MYSTIC RIVER (Dennis Lehane) - July 25/18

Well, I certainly wasn't expecting something this engrossing. I actually sat there and read about 30% of the book in one sitting, which I never, ever do. The rest of the book isn't quite as gripping - it gets into the nitty gritty of the investigation - but Lehane does an amazing job of developing the central characters and their complex relationships. And there are certainly some engrossing sequences in the book's second half (eg Jimmy and Dave's climactic confrontation). ***1/2 out of ****

FORGOTTEN (Catherine McKenzie) - July 19/18

The first McKenzie book I actually didn't like too much. The characters are all fine, but this is just such a thin story and it seems to go on forever. And everything involving the protagonist's investigation into the painting robbery is super tedious. A misfire. ** out of ****

THE THING ABOUT LOVE (Julie James) - July 7/18

Sayward picked this one and I was a little skeptical at first, especially coming right after the Goldman book (ie James isn't quite up to his level in terms of ability). But as the story went on, I did find myself growing more and more attached to John and Jessica and their exploits. The book really feels like a Sparks knockoff and it's way, way too long, but I enjoyed it. *** out of ****