observer_1's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
usbsticky's review against another edition
3.0
Edit: I hated the first story, finally read the other 2 and liked them. #2 Father's Day was about child left in car. #3 was about Bosch when he was at Open-Unsolved with Kiz Rider and solved a crime that he was involved in as a boot. I really only liked #3. #2 was ok.
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1 star = I did not like it by GR's rating system.
I have to start off by saying that I'm a big Michael Connelly fan, I have all of his books and I started following him a long time ago. This is the first time I've read one of his short story compilations.
I started withe the first story "Christmas Even" and after that I declined to finish the rest of the book. The reason for that is until now, I felt that MC never tried to pontificate or tell a message in any of his stories. Bosch was Bosch and that was it but I felt that he tried to pontificate in this story.
Here's my beef: Bosch investigates the crime and decides to turn Servan in. "Everybody counts or nobody counts" is Bosch's motto. OK, I'm fine with that. If he feels Servan committed a crime, then fine, turn him in. But then when Bosch finds the sax, he decides to basically steal it and give it back to its owner. But I say "everybody counts", that includes Servan from whom the sax was stolen and he had legitimately acquired it. I don't know what MC is trying to tell here but I don't think Bosch would have returned it. This short was written in 2004. I think by that time MC had become famous already and probably felt he deserved a little latitude on how Bosch could be portrayed. Bosch is many things but I never felt he was a hypocrite or had ever been put in such a situation before. Anyway, if everybody counts, then Servan does too, no matter how small. Either you give him a pass for killing and take the sax but don't give him the short ends of 2 sticks.
Furthermore, I have decided not to read any of his other short stories. I don't think the short story format is conducive to this type of thriller. There isn't really enough time to develop a thriller type story that I'm used to or like.
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1 star = I did not like it by GR's rating system.
I have to start off by saying that I'm a big Michael Connelly fan, I have all of his books and I started following him a long time ago. This is the first time I've read one of his short story compilations.
I started withe the first story "Christmas Even" and after that I declined to finish the rest of the book. The reason for that is until now, I felt that MC never tried to pontificate or tell a message in any of his stories. Bosch was Bosch and that was it but I felt that he tried to pontificate in this story.
Here's my beef: Bosch investigates the crime and decides to turn Servan in. "Everybody counts or nobody counts" is Bosch's motto. OK, I'm fine with that. If he feels Servan committed a crime, then fine, turn him in. But then when Bosch finds the sax, he decides to basically steal it and give it back to its owner. But I say "everybody counts", that includes Servan from whom the sax was stolen and he had legitimately acquired it. I don't know what MC is trying to tell here but I don't think Bosch would have returned it. This short was written in 2004. I think by that time MC had become famous already and probably felt he deserved a little latitude on how Bosch could be portrayed. Bosch is many things but I never felt he was a hypocrite or had ever been put in such a situation before. Anyway, if everybody counts, then Servan does too, no matter how small. Either you give him a pass for killing and take the sax but don't give him the short ends of 2 sticks.
Furthermore, I have decided not to read any of his other short stories. I don't think the short story format is conducive to this type of thriller. There isn't really enough time to develop a thriller type story that I'm used to or like.
falgelednl's review
4.0
A short book with three short tales. Each is interesting, especially if you know Harry Bosch in more detail and can read these as extra chapters in his life.
lisahelene's review
4.0
I usually don't like sort stories very much, but these were great, possibly easier for me since I already knew the characters.
imperfectcj's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
2.5
I'm not sure if Connelly's storylines hold up well when distilled into vignettes like these. I think the short length of these stories accentuates the weaknesses in Connelly's novels and makes the things that are strengths in the novels, like the character development, feel trite and calculated. Still, they do fill in some blanks from the novels.
ryno23's review
4.0
I revised my last Bosch novella to three stars -- this set of three novellas are much, much better.
In “Christmas Even,” the case of a burglar killed in mid-heist leads Bosch to retrace a link to his past, which includes a mysterious saxophone. In “Father’s Day,” Bosch investigates a young boy’s seemingly accidental death and confronts his own fears as a father -- all while getting down to bottom of the death of the boy. In “Angle of Investigation,” Bosch delves into one of the first homicides he ever worked back as a uniformed rookie patrolman, a case that was left unsolved for decades, and leads to a shocking end.
In “Christmas Even,” the case of a burglar killed in mid-heist leads Bosch to retrace a link to his past, which includes a mysterious saxophone. In “Father’s Day,” Bosch investigates a young boy’s seemingly accidental death and confronts his own fears as a father -- all while getting down to bottom of the death of the boy. In “Angle of Investigation,” Bosch delves into one of the first homicides he ever worked back as a uniformed rookie patrolman, a case that was left unsolved for decades, and leads to a shocking end.
martyfried's review
4.0
Some good stories, even though I usually don't read short stories. These give a good overall impression of Bosch and might be good for someone who hasn't yet read the series to see what he's like.
beebliobibuli's review
3.0
Two stars and a half
Hitessh, thanks for the recommendation!
It wasn't really what I expected, it was too simple and too obvious.. I guess I got used to Agatha Christie and James Hadley Chase complicated kind of crimes that these three cases didn't impress me much, gonna read more Connelly in the future and we'll see!
Hitessh, thanks for the recommendation!
It wasn't really what I expected, it was too simple and too obvious.. I guess I got used to Agatha Christie and James Hadley Chase complicated kind of crimes that these three cases didn't impress me much, gonna read more Connelly in the future and we'll see!