Rating: Summary: NOT MY FAVORITE BY ANY MEANS Review: I was disappointed in the book. Maybe it's because I didn't like the main character Terry MaCaleb..I thought him a snob of sorts and disagreeable. I will continue however to await new books by Mr. Connelly, starring my (& many others) favorite H. Bosch.
Rating: Summary: Let's hope we see more this this! Review: Another great Connelly novel, this one bringing together two of his most dynamic creations, Harry Bosch and Terry McCaleb. How refreshing to see these to characters interact, and how amazing of Connelly to actually make the reader believe one of these men is not what seems. But, if you're new to the world of Bosch and McCaleb, don't start here. Be sure to read the earlier works first, you won't regret it!
Rating: Summary: Harry, we hardly knew ye! Review: I've read one other Heironymous Bosch novel, and found it very difficult to get past the preciousness of the name and the typical moody-for-no-apparent-reason,hard-boiled cop Bosch was; this book is much more complex and thoughtful about the character of Bosch than "Trunk Music," and makes me want to go back and read Bosch's first adventures to learn more about him. Terry McCaleb, the ex-FBI profiler from "Blood Work," is an important element here, because he helps the reader explore Bosch's character without forcing Bosch to lose any of his morose uncommunicativeness. Intricate and suspenseful plot coupled with the unwrapping of Bosch's character keeps you turning the pages.
Rating: Summary: The Best Of All Worlds Review: This is a celebration of Connelly's work so far. He has managed to tie in characters from all his other books. Terry McCaleb from Blood Work, Harry Bosch, the protagonist of 6 other books and Jack McEvoy from The Poet. He makes mention of the incident from which he was serving a suspension in The Last Coyote. Not only that, the assistant prosecuting attorney in the ongoing court case makes a reappearance after being introduced in Angel's Flight. Just for fun, see if you can spot the passing reference to a character in Connelly's other stand alone book, Void Moon.On top of everything else, Michael Connelly delivers yet another powerful thriller, combining McCaleb's profiling skills with the dark figure of Harry Bosch. Two stories are intertwined as Bosch is involved with a high profile court case, and McCaleb investigates a murder. I feel we're treated to the best of all worlds through the combination of all of Connelly's main protagonists. If you're a dyed-in-the-wool Michael Connelly fan, this book will bring back fond memories of his previous works. If it's the first Michael Connelly book you've read, I think you'll find your curiosity sufficiently aroused to go back and read the earlier stuff.
Rating: Summary: Great! Review: Was a great book!! It was wonderful to have two of Michael Connelly's characters interlinked in the same story. [....] Hope to see more of the Bosch-McCaleb duo again. Good, suspenseful story.
Rating: Summary: Another great Connelly thriller, but . . . Review: Michael Connelly is the BEST mystery-thriller writer working today, so it almost goes without saying that this book stands head and shoulders above most others within this overcrowded genre. In *A Darkness More Than Night*, he demonstrates once again his extraordinary skills in terms of weaving intricate plots filled with twists, turns, and early-innocuous-clues-that-become-pivotal-later-on. He also has developed not just one but two extraordinary protagonists, Harry Bosch and Terrance McCaleb, and their "face-off" in this book adds a fascinating dimension to an already fine work. Connelly also does a wonderful job of creating the *noir*, "there is evil afoot in this world" mood/philosophy that pervades his books. The discussions of Hieronymus Bosch's paintings, the symbolic meanings of owls, etc., are absolutely riveting. Given that I've bestowed such effusive praise upon this novel, why four stars instead of five? First, it's apparent that the novel will be appreciated far more by readers who have already read not just one or two but ALL of Connelly's previous works. Yes, it's common for mystery writers to write their successive books with an element of "ongoing story" to the work, including occasional references to events and cases described previously. But Connelly employs this practice so heavily in this book that it almost seems futile for any reader to pick up *A Darkness More Than Night* without having gone through at least a few previous Connelly mysteries. The second reservation I had is one that other reviewers have mentioned, i.e., that although the McCaleb vs. Bosch angle is certainly exciting for all of us who are Connelly devotees, there is a certain implausibility about some aspects of the plot line, particularly in light of McCaleb's own travails in *Blood Work*. Since one gets a clear inkling of where the story is headed, this removes some of the tension associated with how the Gunn case will ultimately be resolved. Am I being nitpickingly negative here? Perhaps. For a writer as skilled as Michael Connelly, we readers develop extremely high expectations--perhaps excessively high. Overall, this is a wonderful novel that leaves me waiting impatiently for Connelly's next work.
Rating: Summary: Gripping and Fast Paced.......Connelly is amazing!! Review: Michael Connelly never slows down in this well crafted novel that brings together two people from previous novels. The novel begins when an LAPD detective wants to unofficially bring in a medically retired FBI profiler, Terry McCaleb (introduced in the novel Bloodwork) to help solve a murder that no one can seem to get a hand on. While Terry has made a quiet life for himself on Catalina Island with two children and a wife, the pull of the investigation is very strong. As his investigation progresses he sees many signs that the person that everything points to is Harry Bosch. Is Bosch capable of cold-blooded murder, or has he somehow crossed the line into the "darkness". Bosch is an LAPD detective who comes from a dark, troubled background, with a talent for solving the "unsolvable" and is known as somewhat of a loner. Bosch is currently involved in a "celebrity" trial, where a well known movie director is accused of the murder of a young woman. The guilty verdict may hinge on Bosch's testimony and he needs to be clearly focused to succeed. When the trial and the other murder investigation begin to merge into a huge puzzle, the questions begin to fly. Could Bosch believe that justice can be meted out outside of the Justice system? Will McCaleb allow a professional "friendship" or his wife's uneasy feelings to pull him away from the facts of the case? Will he have the heart to see it out to the finale? Who will survive when the truth brings light to the darkest recesses of the night?
Rating: Summary: Easy Read Review: Very enjoyable book...the kind you can't put down until your done
Rating: Summary: Entertaining, But Disappointing Review: On Michael Connelly's tenth outing, he brings his wildly popular Harry Bosch character face to face with Terry McCaleb, the hero of his seventh book, "Blood Work". Fans deeply invested in Bosch may find themselves a tad disappointed here. He's barely in the first one hundred pages or so, and when the book does begin to focus on him, it's as the perpetrator of the crime, not the crime solver. The story is set up on two parallel courses: McCaleb is asked by a detective friend to add his insight into a case she believes could be the work of a serial killer. The evidence that turns up seems to point to Bosch as the potential suspect. Meanwhile Bosch is the key witness in a huge Hollywood court case ala O.J. that involves a famous film director on trial for murder. Connelly is a great story teller. His books are like watching an edge of your seat thriller. And that's what was missing for me here; the thrills. As a reader and someone who loves the character of Harry, I found it hard to ever believe he could be capable of what McCaleb believes he could do. I also, for the first time in one of his books knew where it was going and figured it out. I then just wanted to get to the end to see how it would play itself out. Don't get me wrong, I don't think it's a bad book. It's certainly not boring. I just think he's managed in all his other books to achieve a level of tension and psycholgical sparring that was all but a veneer in this one.
Rating: Summary: Bosch plus 1 Review: I have missed Harry Bosch and would like to have had more of him. Meeting Terry McCaleb again, after Blood Work, was good but Harry is so much better. Harry is crusty, blunt, and a good cop. Terry is a bit too calm for me. Don't get me wrong, this is a good book, but I want more of Harry!
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