Funny thing happened on the way to read this, I realized after a couple of pages that I needed to read Blood Work first because of the introduction of a new character that has his own series--I don't know if this was Connelly's original intent, maybe it just happened that way? If you don't have Blood Work or just don't want to get into that series, it won't hurt you to miss it. But it does give you an idea of what makes McCaleb tick.

As for this story, it was quite interesting, but very easy to determine the who dunnit early on.

A lot of Harry's personal issues still aren't addressed from Angel's Flight, but Connelly throws a lot at you by focusing as much on McCaleb as Bosch to keep you interested until the end. ( )

This is the one that got me hooked...it was my first Harry Bosch book. I love Connelly's intelligent writing style. It is so interesting to me to have the juxtaposition of a gritty character like Bosch with Connelly's prose-like narrative. After this one, I went back and read the series from the beginning. ( )

A Harry Bosch/Terry McCaleb police procedural.

McCaleb, in retirement from the FBI as a profiler in serial killer cases and an enthralled new father, is living on Catalina Island with his family, working a charter sports fishing business. He receives a surprise visit from LA County Sheriff’s detective Jayne Winston, with whom he has worked previously. She asks him to look over the files of what may be a serial killer and to just do a brief profile on the murderer. Despite his wife Graciela’s strong objections to being sucked back in, McCaleb takes on the investigation—which points him to Harry Bosch as the killer.

That’s the premise of this outstanding police procedural. Connelly has a particular style when writing about Bosch, and yet another when following McCaleb. The two voices are similar—after all, they’re in the same line of work—but yet distinct. It works quite well.

What sets this book apart in plotting is the truly superior way that Connelly shows how obsessiveness can lead to the wrong conclusion, and how a mind set can find plenty of evidence to back up a pre-determined theory.

The book is something of a sequel to Blood Work, although it can stand alone—and in fact, can stand alone from the rest of the Bosch series.

Connelly’s books are hallmarked by very taut writing, excellent plotting, some sort of unexpected twist towards the end, and very fine denouements. This one is no exception; the only quibble I have with it is the very end, which I think weakens the book overall. But that’s minor—it’s just that Connelly sets such a high standard that, if he’s not practically perfect, you notice it.

All in all, another outstanding book in the genre from Michael Connelly ( )

disappointing. very farfetched. but bosch is an interesting character ( )

A little too contrived for my tastes. Some good stuff about observing the details. ( )