Three and a half stars.I like the Harry Bosch books. I don't read them all the time. It's been my experience that if I read novels featuring the same character back to back I become bored. It's like watching a long running series on television. It gets comfortable, but predictable. About once a year I'll read one or two of the Bosch novels. As I wrote in my review of The Black Echo I was around when the series began in 92 and I like it. So last Saturday a local library was having it's annual book sale and I picked up hardback copies of The Overlook and Echo Park . I started with The Overlook first even though I realize it comes after Echo Park . Sorry. Anyway when I picked it up at the sale I was surprised to see how thin it was in comparison to past Bosch novels. Then, when I got into it, I was really surprised to find that Harry had wandered into a season of 24 . Evidently Jack Bauer had called in sick so Harry was filling in for him. Wow. Guess what. I liked the story. It was different seeing Harry in a "edge of your seat" thriller. It moved along and kept my interest. Yes once I learned that the story had been originally a serial I could see the obvious "cliffhanger moments". So what? Is it such a bad thing to have a long lived and beloved character in something a little different now and again? I actually enjoyed seeing Harry pull it off in his own unique style and it was refreshing. You know sometimes even in the real world cops find themselves in tense, fast moving situations. So why not a fictional character?It seems that some of the more negative reviews about the book have just a hint of snobbery and purism about them. I believe that Michael Connelly took a chance (albeit a small one admittedly)by shaking things up. At least when it comes to the storyline. Harry isn't really all that different. Maybe a little more brusque than usual, but he's dealing with a very tense situation. I think we get a glimpse of the younger Bosch. The Harry Bosch who served in South Vietnam and went down into the tunnels. In The Overlook he has to figure out what happened before things blow up in L.A. It's a near combat situation and he has to ramp it up a bit.Harry Bosch has been around for a long time. In The Overlook he got his action movie (in print) and I think it worked. No Harry should not become the next Last Action Hero, but it was fun seeing him wear those shoes, if only just this once. Relax and enjoy. Don't be so up-tight that all the fun in reading a novel is sucked right out of sight. I recommend this novel.It's a fast exciting read. Enjoy.
I'm a big fan of Michael Connelly's novels and do believe I've read all the Harry Bosch thrillers. The phone rings at midnight. Harry is awake. He's waiting. I like way Connelly puts us on the case immediately. Not a lot of messing around. The writing is bare bones, spare, with no unnecessary scenery or dialog. As a reader I get the feeling that Connelly knows the ins and outs of the LAPD. He's got the Police Procedural down. He's the best at that, but what I really love is the writer's characterization.When a murder comes in with any sort of political, celebrity or media attachment, a case that is particularly time consuming and threatens to stay active like a hobby, the precinct will take it initially, but it will be soon shuttled over to Homicide Special. This is Harry's first call out since his transfer from Cold Cases to his new outfit, Homicide Special. This one is anything but routine, and contains a threat to National Security and so has attracted the FBI, and who should be the agent but his old flame, Rachel Walling (Echo Park) who tries to take over his case. Is Bosch going to let that happen? What do you think?"The Overlook" while more compact than other Connelly novels, still has that Harry Bosch, nothing-but-the-truth attitude, that don't-bother-me-with-that-supervision crap, that we love from our guy. Harry Bosch is a relentless bulldog, and even though we are screaming at the page, "No, Harry, play by the rules this time!" Harry will always be Harry. Meet his new partner/mentee Ignacio Ferras who tries in vain to keep the 30-year veteran of the department from recklessly taking them both down. By now, with a dozen Harry Bosch novels under my belt, I realize that my boy is going to pull it off. Somehow."The Overlook" has all the direction/misdirection, the red herrings, all the elements needed to keep us guessing. This one is particular good on that count, so when Harry's at the scene and gets that instinctual feeling that he's missing something, you better believe that what he has missed, he will eventually be figured out, and it'll come back later and clear itself up.A great read. Highly recommended.
What do You think about The Overlook (2007)?
Michael Connelly- The Overlook (Vision Books 2008) 3.75 StarsDr. Stanley Kent has just been discovered on the overlook with two bullets in the back of his head. Now Harry Bosch must try to find the killer, but he isn’t the only one interested in this case. Agent Walling of the FBI has been handed the case as it has taken a terrorist angle. Bumping heads as Bosch fights to keep his case; they must try to solve this case before things escalate out of their control.The introduction to this book was a little slower than I am used to from Connelly, but it was still interesting enough for me to keep reading. It had a good plot that kept moving at a fast clip, changing direction many times. The characters were well done and their tensions added to the intensity. I did find myself wondering how Bosch suddenly jumped to the conclusion he did. The ending was very good and intense; it was a great way to end a novel. The bonus chapter at the end tied things up nicely, although the original ending would have been just fine as well. Overall I thought that the book pretty good.For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.comTony PetersKids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnappinghttp://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/
—Tony
If it's a Harry Bosch novel I want to read it. Actually, I've probably already read it.3.5 Stars?For a new writer I'd give this a 4-star, or if I really liked the new writer, maybe even a 5. The writing and plotting is very clean. But for Connelly? I'm sorry, IMHO he was slacking-off in this one. I only read OVERLOOK once, and I'm not going back for a re-read. (view spoiler)[And I hate when FBI agents are the Bad Guys; killers breaking the LAW. (hide spoiler)]
—Harv Griffin
I couldn't understand why this book lacked the depth of previous Harry Bosch novels until I learned it had been serialized in a magazine and then published as a book. The book read like someone held a gun to Connelly's head and demanded triple-time story development and resolution.I don't know why Connelly even gave Bosch a LAPD partner but I guess LAPD protocol required it. Iggy, the partner in this book, was a new one and essentially ignored - Bosch generally had him running errands, offscreen as it were. When he was in the action with Bosch, Iggy generally disapproved of Harry's methods. I wonder if he will be around next book?My complaints are with the rushed feeling of the story - not Connelly's writing, which was excellent as usual: even at triple-time pacing!
—Linda J
