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A review by topdragon
The Concrete Blonde by Michael Connelly
5.0
The third novel in the Harry Bosch series is the best so far and it seems to me that Michael Connelly, at this point in this long series, has really found his way now with this character.
Harry is being sued for wrongful death by the family of a serial killer (the “Dollmaker”). Four years earlier, Harry’s aggressive method of breaking into the suspect’s apartment and then shooting and killing him when he thought the perp was reaching for a gun, has led to this legal action. But at the same time as the trial is unfolding, another body has been found, this time a blonde female encased in concrete. There are many similarities to the Dollmaker case and so questions have arisen as to whether the Dollmaker is really dead or not.
It’s an intriguing plot and Michael Connelly does a masterful job in juggling the various aspects of it. I always enjoy a good court room drama and I was pleased with this one. But I also enjoyed the insights into the homicide police’s methodology in tracking down this new (or old) killer. Even though this is a novel that features a serial killer situation, it isn’t really a “serial killer” novel. It’s much more about Harry Bosch, the growth of his character, and the mystery of the latest murder. The mystery elements were also done extremely well with several incidents of misdirection. At one point I thought I would be ultimately disappointed in the final identity of the perp because I figured it out way ahead of Bosch and the rest of the cops…only I was wrong. I fell into the same trap that they did, only earlier, and felt just as much chagrin as Harry did when we were wrong. Talk about feeling like a part of the story!
I know I’m just getting started with this series but this third book has cemented its quality in my mind and so I will definitely be pursuing the rest over time. I couldn’t necessarily say that after reading the first two books, even though they were also well-written and enjoyable. But now I feel like I know Harry much better (probably because of some of the things that came out in his trial) and I want to take this journey with him.
Highly recommended!
Harry is being sued for wrongful death by the family of a serial killer (the “Dollmaker”). Four years earlier, Harry’s aggressive method of breaking into the suspect’s apartment and then shooting and killing him when he thought the perp was reaching for a gun, has led to this legal action. But at the same time as the trial is unfolding, another body has been found, this time a blonde female encased in concrete. There are many similarities to the Dollmaker case and so questions have arisen as to whether the Dollmaker is really dead or not.
It’s an intriguing plot and Michael Connelly does a masterful job in juggling the various aspects of it. I always enjoy a good court room drama and I was pleased with this one. But I also enjoyed the insights into the homicide police’s methodology in tracking down this new (or old) killer. Even though this is a novel that features a serial killer situation, it isn’t really a “serial killer” novel. It’s much more about Harry Bosch, the growth of his character, and the mystery of the latest murder. The mystery elements were also done extremely well with several incidents of misdirection. At one point I thought I would be ultimately disappointed in the final identity of the perp because I figured it out way ahead of Bosch and the rest of the cops…only I was wrong. I fell into the same trap that they did, only earlier, and felt just as much chagrin as Harry did when we were wrong. Talk about feeling like a part of the story!
I know I’m just getting started with this series but this third book has cemented its quality in my mind and so I will definitely be pursuing the rest over time. I couldn’t necessarily say that after reading the first two books, even though they were also well-written and enjoyable. But now I feel like I know Harry much better (probably because of some of the things that came out in his trial) and I want to take this journey with him.
Highly recommended!