Chasing the Dime

Rating:
Summary: As thin as a dime
Review: a broken relationship sets the scene for developing an obsession for establishing the identity and whereabouts of a callgirl whose telephone the main thin character has inherited in his new abode.Not a single character is developed to the extent that any reader would care about what happens to them.This is Connolly's worst book by far and so boring it could not sustain any interest even while trapped on a plane.

Rating:
Summary: WHAT IS THE DIME BEING CHASED??
Review: The dime is the size of a futurecomputer. The Proteus is the new molecular invention of Henry P that will be able to deliver themedicine for treatment via theblodstream to a specific part of the patient's body. All that remains to be done is close the deal with Goddard for financinganf filing for the patent. Everything leads up to that.In the beginning, Henry Pierce hasleft the home he shared with hisgirlfriend, Nicole, who was alsoa former employee. His personalassistant has set up the phoneservice at his new apartment.Trouble is, all the calls comingin are for an escort girl. Henryanswers some of te calls, explainsthe error but they hang up and thecalls keep rolling in. His newnumber can't be changed untilMonday. This is where Henry getsstupid and I had a hard timeaccepting the fact that such anintelligent man could put hiscareer and life in mortal danger.But a secret from his past is thereason for the stupidity and ifyou can buy that, the rest of thebook becomes a good read withmissing/dead bodies and Henry being framed for a reason he can'tunderstand. Henry is not easilyliked by the reaer but neither arethe other characters. Finding some one to identify with is themain problem withthis book. Istarted liking the bumbling guybut this is not the MichaelConnelly writter his fans expectedto find. I raised the rating from3 stare to 4 based on the cleverending, explaining how Henry wasbetrayed by one of his trustedemployees. For true Connelly fansI would say skip this one; but for a good read it is acceptable.

Rating:
Summary: Science and sex make great suspense
Review: Not having read the "Bosch" stories, I didn't know what to expect from a Connelly book but Chasing the Dime was a fun and pleasing book to read. The story is centered around the main characters research firm working on nano-technology development. However, he gets lured into chasing a memory from the past that could ruin his future. The story ends up centered more around on-line prostitution, murder and haunting memories than science and what nano-technology holds in store for us (see Prey) but it keeps the story moving and enticing. The story ends with somewhat of a surprise, but not too surprising if you piece it all together.
While Bosch fans might be disappointed, most readers will enjoy Chasing the Dime.

Rating:
Summary: What happened?
Review: This from someone who has written some of the best mysteries I have ever read? I have never disliked a main character as much as I did this one. He should have had stupid written on his forehead! Please stay with the police mysteries that you do so well Micheal!

Rating:
Summary: A better Connelly ...
Review: Continuing in the vein of Connelly's last book "City of Bones", the protagonists world is immediate and detailed, existing as a closed-in bubble where the event horizon is just beyond arm's length. Other characters may recede into the fog, but the thoughts and actions of the main character are brought in sharp relief. And we are right there with him, every step of the way.

I believe Connelly made very deliberate choices to blur (some) secondary characters and skimp on locations in order to keep the book compact and readable. Its a balancing act that I thought Connelly was generally successful at - something you will have to judge for yourself. However, I think you will agree that the plot here is less dense than his earlier works.

I liked the book despite its problems, and felt very satisfied as I finished the audio version. I sense something that may (or may not) signal a new direction for Connelly. In any case, the descriptive quality of his writing has notched up significantly even as the film noir quality of his writing has notched down a bit. Thats okay with me, as long as he doesn't loose that LA noir flavor we have all come to enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: Michael Connelly's Latest a Pale Imitation....
Review: While the premise is clever, Connelly disappoints his many fans this time around. Thinly developed characters (Henry is laughable - Wentz and Six Eight embarrassingly stereotypical), a gaping hole in the plot (no explanation at all as to how Henry manages to persuade Renner that he's been set up) and too many red herrings left me feeling vaguely cheated and quite dissatisfied. Bring back Harry Bosch, please.

Amazing how the journal reviews differ completely from the opinions of those who actually read the book!

Rating:
Summary: Plot, plot, plot...
Review: Michael Connelly can write, but can he tell a story? To buy into this book, you have to believe that someone could devise a plot to destroy someone based on an errant phone number assignment. The book reminds me of Rising Sun in its attempt to create an maze-like plot, but Connelly can't plot the events logically. Fairly early on, our hero stands at the empty house of a women he doesn't know. He can see in the window that she hasn't been there for days. His response...Let's go inside! He proceeds to steal personal items and refrains from calling the cops. The inner character logic goes downhill from there. Avoid.

Rating:
Summary: Good solid novel
Review: Good solid novel by Connelly. When Henry Pierce move to a new apartment and starts to get calls for Lily, who from the nature of the calls is a hooker, he becomes obsessed with finding out why she isn't answering her calls. The trail leads him to the dark and vicious world of pornography where he is out of his depth. He soon finds that there is more to his adventure than he thought and that not only is his business threatened but his life as well. He begins to suspect everyone and doesn't know where to turn.

In the end though a nice twist brings a satisfying conclusion to a real page turner.

One of Connelly's better books. 3/5

Rating:
Summary: What have you done with the real Michael Connelly?
Review: I too am an avid Michael Connelly fan, and am very disappointed in his latest offerring. Normally, I fly through his books, anxiously awaiting the next exciting turn of events. This book is nowhere near his normally fast paced style. It is plodding, it is difficult to follow his poorly laid out plot schemes...in simple words, it's deadly. Mr. Connelly, your writing needs to come back from this downward spiral you've taken and bounce up to your usual wonderful style!

Rating:
Summary: Not a huge payoff
Review: This book, while well-written, had some plot problems with which I was unsatisfied by the end of the book. I didn't think the main character's secret about his sibling was as shocking as the build-up indicated, and I couldn't believe the villian's motivations against the protagonist at the end of the book. It just rang false to me--if a villain is just a plain ol' psychopath, that's one thing, but here the villain has a rationalization for [pulling] over the protagonist that just didn't gel.