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amie713's review against another edition
3.0
Closer to 3.5, I feel like most of my issue with this book is that it is a product of its time and some of the word choices and things that were okay in 1992 when this was published don’t age well. But overall I enjoyed the writing, so I’ll give the next one a go
annaton's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
bfkelly's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
pammyglobs's review against another edition
5.0
Michael Connelly hands down is the best fiction crime writer I have ever read. Ever. I love Detective Bosch, but also enjoy his stand alone novels and the Lincoln Lawyer novels. I am reading the whole series again.
lauras_rambles's review against another edition
4.0
Sometimes with this genre and the first book in a series the story takes a while to build and the action doesn’t start until halfway through the book. Not this novel, right away you are at the murder scene where detective Harry Bosch recognizes the victim as a Vietnam War comrade.
As a reader you re-live some of Bosch’s darkest days fighting in the Vietnam tunnel system. I learned quite a bit about the Vietnam war from this book. I had no idea that some combat took place underground in a tunnel system throughout the jungle. My claustrophobia started to kick in during some scenes. This book made me want to research the Vietnam war a bit more. You can tell Connelly put a lot of research into this book to create a believable and vivid back story
As for the police story itself, it’s your basic loner cop story. All the typical tropes are met: loner cop, sordid past, does his own thing no matter what the chief says, gets close to a female in the story, the relationship ends badly. It’s what you would expect and sometimes that’s a good thing if you are in the mood for it. If you are looking for something more unique, you might want to skip this book.
I knew there was going to be a twist at the end (normally always is one…), but I didn’t see part of this twist coming. It was a satisfying ending and I’ll continue on with this series.
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As a reader you re-live some of Bosch’s darkest days fighting in the Vietnam tunnel system. I learned quite a bit about the Vietnam war from this book. I had no idea that some combat took place underground in a tunnel system throughout the jungle. My claustrophobia started to kick in during some scenes. This book made me want to research the Vietnam war a bit more. You can tell Connelly put a lot of research into this book to create a believable and vivid back story
As for the police story itself, it’s your basic loner cop story. All the typical tropes are met: loner cop, sordid past, does his own thing no matter what the chief says, gets close to a female in the story, the relationship ends badly. It’s what you would expect and sometimes that’s a good thing if you are in the mood for it. If you are looking for something more unique, you might want to skip this book.
I knew there was going to be a twist at the end (normally always is one…), but I didn’t see part of this twist coming. It was a satisfying ending and I’ll continue on with this series.
OTHER PLACES I LIVE ON THE INTERNET
Art, Crafts, & Books: Blog | Instagram
Travel Stories & Tips: Blog | Instagram
Classy Cats in Classics: Tumblr | Instagram
kellyjanis's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
georginadean's review against another edition
3.75
the darkness. the stark loneliness. the man sitting alone, his face turned to the shadows. i am that man.’
as is usual with michael connelly’s crime novels, i was completely and utterly entranced by the way that the story unfolded. he has such a way of words and planning plot points that it is impossible to look away even for a second once the story gets going. the characters appear so vivid and alive; they are not just words on a page; they take on real, visceral roles in your mind and you find yourself defending them and caring for them with a passion that it is difficult to feel towards other crime novel characters.
i have read so much of the harry bosch series, yet this is the first of the series and i have only just got around to reading it. it’s strange to experience a series out of order, but everything still makes so much sense. it only serves to prove how individual connelly’s ideas are even using the same character. i will never tire of reading these stories and, if you are looking for a new crime novelist to attach to when in reading slumps, i will always recommend him. he proves that he is a master of his genre with every book of his that i have the pleasure of reading.
such a fascinating novel as always - using the vietnam war as a significant plot point and expanding on the survivors futures through the different fates that may await them after warfare ends. it’s not just a crime investigation, it’s a criticism of the world as we know it. entrancing and beautifully written.
as is usual with michael connelly’s crime novels, i was completely and utterly entranced by the way that the story unfolded. he has such a way of words and planning plot points that it is impossible to look away even for a second once the story gets going. the characters appear so vivid and alive; they are not just words on a page; they take on real, visceral roles in your mind and you find yourself defending them and caring for them with a passion that it is difficult to feel towards other crime novel characters.
i have read so much of the harry bosch series, yet this is the first of the series and i have only just got around to reading it. it’s strange to experience a series out of order, but everything still makes so much sense. it only serves to prove how individual connelly’s ideas are even using the same character. i will never tire of reading these stories and, if you are looking for a new crime novelist to attach to when in reading slumps, i will always recommend him. he proves that he is a master of his genre with every book of his that i have the pleasure of reading.
such a fascinating novel as always - using the vietnam war as a significant plot point and expanding on the survivors futures through the different fates that may await them after warfare ends. it’s not just a crime investigation, it’s a criticism of the world as we know it. entrancing and beautifully written.
rwgabbard's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0