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andyc_elsby232's review against another edition
5.0
Totally gripping page-turner. I loved the language, the harshness, the loneliness of the story. I came by it not thinking much, looking for something in a used book store that I could read during a road trip and silent hours with not much commitment. It's right up my alley.
duparker's review against another edition
3.0
Not the best of the series, so far, but enjoyable. I liked the resolution of the murder of his mother, and hope that we are done with that byline.
colerandolph8's review against another edition
dark
inspiring
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
judithdcollins's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this book as another in the Harry Bosch series. Harry is going thru some bad times and after attack by his commanding officer (always issues here) and he now has to turn n his L.A.P.D. detective's badge. Now, suspended indefinitely pending a psychiatric evaluation, he's spending his time investigating an unsolved crime from 1961: the brutal slaying of a prostitute who happened to be his own mother (he is haunted by his childhood and the way his mother died). Very interesting drama and hard to put down as the story unfolds. Even after three decades, Harry's questions generate heat among L.A.'s top politicos. And as the truth begins to emerge, it becomes more and more apparent that someone wants to keep it buried.
retiredlibrarylady's review against another edition
5.0
Really interesting; Harry is recovering from an earthquake that damaged his home and he is on cold cases, so solves his mother's murder.
annevoi's review against another edition
3.0
I finished the third Harry Bosch novel at the end of December 2019. A year-plus later, it feels like little has changed with our weary detective—now on administrative leave because he threw his lieutenant through a window. So he needs to find something to do with his time. What better than to investigate, on his lonesome, a thirty-year-old cold case—that happens to concern the murder of his prostitute mother?
It's got all the Harry Bosch earmarks: he's tough, he's dogged, he doesn't follow the rules; he's got his hunches, and they turn out to be... maybe somewhat right. He gets beat up; a few people, mostly bad guys, get killed. He travels to Florida to follow a lead and, incidentally, falls in love. In this book, which is set just after the Northridge earthquake, his house is red-tagged and eventually torn down, so he's a little bit homeless too.
Although Bosch started nosing after a particular former DA early on, and that DA's right-hand man (who lives in an amazing spaceship house overlooking the L.A. basin), we of course know that they couldn't have done the murder... though they might have done other bad things. Bosch was too suspicious of them for them to be the actual killers.
In the end, I wasn't convinced of the motivations of the person who turned out (in the last 40 pages) to be the murderer.
But the case got tied up, and what else do you want from a mystery/police procedural?
I edit books for a living, and when I'm in the throes of a job, I often turn to schlock. I think Connelly is a pretty good writer—though this time, while on the editing front I was battling an especially awkward translation of short stories from Arabic, I couldn't help but notice how... straightforward? uninflected? Hemingwayesque? Connelly's writing is. Not that that's bad. I just kept noticing.
But still: I read, and enjoy, Connelly (this was a re-read, though I'd forgotten everything about it) because I like that bastard Bosch. He's complicated in all the best ways. And Connelly is good at coming up with interesting storylines and evoking place beautifully. What more is there when all you need is a bit of diversion?
It's got all the Harry Bosch earmarks: he's tough, he's dogged, he doesn't follow the rules; he's got his hunches, and they turn out to be... maybe somewhat right. He gets beat up; a few people, mostly bad guys, get killed. He travels to Florida to follow a lead and, incidentally, falls in love. In this book, which is set just after the Northridge earthquake, his house is red-tagged and eventually torn down, so he's a little bit homeless too.
Although Bosch started nosing after a particular former DA early on, and that DA's right-hand man (who lives in an amazing spaceship house overlooking the L.A. basin), we of course know that they couldn't have done the murder... though they might have done other bad things. Bosch was too suspicious of them for them to be the actual killers.
In the end, I wasn't convinced of the motivations of the person who turned out (in the last 40 pages) to be the murderer.
But the case got tied up, and what else do you want from a mystery/police procedural?
I edit books for a living, and when I'm in the throes of a job, I often turn to schlock. I think Connelly is a pretty good writer—though this time, while on the editing front I was battling an especially awkward translation of short stories from Arabic, I couldn't help but notice how... straightforward? uninflected? Hemingwayesque? Connelly's writing is. Not that that's bad. I just kept noticing.
But still: I read, and enjoy, Connelly (this was a re-read, though I'd forgotten everything about it) because I like that bastard Bosch. He's complicated in all the best ways. And Connelly is good at coming up with interesting storylines and evoking place beautifully. What more is there when all you need is a bit of diversion?
gharrethadekyn's review against another edition
4.0
Classic Connelly. Just when you think you've got it all figured out, he throws another twist your way. A fast, fun read that keeps you wanting to find out what happens next!
annhenry's review against another edition
4.0
This book helped me understand the main character much better. This series is best read in order because the characters spill over and the background ino carries over to explain actions etc! Good read. You can tell Connelly gets better with each book.
sevenworlds's review against another edition
4.0
A crucial book in this series, as it gives a very detailed and intense look at Harry Bosch's motivations, ego and mental state and processes.
The tone is exceptionally dark, even compared to the gritty L.A. street reality reflected in the other series novels. Bosch is hell-bent in this book, and you don't know whether to hurt for him greatly or to smack him upside the head.
Although it's priceless to know Bosch's back story in this much detail, this novel was honestly a little too bleak and depressing. Bosch doesn't make things easy for himself AT ALL, and now I understand why, but dang, this was sad.
The tone is exceptionally dark, even compared to the gritty L.A. street reality reflected in the other series novels. Bosch is hell-bent in this book, and you don't know whether to hurt for him greatly or to smack him upside the head.
Although it's priceless to know Bosch's back story in this much detail, this novel was honestly a little too bleak and depressing. Bosch doesn't make things easy for himself AT ALL, and now I understand why, but dang, this was sad.
cptcheerful's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25