Rating:  Summary: Once again, Connelly does not disappoint Review: This is my fourth Connelly book, and it's another winner. He writes mystery novels different than the rest of them, because there are no easy answers, and no cop is a superman. Detective Heironymus Bosch has been in many of Connelly's previous books, and this time he's investigating the murder of a high-profile black lawyer named Howard Elias, who was in the middle of a lawsuit against the LAPD. Needless to say, there are many people who would want Elias dead, several of them cops.But for Michael Connelly, there are no easy answers. Red herrings abound in this story, and Bosch is further distracted by his relationship with his estranged wife. Add to that a murder case steeped in pedophilia, powers-that-be in the LAPD who want the case solved as quickly as possible, high-price internet callgirls, dirty cops...and you've got a complicated case that could spark inner-city riots if it's not solved to everyone's satisfaction. If you like this book, I recommend the other Connelly books I've read..."Blood Work," "A Darkness More Than Night" and "Trunk Music." Connelly's work is gritty, realistic, and sometimes very funny. A fantastic writer.
Rating:  Summary: Cochrane like attorney is killed, Harry's on the case.... Review: When a black attorney who has built a high profile practice sueing the LAPD on civil rights violations is found killed on the downtown funicular know as "Angel's Flight", Bosch, Edgar and Ridder are called in. In a city haunted by both the Rodney King riots and the OJ trial, the investigation proceeds on pins and needles. As Harry digs, he comes to suspect that the truth may lie in the case Elias was working on - the civil case stemming from the murder of an eleven year white girl from a powerful family. It all gets nicely complicated. Harry's also trying to quit smoking (finally!) and his marriage to Eleanor is on the rocks. On the whole, I enjoyed this Bosch. It was nice to have a book that didn't spend huge amounts of time in Las Vegas. This book has plenty of juicy twists and turns without treading in the realm of obscurity. It's still not as good as some of the early Bosch stories but well worth the time it took to read.
Rating:  Summary: Excellent Detective Story Review: This is my introduction to both Michael Connelly and his detective character, Harry Bosch. Fortunately, the book is written so the reader can enjoy it without prior knowledge of the hero or his world. It opens with Bosch being awakened to investigate a double homocide, one of which is a local celebrity lawyer who makes a living suing the police. The investigation ranges all over, including a dominatrix, a child pornography web site, and a local automobile dealer tycoon. Some of the strong points Connelly brings to this story are his seeming knowledge of police procedures and the realistic, modern feel. His mentions of the LA riots lend images to the fears in the story that this murder, possibly racially motivated, may give rise to further violence. Burt Reynolds read this version of the audiobook. He has the ideal voice for Harry Bosch, and a good sound for detective mysteries in general, but not much vocal range. All the characters in the book sounded like Burt Reynolds. What was good for Bosch didn't quite work out for some other characters, especially the women. I kept picturing female characters in in dresses with bushy mustaches.
Rating:  Summary: Angel's Flight - Reader's Delight Review: Set in Los Angeles, this thriller opens with the gunning down of a high-profile black attorney, Howard Elias, and a young Hispanic lady on the Angel's flight funicular railway. Elias is a lawyer who specialises in suits against the police and all the law enforcement agencies, representing members of the coloured community. At the time of his murder he is prosecuting the Police Department for allegedly torturing a black man whilst being questioned over the disappearance and murder of a young white girl from a well to do LA family. Conflict of interest prevents the local police from leading the investigation into Elias's murder and so our main character, Detective Harry "Heironymous" Bosch, is introduced and put in charge of the case. He is given a disparate group of police to assist him, including his immediate assistant, a man who has previously investigated Bosch for unprofessional conduct. Apart from the 9mm bullets, which were recovered from the corpses at the crime scene, there is very little hard evidence and very few clues. There are no obvious suspects although the myriad of policemen and policewomen on Elias's casebooks find themselves on Bosch's list. This is clearly going to be a difficult murder to solve with such limited evidence. Add the inevitable politics of the FBI, LAPD, Police Internal Affairs Division, civil authorities, local government and outright interference with Bosch's investigation from all the above and the case becomes harder still. Then there's the racial card, the deceit and cunning of the media in getting their front-page stories and TV news lead stories. It is a pressure cooker situation and the city faces meltdown with the threat of civil disobedience on the streets if a white cop isn't charged with murder immediately. It's all about prejudice, hatred, pre-conceived ideas and memories of Rodney King. The book moves at a great pace with the excitement and tension building. This is one of Connelly's best books and is hard to put down. The plot is extremely clever with twists and turns at 'quiet' points in the story just when you, the reader, think things are getting straightened out. All crime thriller fans will enjoy this.
Rating:  Summary: Unforgettable Review: Connelly is getting better and better and this is far the best novel of the 'Harry Bosch series', it features a complex and intriguing whodunit story full of mysteries and with many ingredients like the LAPD, the rich, the poor, race, sex, politics, power and the internet, it also offers shrewd twists far better placed than in the other books of the series. The plot is flawless and without loose ends, full of tension from beginning to end, suitable for attentive readers who wish to think and keep guessing all the time. Join Harry Bosch and pick this one, you will not be dissapointed
Rating:  Summary: Unforgettable Review: Connelly is getting better and better and this is far the best novel of the "Harry Bosch series", it features a complex and intriguing whodunit story full of mysteries and with many ingredients like the LAPD, the rich, the poor, race, sex, politics, power and the internet, it also offers shrewd twists far better placed than in the other books of the series. The plot is flawless and without loose ends, full of tension from beginning to end, suitable for attentive readers who wish to think and keep guessing all the time. Join Harry Bosch and pick this one, you will not be dissapointed
Rating:  Summary: One of Connelly's Best Review: Although "Angel's Flight," featuring Harry Bosch, is not Michael Connelly's most recent novel, I have just now finished it, finally completing all of the Bosch novels. I believe it is the best of them all. If I had one criticism, it's that Connelly seems to revel in making Bosch's life miserable; he finally gets married only to see it almost immediately fall apart. It appears that the author is determined to ensure that Bosch remains one of the most consistently depressed and unhappy characters in contemporary fiction. However, this doesn't take away from what is a crackerjack yarn, with a good mystery, interesting and well-written characters, and an excellent pace. I can honestly say that I went through this one faster than any previous Bosch novel and was sorry to see it end. Connelly is a very good writer who knows how to create atmosphere and still tell a good story. Although the Bosch we met in Connelly's "Black Echo," who was haunted by the ghosts of Viet Nam and his days in the tunnels, seems to have disappeared, he is still a fascinating character and a superb protagonist.
Rating:  Summary: Fantastic Review: Connally's books are the best. I am hooked on them. I have recommended them to many friends who are crazy about them.
Rating:  Summary: Gripping and true to detail. Review: I read this book on the flight to the U.S. which initiated my move to this country several years ago. Having spent a couple of months in L.A. in 1991 just prior to the first Rodney King trial (which was to spark the upheaval this book, in part, draws on), at a time when tension was already palpable in the air, "Angels Flight" immediately brought back my memories of that time. Now that I am living and working in Los Angeles again, I can appreciate even better Michael Connelly's excellent insight into the politics of this city and the situation of the LAPD, where, with the "C.R.A.S.H." scandal, the ghost of the old beast has recently reared its head again. Connelly's rendition is true to detail in every respect - even his description of the ongoing struggle to define the role of the "inspector general," whose position was created as a response to the Rodney King trials and tribulations; who as yet, however, has not been as effective as the creators of that office had in mind. "Angel's Flight" was Connelly's first book I read, and it immediately drew me into the Harry Bosch series. I have since become an ardent fan and am always eagerly awaiting the next installment. Michael Connelly is one of the few authors who have never once disappointed me!
Rating:  Summary: a pleasant surprise Review: After reading a few crummy mystery/thrillers, this book was a pleasant surprise. I hadn't read Connelly before, and I bought this book on a whim. A little slow at first, the story gradually picked up its pace and then kept me glued until the end. There are no real gimmicks or pretensions with Connelly's writing...just good, believable characters and solid storytelling.
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