The Brick Layer   Noah Boyd
Very enjoyable, and nicely written, thriller about an unconventional FBI agent who solves a series of murders and finds ransom money. Especially good male-female dialogue between two agents. Steve Vail is much like Reacher; highly intelligent and violent, but wittier. Quick and quite entertaining.

Bhagavad Gita   translated by Stephen Mitchell
This, more than any other “sacred” text I have read, seems purely spiritual and conveys an understanding of life. I am not comfortable with the Lord/God references except that they can be understood to portray a reverence for the foundation of existence throughout the universe, which I like well enough. Also loved the clarity and simple beauty of Mitchell’s translation.

Mormon Polygamy: A History   Richard S. Van Wagoner
An outstanding overview of polygamy in Mormonism from its origins in Nauvoo to today. Nicely written, well researched, and very informative. I was especially interested in the Utah period of Mary Ann Freeze. Well worth it.

Field Grey   Philip Kerr
Latest of the Bernie Gunther series. He spends most of the book in prison recounting his involvement on the Eastern front. Not as interesting as previous books, a little too expository, but an interesting ending. Overall, disappointing, but OK.

The Second Son   Jonathan Rabb
Third Nikolai Hoffner book. This time Hoffner, dismissed from the Berlin Kripo because of his Jewish mother, is in Spain during the early days of the civil war, hunting for his youngest, second son, finding love and unbearable grief and pain. Well done. Don’t know if this is the last of a trilogy or not.

The Border Lords   T. Jefferson Parker
Very disappointing fourth novel in the Charlie Hood series. This one is marred by a veer into vampire fantasy and clumsy, over-the-top plot. Too bad.