Rating: Summary: two cents on the dime Review: What everyone wants from Michael Connelly is another Harry Bosch novel. Connelly, instead, has channelled his talents on Henry Pierce, not Harry Bosch. What everyone wants from Henry Pierce is to focus on getting his patents filed (containing major breakthroughs toward a molecular computer) and to prepare a presentation for a major funding source for his company. Pierce, instead, has suddently shifted course and is consumed with finding out what happened to the prostitute who had the phone number Pierce acquired with his new cell phone. Pierce's co-workers are incredulous; so are we Harry Bosch fans. Connelly taunts us with cameo appearances of other characters from the Bosch series. We root for Pierce to file the patents and stop chasing the prostitute. We root for Connelly to write more about Bosch and stop Chasing the Dime.
Rating: Summary: Frustrating Review: This was the most frustrating read. The main character, Henry Pierce, is supposed to be a brilliant scientist, head of his own high-tech company, but he makes the most unthinking decisions and takes the dumbest actions. Where was his brain? Every five minutes I wanted to through this book across the room and shout, "You idiot! Don't you see what you're doing?" Totally unbelievable actions and a motivation that even when explained is a stretch. Of course, this total stupidity is what lands him in the mess that it takes his brilliant mind to get him out of. What's really frustrating is the book is still a page-turner. Not, however, one of Connelly's best efforts.
Rating: Summary: Missed Harry Bosch, BUT...... Review: Outstanding story, complete and vivid and typical of Connelly's style. I still prefer a book about Harry, but this was as good a departure as The Poet and Bloodwork.....Keep 'em coming!
Rating: Summary: Should've been labeled WARNING: A must-not read Review: What a big piece of crap! Michael Connelly, one of the best crime writers, has all of a sudden lost his touch in CHASING THE DIME. I have to admit that there was rarely any suspense in the book from start to finish. First of all, I could not bear not one bit of the trashy nudity, especially at the scene where Robin was undressing after revealing some information to Pierce. Aching with boredom, I had asked myself, "Are my eyes suppose to pop out like the way Wild E. Coyote does whenever he notices that another anvil is about to drop on his head?" and "Jesus, Mr.Connelly, what happened to your good quality writing?" And as far as I'm concerned with Henry Pierce, he's a complete idiot. Throughout the entire investigation of Lily's disappearance, he approaches one thing idiodically after another. In fact, the way Pierce approached it was psychologically implausible. If he received so many annoying phone calls for Lily, then why couldn't he have gotten a new number? Anyway, CHASING THE DIME is so horrible that it's not worth buying at the cost of a U.S. postage stamp. For all of you MC fans out there, I insist that you do not buy this book in the hardcover edition. This reads as an execrable movie.
Rating: Summary: chasing the dumb Review: In CHASING THE DIME, Connelly has committed one of the cardinal sins of popular fiction-- creating a character who is too dumb to make the right choices. How can a reader sympathize with a character who makes one stupid decision after another? I constantly found myself thinking, "No, don't do that," or "Just leave well enough alone." Hell, even Forrest Gump was able to learn from his experiences. Another major flaw is the main character's motivation-- why jeopardize his career at a critical juncture to find a woman he doesn't even know? Basically what is lacking is adequate psychological depth that would give this novel some real weight. Other complaints: 1) There are way too many references to "chasing the dime" in the first quarter of the novel, 2) female characters and hit men are not Connelly's strong point, 3) the ending left some unanswered questions, and 4) everyone walks in at just the right moment to bring this novel to a tidy conclusion. A very unsatisfying read.
Rating: Summary: Good, but.... Review: I usually stray away from the Harry Bosch series because i probably couldnt manage to keep up with it. But i do read his others. I read Void Moon, which i thought was absolutely fantastic, though others thought it was a disapointment. I then read The Poet, which I thought was rather boring and bland. Still recovering from Void Moon and wanting more of the same i picked up Chasing the Dime. This was the most intriguing of the other two. Chasing the Dime has an awesome and intruiging plot. Connelly displayed Pierce's odd obsession very well. I was draw into it by that. I was drawn into Lily too for a little while until later in the story when Connelly decided not to expand on Lily and let me get to know her more. I began to care less and less as the story progressed. And when the back advertised that Harry would go deep into the underground of the porn industry, I was expecting lots of violence and darkness. Instead, Connelly introduces me to Lily's escort partner(who's name I cant remember). And thats about it. Not much to rave about. One thing that interested me is when the detective came into the picture and got things up and running. Near the end I couldnt figure out who the bad guy was and it was all mixed up. The grand finale was suprising but not exciting. All in all it was great writing, but a little dissapointing.
Rating: Summary: Unbelievable - in a bad way Review: Like many of the other reviewers, I've read all of Connelly's other books and enjoyed them all. As a tech/finance professional, the 'suspension of dibelief' that's critical for fiction was just not possible. The whole manner in which technology was addressed, company buliding described, wealth thought to be created, etc. - just rang way too false. I felt I was reading the glitzed up dreams of technology and wealth created by a naive 9 year old boy. Stick with Bosch and McCaleb (Michael - why not bring Terry back for another go-round?).
Rating: Summary: Pass on this one - stick with the Harry Bosch series Review: After thoroughly enjoying all of Connelly's other books, I decided to give Chasing the Dime a try. Big mistake! The main character is just so unbelievable that I found this book very disappointing. The story line just doesn't make sense because the main character is supposed to be a very smart, experienced scientist. I'm not sure who would be so stupid to get dragged into this plot, but scientist Pierce wouldn't even have considered it! And then when you see who the "bad guy" is and why he did what he did, well give me a break! Connelly has certainly tried to weave intrigue and mystery into this story but it just falls flat. So stick with the Harry Bosch series where people actually act like, well, real people...
Rating: Summary: disappointing read Review: I'm a big Connelly fan, and grabbed this book for reading on a long flight. I almost couldn't finish it...actually, for the first time, I just skimmed major parts of the book. It started off badly when the main character, the founder and chief scientist of a high tech firm, supposedly plugs the computer on the desk in his office into a phone line to check his email. Right there it was enough to put off any reasonable reader. In this case, Connelly shows his ignorance and his inability to set the scene for this novel. It goes on from there to try to convince the reader that this science guy goes off on a wild tangent just days before a scheduled meeting with their venture capital source--it just doesn't work for me. The character isn't nuts enough to do that, but in this book he does. And the whole chain of events isn't consistent with the character. It could have been an okay plot, but set with different characters in a different place and time. Michael must have gotten rushed to market with this loser. Save your money for his next Harry Bosch mystery.
Rating: Summary: Actually three and half but maybe avg review will go higher Review: This being my first Connoly novel I unlike some reviewers have no frame of reference to compare it to. I read the reviews before purchasing the book yet despite surprising numeber of harsh reviews read it and enjoyed it. The premise is original enough alone for a little fictional escapism. Henry Pierce is a molecular scientist "Chasing The Dime", when he breaks up with his girlfriend, well dumped more appropriate word, moves into new apartment with new phone number. After numerous calls to wrong number it becomes obvious the number is shared with an excort who advertised her services on web site, and has since disappeared. Pierce having lost his sister to familar fate long ago decides in attempt to redeem his lack of doing enough for her in past will try to find Lilly. I was actually impressed with Connelly's main character, whereas some found him incredible I found his traits, motivations and other characteristics very believable from the get go. Overall I have to say I thought this was not an exceptional thriller, as a fellow reviewer pointed out the ending was little Hollywood, but that may be because it has movie rights written all over it. This novel is very adaptable to big screen but I don't think it takes away from it as a read, again reinstate not reading anything else yet by Connelly can't say if it was up to par with his Harry Bosch or other non Harry Bosch novels, but I think its good novel to get one interested in him as a writer it sure did me. Last thing this novel has excellent pacing and is fast read, one slight dip where it lagged but overall it was very fast and well done.
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