East of the Arch: A Joe Keough Mystery Review

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East of the Arch: A Joe Keough Mystery ReviewDetective Joe Keough is a St. Louis Detective who is the mayor's "top cop" which means he is little more than a bodyguard. He misses working in the field. Joe is actually thinking of leaving and moving on to someplace where he can do some actual police work when the mayor of East St. Louis in Illinois asks the mayor of St. Louis to loan him a police officer who has had experience in apprehending serial killers.

Joe is the logical choice and he jumps at the chance to find out who is killing pregnant women and ripping out their fetuses. When Joe sets up his new office there are two such killings and he knows it is only a matter of time before there is a third. He is paired off with police officer Marc Jeeter, an idealistic man who badly wants catch this maniac and put him and put him in a cage but that won't be an easy take because there are political forces at work with a different agenda.

Robert J. Randisi is an author who knows how to write an excellent police procedural. He shows a step-by-step investigation in progress and the reader gets so caught up in it that he can't put the book down until he learns how it all turns out. Part of the book is told by the viewpoint of the villain. This is exciting and horrifying at the same time. EAST OF THE ARCH is a fantastic installment in this long running series.

Harriet KlausnerEast of the Arch: A Joe Keough Mystery Overview

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The Closers Review

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The Closers ReviewIn Connelly's previous novel, The Narrows, Harry Bosch was seriously considering coming out of "retirement" and returning to service with the LAPD, despite several misgivings, one of which was the entrenched corruption throughout the force. However a new police chief is on board with a mission to clean house. Harry's old enemy, Deputy Chief Irving, a self-serving political player, wants Harry to fail and will do anything to achieve this end. Bosch has been assigned to the Open-Unsolved Unit, (cold cases) teamed up with his old partner, Kiz Rider, a no nonsense police woman in a predominately male domain, embark on an unsolved seventeen year old murder of a young girl, shot through the chest and taken out of her bedroom and dumped in a field. Harry attacks this unsolved murder with calculated zeal, leading to possible corruption in the force, pushing the case to it limits to find the perpetrator. The Closers begins at breakneck speed and doesn't let up until the last page is turned.
Reading The Closers was like meeting an old friend after a year of absence. Harry Bosch is one of the great characters in crime fiction, a man with an incredible sense of justice and an over bearing conscience, that pulls him into trouble from time to time. His relationship with Kiz Rider, as his partner, is a perfect match, as they know each other well, can read each other's thoughts before a word is spoken. Kiz never rides on Harry's coattails, but contributes to the motion, adding her own special skills to the investigation. Harry is older but he's a little smarter, and careful to stay within the bounds of the law. Kiz keeps Harry in line and is there to prevent him from slipping into his old, unorthodox habits.
As a piece of crime fiction, The Closers is by no means a character study, it is entirely plot driven, following Harry Bosch at work to every twist and turn of the case. Connelly knows how to write a crime novel and does not leave anything to the imagination. I have come to believe that the crime genre is an art form all its own, and Connelly has become one of its masters.
This is the real thing. Modern detective fiction doesn't get any better, and in the hands of Connelly, one can be sure the ride will be thoroughly entertaining; and The Closers delivers on all counts - a five star effort.

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Mortal Prey Review

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Mortal Prey ReviewMost of John Sandford's "Prey" series work by identifying the killer early and then following the story on both the lines of Lucas Davenport and of the killer, as they plot and counterplot against one another. Sandford returns to the formula here, and it works well because Lucas's antagonist is Clara Rinker, the professional hitwoman from his earlier books. Sandford is careful not to make her a two-dimensional sociopath -- indeed, she is so well rounded that at times the reader can forget that many of the people she has killed in her career were completely innocent. For most of the book, this is not true as Rinker goes after the crime bosses for whom she has worked in the past. The book begins with Rinker almost getting killed, and her decision that the people she worked for (all mob connected) are behind it sets her off to eliminating them, none of whom is too sympathetic. It is a mistake to root for Rinker because a few innocent people are unfortunate enough to wander in to her way, and the result is not good for them.
Rinker is smart, and her killing of well protected hoods who know she is coming for them is for the most part plausible. Only one of the killings, involving a device that has been used in a well known real-life assasination, seems unlikely to have been successful. All in all, she is such a strong character that this book seems to be more hers than Davenport's.
Davenport is one of the few people to have seen Rinker and lived, and so the FBI brings him to St. Louis to help catch her. All but a few chapters take place outside of the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, most of the familiar characters in the Davenport series aren't present, but Rinker more than makes up for them. Read closely, some of the deductions that Davenport comes up with are a little contrived -- all he does is show up from out of town, talk to a few local cops, and he is ahead of the FBI. However, the dialog is as well written as ever, and the dry humor still there. And there are a couple of nice twists in the plot at the end.
I found the last two books in the "Prey" series to be weak; I thought that Sandford may have run out of ideas of what to do with Davenport, and have read some interviews in which he expressed frustration with the series. Mortal Prey is a return to the stong, earlier novels. There is life in Davenport yet.Mortal Prey Overview

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Pursuit: An Inspector Espinosa Mystery (Inspector Espinosa Mysteries) Review

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Pursuit: An Inspector Espinosa Mystery (Inspector Espinosa Mysteries) ReviewI have been a fan of Garcia-Roza for a while and was very impressed with the first three installments in the Espinosa series. This book, which for a while seemed was going to be better than the fourth installment (a disappointment in itself), ended up abruptly. The ending explains nothing and resolves little. I was a very frustrated and angry reader when I turned the last page.
The book is divided into "stories", what should rather have been presented as chapters of the same story. The first one of these is stellar. It builds up the mystery around Jonas/Isidoro and leaves one yearning to get to the end of the book and to discover what is behind this baffling character. His motivations are dark and his actions are confusing. The plot seems to lead the reader closer and closer to what could have been an exciting ending.
What happens in the end, however, I can tell you without offering any spoilers. Nothing is resolved. No questions are answered. The story ends. It almost looks like the author didn't know what to do with it. Read the book if you want, but don't say that you weren't warned. I give it two stars only for the unachieved potential this story had.Pursuit: An Inspector Espinosa Mystery (Inspector Espinosa Mysteries) Overview

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Nine Dragons (Harry Bosch) Review

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Nine Dragons (Harry Bosch) ReviewAfter disappointing Harry Bosch tales (The Overlook, The Brass Dragon) Connelly has brought back the Harry that hooked me in the earlier tales. Harry is still back in homicide (no closer duty for him) and during a slow night he is asked to investigate a shooting in a "rougher" section of LA. Harry and his partner (Ferras) grudgingly take the assignment and learn that a convenience store owner was murdered in his store. The case draws Harry's interest because he remembers the store and that the owner was once kind to him several years earlier. He assures the owner's son that he will catch the culprit.
As Harry starts to realize that this might not have been a routine robbery but a possible execution by a Triad hitman. Harry starts to zero in on a suspect and then receives a threatening call to tell him to back off. Harry shrugs it off and continues but then his investigation stalls when he receives a video showing that his daughter (Maddy) being kidnapped in Hong Kong. He rushes off to save her realizing that if he is not back by the end of the weekend a possible suspect in the shooting will be set free.
It is a tense plane ride to Hong Kong and Harry feels powerless because there is nothing he can do in the air.When he gets to Hong Kong he is aided by his ex-wife (Eleanor Wish) and her boyfriend. Harry has limited clues but through very good forensic science he was able to possibly know where to look for Maddy. It becomes a race to find Maddy because any delay could mean that she might already be dead.
The tension of the chase is so tense you can cut it with a knife and the "determined " Harry definitely shows through. There is one sequence at a boat where the action is pulse pounding and the tension rife.
The book also has a short but excellent appearance by Mickey Haller (the Lincoln Lawyer and Harry's half brother) and there are references to Jack McEvoy (Connelly's other main character). As long as Mr. Connelly can deliver Harry Bosch tales of this caliber, Harry will continue to be one of the most intriguing law enforcement figures in fiction today!
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The Dead Detective Review

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The Dead Detective ReviewClassic old-school detective work: I hadn't realized how much I missed it until I read this new novel from Akashic Press. I'd heard Heffernan was good, and I'm sorry I waited so long to read one of his titles. Everything about this crime novel speaks to the traditional style of `whodunit' mysteries: it has an ensemble cast of police characters (the high-level brass is a bit stereotypical), an intelligent criminal, and a string of intersecting events that complicate the search for the killer. Best of it all, it has a badass detective who isn't simply a genius, but rather a team-player with a special sensitivity for victims and with insight on human nature.
Harry Doyle is The Dead Detective, a nickname he acquired when his past caught up with his career as a policeman. As a child, his mother attempted to murder him and his brother, and only Harry was able to be resuscitated. Adopted by a policeman, he grew up with understandable hatred for his mother and a desire to help other victims. He appears to sense details that others overlook. He also has a somewhat unique ability, for an accomplished detective, to keep both superiors and underlings happy.
The case in this novel, which I hope is the beginning of a series, is about an infamous female schoolteacher, a pedophile who preyed on a teenage student. Her murder early on is mysterious, as she was supposed to be under house arrest. The location of the crime scene, as well as further murders that may be related all create a twisted web for the detectives to unravel. Harry guides a team to the solution, all the while dealing with the impending parole of his mother (who happens to be intent on finishing her work of killing Harry). This is a smart and, at times, snarky novel that makes you hope Harry Doyle reappears with another case to solve.
That said, I had a few technical difficulties with the book. Small things really, but they did distract me a bit from the narrative in a few places. One was early on when a significant witness is being questioned about her friendship with the victim. Despite the detective's focus, she never asks what or if anything happened to her friend, which didn't ring true. It seems that at that moment, her response would have been to ask what was going on. Her lack of curiosity struck me as 'off'. The other problem I had was an element of foreshadowing that became too obvious-the author repeats, quite often, that the murderer could be right amongst them. Too much information, and I'm not sure why the novel needed that not-so-subtle clue. In any case, these distractions are not significant enough to ruin a really great crime story.
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Murder in the Air: A Dan Rhodes Mystery (Sheriff Dan Rhodes Mystery) Review

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Murder in the Air: A Dan Rhodes Mystery (Sheriff Dan Rhodes Mystery) ReviewIf you are like me, you always look forward to a trip to Blacklin County. One reason is that it reminds you so much of your home in East Texas. Another is that the characters and stories that emanate from the mind of Bill Crider are endearing, funny, and readable. And yet another trip to Clearview, the county's seat, brings another tear to your eye--whether from nostalgia, laughter or allergy, I'm not saying.
Dan Rhodes faces another intriguing case when the county's most despised man surfaces face down in a local fishing hole apparently drowned by accident. The problem is, the case is too easy to be closed this way, and something keeps niggling at Rhodes's brain. As it turns out the local chicken baron (Lester Hamilton, also known as the deceased) has met with fowl play (puns always intended in Blacklin County). The local character/fisherman Hal Gillis who found the body, also becomes one because he knows too much. And now Rhodes has two murders to solve--with the help, of course, of ace deputy Ruth Grady, comic relief Hack and Lawton at the jailhouse, and the Carl Burns imitator CP (Seepy) Benton who actually teaches math at the local college (instead of English as Burns does). And they do it all without an M-16 (go read the book).
Interesting notes on this installment of the Dan Rhodes mysteries is the reference to Nick Carter instead of the 87th Precinct boys at the hands funeral director Clyde Ballinger, and the pubisher's final decision for title of the book which seems less appropriate than the author's own choice, which you'll have to drag out of Bill.
Fans of serial murder mysteries will want to grab a copy of this one fast. And while you're reading you'll want to keep an eye opened for the references to nostalgic pop culture like Zero and Dr Pepper, and the book and movie titles and descriptions thrown in for good measure. Another five reading glasses, Bill. Keep them coming. (Of course if it's up to the publishers, then tell them I said so.)
--Benjamin Potter, September 20, 2010
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Sandford: Three Complete Novels: Mind Prey, Sudden Prey, Secret Prey Review

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Sandford: Three Complete Novels: Mind Prey, Sudden Prey, Secret Prey ReviewI bought one of the Lucas Davenport books before I realized that there was a whole series of them. So, I didn't read the first one I bought until I found the beginning of the series. Now I own all that have been published thus far. Finding three complete novels in one book was a fantastic buy, and I made the right decision to start at the beginning of the series. Highly recommend to mature mystery lovers.Sandford: Three Complete Novels: Mind Prey, Sudden Prey, Secret Prey Overview

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The Rabbit Factory: A Lomax & Biggs Mystery Review

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The Rabbit Factory: A Lomax & Biggs Mystery ReviewMarshall Karp's first novel The Rabbit Factory is a mega-winner that gives a whole new meaning to the police procedural. This novel is a must-read for those looking for something new and original in fiction, especially fans of mystery thrillers.
Set in Hollywood's Lamaar Studios "Family Land," (a theme park similar to Disneyland...but NOT), the gruesome murder of Rambunctious Rabbit kick-starts the storyline. Rambunctious is a huge, big-footed hare dressed in signature red, white and blue, (translate the long-eared, burrowing mammal version of Mickey Mouse). Eddie Elkins, a sex offender, child molester and convicted pedophile plays the part of this particular rabbit...but not for long. Elkins, who had paid the proverbial "pretty penny" for a new identity, was only on the job for six weeks before being brutally strangled during a cigarette break. And this is only the first of many murders to come which will effect Lamaar's bottom line, not to mention the victims' families lives.
Mike Lomax and Terry Biggs are the duo from LAPD heading the investigation - and these two guys are the BEST!!! Mike is a recent widower whose wife sends him love letters from beyond the grave. And Terry thinks he is a comedian - "Terry the Fun Homicide Cop!" Hah!! The chemistry and humor between the two detectives is fantastic! Minor characters, especially Big Jim, Lomax's hulking teamster father, are well drawn and extremely appealing.
The Rabbit Factory is one of the most entertaining books I have read in many a moon. The murder mystery is gripping, filled with suspense, and the characters are compelling as are the subplots. What's not to like??
I predict this one will skyrocket to the top of the bestseller lists...and it deserves too!
JANAThe Rabbit Factory: A Lomax & Biggs Mystery Overview

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One Was a Soldier: A Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mystery (Clare Fergusson / Russ Van Alstyne Mysteries) Review

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One Was a Soldier: A Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mystery (Clare Fergusson / Russ Van Alstyne Mysteries) ReviewYes, Clare Fergusson has come back from deployment in Iraq in One Was a Soldier: A Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mystery (Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne Mysteries). After eighteen months as a helicopter pilot, it's back to a life in Millers Kill that is familiar yet forever changed because Clare, like other returnees from combat zones, can't shake the memories, flashbacks, and nightmares. Changed because she's using uppers and downers to get on with her civilian life as an Episcopol priest. Changed because when she and police chief Russ Van Alstyne reunite, she hides her true state and pretends she is "fine."

She isn't alone, of course. Other returning military men and women have similar readjustment problems. So, the novel opens on September 5 with the first session of Sarah Dowling's licensed clinical therapy group which consists of five reticent Millers Kill vets, including Clare. To fill in the reader on what's happened to these people since they returned a few months ago, the story rewinds and that, for example, is how we see Russ welcoming Clare home on June 24. At first: "She didn't leap into his arms. they had been circumspect for so long, always standing apart, controlling their eyes and hands like nuns in a medieval abbey." That was at the armory. Somehow they (especially Clare) become much less nun-like in Russ' truck.

ONE WAS A SOLDIER concerns itself with the personal dramas of small-town American war veterans, their struggles, their despair, their anger, their fear, their secretiveness. We see what befalls Clare and the four others in Sarah's group. We watch them hurt themselves and others. We watch them lie. We watch them act like hormone-crazed teenagers. We also watch them band together as brothers and sisters in arms when one of them dies under suspicious circumstances.

Unlike other novels in the Clare/Russ series, this one, perhaps mindful of the greater and real Sturm und Drang in Iraq (and Afghanistan) doesn't coalesce into a Wagnerian climax of overriding violence. Oh, it certainly has its moments of sorrow and irrevocable acts, and an international, complex criminal case slowly comes to light. But at its core, the changed lives of the returned vets make this book.
Sometimes I think that this wonderful series could have done more with the relationship trajectory of Russ and Clare. More than once previous volumes have ended at points that could have spelled the end for them. Yet, the next novel generally would not explore that created rift as deeply as it might have. I think this is true of ONE WAS A SOLDIER. Although it makes sense that after eighteen months, they would be happy to see one another, I was a little surprised by the relative ease with which they handled the next "big" question. Don't get me wrong; it's rather comforting that these two can be such different people and yet not totally spazz when they confront obstacles in their way. Still, sometimes I feel as though the author has intentionally avoided letting them grapple as they might have with such things as guilt over Linda (the late Mrs. Van Alstyne).
Speaking of Linda, she and many other characters who graced previous books in this series, are either mentioned or, when possible, make cameo appearances in ONE WAS A SOLDIER. This is a nice unifying touch and very much appreciated.
Louise Penny, author of her own series, the most recent one being the outstanding Bury Your Dead: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel (Chief Inspector Gamache Novels), is quoted by Spencer-Fleming's publishers on the cover of ONE WAS A SOLDIER: "An absolute tour de force! The best yet in a brilliant series. I loved it!" I don't know whether I'd go quite as far -- I'm not sure this is the best...but it is a formidable, engrossing entry in this great series. It explores an important current topic (how our returning troops do or don't cope) and it once again allows Clare/Russ fans to enjoy more precious scenes between them (though, I think I could have done without that teenage moment in the truck!).
Now the burning question is: how Russ and Clare will deal with the little, personal bombshell that concluded ONE WAS A SOLDIER. In order that we may find out, may the talented Julia Spencer-Fleming be blessed with further intricate and compelling stories to tell in Millers Kill.One Was a Soldier: A Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mystery (Clare Fergusson / Russ Van Alstyne Mysteries) Overview

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The Troubled Man Review

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The Troubled Man ReviewI've enjoyed the Kurt Wallander series of books for many years, and have read as Kurt went from a young patrolman to, now, a 60 year old man with various illnesses. Being older than that myself, I can sympathize with him over his debilitations, and his fear of looming death. These things are all part of this excellent book.
The plot concerns the future in-laws of his daughter Linda, who both disappear, apparently without any particular reason. Even though the disappearances are not within his police jurisdiction, because of the family ties Kurt gets involved in trying to find them, and what happened and why. The past history of Sweden and the Cold War plays an important role in the plot, one of the more intriguing plots Mr. Mankell has devised for his detective.
I don't want to give anything away for the sake of future readers, except to say that the big "shock" when it comes near the end wasn't really a surprise to me, and shouldn't be to anyone who's paying close attention to the plot. The fact that it took Wallander months to determine what was happening may be traced to his age and illnesses.
This appears to be Kurt's last case about which we will read, but I hope not, although the author seems rather adamant that it will be so. I'm sorry for that, and I will miss these excellent novels, and the characters I have grown to know and like, very much.The Troubled Man Overview

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Misterioso: A Crime Novel Review

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Misterioso: A Crime Novel ReviewThe first couple of pages of this book had me wondering what I had gotten into. It just seemed a bit jerky and clunky. Luckily, I persevered with the book and somewhere around page 40ish the book became difficult to put down.
While the story is similar to countless other serial killer novels it is the writing that makes this book rise above the rest. Unlike so many detective novels dealing with serial killers, this book doesn't focus on endless, gruesome details of torture and gore. The killer's exploits aren't recounted in nauseating and tedious detail. The author instead focuses on character development and describing the background that shaped the world-view of the serial killer.
The story takes place in 1990s Sweden in an atmosphere of racial tension and national self-loathing over the greedy banking fiasco of the 1980s (a period of self-introspection our own nation seems to have skipped) Dahl's protagonist, Paul Hjelm, is simultaneously undergoing his own period of self-introspection as career and family issues collide to make him question himself-- to make him look into himself and confront "the abyss."
I won't bother to describe the entire story in this review, what I would like to say is that Dahl's Hjelm is a lot of fun to read. He reminds me a bit of Martin Cruz-Smith's Arkady Renko, but without that character's martyr complex and self-destructive streak. Hjelm is human without being boring and cool without being a cartoon character.
I think the best part of this book is the complex view it gave me of Sweden, a country I know practically nothing about. Until reading this book I only though of blond, beautiful, happy Swedes, helping each other and being good citizens (okay, a I knew about a bit of angst a la Bergman, of course).
I whole-heartedly recommend this book to readers who eschew the Patricia Cornwall and James Patterson formulas and enjoy something edgier, along the lines of Ken Bruen, Peter Hoeg, and Cruz-Smith.Misterioso: A Crime Novel Overview

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The Harry Bosch Novels: The Black Echo, The Black Ice, The Concrete Blonde Review

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The Harry Bosch Novels: The Black Echo, The Black Ice, The Concrete Blonde ReviewThe Bosch series is for anyone who likes a good police detective thriller. The story isn't as fast paced as James Pattersons - Alex Cross series, but the pace will keep you reading. The Black Echo, Black Ice, and Concrete Blonde (4 stars, 4 stars, and 5 stars, respectively) are a great compilation for starting with the Bosch Series. The first book may be a slightly predictable, but it gives good detail on the lead character. The second book builds on the first, with a lot of twists, and the third is the best of them all, a must read.The Harry Bosch Novels: The Black Echo, The Black Ice, The Concrete Blonde Overview

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The Harry Bosch Novels Volume 2: The Last Coyote, Trunk Music, Angels Flight Review

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The Harry Bosch Novels Volume 2: The Last Coyote, Trunk Music, Angels Flight ReviewFormer newspaper reporter Michael Connelly has been writing intriguing and suspenseful novels for his Harry Bosch protagonist for over a decade now. The first six of these novels have been collected into two hardcover omnibus volumes.
The first volume is certainly required reading if you want to understand the complete background and motivations of this brooding LAPD detective who won't tolerate injustice or any human vice that feeds it either directly (corruption, politics) or indirectly (bureaucracy, laziness, incompetence). They're interesting reads for sure, especially "The Concrete Blonde". However, those earlier stories expose Connelly as a new novelist unsure of what type of character Bosch is destined to be.
This second volume is the work of a much more seasoned and confident author writing about a multi-dimensional and human character. Without giving away any spoilers, I'll say that these three books develop Bosch well beyond just a grim crime-solving automaton who moves from case to case in a very detached manner. He goes after crimes that have personal significance and he undertakes situations outside his role as a police detective. The result is that by the time you turn the last page, you'll be hooked on the Bosch character, not just the stories of the crimes he's solved. That's the hallmark of a great fiction series.
Plus, these three stories are varied and intriguing in their own separate ways. The universe of characters that surround Bosch rotate in and out in ways that are highly interesting without being incredible. "Trunk Music" stretches this point a bit with a story that throws in every angle imaginable and almost loses its way. However, "Angels Flight" rebounds superbly and gets my vote for the finest book of either volume.
These volumes are must-haves for anyone interested in getting acquainted with one of the best mystery writers working today. At a price less than the cost of three paperbacks, you get a well-bound and attractive hardcover book, making this package a wonderful value as well.The Harry Bosch Novels Volume 2: The Last Coyote, Trunk Music, Angels Flight Overview

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Blood Island Review

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Blood Island ReviewThere have been all kinds of approaches to novels with terrorist attacks as a plot. But none, to our knowledge, have put forward as different a tack as "Blood Island." The story begins simply enough: Matt Royal, a retired attorney who trouble always seems to find, is visited by his ex-wife, who implores him to find her missing step-daughter.
One would think that from this inauspicious beginning we would progress to a straightforward mystery involving a kidnapped college student or a wayward teenager. Instead we are confronted with a complicated but inventive plot that transcends the reader's ordinary expectations. Along the way we are treated to the attractions of Longboat Key and the Sarasota area of Florida, as well as the charms of Key West.
The story is fast-moving, with terse dialogue, violence and a sufficient amount of surprises to reward the reader. The conclusion may be overly dramatic, but such an approach is in keeping with the tale, and the book is recommended.
Blood Island Overview

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