Rating: 
Summary: Harry Bosch : Fighting on Two Fronts
Review: "The Concrete Blonde" is Michael Connelly's third book, was first published in 1994 and - like his previous two - features Harry Bosch as its central character. A little of Bosch's background, and many of his quirks, have been touched onin the previous two books. He's a jazz fan, with a taste for coffee, beer and cigarettes. Having served as a Tunnel Rat in Viet-Nam, he' returned home and joined the police force. Bosch currently works at the Hollywood Division's Homicide table, though he had once been a member of the LAPD's elite RHD (Robbery - Homicide Division). The last case he worked in RHD, about four years previously, had been the "Dollmaker Case". Harry and his colleagues were hunting a serial killer, whose afvoured victims were prostitutes. The case was closed when Harry shot and killed Norman Church, the leading suspect. As a result of his actions, however, Bosch was investigated by IAD (Internal Affairs Division), suspended for a month and 'demoted' to his current position.
The Dollmaker Case resurfaces in this book. Bosch and the Police Department are being sued by Church's widow, claiming that her husband was innocent and that Harry had killed the wrong man. Her lawyer is Honey Chandler, a civil rights attorney who specialises in police abuse cases. Bosch meanwhile - like the police department - have no doubt that Church was the Dollmaker, and "good" for the eleven killings. Unfortunately, for Bosch there's a fly in the ointment. Just as the trial starts, a new body is found buried beneath a concrete slab in a derelict building. The directions to it were contained in a note delivered to Harry's station - not only does it claim responsibility for the murder, but it also matches some other notes attributed to the Dollmaker. Obviously, this raises some very awkward questions - most notably, is the Dollmaker still alive ? If so, Bosch is obviously in a lot of trouble with his court case. There are other possibilities, though - the Dollmaker may have been working with another killer, or there may be a copycat. Bosch must not only deal with the court case, but assist in the investigation.
Like Connelly's previous two books - "The Black Echo" and "The Black Ice" - I found this to be a very enjoyable book : it's possibly the best of the three. I would, however, recommend reading the three in order. The previous books will cover some parts of Harry's life and career that are referred to in this book - for example, his mother's life and death, his history with Irving, how he met Sylvia Moore and the nature of their relationship. Knowing the "full story" will add to the enjoyment of this installment. The other books are very enjoyable also - reading them will be anything other than a burden !
Rating:
Summary: This Concrete Blond is Gold
Review: After being initiated into Michael Connolly's novels with The Poet (5 stars), I unfortunately started the Harry Bosch series with City of Bones and the Lost Light. Those two were great, but I realized I was missing part of the story. Since then I went back and read Black Echo and Black Ice and got a lot of background information that helps me see the whole picture of Bosch's existence. Those two were very good (4 stars if I were to rate them), but Connolly really reaches his stride in The Concrete Blonde. Bosch is a fascinating character whose triumphs I savor, but I sometimes wonder if I would especially like him real life. I know him, but feel he is holding something back and keeping me at arms length. What makes Bosch tick is a mystery in itself within the mysteries of the novels. This book finds him alternating between being a defendant in a wrongful death civil suit and hitting the trail of a newly-discovered serial killer related to the court case. I do not feel it adds anything to recite the plot in these reviews, but I can say that Connolly is a master at the twists and turns and fooled me again in this book. In the best sense of the phrase and my appreciation for his writing skill, Connolly is no doubt a "master manipulator."
Rating:
Summary: Fantabulous!
Review: Concrete Blonde drew me in right from the start and I could not put it down. I guess it is true that you can judge a book by it's cover. I have read all of Michael Connelly's books and enjoyed them all - this one was wonderful. Harry Bosch is a great character and Connelly really expands him and draws us further into his world with each book. He draws the reader in and really allows you to get to know the characters (and not just Harry but the peripheral ones as well). Concrete Blonde was well written and totally addictive - once you open it you can't put it down!
Rating:
Summary: Another Winner
Review: Detective Harry Bosch as a character is totally believable. Mr. Connelly's knowledge from being a crime reporter show beautifully in his novels. Very realistic. I wish he had better taste in women. He like them sexually desirable, but shallow and self-centered. They always end up dumping him for cold, selfish reasons. They claim to understand the seriousness of his work, and also understand his commitment; but they leave him at his neediest, because only threir (lesser important) needs take precedence. Disgusting. Hope he figures out he needs to find a real women to build a life with, not just a doll to screw. Overall, an excellent read!!
Rating:
Summary: Another Winner
Review: Detective Harry Bosch as a character is totally believable. Mr. Connelly's knowledge from being a crime reporter show beautifully in his novels. Very realistic. I wish he had better taste in women. He like them sexually desirable, but shallow and self-centered. They always end up dumping him for cold, selfish reasons. They claim to understand the seriousness of his work, and also understand his commitment; but they leave him at his neediest, because only threir (lesser important) needs take precedence. Disgusting. Hope he figures out he needs to find a real women to build a life with, not just a doll to screw. Overall, an excellent read!!
Rating: 
Summary: Sub-Plot Interferes with a Good Story
Review: Harry Bosch, William Connelly's sleuth, renegade dectective, is on trial for his "murder" of a suspect in the Doll Case murder. Bosch shot and killed the suspect as he reached for his toupe, and his widow wants retribution through litigation. Suddenly, as the trial progresses, another Doll Case-like murder is uncovered, but the Doll Case suspect is supposedly already dead. How can the murderer be dead if the cases continue to arise? The novel is heavily laced with court proceedings about the widow's revenge, Harry's love affair with the widow of the man he kills in "The Black Echo," and Harry's conviction that the Hollywood police have a copycat murderer (instead of not having caught the right guy the first time). These two subplots, and primary plot, should have made this one of the better novels, and according to the reviews, most readers liked the latticed effect. I thought it too divisionary. The subplots are necessary, but could have been severely cut to keep the main story in focus. This criticism aside, I liked the novel, but it is the least favorite of mine after reading four of Connelly's other Bosch novels.. "Black Ice" is recommended before reading the "Concrete Blonde."
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Summary: Elegiac Novel of LA and Hope
Review: I find myself addicted to Connelly and the Harry Bosch novels. This is the third I have read in a row and 4th overall (I started at the end with the Narrows). Of the early novels, this is the best. It is an elegy for LA. It rings of James Ellroy. I mean that as a very high compliment. The novel is again a super mystery, with good twists and turns. But what makes this so superior is the depth of the characters. It is rare in this genre to see such depth. Bravo and on to the Last Coyote.
Rating: 
Summary: Perfect mix of suspense and courtroom drama
Review: I have read many many thriller novels and for some reason have only recently discovered Connelly who is the Grand Master. Concrete Blonde is one of the best Bosch books and I recomend ot anyone to start with "Black Echo" and read each one in chronological order. I love so many things about this book and about the whole Bosch series!!
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous, with a series of surprising twists
Review: I've read a lot of mysteries: just about the entire "Travis McGee" series by John D. MacDonald; all of the "Fletch" novels (including the two "Son of" books) by Gregory McDonald; every Raymond Chandler piece of fiction; most of Dashiell Hammett; some Ed McBain; many Carl Hiassen books; a few Agatha Christies. Michael Connelly ranks up there with all of those distinguished writers. He has a fluid, detailed writing style that conveys the scene without bogging down in such intricacies that the reader gets lost. The dialogue is snappy and hard-boiled but will probably age well (unlike, say, some of Chandler's). "The Concrete Blonde" is the third novel starring LAPD detective Harry Bosch. (The order goes "The Black Echo," "The Black Ice," "The Concrete Blonde," "The Last Coyote," "Trunk Music," and "Angel's Flight." The new novel coming out in early 2001 involves Bosch as well, but it's not clear if Bosch is the main character or a secondary character.) I've read the first three and the last ("AF"), and, while they are all good, "The Concrete Blonde" is the best thus far. Earlier in his career, an incident that is described or alluded to in virtually every novel, Bosch gained some notoriety and fame for taking down a serial killer known as "The Dollmaker." He was so called because he would use makeup and polish to paint up his victims. The killer sent bad poems to Bosch, taunting him with descriptions of the victims. Eventually, Bosch tracked down the killer and shot him to death when the man reached toward his pillow . . . for a hairpiece, as it turned out. Bosch was cleared of wrongfulness in the shooting, though he was disciplined for not calling for backup. Fast forward four years. The dead man's widow is now suing the LAPD and Bosch for violating her husband's civil rights, and the case is going to trial. All of a sudden, a letter is dropped off for Bosch at the police department: it contains a poem, just like the ones the Dollmaker sent, and it leads the LAPD to another body . . . which is painted up just like the Dollmaker's victims. Could Bosch have killed the wrong man? "The Concrete Blonde" alternates between the court scenes and the investigation of the new murder, and the transitions are deftly handled. While the court scenes are not perfectly accurate (I am, unfortunately, a lawyer by trade), they are much better than in most novels. The mystery is tight and compelling. Having read lots of mysteries, I often am able to guess at the outcome simply because the set-up reminds me of another book I've read. In fact, that happened with "The Black Ice." Not so with "The Concrete Blonde." About 180 pages into it, I thought I had it figured out. With about 50 pages to go, I thought my instinct had been confirmed. Oops. I was wrong, and about as shocked as Bosch! In addition to weaving a great mystery, Connelly paints a reasonably deep picture of his main character, Bosch, a Vietnam veteran (he cleared out enemy tunnels) who is simultaneously cultured but also emotionally damaged. To sum it up, let me put it this way: I started with "Angel's Flight," and when I was finished, I ordered all of the Harry Bosch novels immediately.
Rating:
Summary: Great L. A. sleuthing
Review: Michael Connelly keeps your attention from the first page. Harry Bosch, wry LAPD homicide detective, puts together the pieces of an interesting puzzle. Who killed the blonde buried in concrete???? Bosch uses all his informants to build a case. You will enjoy the polictical intrigue with Parker center, home of the LAPD brass.
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