Book Review: The Black Echo (Harry Bosch 1) by Michael Connelly

4/5 stars. This is the first Harry Bosch novel and my first experience reading Michael Connelly. I can understand why he has become such a popular author and wish that I had read his work many years ago. This novel was published in 1991, at a time when I was actively reading mystery/thriller stories almost exclusively – Tony Hillerman, Tom Clancy, Michael Crichton, Thomas Harris, Patricia Cornwell, Dennis Lehane, David Baldacci, John Grisham. I do not know why I did not pick up Connelly back then and it makes me sad. Connelly writes police work like someone who has lived it. I do not know his background, but he tells this story about a hard-boiled cop as well as any writer that I have read.

Bosch is one of those police characters who lives on the edge of propriety, seeking justice on his own terms, not caring if he gets hurt (or fired) along the way. His department works against him at every turn, but that will not stop Harry Bosch from seeing the truth brought into the light. This is a story about Bosch’s background in Vietnam as much as it is a murder mystery. The mystery centers around a character whom Harry knew in the Army when they were both tunnel rats in the war. Harry feels compelled to solve the murder not only for Justice but also for his former friend’s sake. Little could he know how deeply the mystery will go, and Connelly does a wonderful job of piecing it all together for the reader.

I also listened to this on Audible with the narrator Dick Hill. Overall, Hill does a respectable job with the voices and the various characters. I would give his narration a solid 4/5 stars as well.

Definitely recommended and I will certainly continue the series. I have already purchased the next four books and look forward to reading each of them soon.

 

 

Prose 4

Characters 4

Story 5

Entertainment 4

Audiobook 4

Overall 4/5

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