Fib M: if you haven't grabbed the newest Sarah Paretsky, "Hard Time" (first in a while), it denied me rest last Friday night (not grisly--just good plot, good characters) .Dave Barry's "Bad Trouble" made me laugh, with a great, recurrent, non-song. Dennis LeHane (sp?), from "A Drink Before the War" on are good, and non-glam Boston. And I love those Hornblowers, but can't take those O'Brians--the dialogue is offputting to me.The Ramage series, by Dudley Pope, is good of this type. Hard to find, though. And good old "Scaramouche" by Sabatini.