couple more books for the "completed" pile

25. The Harlequin, Laurell Hamilton. Hey, finally an installment in one of her ongoing series (Anita Blake, in this case) that isn't just an extended sex scene with the barest possible amount of plot advancement, if any! Points for that, but I'm still not rescinding my decision to only pick these up from the library until they come out in mass-market form (if even then).


26. Bleeding Hearts, Ian Rankin. No Rebus in sight here (unfortunately), this early novel features Michael Weston, a sniper/assassin who has apparently been set up by his most recent client. By the time we've made it from London to Yorkshire to Boston to New York to Texas to Seattle, we've got journalists, assassins, coked-out detectives, batshit crazy guys with way too much money, cops, gun dealers (and their daughters), TV producers, smarmy talk show hosts, secretive hippie cults, German tourists, passing mention of Bill Gates, and the NSA. The only things missing are ninjas. And maybe pirates. Entertaining enough for a couple days' reading, but I find I much prefer the Rebus stuff. Plus, I find it kind of disappointing when I can tell you the answer to one of the outstanding plot points within 20 minutes of cracking the cover. C'mon, make me work a little harder.