Blood Work

Rating:
Summary: Excellent....I could not put the book down
Review: I have enjoyed all seven of the Connelly stories. As with the Poet, one of Connelly's earlier books, Blood Work takes a break from the Harry Bosch character. This didn't make a difference. The story started off about a FBI Agent who had a heart transplant. I had no idea how many twists and turns awaited my reading enjoyemt. I got thru the book in just two days. I look forward to Connelly's next book which should bring back Harry Bosch.

Rating:
Summary: Above average, but Terry McCaleb ain't no Harry Bosch.
Review: What a thrill to find that Michael Connelly is only a fine mystery writer and not the paragon that his earlier writings led us to believe him to be. Blood Work is better than most mysteries, but at last, Connelly has written a book that you can put down. Retired FBI man Terry McCaleb is not the keen mind that we found in The Poet's reporter and he certainly is no Harry Bosch. Blood Work is good, and if you're used to reading Cornwell, Patterson, Dunning, or Burke; you'll find the twists and turns fascinating and the story moving and readable. If you're used to Harry Bosch, plan to be disappointed because you'll see the plot long before it gets there. It's better than the average mystery, and addresses a societal issue that shows Connelly's learning and search for knowledge. This is definitely Connelly's weakest writing. Bring back Harry Bosch!

Rating:
Summary: "Blood Work": A Marvelous "Can't Put It Down" Read
Review: Michael Connelly's newest is a terrific read, with an intricate plot, compelling and complicatec characters, and a driving narrative that makes it difficult to put down. He is particularly good at creating a sense of moral claustrophobia, as the story's protagonist, Terry McCaleb, finds himself driven to find the truth, even if it is a horrifying truth that will shock the reader. In his Harry Bosch novels and his other works, Connelly is creating an indelible portrait not only of Los Angeles, but also of men and women struggling to assert their humanity in a world of often horrible reality.

Rating:
Summary: Another execellent read from a master crime writer.
Review: Michael Connelly has done it again,and by that I mean another tight read, with excellent plot twists that keep the reader on the edge of his seat. Terry McCaleb is a former FBI agent who was forced to leave the agency because of a rare heart ailment and a subsequent heart transplant. It is the heart that is beating in his chest that is the trigger for this explosive tail. On this trail Terry battles his heart,a killer,the FBI,the Los Angelos Police Deptartment,and his own soul. A must read!!!

Rating:
Summary: At the top of his game!
Review: I have read all of Michael Connelly's books from The Black Echo to Blood Work, and I haven't been dissappointed with any of them. It was disheartening for me to read a review of this book that rated it as sub-par because this novel is, in my opinion, the best work of fiction yet by this author. It is fast-paced, exciting from beginning to end, and is definately far from being predictable. (Everything I like in a novel). I reccomend this book to anyone who want's to read an excellent mystery/thriller with a fresh plot and a fresh set of interesting characters. Warning----If you pick up this book, plan on staying up all night to read it, because once you pick it up you'll never want to put it down.

Rating:
Summary: great author does it again!
Review: I am a major fan of this author and again, I am not disappointed. I knew going in this was not a Harry Bosch novel, but I still expected a great read and I got it. Halfway through the story, I thought I had if figured out, but he threw me a curve and as usual with this author, I had a great read that I couldn't wait to get back to whenever real life intruded. Look forward to his next book!!!!

Rating:
Summary: Harry has a helper-and a good one!
Review: I read the paperback of "Trunk Music" a week or so ago and liked it enough to buy the hardcover of "Blood Work" expecting Harry Bosch to be back. But lo-there was a new guy, Terril McCaleb. As another heart surgery person, I identified with McCaleb more than most might, especially about the emotional debris from heart surgery. I liked this book a lot, enough so I wasn't upset I bought the hardcover. I like Harry Bosch, but I would also like to hear more about McCaleb. Overall a suspensful and enjoyable book that I would highly recommend. Even in hardcover. Cheers.

Rating:
Summary: Connelly's best work in my opinion
Review: Blood Work starts off with an unusual premise and then continues to pull the reader in many unexpected directions throughout the reading. Connelly has a couple of flaws as a writer that shows up without fail in each of his books. That is the villains are pretty much the same from one book to the next and as a reader you get used to looking for what becomes obvious hints. Also he always turns the hero, in this case Terry McCaleb, into a victim. So you could say that every Connelly book is very formulaic. Which is too bad, mainly because Connelly's prose is by my standards up there with the best writers working this genre today, Maybe topped or equaled only by Lawrence Block and Tony Hillerman.
What's great about this book and why I like it even more than the Bosch series is that it is toned down several notches. Not until the very end does it become super sensational and over the top. Not until the end does the formula completely take over in an attempt to neatly tie things up.
I just want to say that it is a privilege to have so many great pulp fiction authors out in the world bringing entertainment to us masses. And I want to thank Connelly for being one of the better of these.


Rating:
Summary: By Far one of his best
Review: Michael Connelly has become one of my all time favorite authors. I had just finished reading the Poet and was a little disappointed. Then I picked this up from the library. I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of this one. Terry, a former FBI agent in LA, is retired and slowly getting his life together after a heart transplant. HE is visited by a stranger who asks him to help find the killer of her sister. Little does he know, he is connected to this sister in an unusual way. Against his doctor's advice, he starts investigating the murder which leads him on a journey of hard to find clues and speculation. The story line is unique and flows nicely. This is one of the best I have read all year. If you haven't tried a Connelly, you can't lose with this one!!

Rating:
Summary: Far better than the film...
Review: I know it is silly to compare movies to books, esp. when they are this good, but what the heck. I saw the movie before I even knew who Michael Connelly was. I backed into my love affair with Connelly's books...I read Chasing the Dime last year and the Poet soon after. Then I found Void Moon, which I liked, and the Narrows which I loved. And then I went backwards to Harry Bosch. So, after the Narrows where Terry dies (nothing given away there folks), I started fresh with Harry and Terry. The book is a solid love story, exceptional police procedural, and has a tightness the movie lacks. I mean, Buddy as the killer? Even Buddy maligns that choice in the Narrows. The conclusion to the novel is far better!