Clark, Marcia.  Guilt by Degrees.  Little, Brown and Company. 978-0-316-12953-4. A deputy district attorney in the Special Trials department, Rachel Knight jumps into the hopeless case of the murder of a homeless man.  There are no leads, no witnesses, not even a name for the homeless victim.  Rachel and her friends Bailey and Toni become targets themselves when the first murder is linked to the murder of a cop.  Second in a series.  (first book is Guilt by Association). Older readers will like this mystery/thriller.

Lynch, Chris.  Vietnam: Book 1: I Pledge Allegiance. Scholastic.  978-0-545-27029-8.  Best friends since fourth grade, Beck, Ivan, Morris, and Rudi make a pact for everything—including a pledge to stay together no matter what.  When Rudi is drafted and joins the Marines, the other three pledge that they will all go to Vietnam together.  Ivan enlists in the Army; Beck enlists in the Air Force, and Morris enlists in the Navy because the Navy watches over the Marines and he will be able to “protect” Rudi.  Leaving the city of Boston for the USS Boston, Morris fights to keep his pledge of keeping his friends safe. Part of a series:  Second book is Sharpshooter (978-0545270267) which features Ivan’s experiences as a sniper in Vietnam.  Reluctant reader/historical fiction.