2010 Book 18: Echo Park

Book #:	203
Book Title:	Echo Park
Author:	Michael Connelly
Publisher:	Little, Brown & Company
Pub. Date:	2006
Pages:	318
Started:	March 7, 2010
Finished:	March 9, 2010
Time to Read:	3 Days
Back Cover / Inside Flap:	"In 1993, Marie Gesto disappeared after walking out of a supermarket in Hollywood. LAPD detective Harry Bosch caught the case, but the young woman never turned up, dead or alive, and it was an investigation Bosch couldn't close. Now Bosch works in the Open-Unsolved Unit, where he still keeps the Gesto file on his desk, when he gets a call from the DA. A man accused of two heinous killings is willing to come clean about several others in a deal to avoid the death penalty. One of these is the murder of Marie Gesto. Bosch is now tasked with taking the alleged killer's confession to make sure he is not scamming the authorities to avoid a date with death. In doing so, Bosch must get close to a man he has sought - and hated - for thirteen years. When Bosch learns that he and his partner missed a clue back in 1993 that could have led them to Gesto's killer - and that would have prevented all the murders that followed - his whole being as a cop begins to break."
Stars:	****
Review:	Very few authors can write about law and order like Michael Connelly and very few fictional detectives are a intriguing to follow as Harry Bosch. This is one of my favorite Bosch books, and the reasons why include that perfect pace, the perfectly twisted outcome, and the perfect characterizations of the bad guys. Throw away all of your expectations and disregard half of what you expect to see happen...because in this book, it won't come true. With more surprise twists than any other Bosch story, this one tops the charts for readability and enjoyability. Have fun with it!

If you have read or are planning to read this book, please make sure to stop back by and leave me a comment to let me know your own thoughts!

From my library to yours,

Tiffany

2008 Book 62: The Poet

Book #:	62
Book Title:	The Poet
Author:	Michael Connelly
Publisher:	Warner Books
Pub. Date:	1996
Pages:	501
Started:	July 4, 2008
Finished:	July 8, 2008
Time to Read:	5 Days
Back Cover / Inside Flap:	Death is reporter Jack McEvoy's beat: his calling, his obsession. But this time, death brings McEvoy the story he never wanted to write - and the mystery he desperately needs to solve. A serial killer of unprecedented savagery and cunning is at large. His targets: homicide cops, each haunted by a murder case he couldn't crack. The killer's calling card: a quotation from the works of Edgar Allan Poe. His latest victim is McEvoy's own brother. And his last...may be McEvoy himself."
Stars:	*****
Review:	Jack McEvoy is rocked beyond belief by the supposed suicide of this brother, a homicide cop who was obsessed with the murder of a college co-ed. After losing his sister years before, Jack suffers even more so with losing his brother - his twin. He sets out to discover why his brother would have turned to suicide, but what he finds is a far different story. Now on a mission to restore his brother's name and catch his brother's killer, he sets off on a journey that will take him around the country. Along the way, he'll need the support of many police departments as well as one of the highest policing agents in the land: the FBI. The incredibly huge spree of crimes that is uncovered will keep you hooked as a reader...and sitting on the edge of your seat as the killer is finally unmasked. I highly recommend this novel.

If you have read or are planning to read this book, please make sure to stop back by and leave me a comment to let me know your own thoughts!

From my library to yours,

Tiffany

2008 Book 37: Trunk Music

Book #:	37
Book Title:	Trunk Music
Author:	Michael Connelly
Publisher:	St. Martin's
Pub. Date:	March 1998
Pages:	427
Started:	May 2, 2008
Finished:	May 4, 2008
Time to Read:	3 Days
Back Cover / Inside Flap:	"Detective Harry Bosch is back on the job and working on the hottest murder investigation in Hollywood. The body of a movie producer has been found stuffed into the trunk of his Rolls, and to Harry the evidence seems to say it all: it's "trunk music," a Mafia production. The money trail leads from L.A. to Las Vegas, and Harry's determined to get to the bottom of things - but he's making some powerful enemies along the way. And, as if he wasn't knee-deep in trouble already, he's about to take the biggest gamble of all - on love. Mixing business with pleasure: it's the kind of parlay that could drive Harry to distraction...and into an early grave, Vegas-style."
Stars:	****
Review:	The back cover of this book alludes to the fact that the main character, Harry Bosch, is back in action. But as someone who hasn't read any other novels focusing on Harry Bosch, I can tell you that this is a great stand-alone book that you can easily dive into without having read any others in the group. In Hollywood, the unexpected is often expected. And so a small-time movie producer ending up in the trunk of his own Silver Cloud isn't exactly stopping the presses...but when the trail leads far and away from his struggling movie enterprises in LA and to the murky underworld of Las Vegas, it seems like the odds are on the house. Don't let this book fool you into falling for the predictable, however...there are two more big twists that will leave the reader hanging on the edge until the final words are read. In the end, the justice meted out could only be fitting for those whose lives revolve around the silver screen. Highly recommend - Connelly is a fabulous writer.

If you have read or are planning to read this book, please make sure to stop back by and leave me a comment to let me know your own thoughts!

From my library to yours,

Tiffany

2008 Book 34: Blood Work

Book #:	34
Book Title:	Blood Work
Author:	Michael Connelly
Publisher:	Warner Books
Pub. Date:	October 1998
Pages:	496
Started:	April 25, 2008
Finished:	April 26, 2008
Time to Read:	2 Days
Back Cover / Inside Flap:	"When Graciella Rivers steps onto his boat, ex-FBI agent Terrell McCaleb has no idea he's about to come out of retirement. He's recuperating from a heart transplant and avoiding anything stressful. But when Graciella tells him the way her sister Gloria was murdered, it leaves Terry no choice. Now the man with the new heart vows to take down a predator without a soul. For Gloria's killer shatters every rule that McCaleb ever learned in his years with the Bureau - as McCaleb gets no more second chances at life...and just one shot at the truth."
Stars:	***
Review:	Michael Connelly is another author I was introduced to when I combined my library with my husband's. I'd heard of him - he's a NY Times bestselling author, of course - but never ventured into his work. Don't let this title fool you - this isn't a grim and gory tale. Instead, it's a cunningly crafted story of what blood actually means, and the crazy path it can run. Terry is set up as a grouchy but somewhat loveable hero, and the reader is kept on the edge of her seat in hoping that all comes out right for this man who has endured so much. Just when you think the end has come - literally - there's another chapter that will just blow you away - again, literally! Good read - grab a copy today!

If you have read or are planning to read this book, please make sure to stop back by and leave me a comment to let me know your own thoughts!

From my library to yours,

Tiffany