Rating: 
Summary: Readers will be pleased, despite some unbelievable events
Review: There's a joke that's been going around for a while now, involving a golfing foursome, each member of which is subtly attempting to outdo the other with displays of their acquisitions of advanced communication technology. One shows off a cellphone implanted into his hand; another demonstrates a cellphone surgically inserted into his mouth and inner ear. As each is in turn demonstrating these marvels, a third member falls to the green, screaming and writhing in pain. He, you see, has a fax coming in.While the fax example is a bit over the top, we're not that far away from the cellphone implants. And other things as well. How about computers the size of a postage stamp, or smaller? Microchips are about as small as we are able to build them. But what...what if we didn't have to build them? What if we could grow them? And grow them really, really small? Henry Pierce in Michael Connelly's CHASING THE DIME is involved in the pursuit of such a dream. And he's about to realize it with Proteus, which is his entry into the race to build the first molecular computer. His drive to attain his goal has cost him a relationship but he is (almost) too caught up in his quest to care. Pierce has an investor with more money than God lined up for a presentation in a few days, and he has reason to believe the guy is hooked. If Pierce can land him, Proteus will become a reality. His attention, however, becomes diverted when he starts receiving calls for a woman named Lilly. Lilly, it seems, is an escort, and an extremely popular one. Pierce's new number is posted on her website, and he suddenly finds himself the beneficiary of unwanted popularity. Most people would call the telephone company, get another number, and forget about it. But there is something about Lilly that pushes some of Pierce's buttons --- the ones that are hardwired to a tragic event in his past. Rather than simply changing his number, Pierce tries to find Lilly, who rapidly becomes a possible key to his redemption for an act of omission from which he has never been able to recover. Pierce, however, is way out of his element here. Respected in his field, his reputation and knowledge mean nothing in a world of vice where inquiries are not welcome and solutions to problems are simple and brutal. Pierce soon finds himself caught between the police and a shadowy underworld that does not welcome his intrusion. He comes to realize that he is being set up for...something. But why? And by whom? CHASING THE DIME is obviously not a Bosch novel, although Connelly very deftly hooks it into Bosch's past and, more importantly, into the Los Angeles mythos which he has been methodically constructing for over a decade now. While Pierce's diversion from his work --- his goal --- is not entirely convincing, it's not much of a stretch either. Connelly is so skilled a craftsman that any suspension of disbelief the reader might require --- and some is required to accept that Pierce would get sidetracked before his investor meeting --- will readily kick in. While Connelly's Bosch fans may be initially disappointed that this is not a Harry Bosch novel, they will ultimately be pleased with what they find within. --- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
Rating:
Summary: Will keep you turning the pages, and isn't that the point?
Review: Michael Connelly has put Harry Bosch into retirement (at least for the time being) and has taken a different direction in his latest suspense-filled whodunit. There is a crusty police detective who plays a major role in the story and there are cryptic references to previous story elements from the Bosch novels, but the principal character this time is a scientist-entrepreneur who is the founder of a high-tech startup company trying to develop "molecular computer" technology. His own troubled personal and family history provides the psychological basis for a fascinating, nightmarish, but at times inplausible journey through the darker side of the Internet pornography industry, one that involves murder, betrayal, greed, terror, etc. Despite certain features of the plot that demand of the reader a certain "willing suspension of disbelief," the book succeeds in drawing in the reader and keeping those pages turning. Once I started *Chasing the Dime* I almost couldn't bear to put it down. Connelly is an adept and skillful writer who displays keen attention to detail in weaving his plot and who is able to keep his readers guessing as to what will happen next right up until the highly cinematic climactic scene. The Hollywood-esque conclusion leads me to believe that Connelly wrote this book with the eventual film rights in mind. Hey, who can blame him? Overall, it's true that Connelly's most recent books are not quite on a par with his best earlier work (e.g., *The Poet*, *The Concrete Blonde*, etc.), but he is such a terrific writer that anything he publishes continues to be well worth reading.
Rating: 
Summary: 3 1/2 stars
Review: See book description above. The best thing about this book was the ending. Everything else was average. The main character, Henry Pierce, was not likeable. Maybe it was because he seemed very naive. His quest to find a missing prostitute made no sense. Why would anybody do what he did (risk his company and his life) to find someone whose phone number he was accidentally issued (or so it seems). Even his past history with his sister didn't seem reason enough. When you can't sympathize with the main character it's hard to really enjoy the story.
Rating: 
Summary: A HIGH OCTANE READING
Review: Leave it to the inventive mind of best-selling author Michael Connelly to come up with a compelling can't-put-down high tech read woven around computing and on-line sex. Then, leave it to film and television actor Alfred Molina togive this title a suspenseful reading. Following an acrimonious breakup with his girlfriend Henry Pierce has a new start, a new apartment, and a new telephone message waiting - but, it's not for him. The caller is looking for a prostitute by the name of Lilly, whose telephone number is listed on a sex for hire web site. Henry is a technological whiz, a go-getter whose company is about to make a major breakthrough and he's working or "chasing the dime" to raise the needed funds. He surmises that Lilly probably had his telephone number in the past, and he also guesses that she is now in deep trouble. Because of a past personal loss Henry feels compelled to search for and try to help the mysterious Lilly. However, some doors should never be opened because he soon finds himself in a vicious world that he could not have imagined in his worst nightmare. Listeners will never suspect the stunning climax of this high octane tale, but they certainly will enjoy guessing all the way. - Gail Cooke
Rating:
Summary: Thrill Ride of the Year
Review: Michael Connelly has without a doubt become the prime writer of suspense. He is the master of white-knuckle and nail-biting ficiton. Here, with Chasing The Dime, Connelly tries something completely new and different. He presents us with a new type of character that is not a ex-cop or a detective or an investigator. As a matter of fact, this guy has nothing to do with the law. What we have here is a regular guy who soons finds himself trapped in a nightmare of his own doing, a nightmare where time itself will become his worst enemy. Pierce is a biochemist who is on track of making one of the greatest discoveries of all time. After a hard breakup, he moves into a new appartment. The moment his new telephone number is connected, Pierce starts receiving messages for a woman called Lily. Lily isn't your average woman. She seems to be working for an escort service. And she also seems to have disappeared without a trace. Because of something from his past that is still haunting him, Pierce starts investigating the missing woman. And soon enough, he becomes part of something greater than him, the average guy faced with the worst possible evil. In no time, it seems that everyone is after him. Friends, co-workers, strangers and even the police are trying to get Pierce. Pierce isn't safe anywhere since everyone is a suspect. Connelly wrote a great suspense novel with an average Joe at its center. And the suspense levels displayed here are amazing. It's like a great roller-coster ride. Every time you think the suspense will let up, the plot enters a new loop and gains momentum, never letting up until the very last page. Connelly already was a great writer of supsense. But with Chasing the Dime, he proves that he can write something slightly different, slightly off-center. He proves that he does not need a cop or a detective to create a great noir thriller. And Connelly also proves once and for all that he is THE master of great endings. You can never guess who the guitly party is until Connelly actually divulges the answers, and Chasing the Dime is no exception to the rule. Michael Connelly fans will be greatly pleased with this effort. And people who have never read anything by the author will discover what the best supspense novelist of our time is really capable of.
Rating: 
Summary: A Disappointment
Review: This is the first book I've read of Michael Connelly's and I can only take the word of other reviewers that his other books are far better. I hope so because I intend to read them, but quite frankly, this book was boring for the first 3/4ths and the last part although it had a few moments did not compensate for the rest. A weak story line. I didn't care about or believe the main character. And ditto others who have said the ending was rushed, phoned in, and too neatly wrapped.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Voyage
Review: Michael Connelly's standalones are always exceptional. CHASING THE DIME is in the same class as THE POET, a must read. The subject is right out of today's headlines, headlines in SCIENCE or NATURE, that is. Connelly's protagonist is in the midst of the nanotechnology revolution and, as usual, the money on the table leads to blood on the floor. And on the bed. And in a storage locker. This is very close to perfect, with a few key exceptions. The plot turns on two expectations: that an inventor/scientist named Henry can be a crime fiction hero and that he will have a sense of curiosity so hypertrophied that it will lead him to take unconscionable risks at just those points in his life when he has everything--both romantic and financial--to lose. Both of these expectations are a stretch. The plotting, however, is superb, the subject fascinating, the pacing state-of-the-art. Suspend your disbelief and come along for the ride.
Rating:
Summary: Engrossing....
Review: William Connelly, he of the anti-heroes Harry Bosch and Terry McCaleb, takes another trip into stand-alone novel territory. Like "Void Moon", his past non-series effort, "Chasing the Dime" is worth the read and you'll recognize a lot of the writing talent that make Connelly's series so popular. A little thin of plot, Chasing the Dime features another troubled hero, Henry Pierce - but this time Connelly showcases the dot com world of stress and success. Detailed descriptions of Pierce's inventions are excellent, and the concept that such a technology might exist one day is exciting. So, too, is the stress and high stakes poker in finding venture capital, which Connelly showcases in a realistic way. But these are secondary to the plot -- Henry's obsession and inability to forget someone he never knew, but who reminds him of his murdered sister. His new phone number is tied to the website of an exotic escort named Lilly. A little cursory research piques Henry's curiosity about Lilly and he begins to seek out what has happened to her. A twisted path of lies, deceit and danger follows, with Henry being drawn into a trap. Keen insight and an analytical mind keep him on the trail, without the police instincts of Connelly's other heroes. Connelly does more than just dash off a novel for a change of pace -- he's purchased websites mentioned in the book and made them companion pieces to his novel -- and he left his "Hieonymous Bosch" signature when he mentions the famous painter in passing, and also links the story to the tale of "The Dollmaker"....the villain in "Concrete Blonde". Connelly is heads and shoulders above most of today's thriller writers, and although this is not as good as his last two novels, it will keep you turning the pages long past the time you meant to keep reading. Enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: Bring Back Bosch
Review: Wussy science nerd looks for missing prostitute in his guilt trip over slain sister. Connelly strikes out badly in this "who cares" plot involving molecular computing and the sex-for-hire internet underworld. Ending is predictable and leaves this Connelly fan waiting for Heronymous' return.
Rating:
Summary: An Atypical Effort - I Expected Better
Review: I enjoy this author, especially his Harry Bosch novels. However, this one is clearly a stand alone central character. Henry Pierce, is a genius who is developing a molecular delivery system of some sort which, if succesful will make him a jillionaire and his company make MicroSoft look like a Model T Ford. So, with all of marbles on the line as he gets near to filing his patent and convincing a "whale" (a person with millions to invest) to pony up 30 million or so to enable them to complete their research, Henry gets distracted. We are asked to believe that after breaking up with his girlfriend and moving to a new apartment that the discovery that his new phone number used to be that of a very georgeous escort service model gets him into some sort of x-rated frenzy as he starts to receive her calls. The discovery comes near the end of the week. By Monday he can have the number changed and he won't be getting her calls anymore. But instead of going to the lab to do some much needed work on the invention, he spends the time trying to get in contact with the model whom he has become convinced may be in some danger. To give this some credence, the author creates a piece of past history where Henry's sister suffered a similar fate from such a profession, but this seems to be a thin connection for what Henry goes through. We get a pretty good introduction to the world of the escort service as Henry goes further and further into the maze which we eventually find out was created by others to acquire the invention. It is a deadly maze with a bloody conclusion, but somehow all the suspense and such didn't do a lot for me as I kept saying to myself, "no one this bright would ever be doing this at this time." If you can get past that, as some other reviewers have, then you will probably enjoy the mystery and suspense. For me, I hope the next novel from this author will be about Harry Bosch.
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