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jakewritesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I’ve never followed a linear pattern with the Harry Bosch series. Trunk Music was my first read in it and I grabbed that one specifically because I liked the plot summary. It’s still the best one by far. The Black Echo is an uninspired mishmash of cop novel cliches. Angel’s Flight and The Wrong Side of Goodbye are fine for what they are. Rene Ballard seems like she may be an interesting character; The Late Show is a good introductory novel for her and not much else in terms of gripping mystery. Connelly is a better writer than most people who put out this kind of long mystery series fare but he’s never grabbed me the way some of his contemporaries have.
I generally pick up a Connelly book when I want something that’s easy to read but also has some pathos. This one piqued my interest because it’s Bosch investigating his deceased mother’s cold case. Having read James Ellroy’s semi-autobiographical My Dark Places last year, in which he does the same thing in the same LA County area, I thought this might be a good fictional companion.
And it is. This is probably my favorite of his after Trunk Music. I think it helped a lot that Bosch was on suspension and while he does the typical Tough Alcoholic Cop Who Plays By His Own Rules routine, Connelly’s strength has always been letting us see Bosch being vulnerable. He definitely is in this one as his mother’s murder triggers a flood of unwanted memories and reckoning with his past.
The case itself is really interesting and plays out in ways I truly did not expect. It earns its page-turning label. I always enjoy it when the powers-that-be are involved in nefarious deeds. And Bosch makes a compelling protagonist because his skin is literally in the game.
Also, I really liked the twist ending. I didn’t see it coming until just before it was about to happen. It might be a little Cold Case-ish, such as it is but with any book, I like it when the writer forces their characters to grapple with the world they’ve created. This one does in a big way.
I generally pick up a Connelly book when I want something that’s easy to read but also has some pathos. This one piqued my interest because it’s Bosch investigating his deceased mother’s cold case. Having read James Ellroy’s semi-autobiographical My Dark Places last year, in which he does the same thing in the same LA County area, I thought this might be a good fictional companion.
And it is. This is probably my favorite of his after Trunk Music. I think it helped a lot that Bosch was on suspension and while he does the typical Tough Alcoholic Cop Who Plays By His Own Rules routine, Connelly’s strength has always been letting us see Bosch being vulnerable. He definitely is in this one as his mother’s murder triggers a flood of unwanted memories and reckoning with his past.
The case itself is really interesting and plays out in ways I truly did not expect. It earns its page-turning label. I always enjoy it when the powers-that-be are involved in nefarious deeds. And Bosch makes a compelling protagonist because his skin is literally in the game.
Also, I really liked the twist ending. I didn’t see it coming until just before it was about to happen. It might be a little Cold Case-ish, such as it is but with any book, I like it when the writer forces their characters to grapple with the world they’ve created. This one does in a big way.
karna's review against another edition
4.0
At first, I thought it wouldn't be one of the best Michael Connelly's book as Harry Bosch is not working anymore because of a suspension. But quickly, his investigation about his mother's murder become very interesting.
It could have been a normal investigation, albeit difficult because it happened decades before, but it is not.
Something is wrong with it: pages missing from the file, politicians involved and so on...
I especially like the chapters where Harry is away, in Florida, and can be himself, and his memories of his mother.
I'm still surprised by the death of one character, and puzzled by the behaviour of Irving who is not Harry's friend, but not necessarly his ennemy.
The very ending of the book, with the disclosure of the murder's identity was a shock: I didn't see it coming at all.
It could have been a normal investigation, albeit difficult because it happened decades before, but it is not.
Something is wrong with it: pages missing from the file, politicians involved and so on...
I especially like the chapters where Harry is away, in Florida, and can be himself, and his memories of his mother.
I'm still surprised by the death of one character, and puzzled by the behaviour of Irving who is not Harry's friend, but not necessarly his ennemy.
The very ending of the book, with the disclosure of the murder's identity was a shock: I didn't see it coming at all.
buemlned's review against another edition
4.0
I know reading paperback crime fiction is good for nothing. Like being intoxicated. The high is short and the thrill seldom sees next day. A week later I will forget the plot and half of the characters. Why bother?
But, one of these days a book will hit the spot so good the hangover is worth it. The prose delicious. The flow so smooth that before I realised, it is the end. The dead tree equivalence of that-bottle-Jay-the-friendly-bartender-hid-under-the-counter. "The Last Coyote", written by Michael Connelly, does that for me.
The four-hundred-page fiction sees veteran L.A.P.D detective Harry Bosch, while suspended from the department, went on a quest for the truth of his mother's murder thirty years ago. While this setting is hardly anything innovative, what is standing out is the "legwork". Go to places, talk to people, chasing leads and bumping into walls. Sounds simple but it is done incredibly well in this book. Locations are drawn out in broke strokes but it is good enough for the cast of vivid, fleshed-out characters - cops, bureaucrats, reporter, politician, was-cop, was-reporter, was-politician, crook and criminal. The conversations are well-written and convincing. Connelly cleverly create tension and suspense in even the most mundane inquiry by putting Bosch out of his comfort zone - stripped off his badge and gun, Bosch is left with his instincts and experiences playing for and against the system. This, combined with his quick temper, creates a natural force that propels the story forward.
I guess, after all, what I enjoy most from a book like this is not the mystery. It is the hero's quest that counts. I simply enjoy seeing someone going to heaven for its climate and through hell for its company.
Originally posted at: https://www.buemlned.me/2019/review-the-last-coyote
But, one of these days a book will hit the spot so good the hangover is worth it. The prose delicious. The flow so smooth that before I realised, it is the end. The dead tree equivalence of that-bottle-Jay-the-friendly-bartender-hid-under-the-counter. "The Last Coyote", written by Michael Connelly, does that for me.
The four-hundred-page fiction sees veteran L.A.P.D detective Harry Bosch, while suspended from the department, went on a quest for the truth of his mother's murder thirty years ago. While this setting is hardly anything innovative, what is standing out is the "legwork". Go to places, talk to people, chasing leads and bumping into walls. Sounds simple but it is done incredibly well in this book. Locations are drawn out in broke strokes but it is good enough for the cast of vivid, fleshed-out characters - cops, bureaucrats, reporter, politician, was-cop, was-reporter, was-politician, crook and criminal. The conversations are well-written and convincing. Connelly cleverly create tension and suspense in even the most mundane inquiry by putting Bosch out of his comfort zone - stripped off his badge and gun, Bosch is left with his instincts and experiences playing for and against the system. This, combined with his quick temper, creates a natural force that propels the story forward.
I guess, after all, what I enjoy most from a book like this is not the mystery. It is the hero's quest that counts. I simply enjoy seeing someone going to heaven for its climate and through hell for its company.
Originally posted at: https://www.buemlned.me/2019/review-the-last-coyote
arswearingen's review against another edition
5.0
Michael Connelly has not disappointed me yet with a Bosch book. You'd expect them to start to feel the same by the 4th book but the fantastic writing and compelling plot makes this book just as great as the rest. Harry Bosch is starting to become one of my favorite, and least predictable, detectives to read about.
baxtervallens's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
jacks623's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
carolsnotebook's review
3.0
It's a good mystery, full of twist and turns, action, more murders. I didn't see the ending coming at all. But it wasn't my favorite of the Bosch books I've read, for the same reasons that others will probably find it one of the best. He's a little too introspective for me here, too philosophical, it's more about emotions than actions.
See my full review on my blog: Review: The Last Coyote by Michael Connelly
See my full review on my blog: Review: The Last Coyote by Michael Connelly
plantbirdwoman's review
3.0
LAPD detective Hieronymous (Harry) Bosch is on involuntary leave from his job. His life is in a shambles. He's living on the edge. Quite literally. His home in the hills above Los Angeles has been severely damaged by the most recent earthquake and threatens to slide into the ravine below. It has been condemned as uninhabitable and put on the list for demolition, but Harry continues to live in it, illegally, and even spends his free time making repairs.
How did he come to be placed on involuntary leave? It seems that he attacked his commanding officer, the odious Lieutenant Pounds ("Ninety-eight") that we've met in previous Harry Bosch novels. He's been ordered to have a psychiatric evaluation before he can be cleared to return to duty. He reluctantly meets three times a week with a therapist to talk about his issues.
And what are his issues? Unresolved anger and inability to sustain a relationship seem to be big ones. His girlfriend has recently left him and is now in Venice, Italy. He's drinking way too much. He's basically rude and hostile to everyone he comes in contact with, so it's pretty easy to understand why he's not exactly flavor of the month among his colleagues and acquaintances. At least in this book, we get more of the backstory of just what has made him that way.
The one area of his life where he is truly competent and feels in control is his job. It is much more than a job to him. It is his identity, who he is. And now that has been taken away from him.
His enforced absence from detective work wears on him and he arrives at a solution. He will do an independent investigation of a very, very cold case - the murder of his mother in 1961. Harry was eleven years old.
Reviewing the files and everything that is known about the case, Harry concludes that not much effort was put into solving it. Was that because she was a prostitute? Or was it because she was a prostitute who had ties to some political heavy hitters and exposing those ties would have been inconvenient for those men? Harry determines to find out and his investigation will take him into his own past and to far-flung parts of the country - from Las Vegas to Florida.
While he is on his weekend trip to Florida, the unthinkable happens back in Los Angeles - Lt. Pounds is kidnapped and tortured by his abductors until his heart gives out. His body is found stuffed into the trunk of his vehicle. Harry becomes an immediate suspect, but his fortuitous trip out of town gives him an alibi.
But he begins to suspect that Pounds' murder might be related to the unauthorized investigation he is conducting because he had used Pounds' name on a number of occasions. Is he indirectly responsible for a colleague's horrible death? Another subject to discuss with his therapist.
This is a very dark book and Harry is presented as a not very attractive character. He is supposed to be a twenty year veteran of the police force but he is so filled with anger and antagonism toward anyone in authority and even his peers that it is very hard to understand how he would have made it for twenty years without being kicked out or shot. I guess the answer lies in that one area of competence - detecting. Perhaps his value for that skill outweighs the negatives.
While I did enjoy the book - after all, Michael Connelly is a very good writer - there were things about it that bothered me. That whole interlude in Florida with the woman that he meets and is attracted to, for example. It just seemed out of place and without purpose. Maybe the purpose was just to provide Harry with an alibi, but it seems like that could have been done with the former LAPD detective/now fishing guide who he also spent time with. Maybe Connelly just wanted to give Harry a little fun in the virtually unrelieved darkness of this tale.
And then, there is this sentence in Chapter 31:
"with...I"? Really, Michael Connelly? Et tu?
Who taught you basic grammar? The objective pronoun is me. Me! ME!!!
The misuse of I for me is absolutely my pet peeve in modern language usage. When I hear it spoken (which is often), it makes me want to wash out my ears. When I see it in print, especially having been used by a favorite author, it makes me want to tear my hair out by the roots. And this book was published in 1995, which means it was written in the early 1990s, which makes the I for me thing not just a 2000s phenomenon.
Depressing. I fear civilization as we know it is doomed.
How did he come to be placed on involuntary leave? It seems that he attacked his commanding officer, the odious Lieutenant Pounds ("Ninety-eight") that we've met in previous Harry Bosch novels. He's been ordered to have a psychiatric evaluation before he can be cleared to return to duty. He reluctantly meets three times a week with a therapist to talk about his issues.
And what are his issues? Unresolved anger and inability to sustain a relationship seem to be big ones. His girlfriend has recently left him and is now in Venice, Italy. He's drinking way too much. He's basically rude and hostile to everyone he comes in contact with, so it's pretty easy to understand why he's not exactly flavor of the month among his colleagues and acquaintances. At least in this book, we get more of the backstory of just what has made him that way.
The one area of his life where he is truly competent and feels in control is his job. It is much more than a job to him. It is his identity, who he is. And now that has been taken away from him.
His enforced absence from detective work wears on him and he arrives at a solution. He will do an independent investigation of a very, very cold case - the murder of his mother in 1961. Harry was eleven years old.
Reviewing the files and everything that is known about the case, Harry concludes that not much effort was put into solving it. Was that because she was a prostitute? Or was it because she was a prostitute who had ties to some political heavy hitters and exposing those ties would have been inconvenient for those men? Harry determines to find out and his investigation will take him into his own past and to far-flung parts of the country - from Las Vegas to Florida.
While he is on his weekend trip to Florida, the unthinkable happens back in Los Angeles - Lt. Pounds is kidnapped and tortured by his abductors until his heart gives out. His body is found stuffed into the trunk of his vehicle. Harry becomes an immediate suspect, but his fortuitous trip out of town gives him an alibi.
But he begins to suspect that Pounds' murder might be related to the unauthorized investigation he is conducting because he had used Pounds' name on a number of occasions. Is he indirectly responsible for a colleague's horrible death? Another subject to discuss with his therapist.
This is a very dark book and Harry is presented as a not very attractive character. He is supposed to be a twenty year veteran of the police force but he is so filled with anger and antagonism toward anyone in authority and even his peers that it is very hard to understand how he would have made it for twenty years without being kicked out or shot. I guess the answer lies in that one area of competence - detecting. Perhaps his value for that skill outweighs the negatives.
While I did enjoy the book - after all, Michael Connelly is a very good writer - there were things about it that bothered me. That whole interlude in Florida with the woman that he meets and is attracted to, for example. It just seemed out of place and without purpose. Maybe the purpose was just to provide Harry with an alibi, but it seems like that could have been done with the former LAPD detective/now fishing guide who he also spent time with. Maybe Connelly just wanted to give Harry a little fun in the virtually unrelieved darkness of this tale.
And then, there is this sentence in Chapter 31:
"Harry, why don't you ride with Earl and I?" Irving said.
"with...I"? Really, Michael Connelly? Et tu?
Who taught you basic grammar? The objective pronoun is me. Me! ME!!!
The misuse of I for me is absolutely my pet peeve in modern language usage. When I hear it spoken (which is often), it makes me want to wash out my ears. When I see it in print, especially having been used by a favorite author, it makes me want to tear my hair out by the roots. And this book was published in 1995, which means it was written in the early 1990s, which makes the I for me thing not just a 2000s phenomenon.
Depressing. I fear civilization as we know it is doomed.
laughinglibra84's review
5.0
This is the best Harry Bosch book since the start of the series. Everything is so intimate, so intense. The case is unlike any other other Bosch had worked on. I honestly don't know how Michael Connelly can top this one. I will definitely read on to find out.
scrappymags's review against another edition
3.0
This one was good, and finally answers to long-awaited Bosch questions are answered, but this book changed to a much slower pace than previous books, and I found myself on dull street a few moments in the book. It was nice to see the "softer" side of Harry Bosch, but I missed his acerbic wit and the fast-paced more frantic pace I'm used to. The wit was there, but not in the rare form of previous books. But I enjoyed the divergence from the usual and certainly can embrace the unexpected. I also decided who the Bosch character is in my head - Tom Berenger from the 1990s. With a 'stache.