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A review by book_concierge
The Black Ice by Michael Connelly
3.0
Book on CD read by Dick Hill
The second novel in the Harry Bosch series begins with Harry on call on Christmas day. As he’s opening some cards he hears something on the police scanner that piques his interest. A homicide detective is needed … but they haven’t called Harry, who is the one on call? When he arrives at the scene and realizes the corpse is a missing narcotics officer he begins to understand. Rumor had it that Cal Moore had crossed over, fronting a new drug from Mexico called “black ice.” The brass downtown don’t want a hugely embarrassing case on their hands, so they quickly dub it a suicide and close the case. But Harry isn’t convinced; he suspects the man was murdered. He starts his own investigation which leads him to several bloody murders on both sides of the border. So he decides he has to go to Mexicali to get answers.
Connelly crafts a fast and furious suspense-filled thriller. Informants are reluctant to come forth; Moore’s wife is circumspect; police files are contradictory; and Mexican authorities less than forthcoming. The pace is lightning quick, the plot twists come with no warning, and the reader isn’t any more sure than Harry whom to trust. I was in a delighted state of confusion trying to figure out the clues as fast as Harry – and we both arrived at the conclusion at about the same point (thought Harry was still ahead of me).
One thing I really like about this series – and, admittedly, I’ve only read two books in the series – is that I’m getting to know Harry Bosch little by little: his childhood, his relationships, his service in Vietnam. He’s a richly drawn character with complex emotions. And I want to continue reading the series to get to know him better.
Dick Hill does a great job of narrating the audio version. His pacing is good and he modulates his voice sufficiently to differentiate the many male characters.
The second novel in the Harry Bosch series begins with Harry on call on Christmas day. As he’s opening some cards he hears something on the police scanner that piques his interest. A homicide detective is needed … but they haven’t called Harry, who is the one on call? When he arrives at the scene and realizes the corpse is a missing narcotics officer he begins to understand. Rumor had it that Cal Moore had crossed over, fronting a new drug from Mexico called “black ice.” The brass downtown don’t want a hugely embarrassing case on their hands, so they quickly dub it a suicide and close the case. But Harry isn’t convinced; he suspects the man was murdered. He starts his own investigation which leads him to several bloody murders on both sides of the border. So he decides he has to go to Mexicali to get answers.
Connelly crafts a fast and furious suspense-filled thriller. Informants are reluctant to come forth; Moore’s wife is circumspect; police files are contradictory; and Mexican authorities less than forthcoming. The pace is lightning quick, the plot twists come with no warning, and the reader isn’t any more sure than Harry whom to trust. I was in a delighted state of confusion trying to figure out the clues as fast as Harry – and we both arrived at the conclusion at about the same point (thought Harry was still ahead of me).
One thing I really like about this series – and, admittedly, I’ve only read two books in the series – is that I’m getting to know Harry Bosch little by little: his childhood, his relationships, his service in Vietnam. He’s a richly drawn character with complex emotions. And I want to continue reading the series to get to know him better.
Dick Hill does a great job of narrating the audio version. His pacing is good and he modulates his voice sufficiently to differentiate the many male characters.