The Concrete Blonde (Bookcassette(r) Edition)

Rating:
Summary: Great cop-procedural -high tension held throughout.
Review: Really was impressed with this book. Tightly plotted, a genuine "page turner." Bosch has obstacles to overcome on multiple fronts - personal, collegial, external (the press, the murderer) and manages to handle all to a satisfactory end. A totally satisfying read!

Rating:
Summary: The Best of Bosch - (that I've read so far).
Review: Just recently, I received a copy of Connelly's Trunk Music as a gift. Never one to begin a series in the middle, I picked up a copy of The Black Echo. I can see how Connelly's first novel won an Edgar. The Black Ice was better; much better in my opinion. In The Concrete Blonde, Connelly hits his stride with Bosch, revealing more details about the character's past, creating deeper relationships, and supplying more motivation for why Bosch is not your run-of-the-mill, rogue cop. The Concrete Blonde is about the lost concept of justice, and Bosch's pursuit to obtain it without sacrificing his "mission", his relationship, and his sanity. Through this disturbing journey, Bosch shows us the costs involved in acheiving true justice. Next up: The Last Coyote - I can't wait!

Rating:
Summary: Follow Harry Bosch into the deep abyss- - if you dare!!!
Review: In this book, third in the series of Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch novels, there are no holds barred. Detective Bosch is on trial - it is a wrongful death civil suit brought by the wife and family of a man killed by Bosch, known as the Dollmaker,so named because he paints the victim's faces after brutally murdering them. The first of many surprises is that during the trial Bosch receives a letter from the Dollmaker telling him of the location of a victim killed after Bosch supposedly eliminated him, a blonde entombed in a concrete mold.I particularly enjoyed the blonde whip of a DA - she is a marvelous character who is Bosch's nemesis, but also someone whom Bosch admires. Their short dialogues in front of the second concrete blonde: the statue of Justice outside the courthouse, are skillfully handled by Connelly. A tapestry of courtroom drama intertwined with Bosch's growing doubt as to whether he killed the right man and at the same time unraveling the mystery as to the newly discovered death is spellbinding. This time Connelly somehow manages to place the reader inside Bosch's head - the more easily to feel his pain, his joys, his doubts and his lonliness. Sylvia, his current love, adds a marvelous counterpoint to the mystery - she is referred to by him as his home, his warmth and his harbor in a mad and maddening world. My suggestion to all who take on Michael Connelly's novels is to start at the beginning - with his Edgar award winning first Bosch novel - The Black Echo, and read in sequence, The Black Ice, The Concrete Blonde,The Last Coyote, Trunk Music and his newest Angels Flight. Although they can stand alone; I feel it is best to read them in order as each one is the basis for the next.If you like mystery coupled with a truly human touch,than Michael Connelly is an author not to be passed up. Enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: Connelly is the master of police drama
Review: Connelly's Harry Bosch is ultimate anti-hero. A dark and deep character that evokes tremendous respect and sympathy. I grab each new novel for an immediate read.

Rating:
Summary: Harry Bosch is a force to be reckoned with!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: Another good job by former LA crime reporter Connelly who always fills his books with great detail, colorful characters, and the nicotine addicted, pistol-packing cop-on-a-major-ego-trip, Det. Harry Bosch. I really liked this book but I thought the court case was unessecary, Connelly is no Grisham or Turow, which is why I buy his books. I really enjoyed "Trunk Music", "Blood Work" and "The Poet". I would reccomend these later three over the old titles just becuase it seems Connelly has finally found his form. "Blonde" was a good book, but it did have a few problems.

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Summary: I LIKE HARRY BOSCH
Review: AFTER READING BLOODWORK, I WASN'T SURE I WANTED TO GIVE UP TERRY MCCALEB. HOWEVER, I FOUND MR. BOSCH TO BE A QUITE LIKEABLE CHARACTER. I TRULY ENJOYED THIS NOVEL, AND AM LOOKING FORWARD TO READING THE REST OF CONNELLY'S WORK.

Rating:
Summary: Good Mystery
Review: The Concrete Blonde is my third Harry Bosch's noval and the fifth of Connelly's. After reading the two non-Bosch noval - The Poet & Blookwork - which are both absolutely excellent books, I started reading Harry Bosch series and started from the latest ones (Trunk Music, and The Last Coyote). Both, IMHO, are not so good. The Concrete Blonde, however, is a much better book compare to those two. I wish I had started the series from the earliest ones which sure would have made The Last Coyote that much more interesting to read. (In some ways, The Last Coyote is not exactly a stand-alone noval, which is more like the sequel of The Concrete Blonde). However, I enjoy The Concrete Blonde very much - good plot, good characters development, and as always, good story telling. My advice is that if you haven't started the Harry Bosch's series, don't start like I did.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent read, plotting leaves something to be desired
Review: Connelly's Concrete Blond is a page turner. I found myself reading the book at stoplights. But as I surfaced and started to ask questions, about halfway through the book, I realized that nothing really new was going on. It didn't stop me from reading the book, I still enjoyed it immensely but I found myself saying, "No, it isn't so and so because I sort of know what's going to happen and there are still a hundred pages left" Similarly I found myself staggered at some little gems of characterization and detail and then scratching my head at the cliched quality of other, very significant details. Overall a worthy read but I will check his others because If he hasn't written it, he will probably produce one hell of a good one some time soon.

Rating:
Summary: Decent read
Review: Overall, I enjoyed this book. However, I began to get a little bored with the court room scenes. Thankfully, there was enough relief from that in other scenes that moved the plot forward. I like the author's style, but for some reason, this book didn't grab me. I'm hoping Blood Work is better because it's already on my list of books to read.

Rating:
Summary: Harry Bosch, Detective-at-Large in L.A.
Review: "The Concrete Blonde" was the first book I read by Michael Connelly and the Bosch character fascinated me so much that I bought Connelly's other books. There is reality in Harry Bosch and the characters that surround him, a refreshing change from most of the mysteries I have read.