Fri 3 Mar 2017
Reviewed by Barry Gardner: MICHAEL CONNELLY – The Black Ice.
Posted by Steve under Reviews[5] Comments
MICHAEL CONNELLY – The Black Ice. Hieronymous (Harry) Bosch #2. Little Brown & Co, hardcover, 1993. St. Martin’s Press, paperback, 1994. Reprinted many times since.
The first novel about LAPD Detective and ex-Nam tunnel rat, Harry Bosch, The Black Echo, got a rousing reception, and is up for a First Novel Edgar. I won’t be surprised if it wins, and among the final nominees it probably should.
Harry has been booted out of homicide and sent to the pits, i.e., Hollywood, because of his last case. As the book opens he is on call Christmas night, and overhears a scrap of conversation on his scanner that something’s going down he should have been called on.
Turns out that the something is the apparent suicide of an officer who has been under a cloud of suspicioun, and the Department intends to cover it up quickly and thoroughly. Well, of course this pisses Harry off to no end, and when a couple of other cases seem to be connected, he begins to loft garbage lids and make himself even more unpopular than usual.
As I said about the first Bosch, this really isn’t a cop novel. It’s a lone wolf hero book, and has much more the flavor of a hardboiled private eye story than a police novel. Connelly is an excellent writer, and anyone áºho likes Clint Eastwood has got to love Harry Bosch.
Characterization is very good throughout,and the prose is outstanding. As with Connelly’s first, I’m not sure I thought the ending was completely credible; but as also with the first, it didn’t keep me from enjoying it. Connelly’s got another winner.
UPDATE: Barry was correct. The Black Echo did win the Edgar, just as he predicted. Number 22 in the Harry Bosch series, Two Kinds of Truth, will be published in 2017.
March 5th, 2017 at 12:06 am
Connelly can write, but I don’t need another rogue cop who drips angst and administers his own kind of justice. Give me a vigilante or a PI every time. I prefer my cops more Peter Falk than Clint Eastwood.
March 5th, 2017 at 12:03 pm
I’ve not read this one, but based on the Bosch books I have read, I agree with Barry that he’s more of a PI than he is a cop. I agree with you about the angst, though.
I wonder why you have been the only one to have left a comment. The series has to be popular, but is Bosch one of those special cases who’s more popular with the general public than he is with mystery fans, per se?
March 5th, 2017 at 9:12 pm
Not to me he isn’t. One of the few writers that I have read all of his books, and usually as soon as it comes out. His books have an energy to them, and to me you just have to read one more chapter, then one more. I also like that there is a logical progression as you follow along, not always just a leap of faith.
He is to me the best thriller/mystery/etc writer of the last 25 years. And although some books may be better than others, I don’t believe there has been a weak one of the bunch.
March 5th, 2017 at 9:27 pm
My faith in the bestseller mystery list is restored. Thanks, David P. I’ve read no more than a couple of the Bosch books, and those out of order, but the critical reviews have always been positive, and I know they sell well.
In the discussion following my recent review of Ross Macdonald’s THE CHILL, the question most deeply debated was who are the top three hardboiled writers: Hammett, Chandler and who?
I suggested Michael Connelly as a present day contender, but alas, the idea went exactly nowhere. I’m glad to have you speak out on his behalf!
March 6th, 2017 at 12:13 pm
Steve,
Like you I usually lose interest once an author hits the best seller list, but Connelly is the rare exception for me. I know you have a huge tbr list, but I would be interested to get your opinion if you read a couple of titles.
I read more for characters than plot, but to me the plots work and the characters are excellent. Connelly has done an excellent job with adapting and aging the series characters as time has gone on, plus he has thrown in some stand alones along the way.