Books -- Caught, The First Rule, The Fourth Assassin

* “Caught”:amazon by Harlan Coben. I love Coben and this book is ok but felt a little choppy. Some side characters introduced and discarded just to service the plot, and the ending felt a little scattered as if Coben toyed with multiple endings. Not his best. I’d say 3 stars. The Coben fanboys on Amazon give it 4.5 stars, they need to get out more. * “The First Rule”:amazon by Robert Crais. Solid Joe Pike tale about Eastern European crime gangs in LA. Believable plot twists, much more compelling than the Coben above. I give it 3.5 stars, Amazon says 4. * “The Fourth Assassin”:amazon by Matt Beynon Rees. A Palestinian visitor to the US is entangled in politics, crimes, and murders involving Palestinian emigres in NY. No idea how accurate the depiction of the Palestinian community is, but I found it engaging. Some of the plot leaps were a little unrealistic – I am not convinced NYPD cops would overlook a beheading in exchange for some information on a murder plot – but still good. 3.5 stars from me, Amazon says 4.