TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A. (Gerald Petievich) - September 23/23

 I definitely enjoyed this more than I thought I would. There are a lot of characters but I was generally able to keep track of them, and it was quite propulsive in parts. The ending felt a little anticlimactic and abrupt, though. *** out of ****

THE TIME HAS COME (Will Leitch) - September 15/23

 A definite improvement over his last book, but I still had trouble keeping some of the characters straight. And there were certain revelations at the end that would’ve been more impactful had I remembered some things from the beginning. (I guess this was meant to be read in one or two sittings?) And what did she even want from the drug store, anyway? Regardless, I enjoyed the book. It’s pretty breezy and the characters are affable. *** out of ****

VIOLETS ARE BLUE (James Patterson) - September 2/23

 This long but satisfying Alex Cross story contained everything I hoped it would, including short chapters and plenty of twists. I liked that the central villains were knocked off long before the book ended, and I enjoyed Alex’s back and forth with Kyle. *** out of ****