The Black Echo - Michael Connelly

Earlier this year, my friend Rob introduced me to Michael Connelly with The Lincoln Lawyer featuring attorney Mickey Haller. At the time, he also told me that Connelly had written a series of detective novels about the character Harry Bosch. Connelly's most recent novel The Brass Verdict brings together Haller and Bosch. I thought that would be a fun read, but before I took it on, I decided I'd go back to the beginning and learn a little more about Mr. Bosch. The Black Echo was published in 1992. Since then Connelly has written 13 books featuring Bosch (not including The Brass Verdict). In this first installment, we meet Bosch, a renegade homicide detective who is called out to an apparent overdose in the sewers off Mulholland Drive. Bosch recognizes the victim as a fellow soldier in Vietnam and suspects there is more to the death than meets the eye. His hunt for the truth pairs him up with an FBI agent and sets him on the trail of bank robbers that will take him back to the underground tunnels of Vietnam and the pain and vengeance he thought he'd left behind. This is perfect pocket-fiction airplane reading. Life many detective thrillers, it is pretty far-reaching, but Bosch is a likeable curmudgeon. I am a fan of long series, and like getting to know a character over a period of time and books. This reminded me of Robert Tannenbaum's series of books feature DA Butch Karp (of which I read about 10 when I was taking Advanced Criminal Law from Mr. Tannenbaum my last year of law school). While I do prefer my Law & Order with a little courtroom legal drama, I am satisfied every once in awhile with just the law. While I probably won't read the next 12 Bosch novels right in a row, I am happy to have found a series that will last me awhile and that I can keep coming back to. Thanks Rob!