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Harry Bosch #10
Cauces de maldad
«Antes de volver a incorporarse a la interestatal, Backus observó el vehículo del FBI que salía de la carretera pavimentada y se dirigía al yacimiento a través del desierto. Su yacimiento. Una nube de polvo se levanto detrás del coche. Distinguió las tiendas blancas en la distancia y sintió una sobrecogedora sensación de éxito. La escena del crimen era una ciudad que él había construido. Una ciudad de huesos. Los agentes eran como hormigas entre paneles de cristal. Vivían y trabajaban en el mundo que él había creado, cumpliendo sin saberlo con su antojo.
Deseó poder acercarse más a aquel cristal, absorberlo todo y contemplar el horro que él había esculpido en sus rostros, pero sabía que el riesgo era demasiado grande.
Y tenía otras ocupaciones. Pisó a fondo el acelerador y se dirigió e nuevo hacia la ciudad del pecado. Tenía que asegurarse de que todo estaba preparado como era debido.»
Harry Bosch investiga la muerte del ex profiler del FBI Terry McCaleb. Sus indagaciones le llevan a sospechar de Robert Backus, conocido como el Poeta, a quien se daba por muerto. Bosch decidirá entonces pedir la ayuda de la agente del FBI Rachel Walling, encargada en su día de la investigación de los crímenes cometidos por el Poeta.
Michael Connelly reúne en Cauces de maldad a tres de sus personajes más emblemáticos -Harry Bosch, Terry McCaleb y el Poeta- para crear una novela policíaca magistral.
Deseó poder acercarse más a aquel cristal, absorberlo todo y contemplar el horro que él había esculpido en sus rostros, pero sabía que el riesgo era demasiado grande.
Y tenía otras ocupaciones. Pisó a fondo el acelerador y se dirigió e nuevo hacia la ciudad del pecado. Tenía que asegurarse de que todo estaba preparado como era debido.»
Harry Bosch investiga la muerte del ex profiler del FBI Terry McCaleb. Sus indagaciones le llevan a sospechar de Robert Backus, conocido como el Poeta, a quien se daba por muerto. Bosch decidirá entonces pedir la ayuda de la agente del FBI Rachel Walling, encargada en su día de la investigación de los crímenes cometidos por el Poeta.
Michael Connelly reúne en Cauces de maldad a tres de sus personajes más emblemáticos -Harry Bosch, Terry McCaleb y el Poeta- para crear una novela policíaca magistral.
448 pages, Paperback
First published May 3, 2004
About the author
Michael Connelly
420 books30.6k followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads' database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Michael Connelly decided to become a writer after discovering the books of Raymond Chandler while attending the University of Florida. Once he decided on this direction he chose a major in journalism and a minor in creative writing — a curriculum in which one of his teachers was novelist Harry Crews.
After graduating in 1980, Connelly worked at newspapers in Daytona Beach and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, primarily specializing in the crime beat. In Fort Lauderdale he wrote about police and crime during the height of the murder and violence wave that rolled over South Florida during the so-called cocaine wars. In 1986, he and two other reporters spent several months interviewing survivors of a major airline crash. They wrote a magazine story on the crash and the survivors which was later short-listed for the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing. The magazine story also moved Connelly into the upper levels of journalism, landing him a job as a crime reporter for the Los Angeles Times, one of the largest papers in the country, and bringing him to the city of which his literary hero, Chandler, had written.
After three years on the crime beat in L.A., Connelly began writing his first novel to feature LAPD Detective Hieronymus Bosch. The novel, The Black Echo, based in part on a true crime that had occurred in Los Angeles, was published in 1992 and won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel by the Mystery Writers of America. Connelly has followed that up with over 30 more novels.
Over eighty million copies of Connelly’s books have sold worldwide and he has been translated into forty-five foreign languages. He has won the Edgar Award, Anthony Award, Macavity Award, Los Angeles Times Best Mystery/Thriller Award, Shamus Award, Dilys Award, Nero Award, Barry Award, Audie Award, Ridley Award, Maltese Falcon Award (Japan), .38 Caliber Award (France), Grand Prix Award (France), Premio Bancarella Award (Italy), and the Pepe Carvalho award (Spain) .
Michael was the President of the Mystery Writers of America organization in 2003 and 2004. In addition to his literary work, Michael is one of the producers and writers of the TV show, “Bosch,” which is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Michael lives with his family in Los Angeles and Tampa, Florida.
Michael Connelly decided to become a writer after discovering the books of Raymond Chandler while attending the University of Florida. Once he decided on this direction he chose a major in journalism and a minor in creative writing — a curriculum in which one of his teachers was novelist Harry Crews.
After graduating in 1980, Connelly worked at newspapers in Daytona Beach and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, primarily specializing in the crime beat. In Fort Lauderdale he wrote about police and crime during the height of the murder and violence wave that rolled over South Florida during the so-called cocaine wars. In 1986, he and two other reporters spent several months interviewing survivors of a major airline crash. They wrote a magazine story on the crash and the survivors which was later short-listed for the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing. The magazine story also moved Connelly into the upper levels of journalism, landing him a job as a crime reporter for the Los Angeles Times, one of the largest papers in the country, and bringing him to the city of which his literary hero, Chandler, had written.
After three years on the crime beat in L.A., Connelly began writing his first novel to feature LAPD Detective Hieronymus Bosch. The novel, The Black Echo, based in part on a true crime that had occurred in Los Angeles, was published in 1992 and won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel by the Mystery Writers of America. Connelly has followed that up with over 30 more novels.
Over eighty million copies of Connelly’s books have sold worldwide and he has been translated into forty-five foreign languages. He has won the Edgar Award, Anthony Award, Macavity Award, Los Angeles Times Best Mystery/Thriller Award, Shamus Award, Dilys Award, Nero Award, Barry Award, Audie Award, Ridley Award, Maltese Falcon Award (Japan), .38 Caliber Award (France), Grand Prix Award (France), Premio Bancarella Award (Italy), and the Pepe Carvalho award (Spain) .
Michael was the President of the Mystery Writers of America organization in 2003 and 2004. In addition to his literary work, Michael is one of the producers and writers of the TV show, “Bosch,” which is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Michael lives with his family in Los Angeles and Tampa, Florida.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,319 reviews
May 5, 2018
Great series! really good writing and so eclectic (paperback!)
March 10, 2018
The Narrows brings together several of Michael Connelly's characters, including L.A. detective Harry bosch, Connelly's main protagonist; F.B.I. agent Rachel Walling from The Poet; and Terry McCaleb, a former F.B.I. profiler, who first appeared in Blood Work.
Actually, as this book opens, McCaleb has just died. He was the survivor of a heart transplant and apparently died when his new heart failed him while he was out at sea on the charter fishing boat that he operated. It all seems pretty straightforward, but McCaleb's widow, Graciela, asks Bosch to look into it. Bosch, who has left the L.A.P.D. and is now a private investigator, agrees to do so because McCaleb once saved his life when the two were working together on an earlier case.
McCaleb had never been able to let go of his career as a profiler, and although he was no longer with the F.B.I., he occasionally consulted with other law enforcement agencies. He also followed cases that he personally found interesting and left several boxes of files when he died. Bosch begins reviewing the files and finds a relatively new case that had grabbed McCaleb's attention. The case had caused McCaleb to travel to a desolate part of Nevada, but his notes are fairly cryptic, and Bosch can't figure out what McCaleb might have been looking for there.
Virtually at the same time, an unidentified person sends a GPS unit to the F.B.I. addressed to Rachel Walling. Walling has been exiled to hardship duty in North and South Dakota because she fell out of favor with the Powers That Be at the end of the case where she was chasing the Poet. The Poet was presumed to be dead at the end of that book, but it was impossible to confirm the identification of the body that was found, and anyone who's ever read a novel about a serial killer knows what that means.
The Fibbies have no choice but to bring Rachel back into the fold, at least until they can figure out why the GPS was sent to her, and as it turns out, the coordinates on the GPS send them to the exact same desolate spot in the Nevada desert where Bosch is headed. Oops!
It quickly becomes apparent that a very bad hombre is on the loose and, naturally, the stuffed shirts at the F.B.I. will have their heads in a position where it will be very difficult for them to think clearly. This means that it will be up to Harry and Rachel to save civilization as we know it, if only it's not too late.
This is a very entertaining novel and it's great fun watching Bosch and Walling work together, especially with all the odds that are stacked against them. It's hard to imagine a fan of crime fiction who would not enjoy this book.
Actually, as this book opens, McCaleb has just died. He was the survivor of a heart transplant and apparently died when his new heart failed him while he was out at sea on the charter fishing boat that he operated. It all seems pretty straightforward, but McCaleb's widow, Graciela, asks Bosch to look into it. Bosch, who has left the L.A.P.D. and is now a private investigator, agrees to do so because McCaleb once saved his life when the two were working together on an earlier case.
McCaleb had never been able to let go of his career as a profiler, and although he was no longer with the F.B.I., he occasionally consulted with other law enforcement agencies. He also followed cases that he personally found interesting and left several boxes of files when he died. Bosch begins reviewing the files and finds a relatively new case that had grabbed McCaleb's attention. The case had caused McCaleb to travel to a desolate part of Nevada, but his notes are fairly cryptic, and Bosch can't figure out what McCaleb might have been looking for there.
Virtually at the same time, an unidentified person sends a GPS unit to the F.B.I. addressed to Rachel Walling. Walling has been exiled to hardship duty in North and South Dakota because she fell out of favor with the Powers That Be at the end of the case where she was chasing the Poet. The Poet was presumed to be dead at the end of that book, but it was impossible to confirm the identification of the body that was found, and anyone who's ever read a novel about a serial killer knows what that means.
The Fibbies have no choice but to bring Rachel back into the fold, at least until they can figure out why the GPS was sent to her, and as it turns out, the coordinates on the GPS send them to the exact same desolate spot in the Nevada desert where Bosch is headed. Oops!
It quickly becomes apparent that a very bad hombre is on the loose and, naturally, the stuffed shirts at the F.B.I. will have their heads in a position where it will be very difficult for them to think clearly. This means that it will be up to Harry and Rachel to save civilization as we know it, if only it's not too late.
This is a very entertaining novel and it's great fun watching Bosch and Walling work together, especially with all the odds that are stacked against them. It's hard to imagine a fan of crime fiction who would not enjoy this book.
February 19, 2017
The Poet is my favourite ever Michael Connelly book.
He is back in The Narrows but, although this is good, it is nowhere as good as The Poet.
Former LAPD detective Harry Bosch gets a call from the widow of an old friend. Her husband's death seems natural, but Graciella feels that there is something wrong and his ties to the hunt for the Poet make Bosch dig deep. Arriving at a derelict spot in the California desert where the feds are unearthing bodies, Bosch joins forces with FBI agent Rachel Walling who has received the call she's dreaded for years, the one that tells her the Poet has resurfaced.
He is back in The Narrows but, although this is good, it is nowhere as good as The Poet.
Former LAPD detective Harry Bosch gets a call from the widow of an old friend. Her husband's death seems natural, but Graciella feels that there is something wrong and his ties to the hunt for the Poet make Bosch dig deep. Arriving at a derelict spot in the California desert where the feds are unearthing bodies, Bosch joins forces with FBI agent Rachel Walling who has received the call she's dreaded for years, the one that tells her the Poet has resurfaced.
May 30, 2023
4/5 Estrellas
Me encanta el lema de Harry Bosch: "o todos cuentan, o no cuenta ninguno". para él nadie queda en la estacada, ricos, pobres, negros, blancos, famosos o anónimos. Todos los muertos que llegan hasta él merecen las mismas oportunidades de ser investigados y sus muertes esclarecidas......aunque ninguno de ellos hubiera querido llegar a esta situación, claro.
Tras el novelón de "El Poeta" y su coitus interruptus final, estaba deseando llegar a esta nueva entrega para ver el final de la macabra aventura de este asesino en serie. Las expectativas eran altas, lo cual no siempre es bueno, pero la entrada en escena de Harry permitía presuponer que el nivel se iba a mantener alto....y así ha sido, con algún pero.
¿Y cual es el pero? pues el planteamiento. Este es de esos thrillers en que sabemos quien es el asesino. El asesino de alguna manera reta a los polis, federales, o quien quera que sea, siembra campos y ciudades de muertos, riéndose de los pobres polis desorientados, les deja algunas pistillas y asistimos a una carrera desenfrenada en que los buenos intentan ganar terreno al malo, hasta pillarlo.
Buenos personajes (esta Harry , no lo olvidemos), buena investigación (menos procedimiento policial en este caso porque Harry actúa como detective privado), alguna sorpresita final que no me esperaba pero con un colofón que es bastante previsible.
Leñe, me gusta eso de no saber quien es el asesino e ir elucubrando a lo largo del libro con las distintas pistas y giros que te va dando el autor (que sean creíbles, por supuesto). Esto de jugar a la inversa es un punto negativo para mi.
En cualquier caso, gran libro, gran thriller y gran disfrute.
Me encanta el lema de Harry Bosch: "o todos cuentan, o no cuenta ninguno". para él nadie queda en la estacada, ricos, pobres, negros, blancos, famosos o anónimos. Todos los muertos que llegan hasta él merecen las mismas oportunidades de ser investigados y sus muertes esclarecidas......aunque ninguno de ellos hubiera querido llegar a esta situación, claro.
Tras el novelón de "El Poeta" y su coitus interruptus final, estaba deseando llegar a esta nueva entrega para ver el final de la macabra aventura de este asesino en serie. Las expectativas eran altas, lo cual no siempre es bueno, pero la entrada en escena de Harry permitía presuponer que el nivel se iba a mantener alto....y así ha sido, con algún pero.
¿Y cual es el pero? pues el planteamiento. Este es de esos thrillers en que sabemos quien es el asesino. El asesino de alguna manera reta a los polis, federales, o quien quera que sea, siembra campos y ciudades de muertos, riéndose de los pobres polis desorientados, les deja algunas pistillas y asistimos a una carrera desenfrenada en que los buenos intentan ganar terreno al malo, hasta pillarlo.
Buenos personajes (esta Harry , no lo olvidemos), buena investigación (menos procedimiento policial en este caso porque Harry actúa como detective privado), alguna sorpresita final que no me esperaba pero con un colofón que es bastante previsible.
Leñe, me gusta eso de no saber quien es el asesino e ir elucubrando a lo largo del libro con las distintas pistas y giros que te va dando el autor (que sean creíbles, por supuesto). Esto de jugar a la inversa es un punto negativo para mi.
En cualquier caso, gran libro, gran thriller y gran disfrute.
December 21, 2016
The Poet is back! It's been years but he's resurfaced by leaving a note for FBI Agent Rachel Walling. She's called into a new task force as an "observer" since she's still banished to undesirable outposts because of what happened during the original investigation. Meanwhile, Harry Bosch is asked to look into the death of a friend who appeared to die from natural causes. But, it doesn't take long for his investigation to intersect with the FBI's task force.
I don't normally like revisiting former nemeses but this is one I looked forward to reading because The Poet was diabolical and I was shocked when his identity was revealed. This case lived up to his reputation as he continued to use wit, subterfuge and distractions but this time we've got Harry involved who was up to the task. He and Rachel made a good team, though I continue to have issues with that character.
I very much enjoyed this story and Len Cariou as the narrator. My audiobook edition had musical accompaniments to highlight certain parts of the story and I liked that enhancement. It was also pretty special being privy to Harry's relationship with his daughter Maddie. Combined with an unexpected twist at the end, this all made for another wonderful listening experience in the world of Harry Bosch. Still wild about him.
I don't normally like revisiting former nemeses but this is one I looked forward to reading because The Poet was diabolical and I was shocked when his identity was revealed. This case lived up to his reputation as he continued to use wit, subterfuge and distractions but this time we've got Harry involved who was up to the task. He and Rachel made a good team, though I continue to have issues with that character.
I very much enjoyed this story and Len Cariou as the narrator. My audiobook edition had musical accompaniments to highlight certain parts of the story and I liked that enhancement. It was also pretty special being privy to Harry's relationship with his daughter Maddie. Combined with an unexpected twist at the end, this all made for another wonderful listening experience in the world of Harry Bosch. Still wild about him.
December 21, 2017
❝
I knew this going in on the day I took the case that would lead me into the narrows. I knew that my life's mission would always take me to the places where evil waits, to the places where the truth that I might find would be an ugly and horrible thing.
❞
In this sequel to The Poet, Rachel Walling is once again on the trail of the sinister serial killer that evaded her years before. Operating on the fringes of the FBI with former detective Harry Bosch, Rachel works to overcome being used as bait to lure The Poet in and to keep him from completing his original deadly mission.
What I Liked:
-Even though I finished The Poet a while ago, I was able to pick up The Narrows and feel like I haven't missed a beat.
-Harry Bosch is such a realistic and fleshed-out character. His inclusion in the search for The Poet gave a good story even more meat.
What I Didn't Like:
-The ending felt a little rushed.
- I hate to say it, but Backus didn't seem as sinister in this book. That was disappointing.
What I Wanted More Of:
- More of Harry and Rachel together.
- More of Rachel and Harry together.
-
★★★★ For excellent writing and sufficient suspense. I'm glad for having read this book and I'd recommend it to fans of crime fiction, thrillers, and serial-killer suspense.
In this sequel to The Poet, Rachel Walling is once again on the trail of the sinister serial killer that evaded her years before. Operating on the fringes of the FBI with former detective Harry Bosch, Rachel works to overcome being used as bait to lure The Poet in and to keep him from completing his original deadly mission.
What I Liked:
-Even though I finished The Poet a while ago, I was able to pick up The Narrows and feel like I haven't missed a beat.
-Harry Bosch is such a realistic and fleshed-out character. His inclusion in the search for The Poet gave a good story even more meat.
What I Didn't Like:
-The ending felt a little rushed.
- I hate to say it, but Backus didn't seem as sinister in this book. That was disappointing.
What I Wanted More Of:
- More of Harry and Rachel together.
- More of Rachel and Harry together.
-
★★★★ For excellent writing and sufficient suspense. I'm glad for having read this book and I'd recommend it to fans of crime fiction, thrillers, and serial-killer suspense.
November 4, 2023
The thrilling sequel to THE POET
Connelly's ability to build his Los Angeles universe, tie his characters' background and stories together and continue to extend their already richly developed personalities is pure magic. In THE NARROWS, Harry Bosch, LA homicide detective retired and now erstwhile private investigator, is asked to look into the death of his friend Terry McCaleb. McCaleb's widow is not convinced that his death was as simple as it seems and knows that Terry would have wanted Bosch to tie up any loose ends.
The revelation that THE NARROWS is, in fact, a sequel to his first stand-alone novel, comes early in the novel. Bosch's labyrinthine investigations have put him onto the trail of Robert Backus, the former FBI agent turned rogue serial killer (known as THE POET) who had been presumed dead at the end of that novel. It's now clear that Backus has re-surfaced and is back on the killing trail with a brutally renewed vigour. In fact, he's got his sights set on anyone that took part in his first takedown and #1 on that hit list is FBI agent, Rachel Walling.
Despite the fact that Connelly's skilled plotting never leaves anything to be desired in the way of thrills and shivers, red herrings, surprises and about-faces, the real beauty to the Harry Bosch novels is the intricate attention to procedural details and a deep, complex, angst-ridden psychological structure for each and every character that is capable of overwhelming any sniffing reader with a real-world aroma. Connelly's characters' perfumes are a rich and heady metaphorical mixture ranging from delicate, beautiful floral notes to overtones of bleak, raw, undiluted sewage.
Harry Bosch fans who have ridden Connelly's success train from that very first novel, THE BLACK ECHO, will smile as the blossom of Bosch's love for his newly discovered daughter continues to open, as he struggles to understand and resolve his frustrating relationship with his ex-wife, Eleanor Wish (now working as a professional gambler in the Las Vegas casino circuit), and as he falls into the complication of a new attraction for FBI agent, Rachel Walling.
Harry Bosch is a classic character in the making who will stand beside the likes of Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot for many, many years to come. Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
Connelly's ability to build his Los Angeles universe, tie his characters' background and stories together and continue to extend their already richly developed personalities is pure magic. In THE NARROWS, Harry Bosch, LA homicide detective retired and now erstwhile private investigator, is asked to look into the death of his friend Terry McCaleb. McCaleb's widow is not convinced that his death was as simple as it seems and knows that Terry would have wanted Bosch to tie up any loose ends.
The revelation that THE NARROWS is, in fact, a sequel to his first stand-alone novel, comes early in the novel. Bosch's labyrinthine investigations have put him onto the trail of Robert Backus, the former FBI agent turned rogue serial killer (known as THE POET) who had been presumed dead at the end of that novel. It's now clear that Backus has re-surfaced and is back on the killing trail with a brutally renewed vigour. In fact, he's got his sights set on anyone that took part in his first takedown and #1 on that hit list is FBI agent, Rachel Walling.
Despite the fact that Connelly's skilled plotting never leaves anything to be desired in the way of thrills and shivers, red herrings, surprises and about-faces, the real beauty to the Harry Bosch novels is the intricate attention to procedural details and a deep, complex, angst-ridden psychological structure for each and every character that is capable of overwhelming any sniffing reader with a real-world aroma. Connelly's characters' perfumes are a rich and heady metaphorical mixture ranging from delicate, beautiful floral notes to overtones of bleak, raw, undiluted sewage.
Harry Bosch fans who have ridden Connelly's success train from that very first novel, THE BLACK ECHO, will smile as the blossom of Bosch's love for his newly discovered daughter continues to open, as he struggles to understand and resolve his frustrating relationship with his ex-wife, Eleanor Wish (now working as a professional gambler in the Las Vegas casino circuit), and as he falls into the complication of a new attraction for FBI agent, Rachel Walling.
Harry Bosch is a classic character in the making who will stand beside the likes of Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot for many, many years to come. Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
Read
March 24, 2016Solid addition to a satisfying series
The Hook Personal goal to work my way through this series.
The Line “The woman had long journeys in her voice and I liked that.”
The Sinker – The character of Harry Bosch captivates me. I believe this is due to his blend of a hard-core, rough-edged cop who can throw a punch with the best of them, and in the next scene displays an underlying gentleness that brushes the hair off his sleeping daughter’s brow and appreciates, art, music, poetry or a good book.
The Poet is back. Normally I don’t like to see the ones that got away return for another outing of mayhem. In this case, reviving the character of Robert Backus made a compelling case. I would suggest reading that book first to fully appreciate The Narrows. Though not technically a Bosch book, The Poet was the first in reporter Jack McEvoy series, Bosch and FBI Agent Rachel Walling play major roles in both books.
The Narrows turned out to be one of my favorites of those I’ve read in the Bosch series. As I was listening I kept thinking I’m not going to write much about it as what’s to say that I haven’t already said in other reviews about the series. But here I am yammering trying to convince you of its appeal.
Bosch, retired from the LAPD continues his role as a private investigator in this outing. There is a tease here that his investigator days may soon be over but in the meantime he is hired by ex-FBI profiler, Terry McCaleb’s wife to investigate his suspicious death. Bosch initially suspects a man named Jordan Shandy. It soon becomes apparent that Shandy is none other than Backus who once deemed dead, may not be, and is responsible for McCaleb’s demise and several other horrific deaths.
What could have been a ho hum story turns out to be a fast paced, page-turner. I found myself extending my walking time to see how the case unfolds. That’s the sign of a good audio listen for me. Len Cariou once again does a superior job in narration. Cariou’s got just the right brash for Bosch’s voice yet manages to tone it down for the more sensitive side of the man. Cariou adeptly brings to life all the characters, changing pitch and timbre for these. I highly recommend this audio edition by Time Warner.
One last thought. Salon’s Critics Page Turner with a Brain Charles Taylor states:
"What is distracting and inescapable here are the patches of bad writing: “You can become unhinged and cut loose from the world. You can believe you are a permanent outsider. But the innocence of a child will bring you back and give you the shield of joy with which to protect yourself.” Ewwww."
Frankly Charles, that’s why I love Harry.
The Hook Personal goal to work my way through this series.
The Line “The woman had long journeys in her voice and I liked that.”
The Sinker – The character of Harry Bosch captivates me. I believe this is due to his blend of a hard-core, rough-edged cop who can throw a punch with the best of them, and in the next scene displays an underlying gentleness that brushes the hair off his sleeping daughter’s brow and appreciates, art, music, poetry or a good book.
The Poet is back. Normally I don’t like to see the ones that got away return for another outing of mayhem. In this case, reviving the character of Robert Backus made a compelling case. I would suggest reading that book first to fully appreciate The Narrows. Though not technically a Bosch book, The Poet was the first in reporter Jack McEvoy series, Bosch and FBI Agent Rachel Walling play major roles in both books.
The Narrows turned out to be one of my favorites of those I’ve read in the Bosch series. As I was listening I kept thinking I’m not going to write much about it as what’s to say that I haven’t already said in other reviews about the series. But here I am yammering trying to convince you of its appeal.
Bosch, retired from the LAPD continues his role as a private investigator in this outing. There is a tease here that his investigator days may soon be over but in the meantime he is hired by ex-FBI profiler, Terry McCaleb’s wife to investigate his suspicious death. Bosch initially suspects a man named Jordan Shandy. It soon becomes apparent that Shandy is none other than Backus who once deemed dead, may not be, and is responsible for McCaleb’s demise and several other horrific deaths.
What could have been a ho hum story turns out to be a fast paced, page-turner. I found myself extending my walking time to see how the case unfolds. That’s the sign of a good audio listen for me. Len Cariou once again does a superior job in narration. Cariou’s got just the right brash for Bosch’s voice yet manages to tone it down for the more sensitive side of the man. Cariou adeptly brings to life all the characters, changing pitch and timbre for these. I highly recommend this audio edition by Time Warner.
One last thought. Salon’s Critics Page Turner with a Brain Charles Taylor states:
"What is distracting and inescapable here are the patches of bad writing: “You can become unhinged and cut loose from the world. You can believe you are a permanent outsider. But the innocence of a child will bring you back and give you the shield of joy with which to protect yourself.” Ewwww."
Frankly Charles, that’s why I love Harry.
April 7, 2016
Working my way steadily through the Harry Bosch series and here I am at number 10. I can always rely on Michael Connelly for a good read and as usual he did not let me down. Harry is working really well at the moment, using his smarts and keeping ahead of the FBI in his investigations. He is still working as a PI but it appears that he is about to go back into the police force. The Narrows is the usual format - lots of police procedure interspersed with action and plenty of suspense. The way Connelly writes it it really works. And hallelujah - I still have at least 11 more to read:)
January 22, 2023
The Narrows (2006) is #10 in the Harry Bosch series, though the villain in it I learn from the cover is also the central baddie in a stand-alone novel, The Poet, that is listed as “in the Harry Bosch universe,” published in 1996. I guess I may read that book now, too. Bosch had not really created a villain that last through several books; he kills off or captures a villain per book in the classic style. The Poet is a former member of the FBI, a serial killer who--the brief description of the 1996 book says was a cop killer, is also the killer, in The Narrows, of “johns” who frequent brothels in Nevada.
In this one the retired Bosch is doing a favor for the wife of a friend, Tarry McCaleb, who it seems might have been killed by The Poet. The Narrows does not feature The Poet’s crime beat reporter Jack McEvoy, but does feature an FBI agent Rachel Walling, who shot the Poet in that book. She works with Bosch to help track down The Poet and has a little fling with him. We’ll see if more develops in future books, but success with women is not in Bosch’s cards, so I am not holding my breath. This is a good book, but not for me a standout in the series.
Some features:
*This is the second book in the series read by great Canadian actor Len Carriou, who is the best reader of these books so far, by far.
*We still do not have a satisfactory explanation why Bosch’s ex waited four years to reveal to him that she had his baby, Maddie, and we don’t really know why she left him, but the Maddie daddy story humanizes this otherwise humorless guy’s story.
*Speaking of humor, usually there is comic relief in detective novels, but not in the Bosch books, but in this one Connelly tries out Caleb’s former employee, goofball Buddy Lockridge
*The Narrows is not about Zion National Park’s Narrows (which I expected), but does involve--in a dramatic climax in a thunderstorm that presages the fall 2022 rain disasters--The LA area Glendale Narrows
*Kiz Rider talks Bosch into coming back to the LAPD to be her partner.
In this one the retired Bosch is doing a favor for the wife of a friend, Tarry McCaleb, who it seems might have been killed by The Poet. The Narrows does not feature The Poet’s crime beat reporter Jack McEvoy, but does feature an FBI agent Rachel Walling, who shot the Poet in that book. She works with Bosch to help track down The Poet and has a little fling with him. We’ll see if more develops in future books, but success with women is not in Bosch’s cards, so I am not holding my breath. This is a good book, but not for me a standout in the series.
Some features:
*This is the second book in the series read by great Canadian actor Len Carriou, who is the best reader of these books so far, by far.
*We still do not have a satisfactory explanation why Bosch’s ex waited four years to reveal to him that she had his baby, Maddie, and we don’t really know why she left him, but the Maddie daddy story humanizes this otherwise humorless guy’s story.
*Speaking of humor, usually there is comic relief in detective novels, but not in the Bosch books, but in this one Connelly tries out Caleb’s former employee, goofball Buddy Lockridge
*The Narrows is not about Zion National Park’s Narrows (which I expected), but does involve--in a dramatic climax in a thunderstorm that presages the fall 2022 rain disasters--The LA area Glendale Narrows
*Kiz Rider talks Bosch into coming back to the LAPD to be her partner.
September 25, 2021
4,5 estrellas (Everybody counts or nobody counts)
Otro libro muy entretenido que lee como un tiro... De éste poco se puede decir que no destripe la trama.
Décimotercer libro en el universo de Harry Bosch y décimo en su saga particular. Aquí hay que decir que si bien no es imprescindible haberse leído El Poeta (Primer libro de Jack McEvoy), sí que es altamente recomendable, pues uno entenderá mejor el porqué de la aparición de muchos personajes con roles muy activos dentro del libro, pues habrá más de un protagonista.
Como viene siendo la tónica habitual con los libros de Michael Connelly, es un libro que se lee en un visto y no visto: investigación pura y dura, nada de paja y una trama creíble y que engancha hasta la última página. Es un libro con muchas sorpresas, sobre todo la relacionada con la víctima desencadenante del caso, con la que me he quedado de piedra (tanto que he tenido que volver a varios de los libros anteriores para ver si es que me estaba perdiendo algo... pero no).
En cuanto a cambios en narración con respecto a los anteriores, se trata del primero en el que las narraciones en primera persona de varios personajes se combinan con las de una en tercera persona y desde el punto de vista de un narrador omnipresente/omnisciente. Los capítulos, no obstante, siguen igual: no hay ninguno que pase de los 15 minutos de lectura.
Michael Connelly sabe cómo enganchar desde la primera página y es una muestra de calidad el que después de 13 libros no haya decaído ni un ápice la diversión que me causa el leerlos.
Otro libro muy entretenido que lee como un tiro... De éste poco se puede decir que no destripe la trama.
Décimotercer libro en el universo de Harry Bosch y décimo en su saga particular. Aquí hay que decir que si bien no es imprescindible haberse leído El Poeta (Primer libro de Jack McEvoy), sí que es altamente recomendable, pues uno entenderá mejor el porqué de la aparición de muchos personajes con roles muy activos dentro del libro, pues habrá más de un protagonista.
Como viene siendo la tónica habitual con los libros de Michael Connelly, es un libro que se lee en un visto y no visto: investigación pura y dura, nada de paja y una trama creíble y que engancha hasta la última página. Es un libro con muchas sorpresas, sobre todo la relacionada con la víctima desencadenante del caso, con la que me he quedado de piedra (tanto que he tenido que volver a varios de los libros anteriores para ver si es que me estaba perdiendo algo... pero no).
En cuanto a cambios en narración con respecto a los anteriores, se trata del primero en el que las narraciones en primera persona de varios personajes se combinan con las de una en tercera persona y desde el punto de vista de un narrador omnipresente/omnisciente. Los capítulos, no obstante, siguen igual: no hay ninguno que pase de los 15 minutos de lectura.
Michael Connelly sabe cómo enganchar desde la primera página y es una muestra de calidad el que después de 13 libros no haya decaído ni un ápice la diversión que me causa el leerlos.
March 26, 2024
The first hundred pages flew by in one sitting. So happy a Goodreads friend told me about this sequel to The Poet. Characters from previous books intersect with new ones making it a guilty pleasure to read and revisit the Bosch Universe!
March 31, 2024
Конъли обича героите от вселената му да преплитат съдбите си на страниците от творбите му.
И тази негова книга не е изключение - Хари Бош разследва смъртта на Тери Маккейлъб заедно с бившата му колежка, агент Рейчъл Уолинг. Всичко се развива под сянката на мрачното и застрашително присъствие на серийния убиец Поета, успешно избягвал години залавянето си, въпреки огромните усилия на ФБР.
В живота му отново присъстват Елинър Уиш и дъщеричката му и единствено времето прекарано с Мади в Лас Вегас го кара да се колебае дали да приеме възможността да се завърне в LAPD.
Мисля, че с тази своя 12 книга Конъли слага край на един интензивен и вълнуващ период от живота на Бош и ще направя пауза в препрочитането на серията, но непременно ще се върна по-късно към новите му приключения!
И тази негова книга не е изключение - Хари Бош разследва смъртта на Тери Маккейлъб заедно с бившата му колежка, агент Рейчъл Уолинг. Всичко се развива под сянката на мрачното и застрашително присъствие на серийния убиец Поета, успешно избягвал години залавянето си, въпреки огромните усилия на ФБР.
В живота му отново присъстват Елинър Уиш и дъщеричката му и единствено времето прекарано с Мади в Лас Вегас го кара да се колебае дали да приеме възможността да се завърне в LAPD.
Мисля, че с тази своя 12 книга Конъли слага край на един интензивен и вълнуващ период от живота на Бош и ще направя пауза в препрочитането на серията, но непременно ще се върна по-късно към новите му приключения!
September 17, 2022
I know there are some big Connelly fans, and I’m sure he’s written better books than this one, so I’ll try to keep my feelings factual and concise.
Overall, my feeling from the book is that Connelly had some loose ends and some live characters from his previous novels, and decided to throw them together in a book that would make some money. The writing is tight and flows well, so I get how he could be a popular author. But I don’t feel he put much effort at all into making this an interesting book – it’s more like filler space for hardcore fans.
Overall, my feeling from the book is that Connelly had some loose ends and some live characters from his previous novels, and decided to throw them together in a book that would make some money. The writing is tight and flows well, so I get how he could be a popular author. But I don’t feel he put much effort at all into making this an interesting book – it’s more like filler space for hardcore fans.
September 6, 2020
Beautiful! I read this book after reading the first one, The Poet, and I really liked that too. Michael Connelly is very good at creating that tension that leads you to want to take the Poet, to wish that Harry Bosch and Rachel Walling won't let him get away this time. The Poet plays really dirty this time and commits many murders, while Harry gets back on his trail after Terry McCaleb's wife asks him to investigate the strange death of her husband (who was also hunting the Poet) apparently for a heart attack. And the twists are certainly not lacking in this adventure, where in addition to the hunt for the Poet, Rachel must also fight against the obtuseness of her boss at the FBI, more concerned about the political implications of the affair than about taking the Poet. Intertwined with these events is also the story between Harry and Rachel, which develops on the physical and also on the sentimental level, with the two protagonists sharing many things, both personally and professionally. Obviously I can't tell you anything about how the plot ends but know that the last 50 pages will make you really estranged from the world, completely immersed in the story. Bravo Connelly.
May 22, 2019
Former LAPD detective Harry Bosch knew he would help Graciela McCaleb when she contacted him. He was shocked to discover his friend Terry hadn’t died of natural causes and promised to find out what he could. The link to an old foe, the Poet, was the first thing Harry uncovered. And with his search and deep digging into Terry’s notes on the case file, he had theories and suppositions. His following up of those put him directly into the path of the FBI and agent Rachel Walling.
Would the Poet be found? Or would he continue to play the games he was so well known for. His penchant for evil had Rachel and Harry looking over their shoulders – but it seemed the Poet was one step ahead of them the whole way…
The Narrows by Michael Connelly is the 10th in the Harry Bosch series and another brilliantly executed thriller by an author who never lets his readers down. Plenty of twists and turns, along with plenty of bodies – The Narrows is another I highly recommend.
Would the Poet be found? Or would he continue to play the games he was so well known for. His penchant for evil had Rachel and Harry looking over their shoulders – but it seemed the Poet was one step ahead of them the whole way…
The Narrows by Michael Connelly is the 10th in the Harry Bosch series and another brilliantly executed thriller by an author who never lets his readers down. Plenty of twists and turns, along with plenty of bodies – The Narrows is another I highly recommend.
May 21, 2023
Wow, finished this in 2 days! I waited a month for a new Audible credit so I could buy the next Bosch book in the series and I finished it in 2 days! Lol! Oh well, guess I was eager.
What can I say without spoiling something? I guess it was a good thing I read Blood Work and The Poet because this background was very good to have. We meet FBI agent Rachel Walling again, who is being unofficially penalized for having a relationship with Jack McAvoy, the reporter. Of all the professions with which to have a relationship, apparently the reporter is the worst when it comes to the FBI.
Bosch gets pulled into this story as a private citizen/ P.I. hired by an old friend’s wife. He and Rachel battle the FBI while trying to make headway in a related old case.
Lots of action but I was a bit tired of some the same characters and same criminal as we had in a previous story. I didn’t need more of them. Less mystery here because we know whodunnit. But it was pretty good.
Len Cariou narrated again and he was great.
Recommended for Bosch fans.
What can I say without spoiling something? I guess it was a good thing I read Blood Work and The Poet because this background was very good to have. We meet FBI agent Rachel Walling again, who is being unofficially penalized for having a relationship with Jack McAvoy, the reporter. Of all the professions with which to have a relationship, apparently the reporter is the worst when it comes to the FBI.
Bosch gets pulled into this story as a private citizen/ P.I. hired by an old friend’s wife. He and Rachel battle the FBI while trying to make headway in a related old case.
Lots of action but I was a bit tired of some the same characters and same criminal as we had in a previous story. I didn’t need more of them. Less mystery here because we know whodunnit. But it was pretty good.
Len Cariou narrated again and he was great.
Recommended for Bosch fans.
November 16, 2019
** Continuing my read and review of Michael Connelly’s Detective Bosch series **
Connelly’s 14th book and 10th outing with Bosch - “The Narrows” - was first published back in 2004. Detective Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch is a Vietnam war veteran and a twenty-year police officer serving in the Los Angeles, California police department. Harry was once a star in the Robbery/Homicide division, working out of the LA city headquarters until his bad habit of fighting the formal structure of the police department and especially those in leadership positions led him to being demoted to the Hollywood detective squad.
Following his last outing - “lost Light” – Bosch turned in his badge in protest of being transferred to Deputy Chief Irving’s office and became a private investigator. He also discovered that he had a four-year old daughter, Madeline, with his ex-wife, Eleanor.
This time out the story starts out with two plotlines occurring simultaneously. The first one is returning FBI agent, Rachel Walling, last seen hunting serial killer, Robert Backus, in Connelly’s previous novel, “The Poet”. Backus was a former mentor to Rachel and supervisor in the FBI, interviewing and profiling serial killers, and using what he learned to enhance his own hideous killing methods. Rachel receives a call from another FBI investigation team with a clue-laden message that insinuates to her that Backus survived their last outing when he was shot and assumed dead in the sewers of Los Angeles.
The second one focuses on Harry Bosch, comfortable in his private detective role and developing a bonding relationship with his daughter, Maddie. He receives a call from Graciela McCaleb, the recently widowed wife of Terry McCaleb, former FBI profiler, who worked with Harry on a previous case. It is Terry’s begrudging respect for Harry’s passionate perseverance and resolute focus that brings Graciela to him to investigate her unresolved concerns about her husband’s “accidental” death. As Bosch investigates Terry’s pre-death activity, he discovers Terry was working on various unsolved cases, including one of special interest involving six bodies found in California desert. Terry was working on several different angles in investigating who the killer might be and Bosch begins to rebuild what the profiler had found out and if it cost him his life.
When Bosch heads to the desert site to confirm a theory, he unexpectedly runs into Rachel and her overzealous team lead, who wants no part of Bosch’s involvement. However, both investigations – Harry’s independent work and Rachel’s FBI’s team’s case – merge together when Rachel is assigned to babysit Harry and keep him away from the action. Instead harry and Rachel combine their resources to search for Robert Backus before he kills again. What they don’t realize is that the Poet is a head of them, with a plan that will lead them into the darkness of evil where he will get his revenge…
Like the previous books, this one takes place over a period of about a week or so. The two primary plots and viewpoints – Harry’s (first person) and Rachel’s (third person) – are told in a fast-paced, staccato style that pulls you in from the beginning and easily keeps your full attention. As with his previous books, Connelly’s prose is sharp and precise. There are no wasted words and his descriptions are crisp and flow with dramatic energy. He makes it so easy to just soak in the words effortlessly and get lost in the story as if you were present and fully participating in the events.
Another interesting item of note was that Harry is changing, evolving, and growing. Although this is Bosch’s 10th outing, his character has not plateaued in any way. Neither has Connelly let him get comfortable or boring in any way. Harry is forced to deal with his bi-polar relationship with his ex-wife, Eleanor, and her keeping his daughter a secret from him for several years. His anger and frustration are real, but he is mellowing and learning from his past to focus on what matters most, which is spending time with his daughter and truly loving her in an unselfish manner.
Even more importantly, even though Harry stays true to the inner core of what defines him – an investigator who solves cases and represents those who cannot represent themselves – he is coming to terms of how he can best serve others. He still has the edge of darkness that drives him, his anger and lashing out against the formal structures of law enforcement seems to be mellowing out a little. Maybe he is figuring out how to merge his investigative style with a need to get along in the formal command structure in order to leverage his effectiveness in finding killers and criminals. Maybe he is gaining wisdom and growing. Even if that is not the case, Connelly keeps Bosch complex and aging in a manner that provides us a flawed hero who is doing his best to make the world a better place to live.
As I have described (probably too many times) in my previous reviews, there are so many strengths that Connelly has as a writer. He is a master of plotting, characters, and setting – mixing each one together in a winning synergistic style of his own. Connelly’s plotting is tighter than a steel drum. He unfolds Bosch’s new investigative freedom in an engaging delivery that demands and keeps our full attention. In addition, he uses the greater Los Angeles and Las Vegas locations to breathe vibrant life and energy to his stories, adding additional depth to the drama.
I especially appreciated how Connelly uses this novel to continue plotlines and bring back characters from not only “The Poet”, but also “Blood Work” and “A Darkness More Than Night”, to tie together multiple storylines and unresolved mysteries. Although I am deeply saddened to lose Terry McCaleb. He was a great character – an incredibly gifted profiler, whose career basically came at the sacrifice of his family. For me, he a flawed, but deeply driven man wo spent his time fighting the darkness of evil. I may be wrong, but it seems we might have even had a brief cameo from Cassie Black, a professional thief from another Connelly novel, “Void Moon”. I love seeing past characters brought back again to strengthen current stories. Connelly doesn’t just give them lip service - they serve important roles in the storylines.
Overall, I find I am, repeating myself. I make this same statement after finishing each of his novels, and I am making it again - Bosch just gets better and better. It’s that simple. I don’t know how he keeps raising the bar, but he does. And now that Harry has a developing relationship with his daughter as well as making another career change at the end of this book, there are new challenges and directions Connelly can take him – both professionally and personally. I can’t wait to read and find out what happens next…
Connelly’s 14th book and 10th outing with Bosch - “The Narrows” - was first published back in 2004. Detective Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch is a Vietnam war veteran and a twenty-year police officer serving in the Los Angeles, California police department. Harry was once a star in the Robbery/Homicide division, working out of the LA city headquarters until his bad habit of fighting the formal structure of the police department and especially those in leadership positions led him to being demoted to the Hollywood detective squad.
Following his last outing - “lost Light” – Bosch turned in his badge in protest of being transferred to Deputy Chief Irving’s office and became a private investigator. He also discovered that he had a four-year old daughter, Madeline, with his ex-wife, Eleanor.
This time out the story starts out with two plotlines occurring simultaneously. The first one is returning FBI agent, Rachel Walling, last seen hunting serial killer, Robert Backus, in Connelly’s previous novel, “The Poet”. Backus was a former mentor to Rachel and supervisor in the FBI, interviewing and profiling serial killers, and using what he learned to enhance his own hideous killing methods. Rachel receives a call from another FBI investigation team with a clue-laden message that insinuates to her that Backus survived their last outing when he was shot and assumed dead in the sewers of Los Angeles.
The second one focuses on Harry Bosch, comfortable in his private detective role and developing a bonding relationship with his daughter, Maddie. He receives a call from Graciela McCaleb, the recently widowed wife of Terry McCaleb, former FBI profiler, who worked with Harry on a previous case. It is Terry’s begrudging respect for Harry’s passionate perseverance and resolute focus that brings Graciela to him to investigate her unresolved concerns about her husband’s “accidental” death. As Bosch investigates Terry’s pre-death activity, he discovers Terry was working on various unsolved cases, including one of special interest involving six bodies found in California desert. Terry was working on several different angles in investigating who the killer might be and Bosch begins to rebuild what the profiler had found out and if it cost him his life.
When Bosch heads to the desert site to confirm a theory, he unexpectedly runs into Rachel and her overzealous team lead, who wants no part of Bosch’s involvement. However, both investigations – Harry’s independent work and Rachel’s FBI’s team’s case – merge together when Rachel is assigned to babysit Harry and keep him away from the action. Instead harry and Rachel combine their resources to search for Robert Backus before he kills again. What they don’t realize is that the Poet is a head of them, with a plan that will lead them into the darkness of evil where he will get his revenge…
Like the previous books, this one takes place over a period of about a week or so. The two primary plots and viewpoints – Harry’s (first person) and Rachel’s (third person) – are told in a fast-paced, staccato style that pulls you in from the beginning and easily keeps your full attention. As with his previous books, Connelly’s prose is sharp and precise. There are no wasted words and his descriptions are crisp and flow with dramatic energy. He makes it so easy to just soak in the words effortlessly and get lost in the story as if you were present and fully participating in the events.
Another interesting item of note was that Harry is changing, evolving, and growing. Although this is Bosch’s 10th outing, his character has not plateaued in any way. Neither has Connelly let him get comfortable or boring in any way. Harry is forced to deal with his bi-polar relationship with his ex-wife, Eleanor, and her keeping his daughter a secret from him for several years. His anger and frustration are real, but he is mellowing and learning from his past to focus on what matters most, which is spending time with his daughter and truly loving her in an unselfish manner.
Even more importantly, even though Harry stays true to the inner core of what defines him – an investigator who solves cases and represents those who cannot represent themselves – he is coming to terms of how he can best serve others. He still has the edge of darkness that drives him, his anger and lashing out against the formal structures of law enforcement seems to be mellowing out a little. Maybe he is figuring out how to merge his investigative style with a need to get along in the formal command structure in order to leverage his effectiveness in finding killers and criminals. Maybe he is gaining wisdom and growing. Even if that is not the case, Connelly keeps Bosch complex and aging in a manner that provides us a flawed hero who is doing his best to make the world a better place to live.
As I have described (probably too many times) in my previous reviews, there are so many strengths that Connelly has as a writer. He is a master of plotting, characters, and setting – mixing each one together in a winning synergistic style of his own. Connelly’s plotting is tighter than a steel drum. He unfolds Bosch’s new investigative freedom in an engaging delivery that demands and keeps our full attention. In addition, he uses the greater Los Angeles and Las Vegas locations to breathe vibrant life and energy to his stories, adding additional depth to the drama.
I especially appreciated how Connelly uses this novel to continue plotlines and bring back characters from not only “The Poet”, but also “Blood Work” and “A Darkness More Than Night”, to tie together multiple storylines and unresolved mysteries. Although I am deeply saddened to lose Terry McCaleb. He was a great character – an incredibly gifted profiler, whose career basically came at the sacrifice of his family. For me, he a flawed, but deeply driven man wo spent his time fighting the darkness of evil. I may be wrong, but it seems we might have even had a brief cameo from Cassie Black, a professional thief from another Connelly novel, “Void Moon”. I love seeing past characters brought back again to strengthen current stories. Connelly doesn’t just give them lip service - they serve important roles in the storylines.
Overall, I find I am, repeating myself. I make this same statement after finishing each of his novels, and I am making it again - Bosch just gets better and better. It’s that simple. I don’t know how he keeps raising the bar, but he does. And now that Harry has a developing relationship with his daughter as well as making another career change at the end of this book, there are new challenges and directions Connelly can take him – both professionally and personally. I can’t wait to read and find out what happens next…
January 23, 2020
(3.5 stars)
FBI agent Rachel Walling gets a call: the serial killer known as the Poet is back - a grave full of bodies has been found. Former LAPD detective Harry Bosch gets a call also from the widow of an old friend, to investigate her husband's death. These two cases cross at that grave. At odds with FBI, they are in a chase after the Poet, who seems to be one step ahead at every turn... a ride that takes them to Las Vegas, then back to LA.
This is a continuation to a previous book, The Poet, but if you start reading from here, you don't need to read that book to soon know where things are currently. Also this is a fine place to start with Harry Bosch books, especially if you don't mind mild spoilers. Bosch's POV is in first person here, which suits the book also fine. The old friend's death is tied to the main case (through ).
The Poet, Walling and the FBI made me think of what a Criminal Minds/Harry Bosch crossover could be like (what interesting ways things could go). I was kind of glad at how Walling and Bosch's . Although the chasing of the Poet was the main deal, I feel that , but still I think that amount fit the book well, otherwise it might've felt a bit heavy.
Also loved the moods of nature in this book: the heat, the rain, the waters...
Not a bad place to start with, and a pretty good case too.
FBI agent Rachel Walling gets a call: the serial killer known as the Poet is back - a grave full of bodies has been found. Former LAPD detective Harry Bosch gets a call also from the widow of an old friend, to investigate her husband's death. These two cases cross at that grave. At odds with FBI, they are in a chase after the Poet, who seems to be one step ahead at every turn... a ride that takes them to Las Vegas, then back to LA.
This is a continuation to a previous book, The Poet, but if you start reading from here, you don't need to read that book to soon know where things are currently. Also this is a fine place to start with Harry Bosch books, especially if you don't mind mild spoilers. Bosch's POV is in first person here, which suits the book also fine. The old friend's death is tied to the main case (through ).
The Poet, Walling and the FBI made me think of what a Criminal Minds/Harry Bosch crossover could be like (what interesting ways things could go). I was kind of glad at how Walling and Bosch's . Although the chasing of the Poet was the main deal, I feel that , but still I think that amount fit the book well, otherwise it might've felt a bit heavy.
Also loved the moods of nature in this book: the heat, the rain, the waters...
Not a bad place to start with, and a pretty good case too.
February 1, 2018
I found this story to be all right, but not exceptional. It could have used more action and a clear, refined end in my opinion. 6 of 10 stars
June 22, 2016
8/10
This is basically an Avengers Assemble for the Harry Bosch world. Pretty much everyone who has been in a Bosch book up to this point (sorry, no Mickey Haller) is either here or mentioned here. Ok, no Edger either and probably loads more that I've forgot. But, my point is this novel is by no means standalone and requires a bit of reading from other books in Michael Connelly's bibliography to fully get what's happening.
The story is split over 3 viewpoints, the main two are Harry Bosch (first person narrative) and Rachel Walling (third person narrative) and then there is The Poet but there are only a few bits dotted around for them (also third person narrative). I only mention the narratives as this can be a bit jarring at times, not so much early on as they are done in big chunks but come the end there is basically a change every paragraph and when shit is going down it makes it frustrating to be constantly flicking.
I only mention this as its one of the few negatives here. There are some stupid actions from people who aren't stupid which is only done to gear up the plot but other than that this is a really solid read with an interesting plot and the usual well woven story that keeps you reading later on a night than you should. I also kind of want to know why everyone is a dick to Buddy too, not just here but all the books he's in. Poor lazy hippy.
You really need to read The Poet before reading this one as it is basically the sequel to that even though Bosch wasn't in that one. Reading Blood Work would also be beneficial but it pains me to recommend that as I find that is the only dud Connelly has written of those which I've read. This one is far superior however and I was happy with how things ended up and where the next book will go and I feel that some of the characters mentioned throughout may have had their dog day and be put to sleep by Connelly.
If you like this try: "The Sins of the Fathers" by Lawrence Block
This is basically an Avengers Assemble for the Harry Bosch world. Pretty much everyone who has been in a Bosch book up to this point (sorry, no Mickey Haller) is either here or mentioned here. Ok, no Edger either and probably loads more that I've forgot. But, my point is this novel is by no means standalone and requires a bit of reading from other books in Michael Connelly's bibliography to fully get what's happening.
The story is split over 3 viewpoints, the main two are Harry Bosch (first person narrative) and Rachel Walling (third person narrative) and then there is The Poet but there are only a few bits dotted around for them (also third person narrative). I only mention the narratives as this can be a bit jarring at times, not so much early on as they are done in big chunks but come the end there is basically a change every paragraph and when shit is going down it makes it frustrating to be constantly flicking.
I only mention this as its one of the few negatives here. There are some stupid actions from people who aren't stupid which is only done to gear up the plot but other than that this is a really solid read with an interesting plot and the usual well woven story that keeps you reading later on a night than you should. I also kind of want to know why everyone is a dick to Buddy too, not just here but all the books he's in. Poor lazy hippy.
You really need to read The Poet before reading this one as it is basically the sequel to that even though Bosch wasn't in that one. Reading Blood Work would also be beneficial but it pains me to recommend that as I find that is the only dud Connelly has written of those which I've read. This one is far superior however and I was happy with how things ended up and where the next book will go and I feel that some of the characters mentioned throughout may have had their dog day and be put to sleep by Connelly.
If you like this try: "The Sins of the Fathers" by Lawrence Block
April 12, 2017
I enjoy this series as a nice diversion from some of the more challenging and literary oriented books I read.
Bosch is eminently relatable as the brooding loner, still stinging from the wounds of his youth, and unable to stay close to any woman--unless it's on a case. There's a romanticism about him from afar, even if being him would be a lonely and painful existence.
In Narrows, Connelly brings together several of his regular characters like Terry Mcaleb from Bloodwork and Rachel Walling, the FBI profiler. They come together nicely as Bosch and Walling chase a serial killer using clues from the ghost of Mcaleb. Don't worry. No spoilers. This is all page one stuff.
One thing I didn't like was that Connelly wrote Bosch in first person, while the rest of the book was in closely held third person point of view. Something about that format pulled me out of the book at times. I'd like to see him write the whole book in closely held third when he's using all these other characters.
Bosch is eminently relatable as the brooding loner, still stinging from the wounds of his youth, and unable to stay close to any woman--unless it's on a case. There's a romanticism about him from afar, even if being him would be a lonely and painful existence.
In Narrows, Connelly brings together several of his regular characters like Terry Mcaleb from Bloodwork and Rachel Walling, the FBI profiler. They come together nicely as Bosch and Walling chase a serial killer using clues from the ghost of Mcaleb. Don't worry. No spoilers. This is all page one stuff.
One thing I didn't like was that Connelly wrote Bosch in first person, while the rest of the book was in closely held third person point of view. Something about that format pulled me out of the book at times. I'd like to see him write the whole book in closely held third when he's using all these other characters.
February 29, 2024
“The Narrows”, the tenth book by Michael Connelly to feature his protagonist Harry Bosch, is one of those fun rarities found most commonly on TV and mystery novels and, lately, Marvel superhero movies: a crossover.
Back in 1996, Connelly wrote a disturbing and intense thriller called “The Poet��� about a serial killer who dropped references to Edgar Allen Poe’s poetry at his crime scenes. The Poet, although presumed dead, was never actually caught.
Flash forward to 2004. Bosch, who never worked the Poet case, is investigating the death of his friend, an ex-FBI agent named Terry McCaleb (also a crossover, as McCaleb was featured in a stand-alone novel, “Blood Work”, published in ’98, and guest-starred in the Bosch novel “A Darkness More Than Night”, published 2001), whose specialty was profiling. Bosch’s investigation uncovers McCaleb’s interest in the Poet, which eventually leads him to the Nevada desert outside Vegas, where he serendipitously meets Rachel Walling, the FBI agent who worked the original Poet case.
Walling has been called in after being assigned a shit detail after the Poet debacle. (I won’t spoil it for those who haven’t read “The Poet”, other than to say that the Poet was an embarrassing case for the FBI, and Walling was targeted as the scape-goat, despite the fact that she did nothing wrong.) The FBI is investigating murders that have the Poet’s m.o. all over it, but she suspects that she has been called in more as bait than due to her unique relationship to the killer.
Needless to say, she welcomes Bosch’s help, who, as expected, doesn’t exactly ingratiate himself with the FBI agents in charge. Indeed, Bosch (who is still technically a private detective in this, although his retirement from the LAPD is now kind of up in the air as the LAPD is willing to let him come back. He’s thinking about it...) discovers some major clues that suggest that the Poet has ben playing the FBI this whole time as an attempt to draw out Walling specifically. For what nefarious purpose, she and Bosch have no idea.
I actually read this book years ago, before I had read anything by Connelly. Needless to say, it didn’t make a lick of sense when I read it. One must actually read “The Poet” before reading this, because it is, technically, a direct sequel. One doesn’t necessarily need to read a Bosch book prior to reading this, although it helps.
Taut, brilliant, suspenseful, and creepy as hell, “The Narrows” is everything one would want in a serial killer thriller.
Back in 1996, Connelly wrote a disturbing and intense thriller called “The Poet��� about a serial killer who dropped references to Edgar Allen Poe’s poetry at his crime scenes. The Poet, although presumed dead, was never actually caught.
Flash forward to 2004. Bosch, who never worked the Poet case, is investigating the death of his friend, an ex-FBI agent named Terry McCaleb (also a crossover, as McCaleb was featured in a stand-alone novel, “Blood Work”, published in ’98, and guest-starred in the Bosch novel “A Darkness More Than Night”, published 2001), whose specialty was profiling. Bosch’s investigation uncovers McCaleb’s interest in the Poet, which eventually leads him to the Nevada desert outside Vegas, where he serendipitously meets Rachel Walling, the FBI agent who worked the original Poet case.
Walling has been called in after being assigned a shit detail after the Poet debacle. (I won’t spoil it for those who haven’t read “The Poet”, other than to say that the Poet was an embarrassing case for the FBI, and Walling was targeted as the scape-goat, despite the fact that she did nothing wrong.) The FBI is investigating murders that have the Poet’s m.o. all over it, but she suspects that she has been called in more as bait than due to her unique relationship to the killer.
Needless to say, she welcomes Bosch’s help, who, as expected, doesn’t exactly ingratiate himself with the FBI agents in charge. Indeed, Bosch (who is still technically a private detective in this, although his retirement from the LAPD is now kind of up in the air as the LAPD is willing to let him come back. He’s thinking about it...) discovers some major clues that suggest that the Poet has ben playing the FBI this whole time as an attempt to draw out Walling specifically. For what nefarious purpose, she and Bosch have no idea.
I actually read this book years ago, before I had read anything by Connelly. Needless to say, it didn’t make a lick of sense when I read it. One must actually read “The Poet” before reading this, because it is, technically, a direct sequel. One doesn’t necessarily need to read a Bosch book prior to reading this, although it helps.
Taut, brilliant, suspenseful, and creepy as hell, “The Narrows” is everything one would want in a serial killer thriller.
December 24, 2019
Sometimes the risks you face dictate other risks you must take…
The Narrows opens with two main themes: Bosch, a state-registered PI, is approached by the widow of his one-time partner in the LAPD Terry McCaleb, a heart-transplant recipient who died on the charter boat he owns with his friend Buddy out of Catalina. His widow suspects foul-play and asks Bosch to look into it.
They took a Zodiac with a little one-horse-power engine on it out into the basin where the yachts were lined in rows, tied up to floating mooring balls and moving with the current in a synchronized fashion…
Bosch knows that McCaleb never gave up on investigations and, while tracing the man’s last movements, he opens up the boxes of files stored on the boat, which include a newspaper story on 6 men who went missing from Las Vegas, and learns of a theft of a GPS. Bosch is a regular visitor to Las Vegas where his ex, Eleanor Wish, lives with their daughter, Maddie. Armed with McCaleb’s photos, notes and remarks made in the travel atlas he sets out to find the truth behind his death.
Rachel Walling has been sidelined from the FBI to the Dakotas, 8-years after she shot rogue SAC Robert Backus -the serial killer known as “The Poet”. A badly-decomposed body was found weeks later, but deep down she feared Backus was not dead. Now she is called to Las Vegas by a GPS, delivered to the FBI in Washington with her name of it, with a single GPS point of a location deep in the Mohave Desert, where several bodies are buried.
Naturally the two meet up on site, (they had met briefly years before) and Bosch is treated with some hostility by the FBI SAC Randal Alpert, who is politically-motivated rather than crime-focused. As Bosch airs his thoughts:
I’m not against the bureau. My take is that it’s the most thorough, well-equipped and relentless law enforcement agency in the world. Its problems lie in its size and the many cracks in communication between offices, squads and so on down the line to the agents themselves.
Walling is tasked with monitoring Bosch to ensure he stays off the case (as if?) which leads to some of the black humour and brief liaisons we associate with Connelly’s books. ‘A two-gun agent. That’s interesting. Most of the two-gun cops I knew had a little too much testosterone to go with all those extra bullets…’
What I enjoy about the series is how Bosch’s character has developed: here as the father of a young daughter (discovered at the end of Lost Light), expressing the sadness and loneliness of a parent separated from his child. There is little background on Rachel Walling, or how Backus became the monster he is, leaving clues to lure the pair into a final confrontation in a storm-riven LA.
While many readers prefer to read a series sequentially, I like to browse and Connelly allows this by making each story complete in itself (no cliffhangers), with references to earlier ones.
Verdict: a good, solid read.
The Narrows opens with two main themes: Bosch, a state-registered PI, is approached by the widow of his one-time partner in the LAPD Terry McCaleb, a heart-transplant recipient who died on the charter boat he owns with his friend Buddy out of Catalina. His widow suspects foul-play and asks Bosch to look into it.
They took a Zodiac with a little one-horse-power engine on it out into the basin where the yachts were lined in rows, tied up to floating mooring balls and moving with the current in a synchronized fashion…
Bosch knows that McCaleb never gave up on investigations and, while tracing the man’s last movements, he opens up the boxes of files stored on the boat, which include a newspaper story on 6 men who went missing from Las Vegas, and learns of a theft of a GPS. Bosch is a regular visitor to Las Vegas where his ex, Eleanor Wish, lives with their daughter, Maddie. Armed with McCaleb’s photos, notes and remarks made in the travel atlas he sets out to find the truth behind his death.
Rachel Walling has been sidelined from the FBI to the Dakotas, 8-years after she shot rogue SAC Robert Backus -the serial killer known as “The Poet”. A badly-decomposed body was found weeks later, but deep down she feared Backus was not dead. Now she is called to Las Vegas by a GPS, delivered to the FBI in Washington with her name of it, with a single GPS point of a location deep in the Mohave Desert, where several bodies are buried.
Naturally the two meet up on site, (they had met briefly years before) and Bosch is treated with some hostility by the FBI SAC Randal Alpert, who is politically-motivated rather than crime-focused. As Bosch airs his thoughts:
I’m not against the bureau. My take is that it’s the most thorough, well-equipped and relentless law enforcement agency in the world. Its problems lie in its size and the many cracks in communication between offices, squads and so on down the line to the agents themselves.
Walling is tasked with monitoring Bosch to ensure he stays off the case (as if?) which leads to some of the black humour and brief liaisons we associate with Connelly’s books. ‘A two-gun agent. That’s interesting. Most of the two-gun cops I knew had a little too much testosterone to go with all those extra bullets…’
What I enjoy about the series is how Bosch’s character has developed: here as the father of a young daughter (discovered at the end of Lost Light), expressing the sadness and loneliness of a parent separated from his child. There is little background on Rachel Walling, or how Backus became the monster he is, leaving clues to lure the pair into a final confrontation in a storm-riven LA.
While many readers prefer to read a series sequentially, I like to browse and Connelly allows this by making each story complete in itself (no cliffhangers), with references to earlier ones.
Verdict: a good, solid read.
February 28, 2018
Crime fiction honestly does not get any better than this. Michael Connelly is just phenomenal and Harry Bosch is by far and away this genre’s best character. After abandoning my most recent read I turned back to this series because I knew that it wouldn’t disappoint. In fact, ten books in and it’s still getting better and better. I adore Harry Bosch and could read about him forever, I dread the day there’s a final Bosch novel because I never want that day to come.
The Narrows is another gripping instalment in this series and I loved it. I didn’t love The Poet or the Terry McCaleb books as much as I enjoy the Bosch series and in this book we see the return of both of these characters (well, McCaleb is dead but still plays a huge role in the telling of this story). The Poet was an intriguing character when we last read about him and I was excited to see how Bosch would hunt him down whilst not having a badge and while being warned off by the FBI. I’ve said it before but I am honestly in awe of how Michael Connelly tells a story. Everything just flows beautifully and you know that every single scene, every single word, ever nuance, has meaning. There’s no filler or wasted page space in these novels, just 100% unrivalled and addictive storytelling.
At the end of Lost Light Bosch and the reader were given one hell of a shock and that is continued here in the Narrows. I’ve never liked his ex-wife Eleanor Wish and I still don’t, but that part of his life now that he has a daughter is really fun to read. It adds a whole new dynamic to Bosch’s character and gives him a whole new mindset in why he was (and will be again) a police officer and affects the way he thinks and acts now that he has a daughter that he wants to protect and look after. His love life I am also intrigued by too. I usually criticise books (usually thrillers) for having the strong male lead having sex with the female that needs looking after but in this series in particular it doesn’t annoy me as much as it does when Reacher et al are doing it. The return here of FBI agent Rachel Walling was a good one and whilst Bosch doesn’t think he will ever see her again, I hope that we do.
I could go on and on but really if you are a crime fan then you don’t need to be reading reviews of Michael Connelly’s books, you just need to be reading his books. They are a masterclass in how to write crime fiction and I cannot recommend them enough.
The Narrows is another gripping instalment in this series and I loved it. I didn’t love The Poet or the Terry McCaleb books as much as I enjoy the Bosch series and in this book we see the return of both of these characters (well, McCaleb is dead but still plays a huge role in the telling of this story). The Poet was an intriguing character when we last read about him and I was excited to see how Bosch would hunt him down whilst not having a badge and while being warned off by the FBI. I’ve said it before but I am honestly in awe of how Michael Connelly tells a story. Everything just flows beautifully and you know that every single scene, every single word, ever nuance, has meaning. There’s no filler or wasted page space in these novels, just 100% unrivalled and addictive storytelling.
At the end of Lost Light Bosch and the reader were given one hell of a shock and that is continued here in the Narrows. I’ve never liked his ex-wife Eleanor Wish and I still don’t, but that part of his life now that he has a daughter is really fun to read. It adds a whole new dynamic to Bosch’s character and gives him a whole new mindset in why he was (and will be again) a police officer and affects the way he thinks and acts now that he has a daughter that he wants to protect and look after. His love life I am also intrigued by too. I usually criticise books (usually thrillers) for having the strong male lead having sex with the female that needs looking after but in this series in particular it doesn’t annoy me as much as it does when Reacher et al are doing it. The return here of FBI agent Rachel Walling was a good one and whilst Bosch doesn’t think he will ever see her again, I hope that we do.
I could go on and on but really if you are a crime fan then you don’t need to be reading reviews of Michael Connelly’s books, you just need to be reading his books. They are a masterclass in how to write crime fiction and I cannot recommend them enough.
June 6, 2013
After a break from Harry Bosch, it was good to get back to see what he was up to.
And it didn't take long for Harry to get back into the life of the most sly character seen in awhile, The Poet.
I think it was GR friend Harry who said reading the The Poet was a must before reading The Narrows and it was good advice.
Harry Bosch, a loner, but the best and brightest of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), took an early retirement and works now as a P.I.
The wife of a fellow LAPD detective asks Harry to investigate the natural death of his friend who received a heart transplant. She's suspicious that it may not have been so natural.
Along the way Harry butts heads with just about everyone he comes in contact with including the FBI but he's determined, as usual, to get answers to the whys that come up.
Being on the east coast, I was curious about the Los Angeles River and the narrows. What are they? Why are they dangerous?
The Los Angeles River as seen from the map, runs through the city; or rather the city was built up around the river.
During heavy rainfall, the river begins to swell and is very dangerous.
This is a boring review, I know. But the book didn't seem all that exciting to me. Perhaps it was just me, I'm not sure. But as reviewers know, it's not easy writing an exciting review when the book itself wasn't all that exciting to the reader.
This does not mean that Harry Bosch fans shouldn't read it since many have given it a much higher rating than I have.
Give it a try...I'm no pushover for giving four or five stars when I didn't think they were deserved. And this one just didn't "toot my horn" but maybe it will yours.
And it didn't take long for Harry to get back into the life of the most sly character seen in awhile, The Poet.
I think it was GR friend Harry who said reading the The Poet was a must before reading The Narrows and it was good advice.
Harry Bosch, a loner, but the best and brightest of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), took an early retirement and works now as a P.I.
The wife of a fellow LAPD detective asks Harry to investigate the natural death of his friend who received a heart transplant. She's suspicious that it may not have been so natural.
Along the way Harry butts heads with just about everyone he comes in contact with including the FBI but he's determined, as usual, to get answers to the whys that come up.
Being on the east coast, I was curious about the Los Angeles River and the narrows. What are they? Why are they dangerous?
The Los Angeles River as seen from the map, runs through the city; or rather the city was built up around the river.
During heavy rainfall, the river begins to swell and is very dangerous.
This is a boring review, I know. But the book didn't seem all that exciting to me. Perhaps it was just me, I'm not sure. But as reviewers know, it's not easy writing an exciting review when the book itself wasn't all that exciting to the reader.
This does not mean that Harry Bosch fans shouldn't read it since many have given it a much higher rating than I have.
Give it a try...I'm no pushover for giving four or five stars when I didn't think they were deserved. And this one just didn't "toot my horn" but maybe it will yours.
September 8, 2022
Bosh Former LAPD detective Harry Bosch, retired, is requested by Graciela McCeleb (wife), to review her husband’s, Terry McCaleb(FBI) death. Not believing when, “Terry was on a boat, he collapsed & they said it was his heart.”
Bosch suspects Robert Backus is the serial killer, “The Poet” whose body was not found in “The Poet” book’s ending murder/fight...
Bosch & Rachel Walling(FBI) chase Backus thru LA rivers & he drowns in the fight - but did Backus really kill McCaleb?
Great Ending
*other*
Kiz Rider (x-partner) gets Bosch to rejoin the LAPD.
Maddie (Bosch’s daughter now 5 - she becomes a recurring character in other Bosch series books) & Eleanor Wish (x-wife) appears again.
Rachel is Bosch’s “love” is the relief in this book, after their affair she goes off into the “sunset”....
As a Goodreads’s “Koontzland” member, in Chapter 37, when Bosch is searching for clues, Bosch finds a autographed Dean Koontz book, “The Face” !!
Bosch suspects Robert Backus is the serial killer, “The Poet” whose body was not found in “The Poet” book’s ending murder/fight...
Bosch & Rachel Walling(FBI) chase Backus thru LA rivers & he drowns in the fight - but did Backus really kill McCaleb?
Great Ending
*other*
Kiz Rider (x-partner) gets Bosch to rejoin the LAPD.
Maddie (Bosch’s daughter now 5 - she becomes a recurring character in other Bosch series books) & Eleanor Wish (x-wife) appears again.
Rachel is Bosch’s “love” is the relief in this book, after their affair she goes off into the “sunset”....
As a Goodreads’s “Koontzland” member, in Chapter 37, when Bosch is searching for clues, Bosch finds a autographed Dean Koontz book, “The Face” !!
May 20, 2022
SPOILERS AHEAD IN FINAL PARAGRAPH
Number 10 in the Bosch series and a cracker. Harry is retired and is asked by his friend Terry’s wife to investigate his death. She thinks he was murdered. This story ties up the serial killer the Poet who was not killed by Rachel Walling an FBI agent in a previous book.
The Poet is back to his evil ways and a body dump is discovered outside Vegas. Harry finds links to Terry’s death which leads him to the body dump. He teams up reluctantly with Rachel who has for several years been working in South Dakota as a punishment for her mistakes.
I liked the ending and the climatic battle with Bacchus the Poet. The narrows is where flood water gets channelled by concrete channels and if you fall in and reach their you drown. Harry and the Poet tumble in and no prizes on who survives.
Number 10 in the Bosch series and a cracker. Harry is retired and is asked by his friend Terry’s wife to investigate his death. She thinks he was murdered. This story ties up the serial killer the Poet who was not killed by Rachel Walling an FBI agent in a previous book.
The Poet is back to his evil ways and a body dump is discovered outside Vegas. Harry finds links to Terry’s death which leads him to the body dump. He teams up reluctantly with Rachel who has for several years been working in South Dakota as a punishment for her mistakes.
I liked the ending and the climatic battle with Bacchus the Poet. The narrows is where flood water gets channelled by concrete channels and if you fall in and reach their you drown. Harry and the Poet tumble in and no prizes on who survives.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2011
Another engaging and well done mystery in the series.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
I am impressed with this author consistently writing such good stories. I’m happily doing one right after the other in this 17 book series. Most of my ratings are 4 and 5 stars. The main difference is the emotional feeling I have at the end. A couple of books had me feeling excited and elated at the end. Another book had me feeling hurt for victims and wanting more justice and revenge which I didn’t like and gave it fewer stars. My emotional reactions are the main reasons for star differences.
In each book when the story begins, I have absolutely no idea how I would investigate or solve it. It seems so impossible. So I just keep reading, waiting to be enlightened. And I always am.
This book #10 can be read as a stand-alone. But it is much better if you read “The Poet” first, which is a non-Bosch book. In The Poet, Jack McEvoy (a newspaper reporter) is the main investigator. He meets and works with FBI agent Rachel Walling. At the end of “The Poet,” they discover who the bad guy is. They stop him. There is a good chance the Poet is dead. It’s a good ending. Bosch is not in that book. In “The Narrows,” Bosch is the main investigator. He discovers that the Poet is not dead and continues to kill. Bosch works with Rachel Walling to try to catch him.
I’m used to Bosch doing such smart things. So I was not pleased that he hesitated and didn’t do what was necessary to restrain the bad guy when he had a gun on him. I was also disappointed that Rachel did something stupid when walking through the bad guy’s home. Bosch yelled at her not to do something, but she did it anyway and caused a problem. If I could change anything I would change those two scenes. I prefer my heroes competent and smart. Connelly is great at having Bosch outthink others which I love. So these two instances were blips on the screen – not what I prefer.
I really enjoyed Bosch’s thinking and actions concerning his 5 year old daughter Maddy. This was a pleasant warm sprinkling into the story (a couple of times).
MY CONFUSION WITH THE “SETTING DATE.”
The author used inconsistent dates. I believe the setting for this book is 2003 since the following years were stated in the book. It is 6 years after the heart transplant in “Blood Work” (1997). It is 2 years after Bosch quit the police force which was at the end of “City of Bones” (2001). It is 1 year after “Lost Light” (2002). But, two inconsistencies were: The book says it is 8 years after “The Poet” 1994 which would put this as 2002. The Poet’s copyright was 1996 but the setting was 1994. In “Lost Light” Maddy was 3 ½ which makes her now 4 ½ since this is one year after Lost Light. But the book says Maddy is “almost 6.”
STORY BRIEF:
McCaleb is a retired FBI profiler. He investigates crimes as a hobby, volunteering his services to help local law enforcement agencies. He recently died. His wife discovers that someone tampered with his medication causing his death. She asks Bosch to investigate. Bosch retired from the police force and now works as a private investigator. Bosch studies the cases McCaleb was working on. One of them was the Poet. Someone had been following and taking pictures of McCaleb’s wife and children. Bosch believes the stalker could be the Poet. Bosch’s investigation takes him to a location where the FBI is digging up several dead bodies (victims of the Poet). There he meets FBI agent Rachel Walling. They investigate together.
NARRATOR:
The narrator Len Cariou is excellent. My only hesitation is that his Canadian accent doesn’t fit a “west coast Harry Bosch.” For example “talk” sounds like “tahk.” Other than that he does a good job with both men and women. A couple seconds of sound between some of the chapters was nice. When on the boat I heard water lapping and sea gulls. Other times it was jazz music.
DATA:
Unabridged audiobook length: 10 hrs and 57 mins. Narrator: Len Cariou. Swearing language: strong but not frequently used. Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes: one, referred to not shown. Setting: probably 2003 Los Angeles, California, Las Vegas, Nevada, and other areas in those states. Book Copyright: 2004. Genre: crime mystery. Ending: Not exciting, but positive.
THE SERIES:
I recommend reading the Harry Bosch books in order, but it would be ok to try “The Last Coyote” or “Lost Light” first just to see if you like the style. Then go back and read the rest in order. Following is my recommended reading order.
3 stars. The Black Echo
3 ½ stars. The Black Ice
4 stars. The Concrete Blonde
5 stars. The Last Coyote
4 stars. Trunk Music
4 stars. Angels Flight
4 ½ stars. Blood Work (McCaleb series #1) Bosch is not in this.
3 ½ stars. A Darkness More Than Night (McCaleb series #2) McCaleb is the primary investigator, but he interacts with Bosch.
3 ½ stars. City Of Bones
5 stars. Lost Light
5 stars. The Poet (McEvoy series #1) Bosch is not in this. Read this any time before “The Narrows.”
4 stars. The Narrows (sequel to The Poet) Bosch is the main investigator.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
I am impressed with this author consistently writing such good stories. I’m happily doing one right after the other in this 17 book series. Most of my ratings are 4 and 5 stars. The main difference is the emotional feeling I have at the end. A couple of books had me feeling excited and elated at the end. Another book had me feeling hurt for victims and wanting more justice and revenge which I didn’t like and gave it fewer stars. My emotional reactions are the main reasons for star differences.
In each book when the story begins, I have absolutely no idea how I would investigate or solve it. It seems so impossible. So I just keep reading, waiting to be enlightened. And I always am.
This book #10 can be read as a stand-alone. But it is much better if you read “The Poet” first, which is a non-Bosch book. In The Poet, Jack McEvoy (a newspaper reporter) is the main investigator. He meets and works with FBI agent Rachel Walling. At the end of “The Poet,” they discover who the bad guy is. They stop him. There is a good chance the Poet is dead. It’s a good ending. Bosch is not in that book. In “The Narrows,” Bosch is the main investigator. He discovers that the Poet is not dead and continues to kill. Bosch works with Rachel Walling to try to catch him.
I’m used to Bosch doing such smart things. So I was not pleased that he hesitated and didn’t do what was necessary to restrain the bad guy when he had a gun on him. I was also disappointed that Rachel did something stupid when walking through the bad guy’s home. Bosch yelled at her not to do something, but she did it anyway and caused a problem. If I could change anything I would change those two scenes. I prefer my heroes competent and smart. Connelly is great at having Bosch outthink others which I love. So these two instances were blips on the screen – not what I prefer.
I really enjoyed Bosch’s thinking and actions concerning his 5 year old daughter Maddy. This was a pleasant warm sprinkling into the story (a couple of times).
MY CONFUSION WITH THE “SETTING DATE.”
The author used inconsistent dates. I believe the setting for this book is 2003 since the following years were stated in the book. It is 6 years after the heart transplant in “Blood Work” (1997). It is 2 years after Bosch quit the police force which was at the end of “City of Bones” (2001). It is 1 year after “Lost Light” (2002). But, two inconsistencies were: The book says it is 8 years after “The Poet” 1994 which would put this as 2002. The Poet’s copyright was 1996 but the setting was 1994. In “Lost Light” Maddy was 3 ½ which makes her now 4 ½ since this is one year after Lost Light. But the book says Maddy is “almost 6.”
STORY BRIEF:
McCaleb is a retired FBI profiler. He investigates crimes as a hobby, volunteering his services to help local law enforcement agencies. He recently died. His wife discovers that someone tampered with his medication causing his death. She asks Bosch to investigate. Bosch retired from the police force and now works as a private investigator. Bosch studies the cases McCaleb was working on. One of them was the Poet. Someone had been following and taking pictures of McCaleb’s wife and children. Bosch believes the stalker could be the Poet. Bosch’s investigation takes him to a location where the FBI is digging up several dead bodies (victims of the Poet). There he meets FBI agent Rachel Walling. They investigate together.
NARRATOR:
The narrator Len Cariou is excellent. My only hesitation is that his Canadian accent doesn’t fit a “west coast Harry Bosch.” For example “talk” sounds like “tahk.” Other than that he does a good job with both men and women. A couple seconds of sound between some of the chapters was nice. When on the boat I heard water lapping and sea gulls. Other times it was jazz music.
DATA:
Unabridged audiobook length: 10 hrs and 57 mins. Narrator: Len Cariou. Swearing language: strong but not frequently used. Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes: one, referred to not shown. Setting: probably 2003 Los Angeles, California, Las Vegas, Nevada, and other areas in those states. Book Copyright: 2004. Genre: crime mystery. Ending: Not exciting, but positive.
THE SERIES:
I recommend reading the Harry Bosch books in order, but it would be ok to try “The Last Coyote” or “Lost Light” first just to see if you like the style. Then go back and read the rest in order. Following is my recommended reading order.
3 stars. The Black Echo
3 ½ stars. The Black Ice
4 stars. The Concrete Blonde
5 stars. The Last Coyote
4 stars. Trunk Music
4 stars. Angels Flight
4 ½ stars. Blood Work (McCaleb series #1) Bosch is not in this.
3 ½ stars. A Darkness More Than Night (McCaleb series #2) McCaleb is the primary investigator, but he interacts with Bosch.
3 ½ stars. City Of Bones
5 stars. Lost Light
5 stars. The Poet (McEvoy series #1) Bosch is not in this. Read this any time before “The Narrows.”
4 stars. The Narrows (sequel to The Poet) Bosch is the main investigator.
April 16, 2013
This is only the second Harry Bosch novel I've read...though it's the 10th in the series. I found it better than the first. I do think that I've finally hit a stopping or at least a pausing place in my "Michael Connelly marathon".
Mr. Connelly has several characters in several series and they occasionally cross over and interact with each other. We get Rachael involved here with Harry as we the career of the psychopath known as the Poet. I read this as I was following this interlaced story which I intersected earlier in a different book.
The Poet is a good character. I admit to discarding the character who turned out to be the Poet at least at first when I read the first novel. I does get to be a, "well it must be this person" after a bit but it's done well. I found this one was a little slower than the first but still good.
One of the problems I have with Mr. Connelly's books (that others may not have) is that I'm not heavily into the emotional side of the story. I read fairly eclectically but the one type book that will be dropped or completely avoided is "the romance". When it was first on (before it became nothing much more than a political platform) I liked the TV program Law and Order. It was a police procedural. We didn't find out who loved who, why the cop or DA was getting a divorce or refusing to marry. the personal lives of the participants if they came into the show at all were very peripheral. I guess I prefer "plot driven" books. In Mr. Connelly's books his characters are cursed with emotional baggage. Divorced fathers who miss their kids, divorced spouses who long for a corrected relationship with the lost mate, lovers who "struggle" to reach one another...and on and on and on. Not really for me. Thus the best of his books hasn't (for me) been anything more than a 4 star read. They're good, but bog down in the telling.
I think however that there is enough here for everyone. if like me you prefer a straight forward story with plot and clues to put together you usually get that. if on the other hand the emotional side of the story is "your thing" that's here to. Maybe it's a case of neither group getting the entire book but there being something for most readers??? Don't know, but I know that I like the writer and I like his books.
One other problem is that often Mr. Connelly's character do things that are just frankly illogical, or worse fail to do common sense things. This kind of plot twist isn't all that unusal in Mr. Connly's books...still they don't ruin the book, just give me a headache.
So, excellent read, great plot, interesting characters. I'd say don't start here you'll miss too much story. Harry seems to have grown "in the telling" as I wasn't taken with the first book while here I was drawn into the book. Give Mr. Connelly a whirl. I can recommend his "stuff".
Mr. Connelly has several characters in several series and they occasionally cross over and interact with each other. We get Rachael involved here with Harry as we the career of the psychopath known as the Poet. I read this as I was following this interlaced story which I intersected earlier in a different book.
The Poet is a good character. I admit to discarding the character who turned out to be the Poet at least at first when I read the first novel. I does get to be a, "well it must be this person" after a bit but it's done well. I found this one was a little slower than the first but still good.
One of the problems I have with Mr. Connelly's books (that others may not have) is that I'm not heavily into the emotional side of the story. I read fairly eclectically but the one type book that will be dropped or completely avoided is "the romance". When it was first on (before it became nothing much more than a political platform) I liked the TV program Law and Order. It was a police procedural. We didn't find out who loved who, why the cop or DA was getting a divorce or refusing to marry. the personal lives of the participants if they came into the show at all were very peripheral. I guess I prefer "plot driven" books. In Mr. Connelly's books his characters are cursed with emotional baggage. Divorced fathers who miss their kids, divorced spouses who long for a corrected relationship with the lost mate, lovers who "struggle" to reach one another...and on and on and on. Not really for me. Thus the best of his books hasn't (for me) been anything more than a 4 star read. They're good, but bog down in the telling.
I think however that there is enough here for everyone. if like me you prefer a straight forward story with plot and clues to put together you usually get that. if on the other hand the emotional side of the story is "your thing" that's here to. Maybe it's a case of neither group getting the entire book but there being something for most readers??? Don't know, but I know that I like the writer and I like his books.
One other problem is that often Mr. Connelly's character do things that are just frankly illogical, or worse fail to do common sense things. This kind of plot twist isn't all that unusal in Mr. Connly's books...still they don't ruin the book, just give me a headache.
So, excellent read, great plot, interesting characters. I'd say don't start here you'll miss too much story. Harry seems to have grown "in the telling" as I wasn't taken with the first book while here I was drawn into the book. Give Mr. Connelly a whirl. I can recommend his "stuff".
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