Dagoberto Gilb, author of “The Magic of Blood,” returns with “The Flowers,” which follows the lives of a group of people living in an apartment building in an unnamed city (but it’s Los Angeles, I bet). Reviewers are tripping over themselves to describe Gilb’s wit and insight into the racially-charged stew of our strange times, but that’s only because Gilb deserves it.

On the thriller front, Peter May offers “The Killing Room.” The novel follows the detecting efforts of American pathologist Margaret Campbell and Shanghai detective Li Yan as they open an investigation into how 18 women came to be buried in a mass grave in China. May is described as providing not only suspense but also a “brilliantly evoked picture of modern China.” May lives in France, but is an honorary member of the Chinese Crime Writers’ Assocation (the only Westerner to have that honor).

Also new this month is Gambit, in which author Karna Small Bodman (Checkmate) provides another novel that relies on some of the author’s experience as senior director of the National Security Council under Ronald Reagan. This time, missile expert Dr. Cammy Talbot (who was in Checkmate) returns to investigate an unknown technology being used against American airplanes. Expect the usual intrigue, international spy rings, etc.