CULPABILITY (Bruce Holsinger) - August 21/25

 This okay book basically kept me engaged but it’s ultimately undone by its massive overlength. The final chapter feels especially needless, although I did enjoy the twist that the daughter yelled at Charlie just to get his attention (not to warn him of an approaching car). **1/2 out of ****

THE QUANTUM SPY (David Ignatius) - August 10/25

 Oof. I basically didn’t read the second half of this, as I just flipped pages until it was over. It started out okay but man I lost interest hard. Way too many underdeveloped characters in a story that couldn’t be more tedious. 1/2* out of ****

THE BLACK ECHO (Michael Connelly) - August 2/25

 This long but entertaining book has turned me into a Bosch fan for life. He’s a really compelling character and I enjoyed the details of his various cop exploits. The climax went on too long, as did a few other sequences, but mostly I enjoyed this. *** out of ****