( CNN ) -- For many Americans , summer vacation is over and the kids are headed back to school . The temperatures are still sweltering in much of the country and many of us could use a good book to escape these dog days . Whether you 're firing up the e-reader or headed to your local library , here are a few ideas on some hot reads , from the supernatural to surfing , plus a pair of top shelf puzzlers . If you 're tired of the `` Twilight '' saga , and have seen every episode of `` True Blood , '' then sink your teeth into Glen Duncan 's `` The Last Werewolf . '' Readers are devouring this elegantly written and darkly humorous tale . Critics are universal in their praise , calling it howling good . In the book , Jake Marlowe is the last of his kind , a charming but lonely lycanthrope who 's fond of single-malt scotch , camel cigarettes and expensive prostitutes . When the moon becomes full , Jake transforms into a bloodthirsty beast , who craves human flesh . Now 200 years old , haunted by his past and tired of battling werewolf hunters and vampires , Jake is ready to turn himself in to his enemies and end his life but author , Duncan throws in a twist that changes Jake 's resolve and will keep readers absorbed to the very end . This a blood spattered page turner , full of violence and sex , not for the squeamish but a thrilling read nonetheless . Hollywood agrees , Oscar-nominated director , Ridley Scott has optioned the film rights and Duncan is already working on a sequel . Check out a video trailer for `` The Last Werewolf . '' If you did n't make it to the beach in person this year , Don Winslow 's `` The Gentlemen 's Hour '' may be the next best thing . Winslow is an award winning veteran of the summertime crime novel . He captivated readers and critics with his best-seller , `` Savages '' last year , which is being turned into a big-budget movie by Oscar-winning director , Oliver Stone . Now Winslow 's out with a sequel to 2009 's `` The Dawn Patrol , '' featuring the return of Boone Daniels , a former cop turned private investigator , who would rather surf than work . This time out , Daniels is investigating the death of a local surfing hero , but he 'll have to face down some Mexican gang bangers , neo-Nazis and a reclusive billionaire before he can get to the truth . Winslow is a former P.I . and his prose drips with authentic detail , capturing the seedy side of the San Diego surfing scene as well as the beauty of sundown on the southern California coast . Even if you do n't know the difference between hanging ten and a `` gremmie '' Winslow 's novel will have you craving waves . For anyone who loves a good puzzle , John 's Verdon 's `` Shut Your Eyes Tight '' is the easy answer . Verdon is a retired advertising executive who waited until his late sixties to try his hand at writing . The result was his 2010 bestselling debut , `` Think of a Number . '' Now in Verdon 's sophomore novel , superstar detective Dave Gurney is once again making a go at retirement with his wife , Madeleine . However , when a young bride is gruesomely murdered at her own wedding reception , the puzzle proves too tempting for Gurney to resist . Well-known mystery writers like David Baldacci , Nelson DeMille and Tess Gerritsen are rallying behind Verdon for his clever plots and nuanced characters . A slew of reviewers , including the New York Times have heaped praise on Verdon , even comparing his whodunits to the classic Sherlock Holmes tales . Speaking of Baldacci and Gerritsen , they 're among the `` murderer 's row '' of writers who penned `` No Rest for the Dead . '' As the book jacket says , there are twenty-six writers and one mystery . Andrew Gulli , editor of the Strand , a mystery magazine organized this effort , bringing together more than two-dozen bestselling writers , each contributed a chapter to this hard-boiled collaboration . Combined these authors have sold hundreds of millions of books , and their expertise is not wasted here . The mystery revolves around an old murder in San Francisco and a detective who might have helped convict the wrong person . The novel reconstructs the crime , weaving back and forth through time and through various characters points of view . `` No Rest for the Dead '' is more than just a stunt . Anyone who loves a good mystery will love this book and to top it off proceeds go to a good cause . Gulli is donating a healthy portion of the books profits to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in honor of his late mother . Read an excerpt of `` No Rest for the Dead . '' Whatever your choice , you ca n't go wrong with any of these hot reads . So happy reading !
If you 're tired of the ` ` Twilight '' saga , sink your teeth into John Duncan 's ` ` The Last Vampire '' For anyone who loves a good puzzle , it 's Verdon 's ` ` Shut Your Eyes Tight '' is the easy answer . A ` ` murderer 's puzzle '' of these I penned one mystery in ` ` No Rest for the Dead ''