Rating: Summary: Starts, bogs down, but finishes better Review: Note: this is the opinion of a person who thinks Mitchner and Ludlum are too wordy, but Tolkien, Crichton, and Le Carre are NEVER too wordy. King is sometimes but other times riveting. This interesting start of a story developed several plots, thrashed around a while, and ended surprisingly well. Techno geek hero of near future mostly believable, but a former "hacker" who is afraid of having a fast Internet connection or even leaving a phone line connected to his modem is not. The author did research, but has never LIVED computers or technology and that shows. Our hero improves too much as he goes along, being almost helpless to start, then finds things the cops can't through ingenious tricks just when he needs to most. (Doesn't see two new keys on his own ring in his pocket until he needs to? I don't buy it.) Still, after the slow middle 50 percent, I enjoyed the ending much more than I had anticipated. Whodunit surprised me, too.
Rating: Summary: Very good, but not perfect Review: The story starts off a little slow in the first hundred pages, but it keeps you guessing the whole way. A very good book overall.
Rating: Summary: Did Connelly Really WriteThis? Review: As with most people who have read Connelly's other books, I was really looking forward to his newest. Unfortuneatly, the characters are shallow and uninteresting while the story is so absurd that it made me mad for wasting my time reading it. The ending comes out of nowhere, with no explanation how people ended up in the last scene, and why. Although by then, I couldn't have cared less! What a waste of talent.
Rating: Summary: A Diverse Work from Connelly Review: Henry Pierce is chasing the dime, trying to beat his company's competitors in a technological crunch. And the race will revolutionize the world as we know it. But Henry's personal life is taking a dramatic turn. One that could affect everything he's ever worked for. His girlfriend has thrown him out and he's moving into a new place. As he tries to settle in, his new phone number stirs up old memories and an odd sense of curiosity. Who is Lilly Quinlan and why do men keep calling the number for her? Henry begins to dig for information on the mysterious woman and finds she's a beautiful escort who seems to have disappeared with only her male customers noticing. He can't explain his need to find the whereabouts of this woman. Deep down, he feels the connection to his own sister's disappearance as the source. Every step he takes in his search for Lilly starts to turn full circle. Pretty soon he's at the center of the investigation, being blamed for the murder of a woman he's never met. His company is on the brink of being destroyed, his hard work about to go down the drain and he's facing a murder rap. But there's one way out being dangled in his face. It could save his life and strip it away everything at the same time.
Rating: Summary: Definite miss! Review: Having read most of MConnelly's books and enjoyed them, I found this terribly disappointing and could not believe it came from the same man who has written the superb Hieronymous Bosch. The idea was good if highly improbable, but sorry, Michael, you lost the plot on this one.
Rating: Summary: The world of nano-science comes to the fore in this novel Review: of Connellys. It is truly a web which entangles Henry Peirce, a brilliant scientist whose company, Amedeo, is on the verge of changing the world with its new formula. In a few days, his chance to acquire the backing he needs will hopefully become a reality. But the outside world interferes...first in his breakup with his long-time lover and employee. He leaves their home and moves into an apartment and immediately is confronted by a constantly ringing telephone. He expects that, as his colleagues need to call him day or night, especially at this critical time for his business. But most of the calls are for Lilly. Who is she? Where is she? Apparently his new number was Lilly's number and very recently. His answer to "Is Lilly there?" and "Well, do you know where she is?" is "No!" But he knows instinctively that he must find out. The reason for his search for this unknown girl becomes apparent as the story unfolds. I must say here that I like how Connely ties other of his novels into his current one, so that if you are a fan of his, you are not out in the cold..at least not all of the time. In his attempt to find Lilly, who apparently works for an "escort" company and is on the web site L.A.Darlings; he jeopardizes his life, his invention and his company Amaddeo. His life and his life's work can be lost at any time in this intriguing journey. But he cannot let go even after the many warnings he receives along the way. Following him becomes something that I could not let go of either. I found this book mesmerizing and intelligently written. Unexpected turns, yes....but the logic followed through and it was fascinating to see this web of intrigue evolve. It is amazing that no matter how logical things seem to be, that very logic can bring you to the wrong conclusions. Pierce goes through several of these and they are so well thought out and executed that I fall into the trap with him. All the more interesting to try to outwit him while he tries to ourwit the perpetrators of this maze! Strong characters (Renner was especially well portrayed) and a stong plot make this one of Connelly's finest...don't miss it!
Rating: Summary: CHASING THE BUCK Review: I have read all of Connelly's books and I hope that Chasing The Dime is not the first Michael Connelly book you read. Pick up The Poet to see how Connelly writes when he is interested in his characters. This story feels forced, the characters are shallow and take actions inconsistent with their shallowness. Overall a boring read by a writer who showed so much much talent in his early books. Maybe if he went back to chasing the dime instead of the big bucks he'd regain his tralent.
Rating: Summary: Henry Pierce is no Harry Bosch Review: This is not Michael Connelly at his best, but for a quick & reasonably entertaining read, its better than most. Repeating what others have already noted, the character development is noticably weak in this story, & that has always been Connelly's strength. However, if you're a fan of his writing, as I am, this will keep you going until the next Harry Bosch.
Rating: Summary: An Exciting Change of Pace Review: It would unfair to compare any character with the endlessly entertaining Harry Bosch, so I won't do it here. Henry Pierce, Connelly's protagonist in Chasing the Dime," is a worthy protagonist on his own merits. He is a brilliant techno-geek, whose curiosity and paranoia serve to make him his own worst enemy, but the best friend of all of us interested in reading a first class mystery novel. I could not put the book down and found its twists and turns endlessly entertaining, as well as convincing. Connelly has done first work in "Chasing the Dime." Highly recommended.
Rating: Summary: Very disappointing.............. Review: Like many others, I was very disappointed with this book--to the point of quitting halfway through. I have read and enjoyed all of Mr. Connelly's previous novels, but I just could not get through this. The main character, Pierce, is irritating, annoying in his ineptness, and just plain not someone you care about at all. The plot is far-fetched and unbelievable. I certainly hope the author's next book is better.
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