Rating: 
Summary: A poorly written page turner
Review: "Chasing the Dime"... By page 86, I believe I counted at least eight references to the title. I guess the author wanted a reason to call this book "Chasing the Dime".
"Chasing the Dime", admittedly, is fast paced and holds the reader. But it's a lightweight piece of junk, and after reading it you'll feel the way you do when you cram down a half bucket of KFC. I have never read any of the author's other books, and after this one I won't be looking for more.
Rating:
Summary: And your point was . . . ?
Review: A friend lent me this book, and I just don't know why. I didn't buy the premise, found the characters unsympathetic, and was waiting for someone to grab the protagonist by the shoulders and tell him to get a grip. This is my first encounter with Michael Connelly. It would have been my last, but after reading some other comments, I think I'll try a book that features Harry Bosch. I'd also encourage other first-time Connelly readers maybe to do the same and avoid this one.
Rating: 
Summary: Lackluster effort by one of the greats
Review: I am a huge Michael Connelly fan, and was incredibly disappointed with this book. Connelly takes the easy way out, creating tension by having his protagonist act idiotically throughout. The plot follows a lackluster formula used over and over again by Mary Higgins Clark and others of her ilk. The solution comes completely out of the blue, and elicits a big "so what." There is very little of the sense of character and place that usually makes reading Connelly such a joy. And, after the polished style of City of Bones, I was disappointed to see that this new offering is as poorly edited as some as his earlier books. (For example, Connelly cannot resist the urge to explain every reaction by his protagonist in excrutiating detail.)All in all, an amateurish effort by one of the most professional mystery writers out there. I wish I would have re-read City of Bones, one of the best mysteries of the last few years, instead of wasting my time of this one. P.S. The description of the technology is fascinating.
Rating: 
Summary: A Connelly Fan: This was a good one!!
Review: I have read ALL of Connelly's works except for 2. Connelly is exceptional! There is no doubt in my mind. This was a book that kept you wanting more. Isn't that the point? "A couldn't put it downable" as one critic said. This book flowed nicely and the ending had excellent resolve. I noticed the reference to a Pelecanos book "Hell to Pay" ( I just read it) I loved the reference to "Horton Hears a Who" I thought that was an ingenious idea to use the verbiage of a childrens book as a theme for Pierces' scientific ambition. There are references to Harry Bosch: The Dollmaker and the artist Hieronymous Bosch.(Harry's namesake)
For those of you ready for an exciting and quick read, I highly recommend this. If you like Connelly, you will like this. If you have never read Connelly, I bet you will be hooked after this one.
Rating: 
Summary: Spend Your Time Reading Chasing the Dime
Review: I really like Connelly's stand alone novels and this like Blood Work, Void Moon and others is a sensational thriller. Scientist and computer entrepreneur Henry Pierce is about to revolutionise the world with a new invention, but sadly his long term relationship has fallen apart and he has just moved to a new apartment complete with new telephone number. He quickly learns the previous owner of the number Lilly, was quite a popular girl, that she is a prostitute and that she is probably in quite a bit of trouble. Pierce's sister was killed by a serial killer on the streets so he wants to track Lilly down and help her before it is too late. He is not opposed to breaking and entering, computer crime, fraud or anything else to find Lilly. Of course the type of lifestyle Lilly leads means she has associates who do not look kindly at their world being investigated. The police also do not seem to understand why a man like Pierce would be interested in a girl like Lilly who he has never met.
This is one of those sensational novels that you just do not want to put down until you have read the final page.
Rating:
Summary: Great plot!
Review: Michel Connelly writes an thriller with an interesting plot twist and unlikely characters.
Henry Pierce works in a lab which is involved in a technological race to develop the first molecular computer. [There is real research on-going in this field interestingly.] If his company is the first to create such devices, he will become wealthy beyond his wildest dreams.
All of the hours in the lab have taken a toll on his relationship, and he and his girlfriend and fellow co-worker have split up. Henry gives her his home and moves into a condo where he is assigned a new telephone nubmer.
As soon as he plugs in his telephone, he begins to get calls for "Lilly" and from the nature of the calls, it becomes obvious that not only is Lilly involved in the sex trade, but that she has vanished.
Henry is intrigued and begins a quest to find Lilly which leads him through a series of more and more dangerous encounters which keep the reader on the edge of his or her seat.
A great read, with nice plot twists!
Rating:
Summary: Unconvincing
Review: Somehow a novelist has to convince the reader that the events described in the tale could or did happen. This is extremely important in a mystery/suspense/spy/action book. The writer utterly failed to do that here. Yuppie genius, Henry Pierce, on the brink of wealth and worldwide fame (dare we hope, a Nobel Prize?), receives some calls for a prostitute named Lilly on his new phone and rather than get his number changed, he races off to find Lilly and "save" her. Bah, humbug. His reason is that his own sister was a runaway, years ago, and was murdered because he failed to help her. This is supposed to be the psychological motive, I suspect. If one can accept that premise, the rest of the book is all right, I suppose, even if it is populated with several of the characters from "Pulp Fiction." Paranoia, I might add, is too facile in creating suspense. It has been used and abused in too many other works of fiction. Ludlum was/is probably the master of the art. That's why I quit reading Ludlum a few years ago. I couldn't tell one book from another. Pierce comes to suspect and distrust everyone, his business partner, his ex-live-in, his secretary, etc. It got a little tiresome, and when he finally got to the real villain, I no longer cared very much. I'll try another Connelly book, but I have misgivings after this one.
Rating:
Summary: Unconvincing
Review: Somehow a novelist has to convince the reader that the events described in the tale could or did happen. This is extremely important in a mystery/suspense/spy/action book. The writer utterly failed to do that here. Yuppie genius, Henry Pierce, on the brink of wealth and worldwide fame (dare we hope, a Nobel Prize?), receives some calls for a prostitute named Lilly on his new phone and rather than get his number changed, he races off to find Lilly and "save" her. Bah, humbug. His reason is that his own sister was a runaway, years ago, and was murdered because he failed to help her. This is supposed to be the psychological motive, I suspect. If one can accept that premise, the rest of the book is all right, I suppose, even if it is populated with several of the characters from "Pulp Fiction." Paranoia, I might add, is too facile in creating suspense. It has been used and abused in too many other works of fiction. Ludlum was/is probably the master of the art. That's why I quit reading Ludlum a few years ago. I couldn't tell one book from another. Pierce comes to suspect and distrust everyone, his business partner, his ex-live-in, his secretary, etc. It got a little tiresome, and when he finally got to the real villain, I no longer cared very much. I'll try another Connelly book, but I have misgivings after this one.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting in parts, but not the author's best
Review: Summary:
A wealthy scientist-turned-entrepreneur moves into a new apartment and becomes interested in the identity of the previous owner of his new phone number, who turns out to be an online call girl. He slowly gets sucked into a web of intrigue as it turns out that she's missing, and finally finds himself framed for her murder by corporate enemies.
The Good and the Bad:
A big part of Connelly's appeal involve the police procedurals and the character of Harry Bosch, two key elements that are missing from this novel. It flows fairly well, but the setup turns out to have been predicated on an unlikely ability to predict the main character's actions, and I wasn't buying. The pacing was good, and it was kind of neat to see a rich character apply his resources to the type of problem that Bosch usually faces, but still a weak effort for Connelly.
Rating:
Summary: Just to have fun
Review: The story of the book is completely out of reality, if you have a new phone number and all the calls are for a broad, the only thing you will do is to change that number as soon as you can, it doesn't matter if you had a sibling with the same problem, but if you want to help her and you find the mob I'm sure you will go away. Nonetheless you will have a good time reading it if you don't expect much of the story, maybe you can take this book to the beach and read it there.
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