Book Review- Michael Connelly- The Drop

Michael Connelly- The Drop 4.75 Stars

Detective Harry Bosch has just been given his DROP date, 3 years until he must retire from the force. He has two investigations going on at once, one is a cold case from 1989 and one is a live case involving the city Councilman, Irvin Irving. The cold case involves blood found one a body of a woman raped and murdered in 1989, but the blood is that of an eight-year-old, which means that he must get to the bottom of things. The live case is a possible suicide/murder of Councilman Irvin Irving’s son. Just the kind of case Harry Bosch dreads, high jingo/politics.

I loved this book from start to finish. It starts out grabbing your attention and getting you involved in the case, not letting up at any point. I found myself curious about how it is going to turn out at every chapter. It had many twists and turns with little surprises here and there. It was very hard to set this book down, as it had me on the edge of my seat. The characters are always great and bring extra depth to the novel. I also enjoyed the reference to Castle, considering his appearances on the TV series. Overall it is definitely one I would highly recommend. One of my favourites by this author.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com.

Tony Peters

Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/

Book Review- Michael Connelly- The Overlook

Michael Connelly- The Overlook (Vision Books 2008) 3.75 Stars

Dr. Stanley Kent has just been discovered on the overlook with two bullets in the back of his head. Now Harry Bosch must try to find the killer, but he isn’t the only one interested in this case. Agent Walling of the FBI has been handed the case as it has taken a terrorist angle. Bumping heads as Bosch fights to keep his case; they must try to solve this case before things escalate out of their control.

The introduction to this book was a little slower than I am used to from Connelly, but it was still interesting enough for me to keep reading. It had a good plot that kept moving at a fast clip, changing direction many times. The characters were well done and their tensions added to the intensity. I did find myself wondering how Bosch suddenly jumped to the conclusion he did. The ending was very good and intense; it was a great way to end a novel. The bonus chapter at the end tied things up nicely, although the original ending would have been just fine as well. Overall I thought that the book pretty good.

For more of my reviews check out my website, http://www.tonypeters.webs.com/

Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/

Book Review- Michael Connelly- Echo Park

Michael Connelly- Echo Park (Warner Books 2007) 4.5 Stars

Information has come up about an old case that Harry Bosch
worked years ago. To avoid a death sentence, a man is going to confess to a
list of murders and provide locations for the bodies. Harry Bosch is now
working with the lawyers to close out his old case. The course of events that
would follow, no one could have foreseen.

This book was very different from the other books in this
series. It was quite interesting and had some great twists that kept you
guessing until the end. The plot was action-packed and weaved a web of
intrigue. The characters were really well done, and worked in nicely with the
plot. This is one of the best in this series, if not by this author; I did like
Five Dragons better. I can’t really think of anything negative to say and that
does not happen too often. Overall I certainly recommend this book to any
thriller enthusiasts.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com

Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/

Book Review- Michael Connelly- The Closers

Michael Connelly- The Closers (Grand Central Publishing 2006) 3.75 Stars

Returning to the job after retiring, Harry Bosch is now part of a new sector of the homicide squad, they are called The Closers. They look into cases that have remained unsolved for many years, and are hoping to close the file after all these years. They have the DNA of a man connected to the murder, but they quickly discover that there may be more to this case than there seems.

This book was good. It moved rather slowly and was a little tough to get into. At the same time it was interesting to see how they had to uncover details and the work they had to put in to get that information. The plot was pretty good, with lots of great twists. Connelly is great at describing the setting as well, which helped the plot move along. The characters were good, as per usual for this author. I enjoy the character of Harry Bosch; he gets deeper with every book. I enjoy this series, but this was not the best book in the series.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com

Tony Peters

Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/

Book Review- Michael Connelly- The Narrows

Michael Connelly- The Narrows (Warner Books 2005) 4.25 Stars

The Poet has turned back up after years of silence and Rachel Walling is being dragged back into the task force after years of being shunned by the FBI. Little does she realize that she will soon be working with retired LAPD detective Harry Bosch, who has discovered something that ties in with their case. Now they must work together to hunt down this psychopath before he finishes what he started.

I liked this instalment by Michael Connelly. I am not sure which series this was meant to fit into as it kind of dragged in characters from many of Connelly’s others works. I saddened by Terry McCaleb’s death, but it was nice to see Graciela (his wife) and his daughter/son. It was also nice to see Buddy resurface and how Connelly played off the fact that a movie was made of the first book. Rachel Walling was interesting to see again, although it was annoying to see her sleep with yet another man on the case; this does not say much for her that she cannot work with a man on the case without sleeping with him. It is great how Connelly often ties his series’ together; it adds a depth to his works. The plot was a great one with lots of twists and turns, and just when you think it is over, you see that something else was not as it seemed. I also liked how they set it up for more books containing Bosch and the return of his little girl. Connelly is showing us Bosch’s softer side.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com

Tony Peters

Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/

Book Review- Michael Connelly- Lost Light

Michael Connelly- Lost Light (Warner Books 2004) 3.75 Stars

Every officer has a case that got away. The one they couldn’t catch. For retired officer Harry Bosch it is the Angella Benton case; one he had for about four hours. Her death was linked to the armed robbery of two million dollars from a movie set, but neither case was ever solved. Now he is looking into it and he is finding that people more powerful than him do not want him digging into the case.

This book was really hard to get into, I only kept reading because it was a Harry Bosch novel. That being said, about a quarter of the way through the pace picked up and things started to get rolling. From that point on I was hooked. The plot was good, it certainly kept you guessing. I never would have seen the last chapter coming if I had not read later books in the series. I found the characters were good, but not great, Connelly has certainly done a better job of character creation. I do wish that he had found some way of making the beginning more interesting. I would recommend this novel to those who enjoy Connelly and the Bosch series.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com

Tony Peters

Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/

Book Review- Michael Connelly- A Darkness More Than Night

Michael Connelly- A Darkness More Than Night (Warner Books 2002) 3.75 Stars

When who got away with murdering others is found tortured and killed, Detective Jaye Winston takes on the case, but she quickly calls on retired criminal profiler Terry McCaleb to assist her on the case. McCaleb is able to find a hidden message in the murder that leads to Detective Harry Bosch coming under suspicion. Harry Bosch will now have to fight to clear his name, all the while being a star witness in the criminal trial of a lifetime.

I found that this one was harder to get into than most of Connelly’s other work, but once you get into it you are hooked. I also found that at times it seems like there was too much going on, two story lines at once is a little much, but when they connected them you could see why Connelly did it this way. This book did seem like it was more of an in between the other books in these three series’ whose characters make appearances. The plot was quite good and was certainly interesting once you got into the book. The character development was not as good as I have seen in other books, but was decent. I did like how we got to see a different side of Bosch; Connelly showed us that Bosch really does care about the victims in his cases. I recommend this book to fans of Connelly.

For more of my reviews check out my website, http://www.tonypeters.webs.com/

Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: the Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

www.eloquentbooks.com/kidsonacase.html

Book Review- Michael Connelly- Trunk Music

Michael Connelly- Trunk Music (St. Martin’s Press 1998) 4.25 Stars

Detective Bosch has been on an involuntary stress leave and when the body of a cheap movie producer is found dead inside the trunk of his car, it looks like a mob hit, but Bosch does not want to give up his first case in a long time. Money is usually a great motivator and it appears to be the same with this case. When the money takes Bosch to Vegas he discovers that the man was dealing was some dealing with some unsavoury people, and in following the case Bosch must deal with them as well. The big boys don’t play fair and he must show them how real player plays, but he soon realizes that an old flame is somehow involved and Eleanor Wish might be into more than she can handle.

I enjoy how Connelly gets the reader involved in the crime immediately, drawing your attention early on. This makes it easier to get into the book. Then because of Bosch’s hard-case attitude he usually brushes someone the wrong way, ensuring that you are going to see fireworks. Bosch is a character with many sides and we see those sides in this book. I wish I had not read later books as I know exactly how things turn out for him with his associates/flames. It was an interesting plot that this one followed and I am always amused by Bosch’s tough-guy act and how he deals with those who cross him. One thing I did not like was how I knew who the guilty parties were early on, although it took a while to find out that I was correct in my guess. I did still like seeing how it all played out Bosch’s mind turned to eventually figure out what I had guessed.

I do recommend Trunk Music and the Bosch series to anyone who loves a good thriller/mystery.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com

Tony Peters

Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

www.eloquentbooks.com/kidsonacase.html

Book Review- Michael Connelly- 9 Dragons

Michael Connelly- 9 Dragons (Little, Brown and Company 2009) 5 Stars

Harry Bosch is sent to investigate what appears to be a routine robbery gone wrong, when he discovers that he has met the victim in one of his previous cases. Looking into the matter he determines that it was not a robbery, and it certainly was not routine. The more he digs the more tangled the weaving web becomes. After discovering evidence leading to the Hong Kong Triads the case steps up a notch on the danger meter. Suddenly his life is thrown into turmoil. His daughter goes missing and a video is sent to him from her phone, now he is not only investigating a murder, but he must fight to get his daughter back and fight he will. Taking the first flight to Hong Kong he cuts a deadly swath across Hong Kong all in the hopes of getting his daughter back safely, in a manner the Triads can understand despite the language barrier. The world is about to find out just how tough and deadly Harry Bosch can be.

Wow! Yes 9 Dragons is as good as it sounds. This was probably my favourite in the Harry Bosch series yet. We see Bosch’s soft side as well as his brutally tough side. I was impressed by just how deep the characters were. I loved the fact that 9 Dragons took Bosch across the globe into a world completely unknown to him as it gave the readers a chance to see how Harry Bosch handled strange situations and foreign language barriers. We also get to see how he deals with his many mistakes. The setting was described wonderfully, even when in some of the raunchiest areas of Hong Kong. Twist after twist keeps this storyline fast-paced and works to run your mind in circles. Just when you think you have everything figured out Connelly flips the case upside down, and Bosch doesn’t just magically figure out the answers, he has to work to the point of insanity to find any ounce of truth/evidence. It was a wonderfully created plot and I look forward to seeing more from Connelly.

I recommend 9 Dragons to Connelly fans and anyone who enjoys mysteries/thrillers.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com

Tony Peters

Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/

Michael Connelly- The Black Ice (St. Martin’s Press 1994) 4.25 Stars

Harry Bosch is hunting down the clues on a case that wasn’t his, but somehow is connected to his own cases. So far he has one dead cop and dangerous drug ties which lead to more deaths and the life of Bosch could be shortened greatly. Can Bosch stop the killer before the killer stops him?

Once again Connelly has done a great job. I enjoyed this mystery as Bosch was taken across borders for The Black Ice, which meant that I got to see a little bit of Mexico. Connelly has a way of creating a very interesting plot with complex details that lead to some great twists, and The Black Ice was no exception. I also like Bosch and how he always finds a way to rub his bosses the wrong way. Even with his authority problems he still manages to be a great detective, who manages to solve the most complex of cases, hence the reason why his superiors put up with him. The Black Ice is a great early addition to this popular series.

I recommend The Black Ice for mystery lovers and fans of Michael Connelly.

For more of my reviews check out my website, http://www.tonypeters.webs.com/

Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
www.eloquentbooks.com/kidsonacase.html