Molly, who's in trouble at a Horror convention where a creature's mimicking movie monsters.  The action's as fast paced as usual, but there's not nearly as much humor to brighten the rather dank atmosphere.  Dresden's fast evolving into the angst-ridden hero, but his supporting cast are beginning to grow in ways that might balance it out. 

Touch of Evil, CT. Adams, Cathy Clamp.  Another "paranormal romance" that's better than both the cover and marketing would suggest.  There are both weres and vampires in this universe, but neither is romantic or pretty.  The "vampires" are a hive mind called the Thrall -  parasitic creatures that take over a human host by laying eggs in their arm veins.  Like the bloodsuckers of legend, they feed on human blood, but neither their hosts nor their prey live long.  The novel's heroine, Kate Reilly is your standard kickass female with slight psychic abilities and enough successful stands against the Thrall to be "not prey."  The trouble starts when the old hive queen decides she wants Kate as her successor.  Well plotted, with a good number of twists and full of far more action than romance, it looks like a lead in to a series that I'll look forward to seeing evolve.

A Fistful of Charms, Kim Harrison.  Harrison's fourth entry in her Hollows series is every bit as good as the earlier volumes, if not as easy to stomach.  Following the Lord Darcy school of magic, A Fistful of Charms offers a carefully planned rescue mission, and lots of explanation of the 'rules' and limitations of magic.  Three cheers for internally consistent worlds.  Harrison's not afraid to take her characters in uncomfortable directions, proving that character development doesn't always mean your 'heroes' become better people.

Thunderbird Falls, CE. Murphy. The second of Murphy's Joanne Walker books isn't quite as tightly plotted as the first, but it's still an enjoyable read. Following the events of the novella "Banshee Cries" (book "1.5," contained in the Luna collection Winter Moon), Joanne stumbles into a coven ostensibly working to prevent global warming. As may be expected, some of the members aren't being as honest as they seem.

Working for the Devil, Lilith Saintcrow. A rare new entry in the paranormal genre that actually looks to be a good series setup. Saintcrow's strength is in developing a universe more supernatural than spooky - there's no plethora of weres and vampires running about, but there are demons, and deathgods, and unearthly genetic engineering.

Shadows in the Starlight, Elaine Cunningham. A worthy sequel to Shadows in the Darkness, this opens with changeling Gwen taking another missing person's case - that of a housewife who doesn't seem to age. Once again, it's more mystery than magic, though there are snatches of Elf rules and nearly enough espionage to float a middling Clancy.  Cunningham's really doling out the otherworld elements in small doses, and I admire her restraint - it offers a satisfying sense of anticipation.  Just like the last book, the setting and actions are great neo-noir; I'll look forward to reading the next entry.

Shadows in the Darkness, Elaine Cunningham. I'm rather surprised I hadn't stumbled across this series before; with the explosion of the paranormal mystery field, I'd have expected better marketing for a series about a changeling private investigator. The series' heroine is former policewoman Gwen Gelman, an investigator who gets occasional psychic impressions of her quarries, and has the handy ability to dress and look about 20 years younger than her actual age.

The Hunted, L. A. Banks - this is about twice as long as Banks's previous two novels and not, as it turns out, the last volume in the series. If you've sat through the prior two, it's worth picking up, but otherwise it begins to drag around page 300.

Thief of Lives, Barb Hendee, J. C. Hendee.  Very blah. The whole point of this sequel to Dhampir seems to be setting up a subsequent sequel, while making broad knowing hints about Elf assassin culture.