Rating: Summary: Past Back to Haunt Him Review: Great to be back with Harry Bosch even though I didn't think the book was as good as some of the previous outings. Robert Backus, the serial killer who prowled through the pages of "The Poet" is back with revenge on his mind, and it's up to Harry and FBI agent Rachel Walling to trap him. Past characters resurface and the tension mounts as the story builds to what I felt what a bit of a let down climax from what is otherwise an entertaining and tightly plotted read.
Rating: Summary: Harry, Rachel, Terry, the POET and a cameo by Cassie. WOW! Review: "Murder in the murderer is no such ruinous thought as poets and romancers will have it; it does not unsettle him, or fright him from his ordinary notice of trifles: it is an act quite easy to be contemplated, but in its sequel, it turns out to be a horrible jangle and confounding of all relations." Ralph Waldo Emerson. The POET Returns! And what a JANGLE of relationships he has created in bringing together Harry Bosch, Rachel Walling and Terry McCaleb with the diabolical POET. Even Cassie Black is referenced here as Harry's motel neighbor. Not one to leave happy endings from previous novels alone, Connelly has created a vortex of murder & revenge that none of the protagonists can avoid and as each are drawn in by their own needs they know they will emerge changed, if they even survive. I look forward to see where the future takes these wonderfully realized characters. Even his throw away comments about the screen treatment of Blood Work, I found refreshing: 'When you take the money, don't complain.' Michael Connelly is at the top of his craft with this excellent novel!
Rating: Summary: Can he get any better? Review: THE CONQUEROR WORM by Edgar Allan PoeLo! 't is a gala night Within the lonesome latter years! An angel throng, bewinged, bedight In veils, and drowned in tears, Sit in a theatre, to see A play of hopes and fears, While the orchestra breathes fitfully The music of the spheres. Mimes, in the form of God on high, Mutter and mumble low, And hither and thither fly - Mere puppets they, who come and go At bidding of vast formless things That shift the scenery to and fro, Flapping from out their Condor wings Invisible wo! That motley drama - oh, be sure It shall not be forgot! With its phantom chased for evermore, By a crowd that seize it not, Through a circle that ever returneth in To the self-same spot, And much of Madness, and more of Sin, And Horror the soul of the plot. But see, amid the mimic rout A crawling shape intrude! A blood-red thing that writhes from out The scenic solitude! It writhes! - it writhes! - with mortal pangs The mimes become its food, And seraphs sob at vermin fangs In human gore imbued. This poem by Poe is one of his best. Imagine the narrows, with huge snake laying in wait for its dinner. Connelly describes the narrows in his novel. The Poet returns!
Rating: Summary: Harry Bosch Rules! Review: I REALLY liked this book! It met all of my expectations. I was introduced to Michael Connelly several months ago and have already read all of his books. Without question, Connelly has hit the jackpot with the character of Harry Bosch. The Bosch novels are a cut above the other Connelly novels. I am already anxiously awaiting the next one!
Rating: Summary: Welcome back Backus Review: In The Narrows, Michael Connelly brings back his most vicious and original killer to date, an ex-FBI agent named Backus aka The Poet. And in the process, Connelly invites his favourite character, Harry Bosch, to investigate the killer. Some old faces, like Terry McCaleb and Rachel from The Poet are also brought back to put an end to the Poet's vicious crimes. Although The Narrows is far from achieving the levels of suspense found in The Poet, the book is still a very tense and very entertaining read. And I think Connelly is getting softer with time (a quality that might do his novels a lot of good); while The Poet was drowning in gruesome murders, the deaths in The Narrows happen off the page. Actually, there are very few deaths that happen during the course of The Narrows and yet, Connelly creates great suspense and a lot of mystery for the reader. The finaly 50 pages are a breathless thrill ride that will make you bite your nails down to the flesh. I loved the fact that Connelly chose to tell the story both in the first person (for Bosch, a technique he began using with last year's Lost Light) and in the third person (for Rachel and Backus). The novel begins as Bosch is asked by the wife of the recently-deceased McCaleb to investigate his death. Little does he know that his investigation will bring him to The Poet. He eventually teams up with Rachel even though the FBI doesn't want Bosch on the investigation. His search brings him to Las Vegas where The Poet has left his latest string of victims buried in the middle of the desert. But eventually, Bosch returns to his home turf of LA to try and put an end to the Poet's reing. Filled with great suspense, compelling and interesting characters and a very orignal premise, The Narrows is everything a Michael Connelly novel should be. This isn't and doesn't feel like a tired sequel. Instead, its a completely new adventure that has enough twists and turns to keep you reading well past the wee hours of the morning. Even after all these books, Bosch is still a fresh and very distinct characters. Connelly really is this generation's great suspense writer.
Rating: Summary: The Poet comes back to haunt again! Review: Harry Bosch seems to find more time in retirement than most do on the job. In this thrilling novel, he is on the trail of the murderer of colleague Terry McCaleb. The story is intertwined with The Poet and the prime suspect is this very serial killer. The Poet (or Bob Backus as he is called) is no typical serial killer, rather a highly trained FBI agent and mentor of another leading character in the book, Rachel Walling. As the story unravels, The Poet has made McCaleb one of his many victims and soon sets sights on Walling. Walling is the one helping Bosch in his investigation. It turns out that McCaleb, the lead character from another Connelly book titled "Blood Work", was working solo in pursuit of The Poet. Promising leads lead to his ultimate death. The book is every bit as exciting and action packed with flair of the dark, intimidating atmosphere that Connelly's novels have become synonym with. In this book, Harry Bosch is as cynical and intelligent as ever. The action-paced story itself is a page-turner that will keep you glued until the very end, and then have you begging for more. Highly recommended reading.
Rating: Summary: Disappointing Review: I looked forward to this book - as I do with all of Michael Connelly's books, but after finishing it last night I cannot call this the best or even one of the best of his books. The rating is based on judging this book against only the author's body of work. If I rated it in comparison to other authors I might have rated it a star higher. So what don't I like about this book? Wellllll... At first the mention of the Blood Work movie was kind of cool. And so was bringing back the Poet... And Agent Walling. But with so many references to the movie and so many characters from prior books reappearing, it all began to annoy me, especially since it became so flagrant that it seems downright self-indulgent of the author. Plot-wise: What began fine, moved into great, started tripping itself up on its own details, not to mention the ever-changing psychological profile of the Poet that seemed to alter to fit whatever scene was being written. I don't want to print spoilers here so let me just say that the ending revelation regarding McCaleb's death could not only be seen coming a mile off but was wholly unbelievable. Also I felt disappointed in the first person voice of Harry Bosch, but that might be my own taste rather than any fault of the author. For my money, I like Harry kept just a little beyond the reader's touch: We can know him, but we can never KNOW him, if you take my meaning. The haunting quality of Harry's persona escaped me in this book. Will I be around to buy Connelly's next book? Absolutely. And I'll hope it turns out to be as good as my favorite, Angels Flight.
Rating: Summary: This guy is good Review: Great article in the May 9, 2004 NYT magazine about Michael Connelly. Glad he is finally getting his due. His attention to the details about the police officers is what makes the difference. The story is not so much about the crime and it being solved, but Harry Bosch, and how his job changes him and brings out more color on who he is and what makes him tick. Congratulations to MC, he is a great story teller!
Rating: Summary: The Poet resurfaces. Review: In Michael Connelly's latest thriller, "The Narrows," Bob Backus once again appears on the scene to taunt his old friends at the FBI. For those who don't remember him, Backus, known as "The Poet," was an FBI agent as well as a vicious serial killer, who has left a trail of corpses behind him in both the United States and Europe. Harry Bosch, retired Los Angles cop, is also back. Graciela McCaleb, the widow of Terry McCaleb, asks Harry to look into her husband's sudden death. McCaleb, the central character in Connelly's novel, "Blood Work," was an FBI profiler whose life was saved by a heart transplant. After leaving his job, McCaleb continued to work cold cases unofficially; he was pursuing promising leads in the Poet case, among others, when his heart gave out for the last time. Although Harry no longer carries a badge, he has been working as a private investigator, and he agrees to help Graciela. Harry soon begins to suspect that Terry's interest in the Poet may have led to his death. Along with Rachel Walling, an FBI agent who had worked with Backus in the past, Harry sets out to find the Poet before he kills yet again. "The Narrows" is a terrific police procedural, every bit as dark and menacing as "Lost Light," Connelly's last Bosch novel. It has all the elements we have come to love in the Bosch series: feuding and manipulative FBI agents, tantalizing clues, sharp and witty dialogue, and a touch of romance. There are also amusing references to the Clint Eastwood movie, "Blood Work," that hint at Connelly's displeasure with the "Hollywood treatment" given to his book. I have always loved Harry Bosch. He is smart, cynical, compassionate, and tough, and if he's on a case, you know that he'll see it through until the bitter end. Connelly's complex plot had me breathlessly turning pages into the night, and the surprises kept on coming until the dramatic conclusion. If you like novels with great characters, lots of action, and twists and turns galore, you will love "The Narrows" as much as I did.
Rating: Summary: Harry Bosch turns a corner Review: THE NARROWS finds Harry Bosch at a crossroads. The ex-cop turned private detective is commuting between LA and Vegas to see his daughter and elusive wife Eleanor. By books end he has made a life-changing decision and seems to have found a new sense of purpose. This novel is Michael Connelly's lolapalooza, combining characters and plot lines from several previous books. The main thrust involves Bosch stumbling into an FBI investigation of the "Poet", the killer in Connelly's book of that name. Bosch teams up with FBI agent Rachel Walling to pursue the Poet through the Nevada desert. There are twists and false endings, all delivered with Connelly's impeccable narrative logic. More than any other crime writer I can think of, Connelly deals with way law enforcement professionals are driven to right the wrongs they encounter and speak for the victims. Also, how work defines the lives of these men and women, sometimes curtailing their personal lives. This book marks a turning point in Connelly's work, and fans can only wonder in what direction this series will now head. Essential.
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