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.
Rating:
Summary: Tight Connelly mystery a bit different
Review: This book is a departure for Michael Connelly, author of the Harry Bosch mysteries. Instead of creating another tough protagonist who goes after the bad guys with dogged intensity, Connelly this time crafts an egghead, and makes him the good guy. Several of the negative reviews here criticize the plot of the book, or the main character Henry Pierce. The main criticism of Pierce is that he's smart enough to design or fabricate the next generation of computer chips but stupid in the way he investigates the mystery he's presented with in this book. Obviously, the people who make this criticism have never hung out with genius or near-genius people for any length of time. Very smart people are often in their own way very stupid, and Henry is no exception, and a wonderful character as a result. Henry's been working on designing these computer chips, and he's gotten so obsessed that his lady love has kicked him out and quit working for his company. He's gotten a new apartment, complete with a new phone number, and that's when the fun begins. The second he plugs in the phone, he begins to get calls from men looking for a woman named Lilly. All the men are at hotels, and Pierce soon figures out that Lilly is a high-priced call girl. At first rendered somewhat aimless by his girl throwing him out, he begins searching for the girl, not sure what he'll do if he finds her. That's about as much of the story as I'll tell you. It has interesting plot devices, characters that are fun, and an ending that's interesting and intelligent, not to mention a bit funny. I enjoyed the book a great deal, and would recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Different
Review: This is definitely not one of the best books written by this author. It had some boring areas but was not a total waste of time to read.
Rating:
Summary: Great reading!
Review: This is the first non-Harry Bosch, Connelly book I have tackled, and I found it suprisingly good! A perfect blend of drama, thriller, science and crime make Chasing the Dime a recipe for success!
Pierce is a man obsessed with his work and partnered in a company he founded, which is dedicated to nanotechnology. As Pierce's devotion to being the first to find the correct molecular formula for his project, becomes an obsession, his relationship with his fiance crumbles, and he is forced to move out into a new apartment - with a new phone number.
The new phone number he obtains in moving belongs to someone who has disappeared under mysterious circumstances, and Pierce finds himself curious and caught up in a tangled web of sex, crime and deceit.
Chasing the Dime is not a predictable novel, though some parts of farfetched. If you love criminal thrillers with a science fiction twist then you will love this novel. It's hard to put down, therefore a super quick read. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Passing the Time; a nice little read.
Review: This new (Oct 2002) non-Harry Bosch novel by Connelly grabbed my attention from the very first pages. Henry Pierce, the wunderkind owner of a nanotechnology startup is about to hit the big time. His company is bringing a new technology to the market that will revolutionize the computer and pharmaceutical industries and make him immensely rich. He has a whale (a rich investor) ready to land, and work is going great. His personal life though has suffered because of his focus on work. He is just moving into his new apartment in the opening pages, when he starts getting phone calls on his new number from people looking to talk to the ex-owner of the number. Once intrigued, Henry gets to the bottom of what happened to the owner with the same determination that he used to find success in business.
This is a great beach novel. The story is quick moving and the action is pretty believable, although be prepared to mildly (or more) suspend belief in parts. If you've read other novels by Connelly, you will find this one a bit thinner in detail and realism, but don't worry; you'll still have fun. There are the normal Connelly twists, false clues and as always, sub-plots involving the main character's relationship with women.
The book kind of petered out at the end, resolving the plot all of a sudden after boxing Henry in tightly, leaving a couple of loose ends. (This next part won't spoil it for you but it may take away some of the suspense.) Why was such a big deal made about the Company Security officer? What happened to Lucy/Robin after Henry made such a fuss over wanting to help her? And do we care if he gets back with his ex? I've read all of Michael Connelly's other books, and this is a nice, quick read; not his best but still more entertaining then most of the stuff on TV. Try it and have fun.
Rating:
Summary: Engrossing....
Review: William Connelly, he of the anti-heroes Harry Bosch and Terry McCaleb, takes another trip into stand-alone novel territory. Like "Void Moon", his past non-series effort, "Chasing the Dime" is worth the read and you'll recognize a lot of the writing talent that make Connelly's series so popular. A little thin of plot, Chasing the Dime features another troubled hero, Henry Pierce - but this time Connelly showcases the dot com world of stress and success. Detailed descriptions of Pierce's inventions are excellent, and the concept that such a technology might exist one day is exciting. So, too, is the stress and high stakes poker in finding venture capital, which Connelly showcases in a realistic way. But these are secondary to the plot -- Henry's obsession and inability to forget someone he never knew, but who reminds him of his murdered sister. His new phone number is tied to the website of an exotic escort named Lilly. A little cursory research piques Henry's curiosity about Lilly and he begins to seek out what has happened to her. A twisted path of lies, deceit and danger follows, with Henry being drawn into a trap. Keen insight and an analytical mind keep him on the trail, without the police instincts of Connelly's other heroes. Connelly does more than just dash off a novel for a change of pace -- he's purchased websites mentioned in the book and made them companion pieces to his novel -- and he left his "Hieonymous Bosch" signature when he mentions the famous painter in passing, and also links the story to the tale of "The Dollmaker"....the villain in "Concrete Blonde". Connelly is heads and shoulders above most of today's thriller writers, and although this is not as good as his last two novels, it will keep you turning the pages long past the time you meant to keep reading. Enjoy!
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