Dark Invasion by Howard Blum

Interesting look at "homeland security" in 1915 as German spies attempt to blow up ships and factories and introduce anthrax into the population.  

The Innocent Man by John Grisham

Grisham details several cases of wrongful prosecutions leading to incarceration on death row in Oklahoma.   Most of the details are about incompetence followed by intransigence.   After ignoring a confession and rushing to judgement,  several men are convicted.  Years later they are exonerated by DNA evidence but the town refuses to believe the evidence.  

Grisham's epilogue is even more dismaying as he points out that this story is not only about Oklahoma but that these stories exist across the US.

W is for Wasted by Sue Grafton

It's still 1988 for Kinsey Milhone.  This one involved drug research at a university and its intersection with several homeless people.   Kinsey gets some new relatives and Henry acquires a cat.

The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley

This is the 2nd book in the Flavia de Luce Mystery Series. Flavia is a young girl whose interest in mysteries and forensics gets her involved in the murder of a puppeteer who arrives in town. The story is set in 1950s English town of Bishop's Lacy and the narrator is Flavia de Luce, aged 11.

Hard News: Twenty-one Brutal Months at The New York Times and How They Changed the American Media by Seth Mnookin

Interesting story of the New York Times under the direction of Howell Raines.   This included the story of Jayson Blair and his fraudulent reporting.