So Kinsey Millhone is hired by a guy to deliver a $25K check to a fifteen-year-old boy. Before she can get the delivery made -- or track down the guy So Kinsey Millhone is hired by a guy to deliver a $25K check to a fifteen-year-old boy. Before she can get the delivery made -- or track down the guy who hired her, who wrote a bad check -- the guy is dead. His daughter employs her to find out why, even though no one seems to like this guy at all -- except, perhaps, Kinsey. This could easily have been called The Case of the Blondes, as everyone around her conveniently fits the description of the woman who seems to be involved in the man's death. Luckily, there's a twist at the end, and all is not as it seems, etc. etc.
This was fun, but it makes me wonder whether Grafton will be able to keep up the personal investment/trauma that seems to be the reason for every investigation that her detective undertakes. She was good about showing the effects of the B case during the C case, and the A case on the B case, but the D case existed almost outside of the last few -- and it seems to promise a lingering effect that has to show up in E....more
This book was great. It was a fast, funny read full of just enough twists that I really had no idea who the final killer was going to be -- but I shouThis book was great. It was a fast, funny read full of just enough twists that I really had no idea who the final killer was going to be -- but I should have known all along. Along the way, there were some striking lines, some fast dialogue, and not too much guns-blazing action (which is a relief). The author moves from witty little snips of flirtatious dialogue to observations of the surrounding town that cross the border into literature. There's more than a trace of Chandler and even a little Carver in the way she deals with her well-known but completely made up California town and its crazy, ritzy inhabitants.
There are two mysteries afoot: one, the investigation of a near-fatal crash that's left the son of a rich family a shell of his former self; two, the not-for-profit mystery of where her landlord's new girlfriend has come from (and what she may want). The first leads detective Kinsey into a world of wealth and disfunction. The best part of this book is that not everything is better at the end; not everything is resolved neatly. People are hurt and stay hurt. That's a strange thing to root for, but in a mystery book, I do....more
Bill Carter covers the inside-baseball aspects of the early 90s transition from Carson to Leno (and almost to Letterman) in a style that's almost suspBill Carter covers the inside-baseball aspects of the early 90s transition from Carson to Leno (and almost to Letterman) in a style that's almost suspenseful. I certainly remember the Leno-Letterman war that followed Johnny Carson's retirement, and was, at the time, a die-hard Letterman fan, but I had no idea what all took place in those shaky 2 years between Carson's retirement announcement and Leno's coronation.
The most interesting parts of the book focus on the two stars -- Letterman and Leno -- and how both project on-screen personalities that are extremely different from their actual attitudes. Letterman, here, comes off as an insecure, detail-obsessed, slightly vulnerable, and often mean guy while Leno seems almost robotic and at times even a little damaged, a guy so distant from his own emotions that he doesn't know what it means to be "upset" or "stressed."
Add to these character studies the compelling and in-depth way that Carter tackles the idea of comedy as a business, as a craft, and you have a book that's not only entertaining but informative. It's a rise-and-fall-and-rise-again story that, although I knew the ending going in, still surprised me....more
**spoiler alert** Bleh. So, again, Michael Connelly tries his hand at a varied point-of-view book where two characters from The Poet finally meet up w**spoiler alert** Bleh. So, again, Michael Connelly tries his hand at a varied point-of-view book where two characters from The Poet finally meet up with Harry Bosch. Why? Because everyone in any world that Michael Connelly creates must eventually meet up with Harry Bosch. Also: any woman Michael Connelly creates must eventually have sex with Harry Bosch (with two exceptions, who are, of course, women who have sex with each other). That's right: In Connelly-land, you're either sleeping with Harry Bosch, or you're a lesbian.
Sigh.
I need to stop reading these.
The basic plot of the case is this: The Poet, that terrible serial killer of the terrible book with the same name, is back. The FBI agent who nearly caught him but didn't is back. And Harry Bosch gets drawn in because another off-the-Bosch-reservation character, Terry McCaleb of Blood Work fame, has died and seems to have been a victim of The Poet's return. So Harry goes to Nevada where there's a body dump conveniently located near his daughter and ex-wife (allowing for some visitation to occur, yay?), and he helps the FBI solve the case even though he's now a surly private investigation with almost no pull anywhere.
Yawn.
His taste in beer isn't bad, at least. Why am I looking forward to The Reversal so much? I keep thinking, ok, but it gets better....more
It's not quite as delightful as the last novel novel, but this new production of "Richard Castle" or whoever is writing for him is still pretty darn fIt's not quite as delightful as the last novel novel, but this new production of "Richard Castle" or whoever is writing for him is still pretty darn fun. If it wasn't attached to a television show, this would be, at best, a mid-level airplane read -- the kind of thing it would be fine to pass two hours with in an enclosed space that offers limited options. The attachment to the TV show "Castle," though, makes it an extension of a world I'm already amused by, though not exactly in a fan-fiction type way. Half the fun of this book is reading between the lines to what Castle (the fictional writer) is saying about his real life (which is, of course, not at all real). The experience is still vertiginous, offering layer upon layer of fun. It's like spending each week spying on a writer's life, and then getting to see the product of it, once a year -- and yet none of that is true.
I liked it. It was a funny, flirty book, much lighter than the usual mystery genre and much more willing to play with its characters -- both into and against stereotype.
**spoiler alert** Not as good as the Bosch books of earlier years, this is still a solidly entertaining Connelly work. I skipped ahead in the series m**spoiler alert** Not as good as the Bosch books of earlier years, this is still a solidly entertaining Connelly work. I skipped ahead in the series mostly because I ran out of books on a travel weekend and had to go to a NYT best-sellers stand. It's a little troubling to see that Bosch hasn't grown particularly as a character by the time this book comes around -- and some of the stasis seems to have the hands of the writer all over it, instead of actual character truth. The plot of his life has certainly gone forward, though, and that was interesting to see.
Here, there are two gigantic, momentous occurrences that will change the landscape for Harry -- or that should. The first is the death in Hong Kong of his ex-wife (and the mother of his daughter), Eleanor Wish, in a manner that could be construed by both the reader and Bosch as having been his fault. This means his daughter, Madeleine, is going to come and live with him -- which should make the next book very different. (If it doesn't, if Maddy ends up in a boarding school or something, then shame on you, Connelly, for taking the easy way out).
The second event comes at the end, and it happens as suddenly as Eleanor's death: the death of Bosch's partner. Bosch reacts to this with spite, even telling his daughter that the guy got what was coming to him. That seems like a pretty hard position for a guy to take when long-time readers know Bosch himself has been in the same place Ferrara was -- a place where going to work seems impossible.
I'm interested to know how Bosch got from A to B in the series, but this book has actually dampened my enthusiasm for the series as a whole, because it's so focused on big events but not at all willing to include any actual impact from them into its main character's behavior....more
This was better than the first novel on many fronts. I still think Burke spends more time on describing the actual landscape than he does on explaininThis was better than the first novel on many fronts. I still think Burke spends more time on describing the actual landscape than he does on explaining how his character manages to make emotional leaps, but here it keeps the action moving. The mystery isn't always front and center; it's not always clear what's going on or what's going to happen, but that's OK. It's fine just to hang out with this character and those who surround him and take things as they come....more
Liked this; the prose style is still short, simple, and a bit snarky, and I enjoy it. I still find the action/suspense scene at the end to be perfunctLiked this; the prose style is still short, simple, and a bit snarky, and I enjoy it. I still find the action/suspense scene at the end to be perfunctory and unnecessary to the overall enjoyment of the book, but that may be just me....more
Kinsey Millhone is exactly what I've been looking for: a detective whose books are in the first person. You'd think you'd get closer to a character thKinsey Millhone is exactly what I've been looking for: a detective whose books are in the first person. You'd think you'd get closer to a character through that kind of writing, but here, that's not really true. Millhone is distant, cynical, sharp, strange, and a great woman to read about. As a detective, she's good (but not better than the reader, by design). There's the necessary thrill-ride at the end, but it isn't as expected or confusing as it is in most books. This is in part because the writer gives us an emotional connection to the killer, which makes the chase and its description much more interesting; it's also less convoluted, less full of false danger, because we know from the first page how things will end. Kinsey's going to kill someone. It's going to be hard.
The frame, thin as it was, made this book better, stronger, and more interesting than most of its peers. I can see how Grafton launched the alphabet from this entry, and I look forward to reading more....more
My first Burke book left me a little surprised -- I think I've gotten too used to the predictable shocks of the Connelly series, so the overwhelming, My first Burke book left me a little surprised -- I think I've gotten too used to the predictable shocks of the Connelly series, so the overwhelming, graphic depiction of violence and depravity again and again and again was a hard rhythm to get into. Still, I liked this book, the way the characters were created as complex, constantly living in the borderlands of bad behavior, always ready with a quip or a shotgun. It was a much more active mystery/crime book than I'm used to, but that was a nice change. I'll read more....more
**spoiler alert** This book had what's (so far) the harshest, bleakest ending that any of the Bosch books have had. I mean, it's not enough that the g**spoiler alert** This book had what's (so far) the harshest, bleakest ending that any of the Bosch books have had. I mean, it's not enough that the guy's wife leaves him? It's not enough that his former partner dies in Bosch's home? It's not enough that he gets his few illusions about fellow officers shattered? No, Michael Connelly says, it's not. He gives this answer in a book that teeters very close to the edge of confirming all of the prejudices that it wants to deny.
Basic plot: an African American lawyer who's famous for taking up citizen civil rights cases against the L.A.P.D. is found murdered, and Hollywood's misanthropic Detective Harry Bosch is charged with finding out who did it -- because the usual detectives who'd investigate were all about to face the lawyer's wrath in a court case. So Bosch and his team have to investigate, yada yada, and in the course of their investigation they find out that basically every ugly abuse the lawyer was going to charge the cops with was true. Some of this was propagated by Harry's old partner, who's put up as the department fall guy. Two apparent suicides and two murders later, Bosch figures out who the real villain is, as the city begins to riot around him.
This is where I had a little problem -- well, not even a problem. A snag. The citizens who riot -- the African-American citizens of South Central -- are treated by Bosch's worst colleagues as a mass no better than a pack of dogs. And we're supposed to understand that these are the bad guys (the cops) and their viewpoints are bad. But I'm not sure we're ever shown, convincingly, that that isn't an acceptable view -- because the author uses the device of the faceless, nameless, angry, seething, animalistic mob at the end to solve his villain problem. It's cute and even believable, but it ends up dehumanizing an entire population of a city that his character is supposed to be a part of, a good part of, an understanding part of.
I'm troubled by that, and may have to go back and review it to see if I'm missing something, if Connelly ever steps back from the edge or not....more
This book tries to deal with a character that has, in three previous books, stacked trauma upon trauma onto an already difficult and traumatic life. WThis book tries to deal with a character that has, in three previous books, stacked trauma upon trauma onto an already difficult and traumatic life. We see Bosch again formally diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and, now, after an attack upon a commanding officer, forced into "involuntary stress leave" and sent to twice-weekly counseling sessions.
Now: the situation is absolutely ripe for this kind of story. In the first book, Bosch is thrown back into memories of Vietnam through the investigation of the death of a fellow tunnel rat. To pile on: in the same book he falls in love with and ultimately has to send to prison an FBI agent; he's under investigation by Internal Affairs for his role in killing a man; and he's tangentially the reason for the death of two fellow police officers. In The Black Ice, the stakes raise again: Bosch kills a police officer AND THEN falls in love with his wife. In The Concrete Blonde, not only is he on trial for the shooting of a serial killer, but as doubts are raised in that case, he's proven somewhat wrong (a real shake to a guy's ego); he has to sit in court while his mother's life (as a prostitute) and death (murdered, unsolved) are discussed in full public view; and someone he trusts ends up being a serial killer who tries to kill Bosch and does torture and kill someone Bosch admired. Oh, and his girlfriend – the cop’s wife – breaks up with him. So when you hit book four, there absolutely NEEDS to be a break down. Bravo to Connelly for bringing one in. Off-screen, just before the action starts here, Bosch fought with his somewhat-despicable commanding officer and ended up putting the guy’s head through his glass office wall. Now suspended while he’s in counseling, what does the guy do? He decides to make things more interesting (true to character) by finally taking up the case of his mother’s murder. In most books, I think this would be handled more tritely. The guy would get the case, he’d solve it, he’d feel some relief, and he’d go back to duty. Not so here: He does, finally, get an answer, but it makes everything worse. Though he does have his job offered back to him, we leave the book not sure that he will return – and not sure that he should. That’s good. What’s not good is the actual portrayal of Harry’s counseling sessions and his coming to terms with his own stress and trauma. I just don’t buy it, when Bosch suddenly realizes he needs help. The intensity of his emotions is somehow… lacking. Which is only strange because Connelly can spend a paragraph describing how Bosch feels about rookies, or IAD folks. But he – the writer, not the character – backs away from really digging into Bosch’s soul here, preferring just to tell us that’s what’s happening. It’s easier that way, and it makes the book move, but it’s less believable. Of course there’s no one right path to counsel, or be counseled. This psychological resolution just didn’t feel particularly genuine, next to the absolutely genuine stress and acting-out that the character displays. Oh, and the mystery? It seemed somewhat obvious from the start, but it was fun to watch Bosch try to put everything together (though the Las Vegas scene seemed unnecessary)....more
The first in the Bosch series lost a little of its suspense for me because, well, I know how many stories there are to come. That being said, this novThe first in the Bosch series lost a little of its suspense for me because, well, I know how many stories there are to come. That being said, this novel did a great job of piquing my interest in exactly how far the author might go in making his character's life even more difficult. Along the way, it also painted an L.A. in which Marlowe would have been comforted by familiarity and the greatest cynics I know would have been delighted.
The book starts after Harry Bosch's biggest case and biggest fall. He's known city-wide as the man who caught (and killed) a serial killer named The Dollmaker. The bust that ended with Harry shooting the man has landed him a serious demotion, dropped from the elite Robbery-Homicide Special Homicide squad to a six-man desk in Hollywood. His partner would rather be selling real estate than dealing with a dead body found in a drainage tunnel -- but Bosch quickly realizes that not only is the man familiar, but so is the situation. They used to be tunnel rats together in Vietnam.
The war is present in this book in a way that would feel deeply contrived if it weren't for its actual use in solving the mystery. Bosch partners up with an at-first reluctant and then very willing FBI agent to investigate a bank robbery and a pair of murders. What you're left with at the end is both a triumph and an ugly feeling that the black echo is actually Connelly's picture of how justice works in Bosch's world -- one that's clearly based on our own....more
**spoiler alert** This book was my introduction to Michael Connelly's most famous character, Detective Harry Bosch. Bosch appears in the sidelines whi**spoiler alert** This book was my introduction to Michael Connelly's most famous character, Detective Harry Bosch. Bosch appears in the sidelines while Mickey Haller, the hero (?) of The Lincoln Lawyer goes back to bat after at least a year out of practice.
I like the complex beginnings of Connelly's stories, and here he does it just right. It's been a long stretch since the first Haller book, which left Haller with a bullet wound, a possible reconciliation with his ex-wife and daughter, and -- the most shocking -- possibly a growing conscience. In the intermitting time, Haller slid into (and more recently out of) an addiction to pain killers that wrecked everything that felt like a happy ending last time. That seems like classic Connelly -- even the good stuff leads right back to the bad.
So how does a one-time defense star get back into the game? By taking over the practice of an old friend who ends up dead. In the course of defending a star client against OJ-like charges of murder, Haller himself is (again) endangered, and worried, and that's where Bosch comes in. The detective stays in the shadows for most of the book, but there's a satisfying, if surprising, reunion of sorts at the end, when Haller realizes what readers of the Bosch series have known since book two: the men are half-brothers.
Oh, there's also a mystery, here, and it's interesting enough. Who killed the other lawyer? Is Haller's client guilty? If he is, why is he so unconcerned by his trial? If he's not, who really killed his wife and her lover? There are enough twists and turns, and just the right amount of action, to keep you reading. In fact, I'd say the best part of Connelly's Haller-centric novels is their lack of gun fights and chase scenes. It's generally more interesting to see the lawyer puzzling out the mystery than it is to watch his half-brother go crashing into dangerous scenes....more
I'm still not sure that Mankell has sold me on Linda Wallander following in her father's footsteps but, at least in this book, it's clear that he's alI'm still not sure that Mankell has sold me on Linda Wallander following in her father's footsteps but, at least in this book, it's clear that he's allowing for that doubt -- not even Linda is sure she should be taking up Kurt's mantle. Yet in this book, there she goes, drawn up into the investigation of a brutal murder and the disappearance of a close friend only a few weeks before she's scheduled to take up her police uniform. What pans out is an interesting book -- not focused on the center of the investigation, for most of it, but viewed from the outside, mostly from Linda's perspective, as Wallander tries to organize and lead the troops once again.
Her view of Wallander is often even less sympathetic than the rather brutal treatment he's given himself over the years. This actually works for the character, who comes off as a brat about 75 percent of the time and can explain away a large amount of that behavior as a genetic predisposition toward brattiness. There are a few lovely moments of tenderness here, but actually fewer than in the usual Wallander book (where they almost always surround his daughter). It's a very Mankell mystery, down to the characters' needs to write thing down to organize their own minds and the attention to the gastric system. ...more
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