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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
"Bosch considered himself a true detective, one who took it all inside and cared. Everybody counts or nobody counts. That's what he always said."
Michael Connelly is one of the first authors I can remember reading when I was younger and thinking, 'hey, I wanna read more of this guys stuff!' Recently I've been in a bit of chaotic period of my life and wanted to read something that would bring me back to my roots - so I looked no further than my very beat-up paperback copy of Echo Park from 2007.
Looking back on my memories of first reading this book, I was definitely waaaay too young. However, upon my reread I began remembering why Echo Park, and particularly Michael Connelly, came away as a "go-to" read for me. Harry Bosch is a strong-willed detective who takes no shit and appears to be fighting "the good fight" - everybody counts, or nobody counts when it comes to the victims and their cases that come across his desk. While these books are in the Harry Bosch Universe, they can all be read as standalones, in publication order, or really in any order you care to pick them up in. The continuity of the Universe is interesting and it's enjoyable getting to read about other players in the game (Mickey Haller, Jack McEvoy), but I also like that I can pick anyone of Connelly's books up and it can read as a standalone as well.
This book, as a crime novel, has a lot of moving pieces and I'm quite content with how the book was resolved overall. For me, this book would've been a five if the ending hadn't felt so rushed...but I find that this is a common denominator with a lot of Connelly's books and therefore I mostly chalk it up to his particular writing/story telling style and me just not meshing. Otherwise, a really good read that I would recommend to crime novel enthusiasts, or anyone looking to jump into crime novels
Michael Connelly is one of the first authors I can remember reading when I was younger and thinking, 'hey, I wanna read more of this guys stuff!' Recently I've been in a bit of chaotic period of my life and wanted to read something that would bring me back to my roots - so I looked no further than my very beat-up paperback copy of Echo Park from 2007.
Looking back on my memories of first reading this book, I was definitely waaaay too young. However, upon my reread I began remembering why Echo Park, and particularly Michael Connelly, came away as a "go-to" read for me. Harry Bosch is a strong-willed detective who takes no shit and appears to be fighting "the good fight" - everybody counts, or nobody counts when it comes to the victims and their cases that come across his desk. While these books are in the Harry Bosch Universe, they can all be read as standalones, in publication order, or really in any order you care to pick them up in. The continuity of the Universe is interesting and it's enjoyable getting to read about other players in the game (Mickey Haller, Jack McEvoy), but I also like that I can pick anyone of Connelly's books up and it can read as a standalone as well.
This book, as a crime novel, has a lot of moving pieces and I'm quite content with how the book was resolved overall. For me, this book would've been a five if the ending hadn't felt so rushed...but I find that this is a common denominator with a lot of Connelly's books and therefore I mostly chalk it up to his particular writing/story telling style and me just not meshing. Otherwise, a really good read that I would recommend to crime novel enthusiasts, or anyone looking to jump into crime novels
Harry Bosch is now one year into his return to the LAPD out of retirement. He and Kiz Rider are partnered in the Open-Unsolved Unit, working cold cases. One of the them, the 13-year old missing persons case of Marie Gesto, has plagued Harry since he was originally assigned to the investigation. It's now red hot after a serial killer confesses to her abduction as part of an agreement to avoid the death penalty. Now he and Kiz have to determine if he's telling the truth.
Wow. Just wow. This story went sideways, upside down and rightside up again. I've never seen Harry be so off balance so often and when I reached the end, I got why. Be prepared to be just as off kilter as he was. I didn't know who to believe or trust and was just riveted to the story. Also, there's a point where I finally got why women eventually leave Harry, which was a big "aha" moment for him and me.
Len Cariou's narration was just perfect and he made the story even more compelling, though it was pretty exciting on its own. Despite the sentiments of the women in his life, I'm still wild about Harry. Can't wait for the next story!
Wow. Just wow. This story went sideways, upside down and rightside up again. I've never seen Harry be so off balance so often and when I reached the end, I got why. Be prepared to be just as off kilter as he was. I didn't know who to believe or trust and was just riveted to the story. Also, there's a point where I finally got why women eventually leave Harry, which was a big "aha" moment for him and me.
Len Cariou's narration was just perfect and he made the story even more compelling, though it was pretty exciting on its own. Despite the sentiments of the women in his life, I'm still wild about Harry. Can't wait for the next story!
5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
As I said in my last review of a Michael Connelly book (City of Bones, which I liked), you know from the start usually whether or not it’s going to be a good Harry Bosch tale. This one was lacking, though it had its moments.
A seasoned mystery reader is going to see how a story like this unfolds from a mile away. And for me, that’s really the barometer of a good Harry Bosch novel. Connelly is a master at building suspense and making shoe leather police work sound interesting, of bringing Los Angeles alive and the center of every mystery. I know what I’m getting and the reason I pick through these is that they’re so incredibly readable.
But the plot just doesn’t rise to the occasion. Though there was one twist in the story (that Connelly seeds well, though in retrospect, I probably should have seen it coming), it’s a predictable tale of Bosch realizing a conspiracy, going rogue, taking advantage of everyone he asks for help and coming out on the other side, having maybe succeeded or maybe not (you’ll have to read but you can probably guess), and ticked off the right people.
Something I both love and am often frustrated with in this series is how it portrays the institution of policing. Bosch and the LAPD are constantly at war with each other. Connelly has no problem detailing corruption within the blue. And yet, he doesn’t really do much with it. There’s no answering the larger question of police reform (a non-starter in Bosch’s eye) or what to do about corruption (since every cop who comes at Bosh is corrupt). It just carries on. These books began in the shadow of Rodney King and, to his credit, Connelly has never pretended otherwise. But I don’t know that they’ve reconciled with it and it’ll be interesting to see what the legacy of this series is as it’s slowly phased out of dad-lit/airport popularity.
For now, it’s an entertaining series that’s really good with some books being better than others. Connelly at least has the consideration to let us know which is which in advance.
A seasoned mystery reader is going to see how a story like this unfolds from a mile away. And for me, that’s really the barometer of a good Harry Bosch novel. Connelly is a master at building suspense and making shoe leather police work sound interesting, of bringing Los Angeles alive and the center of every mystery. I know what I’m getting and the reason I pick through these is that they’re so incredibly readable.
But the plot just doesn’t rise to the occasion. Though there was one twist in the story (that Connelly seeds well, though in retrospect, I probably should have seen it coming), it’s a predictable tale of Bosch realizing a conspiracy, going rogue, taking advantage of everyone he asks for help and coming out on the other side, having maybe succeeded or maybe not (you’ll have to read but you can probably guess), and ticked off the right people.
Something I both love and am often frustrated with in this series is how it portrays the institution of policing. Bosch and the LAPD are constantly at war with each other. Connelly has no problem detailing corruption within the blue. And yet, he doesn’t really do much with it. There’s no answering the larger question of police reform (a non-starter in Bosch’s eye) or what to do about corruption (since every cop who comes at Bosh is corrupt). It just carries on. These books began in the shadow of Rodney King and, to his credit, Connelly has never pretended otherwise. But I don’t know that they’ve reconciled with it and it’ll be interesting to see what the legacy of this series is as it’s slowly phased out of dad-lit/airport popularity.
For now, it’s an entertaining series that’s really good with some books being better than others. Connelly at least has the consideration to let us know which is which in advance.