The Army of the Republic, the new novel from author Stuart Archer Cohen, explores the idea of what would happen should America be taken over by corporations, with elections rigged to keep the power in the hands of the wealthy elite, and with the media merely a compliant propaganda tool. Set in a near-future world, this one obviously deals with the sort of fears many people have about American right now.

If that sounds too heavy, reach for Cat In A Sapphire Slipper: A Midnight Louie Mystery, in which Carole Nelson Douglas spins a another tale involving the mystery-solving cat. This time, he’s on a case in the Nevada desert involving a dead prostitute and his owner’s aunt’s finance (say that fives times fast). These books are wacky but always funs.