Trunk Music (Harry Bosch)

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Summary: hardcover 1st edition published 1997- a pleasurable read...
Review: After a leave of absence, LAPD detective Harry Bosch comes forward via request to investigate the circle of circumstances involving the death of Anthony Aliso, whose body is found in the trunk of the victim's car, parked on Mulholland Drive. Author Connelly immediately catches the reader's attention with depth, each "clue" leads to another piece of solving this thriller - such clues as the mysterious substance found around the victim's eyes. Each time Bosch thinks he has the biggest lead to the murder of Aliso, another corner is turned, leading to more information that detours Bosch to trail the killer(s).

Is Aliso's wife involved in any way? Are the individuals who Bosch meets in Las Vegas gambling casinos involved? In the process of investigation, Bosch is taken back in time to a former acquaintance, more-than-friend Eleanor Wish. Bosch encounters "enemies" within the LAPD and FBI who "hold" information over him, attempting to deter and dismiss Bosch from the case. With supportive efforts of the investigation team including head of department Billets, and department members Kiz Rider and Edgar, Bosch continues his travails to catch a killer.

Connelly spins this mystery like a smooth operating gambling wheel -- each piece of information, each character, each action, fit into a slot making for a pleasurable, entertaining, suspenseful, intricate and clever mystery.

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Summary: I'm falling in love with Harry!
Review: This is the 5th book of the Harry Bosch series. I've read every one. Michael Connelly has developed a character who is real. Harry loves being a cop. He has his flaws but he continually tries to improve himself. I love the way Connelly ties in characters and story lines from book to book. You definately have to start from the first of the series (Black Echo). I highly recommend this series.

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Summary: Another Excellent Harry Bosch Novel
Review: TRUNK MUSIC finds Harry investigating an apparent mafia hit on a small-time movie producer. The victim has been found in the truck of his car with two bullets in his head. He was shot from behind at very close range. Of course, Connelly provides plenty of twists before you get to the end. Some will surprise you even if some don't. But between Harry's personal travails and the difficulties of unraveling the case, there is plenty to keep the pages turning. Besides a convoluted plot, Connelly also provides characters of depth and lots of rough edges.

This is Connelly's fifth Harry Bosch story and it's the fifth one I've read. I've thoroughly enjoyed each one and I recommend them to anyone who likes gritty police procedurals. It's not really my favorite genre, but these are exceptional. Harry has developed steadily throughout the series, however, and there are elements that crop up from previous books, so if you haven't read any Harry Bosch stories before, I advise going back and starting from the first. I highly recommend TRUNK MUSIC, along with each of its four predecessors.

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Summary: Another Bosch page-turner, but pc to the nth degree.
Review: Very well plotted. Twists and turns to marvel at. Detective Harry Bosch is terrific. Boy, what a tough guy. You can't believe he is saying or doing THAT! Yet it makes sense, and, of course, he's one of the good guys to cheer for. Atmospherics also good. Subtleties of character interactions, conversations, etc., are exceptional. However, I'm personally not sure I will read another in the series, which would be my third. Underneath all of the toughness and seeming realism is political correctness to the nth degree, which almost becomes humorous. Except for the heroic main character (and by implication the author) and his love interest, you can almost predict the nobility and reasonableness of the characters by what demographic group they fall into. Guess who the biggest villain turns out to be? Don't worry, I won't tell, and you will probably never guess. Michael Connelly is a very good writer --but he should forget about trying so hard to advance social progress through hard-boiled detective fiction and just concentrate on telling his wonderful Bosch stories.