Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I looked forward to this book - as I do with all of Michael Connelly's books, but after finishing it last night I cannot call this the best or even one of the best of his books. The rating is based on judging this book against only the author's body of work. If I rated it in comparison to other authors I might have rated it a star higher. So what don't I like about this book? Wellllll... At first the mention of the Blood Work movie was kind of cool. And so was bringing back the Poet... And Agent Walling. But with so many references to the movie and so many characters from prior books reappearing, it all began to annoy me, especially since it became so flagrant that it seems downright self-indulgent of the author. Plot-wise: What began fine, moved into great, started tripping itself up on its own details, not to mention the ever-changing psychological profile of the Poet that seemed to alter to fit whatever scene was being written. I don't want to print spoilers here so let me just say that the ending revelation regarding McCaleb's death could not only be seen coming a mile off but was wholly unbelievable. Also I felt disappointed in the first person voice of Harry Bosch, but that might be my own taste rather than any fault of the author. For my money, I like Harry kept just a little beyond the reader's touch: We can know him, but we can never KNOW him, if you take my meaning. The haunting quality of Harry's persona escaped me in this book. Will I be around to buy Connelly's next book? Absolutely. And I'll hope it turns out to be as good as my favorite, Angels Flight.
Rating: 
Summary: This guy is good
Review: Great article in the May 9, 2004 NYT magazine about Michael Connelly. Glad he is finally getting his due. His attention to the details about the police officers is what makes the difference. The story is not so much about the crime and it being solved, but Harry Bosch, and how his job changes him and brings out more color on who he is and what makes him tick. Congratulations to MC, he is a great story teller!
Rating:
Summary: The Poet resurfaces.
Review: In Michael Connelly's latest thriller, "The Narrows," Bob Backus once again appears on the scene to taunt his old friends at the FBI. For those who don't remember him, Backus, known as "The Poet," was an FBI agent as well as a vicious serial killer, who has left a trail of corpses behind him in both the United States and Europe.Harry Bosch, retired Los Angles cop, is also back. Graciela McCaleb, the widow of Terry McCaleb, asks Harry to look into her husband's sudden death. McCaleb, the central character in Connelly's novel, "Blood Work," was an FBI profiler whose life was saved by a heart transplant. After leaving his job, McCaleb continued to work cold cases unofficially; he was pursuing promising leads in the Poet case, among others, when his heart gave out for the last time. Although Harry no longer carries a badge, he has been working as a private investigator, and he agrees to help Graciela. Harry soon begins to suspect that Terry's interest in the Poet may have led to his death. Along with Rachel Walling, an FBI agent who had worked with Backus in the past, Harry sets out to find the Poet before he kills yet again. "The Narrows" is a terrific police procedural, every bit as dark and menacing as "Lost Light," Connelly's last Bosch novel. It has all the elements we have come to love in the Bosch series: feuding and manipulative FBI agents, tantalizing clues, sharp and witty dialogue, and a touch of romance. There are also amusing references to the Clint Eastwood movie, "Blood Work," that hint at Connelly's displeasure with the "Hollywood treatment" given to his book. I have always loved Harry Bosch. He is smart, cynical, compassionate, and tough, and if he's on a case, you know that he'll see it through until the bitter end. Connelly's complex plot had me breathlessly turning pages into the night, and the surprises kept on coming until the dramatic conclusion. If you like novels with great characters, lots of action, and twists and turns galore, you will love "The Narrows" as much as I did.
Rating:
Summary: Harry Bosch turns a corner
Review: THE NARROWS finds Harry Bosch at a crossroads. The ex-cop turned private detective is commuting between LA and Vegas to see his daughter and elusive wife Eleanor. By books end he has made a life-changing decision and seems to have found a new sense of purpose.
This novel is Michael Connelly's lolapalooza, combining characters and plot lines from several previous books. The main thrust involves Bosch stumbling into an FBI investigation of the "Poet", the killer in Connelly's book of that name. Bosch teams up with FBI agent Rachel Walling to pursue the Poet through the Nevada desert. There are twists and false endings, all delivered with Connelly's impeccable narrative logic.
More than any other crime writer I can think of, Connelly deals with way law enforcement professionals are driven to right the wrongs they encounter and speak for the victims. Also, how work defines the lives of these men and women, sometimes curtailing their personal lives. This book marks a turning point in Connelly's work, and fans can only wonder in what direction this series will now head. Essential.
Rating:
Summary: The master is back!
Review: Deception, intrigue, thrills, and mystery - what more could you ask for? This latest entry in the Harry Bosch serries is another winner. In this book we get to see a little deeper inside Harry, and he does redeam himself with the police department. Besides the great plot, this book delivers complex, belivable characters, which is what keeps drawing me back to Connely's writing! Also recommended: 'A Tourist in the Yucatan' thriller that has become an underground hit!
Rating:
Summary: Just when you thought Harry was out........they keep pulling
Review: Harry Bosch has visted my life over the last what - twelve years? - like a benevolent uncle that I'm always glad to see. He's the perfect guest, never stays too long, does what he does best, then leaves - I look forward to my Harry visits, and he never dissapoints because somehow Mr. Connolly always delivers in line with my expectations - and for a $25 hardback, that's more than I can say about most of his contemporaries. Specifically, the Narrows has some nice experimental twists which will be noticable mainly to long term Connolly readers, and I applaud the way that the author makes me feel part of the saga of his characters over the years. I feel if I saw Harry Bosch walking down the street he'd say "hello". So yes - buy this book, but the real message I guess is go and buy the 2 Harry Bosch anthologies, and get started, and take your time. This guy is the Rex Stout of our times. And Mr. Connolly, (or your agent) let's send harry to NYC next time - or best of all, a collaboration with Derek Strange!!! Now that's a first!
Rating: 
Summary: The Narrows
Review: Michael Connelly is at it again, his writing is great and the story will not only keep you reading but when you finish the book the feeling of sadness will set in. You will want more and have become part of the thriller by reading the pages. His characters are great and you have seen some of them before if you have read the Poet. The road to Las Vegas from Los Angeles is always hot, but this time its not from the heat of the sun but the heat of a serial killer, the good ex-detective Harry Bosch is ask to help stop the killer before he kills again. Harry wanted out of this type action but it's in his blood and he just can't say no. This book is a must read-Larry Hobson- Author "The Day Of The Rose"
Rating:
Summary: Connelly consistently satisfies
Review: Terry McCaleb, from an earlier novel, has died and his wife, Graciela, enlists Harry Bosch's help in finding out who tampered with Terry's medications. The poet, also from another earlier novel, is back to haunt Rachel Walling. And, as Connelly does so well, the seemingly disparate stories are cleverly woven together in this most recent worthy effort. Connelly is not only a good story teller, but a fine writer as well engaging the reader from the very first page and keeping you engaged and intrigued until the very last page. Those two attributes alone would qualify him as one of the better contemporary writers, but he is also a perceptive student of the human condition brining his penetrating analysis of human nature to bear on his characters. So many contemporary writers today end up disappointing. Connelly is an exception and that is why I eagerly await all of his books. This is one of his best and I heartily recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Connelly is at the top of his game!
Review: Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch is in my opinion the best hard boiled detective series right along side with Lawrence Block's Matt Scudder. What makes these two series so great besides the obvious great characters and plot lines is that both authors can make the reader hang on to the simplest of tasks: a minor description, a passing thought. These books are to be read slowly and every word is to be savored. That in itself is a great accomplishmnet in todays quick and disposable society. I won't get into any details about the new book suffice to say that I read it in two days. If you are new to Connelly, there is not a bad book in the whole Bosch series. I'd suggest reading them in order. As a side if you haven't read any of the Matt Scudder novels, you are in for a similar treat.
Rating:
Summary: Masterful...A MUST read!
Review: Harry Bosch has given up his career as a detective, but when he agrees to investigate the suspicious death of a good friend he is thrust back into the world he was desperate to escape. Harry gets the call from Graciela McCaleb asking him to find out the truth surrounding her husband's death...it was ruled as a natural death, but Graciela knows differently. The official story was that Terry forgot to take his heart medicine, but Graciella knows he would NEVER forget to take his pills. Harry starts questioning everyone that was in contact with Terry over the last few days of his life and they all seem to say that he was always taking his pills, so how is it the medical report found no trace of his medicine? It becomes obvious to Harry that someone tampered with Terry's medicine. While Harry investigates what happened with Terry, FBI agent Rachel Walling, famous for working on the case of the serial killer known as "The Poet", gets the phone call she has dreaded for years, he's back and he's looking for her. Before long, Harry crosses paths with Rachel and the two must work together to stop a serial killer and find out the truth behind McCaleb's death. 'The Narrows' is another crime masterpiece by Michael Connelly, blending heart-racing suspense with stunning drama the book can't be put down once started. From page one readers will be entranced by a mystery that is both shocking and compelling. Very few authors are consistent with putting out quality titles in a series, and even fewer are good at juggling various series, but Connelly has done that and more...he has taken characters from several novels and combined them into this one and the result is not short of amazing. Expect to see 'The Narrows' on the top spot of all the bestseller lists. A MUST read! Nick Gonnella
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