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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
My copy was dated 1992 and had the book title at the bottom. The picture was black and green, showing palm-like trees and a lagoon in Vietnam. I cannot imagine going into tunnels in the jungles of Vietnam, never knowing who was up ahead in the dark and whether the tunnel would collapse leaving you trapped and suffocating. I wonder if the song title Purple Haze by Richie Havens (?) is related to the following passage in Part VII, Saturday, May 26: "Holding the flashlight off to the right, away from his body, he began to crawl down the passageway. The tunnel was no taller that three and a half feet, top to bottom, and maybe three feet wide. He moved slowly, holding his gun in the same hand he used to crawl with. There was a smell of cordite in the air, and bluish smoke hung in the beam of the flashlight. Purple Haze, Bosch thought. He felt himself perspiring freely, from the heat and the fear. Every ten feet he stopped to wipe sweat out of his eyes with the sleeve of his jacket. He didn't take the jacket off because he didn't want to differ from the description given to the people who would follow him in. He didn't want to be killed by friendly fire." The plot in this book is very strongly tied together, the writing superb. I thought this much more plausible than the story of the journalist in The Poet.
Another book in a genre I seldom read, however, I absolutely adore the Amazon TV series (Titus Welliver is a national treasure and I cannot be convinced otherwise) so I figured I'd give the source a go. I'm glad I did. Michael Connelly is a fantastic author, and while this genre isn't my normal cup of tea it is something I will certainly be returning to.
The story is well-paced, puts a grip on you early and never really lets you go.
The story is well-paced, puts a grip on you early and never really lets you go.
I picked this up having watched the tv show Bosch. This was written about 25 years ago and some of the storyline was used in the most recent season of the show. However, this book provides so much more detail and backstory than the show. It is interesting to learn more about the Vietnam war experience and how it weaves together the characters' lives. It has me hooked from a few perspectives: being curious to watch Bosch develop, understanding how the author comes up with all the forensic information, and I am probably going to check out his most recent book for contrast.
I liked it. I got this audio book from our library. It entertained me for a couple of weeks as I drove around doing errands or keeping appointments. I like Connelly's writing.
Connelly might make me a crime fiction fan. At the very least, he has made me a Michael Connelly fan.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
I do love me some hard-boiled detective fiction. :) I think it all started when I plied the big bookshelves at my grandparents' house beginning in my early teen years. Those bookshelves were a trove of everything from astronomy to animal husbandry to romance, historical, classic, mystery, SF--it seemed to have everything. So I got my first taste of the likes of Mickey Spillane, Raymond Chandler, and Dashiell Hammett, which turned into a lifelong affinity for the genre.
The Black Echo speaks to me on that level, although it has a contemporary setting and echoes of the Vietnam War. The main character is the loner who might still find love, who does the right thing as he sees it, who wants justice. The plot is nicely complex and the supporting characters intriguing, and of course there's that interesting twist at the end. Really enjoyed this read--it was engaging and fast-paced. I've read Michael Connelly before and find him a very reliable storyteller.
The Black Echo speaks to me on that level, although it has a contemporary setting and echoes of the Vietnam War. The main character is the loner who might still find love, who does the right thing as he sees it, who wants justice. The plot is nicely complex and the supporting characters intriguing, and of course there's that interesting twist at the end. Really enjoyed this read--it was engaging and fast-paced. I've read Michael Connelly before and find him a very reliable storyteller.
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Kind of slow and a little bit boring . Also stakes were low , solving a bank robbery .
Up to now, I've only really read non-fiction, so this was something different for me that I really enjoyed. I would imagine I will be reading more in the future.