Rating: 
Summary: Bosch's Mission Gets Personal !
Review: "The Last Coyote" is Michael Connelly's fourth book, was first published in 1995 and features Harry Bosch as its central character. Something of Bosch's background has been covered in the previous three books. Bosch's mother was a prostitute who was murdered when he was twelve - he spent his teenage years in and out of youth halls. He enlisted in the army and served in Viet-Nam, before returning home and joining the police force. Once a member of the LAPD's elite Robbery-Homicide Division, Bosch currently works at the Hollywood Division's Homicide table. He's still a jazz-loving loner, seen by some as a maverick, with a taste for coffee, beer and cigarettes. There have been some changes in his life since the end of "The Concrete Blonde", though - his relationship with Sylvia Moore has finished and his house has been damaged in a recent earthquake. Despite the fact that it's been declared unfit for habitation, he's still unofficially living there.
As "The Last Coyote" opens, Bosch is in trouble with the department again. After his boss, the bureaucratic Harvey "98" Pounds, interfered with the questioning of a suspect, Bosch lost his temper and pushed Pounds head-first through an office window. As a result, he's been placed on involuntary stress leave and has to attend regular sessions with Dr Carmen Hinojos, a psychiatrist at Behaviorial Sciences Division. These sessions contribute to Bosch deciding to investigate the one case that really matters to him : his mother's murder. Although he's working on the case unofficially and has lost his badge - albeit temporarily - he still manages to pull the original case file. Opened in October 1961, it was investigated at the time by two detectives called Eno and McKittrick. Leaving aside the apparent lack of effort to solve the case, a few things seem odd to Harry. The mentions an interview with Johnny Fox - his mother's pimp, and therefore an obvious suspect. However, the file doesn't contain an interview summary. A passing reference to Arno Conklin also catches his eye. At the time, Conklin would have been one of the city's top prosecutors and subsequently became the city's DA. Although exactly what role he had is unclear, his involvement in the case seems curious. The only other person apparently interviewed was Meredith Roman - a 'colleague' and old friend of his mother's, who'd also worked for Johnny Fox. The starting point, Harry feels, is to track these people down - though cut off from the LAPD's resources, he has to be a little more creative than usual in how he achieves this. He starts by using a new contact at the LA Times, Keisha Russell, to gather some stories on Conklin and Fox. Based on what he's read, Harry adds Conklin's campaign manager, Gordon Mittel, to his list of suspects. For other police-related information, Harry isn't above 'borrowing' Harvey Pound's identity to acquire it. However, just because a case is over thirty years old doesn't mean the investigation will be safe - least of all when important people are involved.
As with Connelly's previous books, I found this to be a very enjoyable book - and it deals with the very case I had wondered about. It's probably better, though not strictly necessary, to read the books in order. The 'newcomer' won't feel left out, as this book covers enough of Bosch's past to tell the story without any gaps. However, reading the previous books and getting to know the 'full story' will add to the enjoyment of this instalment. The other books ("The Black Echo", "The Black Ice" and "The Concrete Blonde") are very enjoyable also - reading them will be anything other than a burden !
Rating:
Summary: Somehow it all works--I really don't know how he does it...
Review: Another wonderful book by Connelly. This one goes straight for Harry's heart. Everything in his life broken (yes, even more broken than usual) and he goes straight into what he calls in Concrete Blonde the "dark heart." Harry finally begins to solve the murder of his mother (again, I could not help but think of James Ellroy's real life struggles) and his own guilt. Some of the twists here are indeed shocking--Pounds for example, but again Irving surpises and we meet some new stars--Russell, Jazz, and even a decent IAD cop. When the story threatens to go off the tracks, connelly brings it back and adds a final surprise just at the end. This guy is SO good.
Rating: 
Summary: This time . . . it's personal
Review: As in Greek tragedy, this story starts in the middle of the action. Harry Bosch, an LAPD homicide detective, has been relieved of duty and must attend psychological evaluation sessions. Through these sessions, we learn about how he got to this point, and we see the hint of what is to come. Harry must deal with why he became a detective and what he hopes to accomplish before finding closure for his mother's death.Michael Connelly, the author, has many balls in the air for Bosch to deal with. Always in the back of the reader's mind, and Bosch's mind, are the many different things going on in his life. Watching how Bosch deals with each one shows the author's skill in linking all the pieces together. Parts of the plot may seem like deux et machina, but in review, Connelly had everything in mind all along. There is a love interest for Bosch, but the character seems more like an afterthought. Due to his brief association with her, more trouble brews for him at the police force. It does seem a bit too contrived. I was also expecting to get more from the psychologist, but that would have been too cliched. I would recommend to fans of crime stories.
Rating:
Summary: ONE OF THE BEST IN THE SERIES SO FAR
Review: I just discovered Michael Connelly and am excited about the books I have left in this seris to read. I've read in a week, Blood Work, The Black Echo, The Concrete Blonde and finished The Last Coyote. I decided to post my review and my feelings for his work up to this point. Connelly is a refreshing writer and an author I waited too long to read. What I enjoy about the series so far is his protagonist, Harry Bosh, a flawed, lonely cop who has a standard for his job that he sticks by: everybody counts or nobody counts. Another strength of the series is the focus on solving the case, the politics within the police department and the level of violence in his novels are not as bad as some of the writers I've come across. In THE LAST COYOTE, Connelly starts off with slowly, with the decision by Harry to investigate a case that is personal to him. As he slowly goes over the case and starts asking questions, he stirs up a hornet's nest of trouble. I love Harry Bosch. He only wants to do what is right. This book started off slow and picked up speed after the first three or four chapters. The ending was a complete surprise. Bosch was warned that the case would do more harm that good and it does cost Bosch emotionally. If I had to describe this installment in the series, it would be haunting. If you haven't tried Connelly yet, this is not where you want to start. I usually don't read books in order but with the Harry Bosch series, I highly recommend that you do read them in order. My grade, A. Thank You Mr. Connelly. You are an excellent author. So far, THE LAST COYOTE is the best of the series thus far.
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Summary: Connelly continues to excel
Review: I loved this book. The Bosch series just gets better and better. I have come to really like Harry. He is so real. He is a great cop but he makes mistakes. The interesting thing is, he realizes it and always tries to improve on it while he continues to fight the demons that haunt him from his past and present.
My advice is, if you are going to read the Bosch series, start from the beginning (Black Echo). Each book pulls from the previous ones regarding characters and story lines. That's what makes these books so good. This series ties everything in and gives closure at the end. It makes you want to read the next one...right away.
Rating:
Summary: A Pearl Among Diamonds
Review: I recommend reading Michael Connelly in the order the books were written. I love most of them, and The Last Coyote is one of my favorites. Although Harry Bosch has wrestled with his past before, it's in this book that Bosch confronts it. This is an awesome read. And the scene in Florida when Bosch meets McKittrick may be one of the best I've ever read in all of crime fiction. It's that good. The setup, the dialogue, everything. I highly recommend this novel.
Rating:
Summary: Good read
Review: I was really into this book because it gives the readers a chance to look into Harry Bosch's past a little further. With him investigating his mothers murder, I was cheering him along the whole way. And in classic Connelly style, there are many twists, turns and surprises.
Rating:
Summary: The best of the bosch
Review: Its difficult to compare Michael Connelly's books because I don't know how anyone can read one and then not immediately want to read everything that he has ever written like I have. But if you are new to the series I would say start with this one or Angels Flight. The Last Coyote is a great mystery story with great characters. Harry Bosch has been suspended from the LAPD pending a psychiatric evaluation for throwing his supervisor through a plate glass window. He uses his time off to solve the mystery that has haunted him his whole life, the murder of his own mother in 1961 Los Angeles. He digs up the police report and soon discovers that it was not quite as thorough as it should have been. It is a great book.
Rating:
Summary: The best of the bosch
Review: Its difficult to compare Michael Connelly's books because I don't know how anyone can read one and then not immediately want to read everything that he has ever written like I have. But if you are new to the series I would say start with this one or Angels Flight. The Last Coyote is a great mystery story with great characters. Harry Bosch has been suspended from the LAPD pending a psychiatric evaluation for throwing his supervisor through a plate glass window. He uses his time off to solve the mystery that has haunted him his whole life, the murder of his own mother in 1961 Los Angeles. He digs up the police report and soon discovers that it was not quite as thorough as it should have been. It is a great book.
Rating:
Summary: Good To The Last Drop!
Review: Michael Connelly does not disappoint his faithful with this one. It was a great chance to learn a little bit more about a character that is close to my heart. During a leave from duty Bosch delves deep into his past to make sense of his mother's murder (and hopefully find the killer). While the action is quick and the writing is strong what really makes this Connelly book stand out is that we really learn what makes Bosch tick. The title is also great - it has a double meaning, it signifies how Harry sees himself as well as the earthquake ravaged LA neighborhood in which Bosch resides - he has a coyote that visits his hillside home from time to time. A very enjoyable read.
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