novelesque_life's review against another edition
4.0
4 STARS
"LAPD detective Hieronymous (aka Harry) Bosch is a loner and a nighthawk. Called out on a routine drug overdose case, Bosch soon realises that the victim found lying in the Mullholland Dam drainpipe is no accident case. Billy Meadows was a fellow 'tunnel rat' in Vietnam and Harry swears to bring the killer to justice." (From Amazon)
Harry Bosch is a great character and I really enjoyed this suspense novel. I will definitely be reading more on the series.
"LAPD detective Hieronymous (aka Harry) Bosch is a loner and a nighthawk. Called out on a routine drug overdose case, Bosch soon realises that the victim found lying in the Mullholland Dam drainpipe is no accident case. Billy Meadows was a fellow 'tunnel rat' in Vietnam and Harry swears to bring the killer to justice." (From Amazon)
Harry Bosch is a great character and I really enjoyed this suspense novel. I will definitely be reading more on the series.
xxertz's review against another edition
4.0
BLUF: Stereotypical detective story.
In hindsight…
I’m not sure if it’s funny, or sad, but little more than a month later, I am having problems remembering what I enjoyed about this book.
The Black Echo follows detective Harry Bosch, a former tunnel rat, whose partner is more interested in selling real estate than solving crimes. This doesn’t bother Bosch, who is your stereotypical lone cop that doesn’t play well with others or follow the rules. Bosch takes a cut and dry overdose and delves into the possibility of murder. For me, it was too far fetched that this detective would have pushed to research a death that was seemingly straightforward, but it plays into his stubborn nature and, as it turns out, the death was not as obvious as it seemed. To make it more interesting, his department has surveillance on him due to his questionable methods and, of course, his blatant disregard for authority.
I have this bad habit of researching a character that I cannot place and turning to Wikipedia or an online blog in order to figure out their role. Well, Wikipedia gave away the ending for me, which greatly took away from the story. Because of this, it was difficult for me to take the relationships as the author intended.
That said, I found this novel intriguing and easy to follow. Bosch is your typical, arrogant detective who is better than everybody else and a hell of a lot smarter. He works through the case, opening more doors than he closes, and ends up discovering the truth, even though it is a surprise to the readers.
While I wouldn’t call this novel suspenseful, I was pleasantly surprised by the twists and turns of the story and enjoyed this novel very much. It’s the classic detective novel I was looking for and I couldn’t put the novel down until I finished it.
In hindsight…
I’m not sure if it’s funny, or sad, but little more than a month later, I am having problems remembering what I enjoyed about this book.
The Black Echo follows detective Harry Bosch, a former tunnel rat, whose partner is more interested in selling real estate than solving crimes. This doesn’t bother Bosch, who is your stereotypical lone cop that doesn’t play well with others or follow the rules. Bosch takes a cut and dry overdose and delves into the possibility of murder. For me, it was too far fetched that this detective would have pushed to research a death that was seemingly straightforward, but it plays into his stubborn nature and, as it turns out, the death was not as obvious as it seemed. To make it more interesting, his department has surveillance on him due to his questionable methods and, of course, his blatant disregard for authority.
I have this bad habit of researching a character that I cannot place and turning to Wikipedia or an online blog in order to figure out their role. Well, Wikipedia gave away the ending for me, which greatly took away from the story. Because of this, it was difficult for me to take the relationships as the author intended.
That said, I found this novel intriguing and easy to follow. Bosch is your typical, arrogant detective who is better than everybody else and a hell of a lot smarter. He works through the case, opening more doors than he closes, and ends up discovering the truth, even though it is a surprise to the readers.
While I wouldn’t call this novel suspenseful, I was pleasantly surprised by the twists and turns of the story and enjoyed this novel very much. It’s the classic detective novel I was looking for and I couldn’t put the novel down until I finished it.
anita_mv's review against another edition
3.0
Un inicio de saga prometedor en el que descubrí los inicios de esta famosísima y larguísima saga que lleva más de veinticinco años publicándose. Una trama que parece sencilla se va enredando con otros casos y te reta a tratar de descubrir quién está detrás de ellos. Los personajes (sobre todo Harry) son apasionantes y junto a ellos conoceremos la ciudad de Los Ángeles en los años 90. Sin duda seguiré con esta saga por su protagonista, la narrativa del autor y por la curiosidad que me suscita conocer los diferentes casos que se le presenten a Harry.
ana_mv's review against another edition
3.0
Un inicio de saga prometedor en el que descubrí los inicios de esta famosísima y larguísima saga que lleva más de veinticinco años publicándose. Una trama que parece sencilla se va enredando con otros casos y te reta a tratar de descubrir quién está detrás de ellos. Los personajes (sobre todo Harry) son apasionantes y junto a ellos conoceremos la ciudad de Los Ángeles en los años 90. Sin duda seguiré con esta saga por su protagonista, la narrativa del autor y por la curiosidad que me suscita conocer los diferentes casos que se le presenten a Harry.
hahaseriousnow's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
laurenjodi's review against another edition
4.0
The Black Echo
4 Stars
LAPD Detective Harry Bosch is called out to a routine OD death that turns into anything but routine when the corpse not only turns out to be the victim of a homicide, but someone Bosch knew from his days as a Tunnel Rat in Vietnam. As Bosch slowly unravels the details behind the murder, he rubs a few people the wrong way - the FBI, Internal Affairs and the cops he works with. But nothing will stop Harry from getting to the truth …
A good police procedural with an interesting story and a likable protagonist. The ending is a bit too drawn out and the book could have been tighter with 50 fewer pages.
Harry Bosch is an honest cop and an excellent detective. Unfortunately, this is exactly what gets him into trouble with the powers that be. He doesn’t play games, is no good at politics and cares more about the victims and justice than making the department look good.
The mystery is well-developed with a plausible explanation although there are a great deal of terminology and abbreviations that should have been explained. Moreover, the final twist when it comes is predictable.
The writing and the character are both compelling enough to continue with the series.
4 Stars
LAPD Detective Harry Bosch is called out to a routine OD death that turns into anything but routine when the corpse not only turns out to be the victim of a homicide, but someone Bosch knew from his days as a Tunnel Rat in Vietnam. As Bosch slowly unravels the details behind the murder, he rubs a few people the wrong way - the FBI, Internal Affairs and the cops he works with. But nothing will stop Harry from getting to the truth …
A good police procedural with an interesting story and a likable protagonist. The ending is a bit too drawn out and the book could have been tighter with 50 fewer pages.
Harry Bosch is an honest cop and an excellent detective. Unfortunately, this is exactly what gets him into trouble with the powers that be. He doesn’t play games, is no good at politics and cares more about the victims and justice than making the department look good.
The mystery is well-developed with a plausible explanation although there are a great deal of terminology and abbreviations that should have been explained. Moreover, the final twist when it comes is predictable.
The writing and the character are both compelling enough to continue with the series.
alvalvano's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
elle_loves_reading's review
5.0
So I went back to where it all began with Hieronymus Bosch, the most awesome fictional detective ever! It was also Michael Connelly's debut novel, and I loved listening to it as much as the first time I read this action packed cracker of a book!
There have been many books in the Bosch series since, and I have read or listened to most of them. I have also seen every episode of the TV series Bosch, and the first season of Bosch Legacy (can't wait for season two!)
So if you have been living under a rock for the past 30 years, and have never heard of this badass Hollywood detective, then do yourself a favour and read (or listen to) The Black Echo
There have been many books in the Bosch series since, and I have read or listened to most of them. I have also seen every episode of the TV series Bosch, and the first season of Bosch Legacy (can't wait for season two!)
So if you have been living under a rock for the past 30 years, and have never heard of this badass Hollywood detective, then do yourself a favour and read (or listen to) The Black Echo