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A review by cnorbury
The Last Coyote by Michael Connelly
5.0
One of Connelly's better efforts. It's hard not to like Harry Bosch even though he's a bit of an antihero who doesn't play by the rules of law enforcement and couldn't care less about stepping on toes whether it's his peers or his bosses. His singular focus can be summed up in the catchphrase he uses: "Everbody counts or nobody counts."
This story is particularly good because Bosch is looking for something to do while on suspension for beating up his superior, Lt. Pounds, and he picks up a cold case file that happens to be his mother's murder. It had been ignored for some 30 years and even Bosch regrets not re-opening the case himself. So the outcome is as personal as can be, which means the stakes are higher than normal.
The plot thickens when bodies start piling up soon after Bosch starts investigating--an obvious coverup attempt. It twists and turns as we first suspect one person, then another, then reverse and consider someone else. Connelly's outlining of police procedure (by the book or not in some cases when Bosch gets on a roll) is quite believable and shows he did his research.
One subplot ties into real life--the destructive earthquake in southern California in the mid-90s (Northridge?) that literally shook Bosch's house so much as to make it unlivable--but he lives there anyway, sneaking around behind the city inspector's back.
His counseling sessions with the police psychologist, Dr. Hinojos, are interesting and reveal more of Bosch's personality than we normally get in the books.
Finally, there's a great twist that I should have seen coming but didn't because I was so focused on what I thought was the typical cover-up of the murder by the rich and powerful for political and financial gains.
Highly recommended if you're a Bosch fan. However, if you're new to the series, I'd read some of the earlier books first.
This story is particularly good because Bosch is looking for something to do while on suspension for beating up his superior, Lt. Pounds, and he picks up a cold case file that happens to be his mother's murder. It had been ignored for some 30 years and even Bosch regrets not re-opening the case himself. So the outcome is as personal as can be, which means the stakes are higher than normal.
The plot thickens when bodies start piling up soon after Bosch starts investigating--an obvious coverup attempt. It twists and turns as we first suspect one person, then another, then reverse and consider someone else. Connelly's outlining of police procedure (by the book or not in some cases when Bosch gets on a roll) is quite believable and shows he did his research.
One subplot ties into real life--the destructive earthquake in southern California in the mid-90s (Northridge?) that literally shook Bosch's house so much as to make it unlivable--but he lives there anyway, sneaking around behind the city inspector's back.
His counseling sessions with the police psychologist, Dr. Hinojos, are interesting and reveal more of Bosch's personality than we normally get in the books.
Finally, there's a great twist that I should have seen coming but didn't because I was so focused on what I thought was the typical cover-up of the murder by the rich and powerful for political and financial gains.
Highly recommended if you're a Bosch fan. However, if you're new to the series, I'd read some of the earlier books first.