1. I came across two recent John Sandford novels, one in the local library and one in the bargain section of Barnes & Noble: Invisible Prey, and Dark of the Moon. I had found the last few Prey books a bit tired, but Invisible Prey was very good (VG). Dark of the Moon, kicking off the Virgil Flowers series, also rates a VG. By ``very good'' I mean that both novels are well plotted, feature believable characters, and have reasonably well crafted prose. I started reading Sandford maybe seven or eight years ago, and I still think that the first four Prey novels are excellent. (However, I still haven't completely forgiven Sandford for naming one of his side characters ``Del Capslock.'')
2. I finally read Michael Connelly's, The Brass Verdict. I'll rate this one a VG+, the plus for some clever tricks. In particular, Connelly places his longtime protagonist Harry Bosch in a supporting role, without providing any of Bosch's internal thoughts -- giving the reader of Connelly's Bosch series a chance to view this familiar character from the outside.
3. In the early 1980's I read and thoroughly enjoyed Martin Cruz Smith's Gorky Park, the first in the Arkady Renko series. I revisited the author a few weeks ago, finishing the Renko series: Polar Star, Red Square, Havana Bay, Wolves Eat Dogs, and Stalin's Ghost. These books all rate an Excellent. My favorite was Wolves Eat Dogs, set in contemporary Chernobyl and its surrounding area. Reading Cruz Smith's detailed descriptions of that contaminated region, and the few souls who scratch out their existences there, was exhilarating, revelatory, and terrifying.
