Series: Harry Bosch
Audio CD
Publisher: Hachette Audio; Unabridged edition (May 22, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1600240003
ISBN-13: 978-1600240003
Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.8 x 5.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (710 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #478,212 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #24 in Books > Books on CD > Authors, A-Z > ( C ) > Connelly, Michael #717 in Books > Books on CD > Mystery & Thrillers #1025 in Books > Books on CD > Literature & Fiction > Unabridged
THE OVERLOOK is the latest Harry Bosch novel released by Michael Connelly. This book, previously released in serial form, is about half as long as a regular Bosch novel. I'm a fan of Connelly and I've only read 5 or 6 of his books but have to admit I'm disappointed in this book. First, considering it's length, you are getting half the novel you usually get from Connelly. Knowing that, the content of the novel has to be judged even more critically, ie. quality, not quantity. In the Bosch books I've read, they've always been short on twists and turns. They've been more like straight forward procedurals that slowly grow on you as the novel moves on. In The Overlook, the novel doesn't have a chance to build up steam, it has to capture you right away. And I don't beleive it does.Harry is awake, at home around midnight, when he recieves a call. He's a homicide detective now and there's been a murder. Harry calls his new partner Iggy to meet him there. Stanley Kent was murdered at the Overlook, a scenic spot in Hollywood that looks out over the city. Rachel Walling, an FBI agent that Bosch has a history with, also shows up at the scene. The FBI is also highly interested in Stanley Kent. Kent worked in the medical profession with cesium, a highly radioactive material used to treat cancer. Because of the cesium, the FBI believes there may be a possible terrorist angle to the case. Bosch goes to the Kent house and finds his wife, Alicia, naked and hog-tied in the bed.We learn all that in the opening, and the middle part of the book is what disappointed me. First, since this book is so short, there isn't much room for plot twists and turns. In this book there isn't any. Connelly details the investigation in extreme detail, and unfortunately, none of the details are very interesting.
This book is satisfying on every level and deeply so; besides that, I haven't had as fun a read in a very long time. It is an outstanding work by an author who makes good prose and the creation of better characters seem effortless. In essence, a guy gets shot and Detective Bosch goes after the murderer--he goes after nothing else. Set aside about three hours and take the phone off the hook. And please, don't ruin the book for anyone else by giving away the ending.Readers of Mr. Connelly are familiar with Connelly's protagonist Harry Bosch to a degree that by now we know the good detective, we know what he is about, we know what drives him and we have learned to trust his instincts. Indeed, Detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch is among the most well-developed characters in literature of any genre. His creator has placed Bosch into so many different situations that I was curious as to whether he could continue to keep the character compelling--he can and does. Convincingly so.The Overlook is driven by plot; it takes place inside a day. Detective Bosch is now at the height of his powers and is no longer given to doubts--he is about the truth, he knows how important it is and what is best about Connelly's writing, the truth is not ambiguous but absolute. It is illuminating to witness Bosch as a mentor with a new partner, a young and gifted detective who has yet to appreciate the clarity of Bosch's vision. In fact, I suspect that new readers will identify quite well with some of Detective Ferras' concerns. But the true depth of this work is in its portrayal of the fact that Bosch's grasp of essential truths is so strong that he cannot be intimidated or distracted by even the most serious of potential threats and consequences.
The Overlook: A Novel (A Harry Bosch Novel) The Overlook: A Novel (Harry Bosch) Angels Flight: A Harry Bosch Novel The Wrong Side of Goodbye: A Harry Bosch Novel, Book 19 The Wrong Side of Goodbye (A Harry Bosch Novel) The Drop (A Harry Bosch Novel) The Crossing (A Harry Bosch Novel) A Darkness More Than Night (A Harry Bosch Novel) Nine Dragons (A Harry Bosch Novel) The Burning Room (A Harry Bosch Novel) City of Bones (A Harry Bosch Novel) The Black Box (A Harry Bosch Novel) The Narrows (A Harry Bosch Novel) The Closers (A Harry Bosch Novel) Lost Light (A Harry Bosch Novel) Echo Park (A Harry Bosch Novel) The Last Coyote: Harry Bosch Series, Book 4 The Black Echo: Harry Bosch Series, Book 1 The Concrete Blonde: Harry Bosch Series, Book 3 The Black Ice: Harry Bosch Series, Book 2