Rating: Summary: Not up to his usual par Review: Michael Connelly is one of my favorite authors, but this book wasn't up to his usual standards. The characters were two dimensional and the story just didn't grab me. This book is just not realistic and although it's a quick read, it is not a good read... I await the next Harry Bosch...
Rating: Summary: Underwhelming! Review: I have enjoyed all of Michael Connelly's books up to now. What was he thinking! Although it certainly is the author's prerogative to change characters and genre on us, it is very disappointing to get a read like this from Mr. Connelly. The character of Henry Pierce is totally unbelivable and entirely unsympathetic. How could someone so brilliant be so dumb each step of the way other than the last 20 pages. One can't expect one's imagination to run that rampant. I'll certainly give Mr. Connelly another chance - but his margin of error is greatly reduced.
Rating: Summary: Avoiding the Dime Review: The novel is shallow and just a bit too farfetched. It isn't a bad read but don't expect anything at a higher level than the average romance novel. Not that this is a romance novel, it isn't. Throughout the entire book it is simply very difficult to suspend one's disbelief. The premise is okay and might have worked if the execution wasn't so lazy. This is one of the few books in recent memory that I am sorry I purchased and it has definitely turned me off to Connelly. On the flip side, if you can get your best friend to loan you a copy and you are really bored on a dreary Sunday afternoon, go for it. Otherwise, skip it and find yourself something by Jonathan Kellerman (or his wife).
Rating: Summary: Chasing a Movie Contract Review: Disappointing Connelly work - not worthy of his earlier novels. This book reads from page one like a screenplay: action, action, action - very little character development. Mr. Connelly must have been very excited by Clint Eastwook playing one of his characters from Bloodwork so now it seems his work will really just be step one before we see it on screen. By doing this, the book lacks depth and style and the story is silly anyway.
Rating: Summary: Hot! Review: Henry Pierce is trying to get his life back into some semblance of order after a breakup with his girlfriend. At the same time, he's trying to keep his technology business viable and lead it into a lucrative future.As soon as he gets the phone hooked up in his new apartment, however, his life suddenly gets more complicated. Henry keeps getting phone calls meant for a woman named Lilly who, it seems, had the number before him. And "seems" is a salient term here, because nothing is what it seems. Henry's investigation into the identity of the mysterious Lilly reveals that she is a call girl available through a Web site escort service. For his efforts, he is rewarded by becoming the chief suspect in a murder investigation. With no understanding of what he has walked into, Henry's immediate goal is to avoid arrest while at the same time trying to track down the elusive Lilly, penetrate the shadowy underworld she inhabits, and escape becoming a murder victim himself. Connelly's plotting is complicated and intelligent, with a level of suspense that is spine-tingling. This novel is so hot it nearly combusts in your hands.
Rating: Summary: This Ain't Bosch Review: Connelly is coasting here. He takes 200 pages to set the premise and then races through the conclusion like an author up against a deadline. I enjoyed Michael Connelley's past work, but this one is only valuable as a used, paperback purchase ... 3 bucks tops.
Rating: Summary: How Stupid can you be? Review: If this book was by another author I either wouldn't of finished it or I would of been more forgiving of the [weak] plot. Henry Pierce is a genius who is about to turn the computer world upside down with his new invention of computer chips. Since he is posed to be the next Bill Gates you would think he would be a smart man. Wrong! After being dumped he moves into his new apartment and learns his phone number used to belong to a call girl for an Internet escort service. Instead of getting his number changed, he decides to track her down and save her. He needs to save her so he can stop feeling guilty about losing his sister to the streets. This is a noble gesture but after thugs attack him, he is framed for a murder and his co workers start to turn on him you begin to wonder how stupid henry is. The only saving grace in this book was the last 1/4 of the book. Here Connelly returns to his high energy fast paced writing we have come to love in his Series on Harry Borsch. I have read his other Stand Alones which had plausible plots and strong characters this book is just weak. The other thing that bothered me is he postponed this release after September 11 out of respect. I can't see any connection between the plot of this book and that terrible day. If he wouldn't of been on autopilot for most of this book I might of enjoyed it more.
Rating: Summary: A page-turner Review: I've been hearing good things about Michael Connelly for ages now, but somehow had never gotten around to reading one of his books! I decided to remedy that, and his latest book, CHASING THE DIME, looked like a good old-fashioned page-turner. Once you get past the set-up, it succeeds as a fun, fast-paced read. Henry Pierce is the founder & owner of a nanotechnology firm that is racing to patent a revolutionary new application before its many rivals, and to find an investor who is willing to sink millions into the company. Pierce is a genius, but his project is jeopardized by his growing fascination with a missing prostitute -- he was assigned her old phone number when he moved, and becomes intrigued when callers keep asking for "Lilly." The story is a classic noir in that an innocent man finds himself sinking deeper and deeper into an underworld of crime, murder and mayhem. The resolution is a bit far-fetched, and if you're not interested in the technology, prepare to do a lot of skimming. But on the whole, this is a slick, enjoyable thriller, and I definitely plan on reading more Connelly in the future.
Rating: Summary: Not his best Review: Compared to his other books, this is not as good. cCompared to other authors, it is good. After many excellent books, hope this is not a sign that he has run "out of steam"
Rating: Summary: DUH! Review: Reviews, phooey! And phooey on this book! I adore the Harry Bosch books and probably should have known better than to pick up a free-standing book (after all, I thought Blood Work was one of the dumbest books I ever read). But I let myself be swayed by what I had read about this book and found it a horrible waste of time- both mine to read it and Connelly's to write it. The main character, Henry Pierce, is not at all believable and his actions are so DUMB that one has to wonder, "What was he thinking?" with every action he takes. The owner of a start-up high tech firm, he becomes obsessed with finding a call girl who formerly had the telephone number he is assigned at his new apartment. He risks his life, his friends and his business to pursue this obsession. In my opinion, the only thing dumber than the story is the amazingly lame ending. And, on a personal note, when I read about the "sent of lavender" and one of the characters asks, "What's going in?", I know the author could not care less about the final editing of his book.
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