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anissawren's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.5
rebelbelle13's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
4.5
Another really fun entry to the Bosch series. It's a little dated (the events take place in 2006) but there's enough relevant technology to make it seem like modern day. Fans of the TV show will recognize some plot beats from season 1. I almost think the tv show did this story a bit better, actually.
Either way, we've got Detective Bosch and his partner, Kiz Rider, trying to solve a 13 year old murder. A known serial killer ends up confessing to it, even leading them to the body of Marie Gesto- but Bosch knows not everything is as it seems. When the field trip goes awry and the killer flees, Bosch needs to use all his connections and know-how to crack the case and catch Waits. It's a fast paced cop procedural that makes you want to keep turning pages. The way Bosch does things can sometimes grate on the nerves though- he keeps his partners in the dark and skates the line between cop and vigilante.
Connelly, as always, spins a great yarn, and I always have a good time reading his novels.
Either way, we've got Detective Bosch and his partner, Kiz Rider, trying to solve a 13 year old murder. A known serial killer ends up confessing to it, even leading them to the body of Marie Gesto- but Bosch knows not everything is as it seems. When the field trip goes awry and the killer flees, Bosch needs to use all his connections and know-how to crack the case and catch Waits. It's a fast paced cop procedural that makes you want to keep turning pages. The way Bosch does things can sometimes grate on the nerves though- he keeps his partners in the dark and skates the line between cop and vigilante.
Connelly, as always, spins a great yarn, and I always have a good time reading his novels.
laurenjcarter28's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
fosterwalrus's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
_julia_reads's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
It was a really good book, and I’m not sure what more to say. I enjoyed reading it and will start another book by Michael today
amengelking's review against another edition
5.0
A cold case. A serial killer. A confession. A dirty deal. Bosch gets to go rogue (again) to get the answers he seeks and solve the case. So good.
lesserjoke's review against another edition
3.0
Bosch's latest encounter with a serial killer is a bit rote, and a twist midway through -- that the criminal is innocent of one particular murder, which a corrupt attorney got him to confess to as part of a secret deal -- is disappointing for its implications. Before this point, the detective is distressed by the idea that he's been focused on the wrong suspect for a decade due to circumstantial evidence blinding him to other possibilities, and that he apparently never followed up on a certain clue that could have led him to the true culprit back when he first caught the case. But then it turns out that the incriminating logbook was forged, and Harry's initial hunch was right all along. It's a development that justifies the character's earlier obsession, and is far less interesting than a plot that would actually hold him accountable for his mistakes.
This is also the sort of story that singles out individual wicked members of law enforcement without commenting on problems in the profession as a whole, which author Michael Connelly is sometimes better about. I'm not thrilled that the hero yet again subtly influences events so that a bad guy gets shot to death rather than taken into custody and calls it justice, either. That's copaganda too, in its own way.
Otherwise the novel is solid enough, and I continue to find the protagonist an engaging perspective as he resists pressures to sacrifice his integrity for the sake of his career in the LAPD. But this is not one of his finer hours overall.
[Content warning for necrophilia, rape, and gore.]
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This is also the sort of story that singles out individual wicked members of law enforcement without commenting on problems in the profession as a whole, which author Michael Connelly is sometimes better about. I'm not thrilled that the hero yet again subtly influences events so that a bad guy gets shot to death rather than taken into custody and calls it justice, either. That's copaganda too, in its own way.
Otherwise the novel is solid enough, and I continue to find the protagonist an engaging perspective as he resists pressures to sacrifice his integrity for the sake of his career in the LAPD. But this is not one of his finer hours overall.
[Content warning for necrophilia, rape, and gore.]
Like this review?
--Throw me a quick one-time donation here!
https://ko-fi.com/lesserjoke
--Subscribe here to support my writing and weigh in on what I read next!
https://patreon.com/lesserjoke
--Follow along on Goodreads here!
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6288479-joe-kessler
--Or click here to browse through all my previous reviews!
https://lesserjoke.home.blog
theregnirps's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0