July: Michael Connelly

 A former police reporter for the Los Angeles Times, Michael Connelly

is an American author of detective novels and other crime fiction, notably those featuring LAPD Detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch and criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller. Connelly is the bestselling author of thirty-one novels and one work of non-fiction.

Judy J: The Lincoln Lawyer (Bk 1 Mickey Haller series)

Mickey Haller is a moderately successful criminal defense attorney who operates at various courts in L.A. County, working out of a Lincoln Town Car (hence the title), driven by a former client working off fees he is unable to pay.

A major fee paying case comes his way, and it seems to be going well until his client is not what he seems to be.

The book is written in the first person, moves along at a good and even pace before coming to a highly satisfactory ending but improbable in real life police work.

A very readable book, a good film and happy to read more books by the author.

 

Wendy L:

Mickey Haller is a cynical, cunning, flawed and off beat character who is haunted by a mishandled case in his earlier career. He believes that defence is not just about justice but about negotiation and manipulation. Other characters are drawn with enough back-story and detail to make them interesting.

Not her normal type of book but Wendy thought it a very good one.

Sheila: Echo Park (2006)

Sheila found the content to be too violent and so didn’t continue with the book.

Judy De la T: Nine Dragons (2009)

A very cleverly written book, with many twists and turns as Detective Bosch investigates the Triads and the kidnapping of his daughter. Could they be linked? Judy really enjoyed it.

Blood Work (1998)

This book features a different detective, Terry McCaleb who has been out of the force for sometime, for medical reasons. He investigates a number of murders where the victims all had the same blood group, but also the same as his.

Another good read.

Tam: The Wrong Side of Goodbye (2016)

This is another Harry Bosch book which Tam enjoyed and described as a good holiday read. His assignment is to find a missing Mexican girl for an elderly, wealthy man who had had a relationship with her in his younger days. Tam thought it was a good story, with enough suspense to keep you interested, and a happy ending.

Jo: The Black Box (2012)

Another Harry Bosch novel set Los Angeles. At the time of the riots in 1992, police resources were so stretched that many murders were not investigated fully. So 20 years later Bosch reopens a cold case, the murder of a twenty-year-old girl. The National Guard and soldiers from the Iraq War seem to be involved. Jo found it very interesting, and likes this kind of book!

 

Pat: The Late Show (2017)

Pat has been a Connelly fan for many years, having read most of the Harry Bosch books.

The Late Show features a woman detective, Reneé Ballard who is demoted to the late shift for filing a sexual harassment case against a supervisor. She is a brilliant detective who can’t help poking her nose into things. A really good read.

The Drop (2011)

Harry Bosch has been testing samples from long ago. When the DNA turns out to belong to an 8-year-old boy the story becomes very complicated.

Val: The Overlook (2007)

Val commented that Michael Connelly’s books are always well written. He was a crime reporter for many years before becoming a successful author, winning many awards.

A typical theme of his books is conflict with ex-partners and his family in danger.

In this book a scientist with access to a radio-active substance is found dead in his car. When the substance goes missing, Bosch becomes involved but the FBI want to take over as they claim it is a national security matter.

Val enjoys his books and finds them difficult to put down once she has started them.

Diane: The Scarecrow (2009)

Jack McEvoy is a crime reporter chasing a criminal known as “The Scarecrow”. This is his last chance as cut backs at the paper means he will soon be out of a job and his replacement is a young lady who is very au fait with modern technology.

The book is so fast passed, Diane sometimes found it necessary to reread some parts!

The book sadly shows the demise of the daily newspaper – a daily afterthought.

Connie: The City of Bones

When bones found by a dog are identified as belonging to a 12-year-old boy, Harry Bosch is called in to solve this 25-year mystery.

Connie thought the story was a little long winded, and didn’t like the character of Bosch. He always seemed to be getting himself into trouble, he was dark, sad and lonely.

Julia really enjoyed the book!

Judy A: Dark Sacred Night (2018)

This is the 2^nd Renée Ballard book and while she is working the night shift she finds an intruder rifling through the files. This turns out to be Harry Bosch. He eventually convinces her to help him investigate the cold case of a murder of a young girl whose mother he had previously known.

Judy recommended Michael Connelly’s podcast called ‘Murder Book’ which gives background to much of his writing and characters.

Joan: The Concrete Blonde (1994)

Harry Bosch had previously shot and killed a suspected killer called the ‘Dollmaker’. But now it seems that a copycat killer has emerged or is the Dollmaker still alive? Joan liked the writing, not too fussy and with realistic partners and other characters. She could easily pick up another of his books.

 

Prue:

Prue has read many of his books before and always enjoyed them.

She found them to be realistic and Bosch an interesting character with his wives and daughter intertwined in his stories. His descriptions are very accurate and his writing keeps a good standard. Procedurally he gets it right.

Charis:

She had not been a crime fiction reader until recently but has now read The Concrete Blonde and Echo Park.

She liked both of them, they held her interest through the book, and she liked the touches of family lives and relationships. It was not overdone.

Rosemary: The Closers (2005)

After 3 years away from the LAPD, Harry Bosch returns to the Cold Case Department and is assigned to investigate a case when a DNA match connects a white supremacist to the 1988 murder of a mixed race 16-year-old girl. Rosemary found it very interesting to see how they go about investigating these cases.

August Book Club

Ann Cleeves

Any book from The Shetland Series