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And now, a short and diverse Friday Reccslist!

Sherlock: DNA by Resonant: Explicit, Sherlock/OFCs, Sherlock/John. This story came about from a conversation Resonant and I had, and I couldn't be more pleased with having been a part of it. John discovers Sherlock is basically putting himself out to stud to women who want smart babies, and it...causes some issues. Really cleverly written and I love the ending, particularly Sherlock's confusion.

Person of Interest: Outsider Perspective by Neery: Explicit, Finch/Reese. I don't generally read Person Of Interest fic but this one caught my eye on a recc and I found it extremely enjoyable -- the entire fic is from Finch's POV and really nails his voice, down to the weird little verbal quirks he sometimes has. Reese and Finch get whammied with amnesia gas, and draw some deeply incorrect assumptions about their relationship -- which backfires when they remember, and I really like that there's a deep exploration of the backfire that happens only about halfway through the story.

Avengers: Traitor's Throne by Cluegirl: Teen and Up, Tony/Steve. I was fortunate enough to get to beta this fic, which was done for the Cap-Iron Man Reverse Big Bang. The art and fic are both exceptional, set in a well-built fantasy world where Tony Stark, Prince Abdicate, is returning to the site of a major battle after a year's recovery to try and find both the young, fragile monk Steven who used to sass him and absolution from the dragon he killed during the battle.

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SO. I read a book called Murder City, by a guy named Michael Lesy. There was a lot murder in it, as the name suggests.

Hymie [Weiss] and Dean [O'Banion] had been partners since their days as safecrackers...the two of them, together, had perfected the tactic -- and invented the phrase -- "take a guy for a ride." --p. 170

Murder City is a collection of stories about real-life murders that happened in Chicago in the early part of the 20th century. The stories are objectively interesting, but I had a hard time liking the book. It reads like one of those books that happens by accident -- like Michael Lesy just researches horrible Chicago murders as a hobby and decided it was time to write some of them down.

(This is in stark contrast to Assassination Vacation, possibly the most insecure book I have ever tried to read, in which Sarah Vowell desperately wants you to think she's quirky and strange because she enjoys studying the history of presidential assassinations. Also that she's not a racist, wow. Ease back there, I believe you lady.)

( Murder City, by Michael Lesy )

Final Verdict: If you're into crime and into Chicago history, this is a pretty informative book. It's not a book I'd recommend as entertainment, per se, but it was never boring reading -- just very confusing sometimes.