A review by lesserjoke
The Narrows by Michael Connelly

3.0

This is one of the more serialized Harry Bosch adventures, at least of what I've read so far. Terry McCaleb, protagonist of Blood Work and the detective's reluctant partner in A Darkness More Than Night, is dead. His widow suspects foul play, and asks Harry to look into it. That investigation soon intersects with Rachel Walling, one of the FBI agents from The Poet, whose titular serial killer foe has finally resurfaced. Bosch also has a curious exchange with a secretive woman named Jane, who seems likely to be the thief Cassie Black from Void Moon, even if he doesn't realize it. These threads all link back to the disparate corners of this franchise, increasing the sense that they share a common continuity while making this novel accordingly less inviting for newcomers. I wouldn't suggest anyone start the series here.

It's another fine caper, though, brought down only by the villain's nonsensically intricate schemes and the investigators' own periodic foolhardiness. On several occasions they rush into a scene before it's secure, compromising potential leads when there's not really any urgent reason to do so. This isn't one of those stories built around genius deductive skills, flashes of insight, or plot twists either; we instead mostly just follow the procedural evidence that eventually brings the heroes to the target who's been stalking them in return. It's exciting as a thriller, but not a sign of author Michael Connelly at his best.

[Content warning for kidnapping, gun violence, drowning, and suicide.]

Find me on Patreon | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter