(15. – 647.) Black Echo
(1992) by Michael Connelly – I had not realized I had not read the first Harry
Bosch mystery until, after reading The
Drop, I started thinking about how the series has evolved and noted I had
not read the first book. Bosch is already 40 years old when the series starts.
I have always thought of Bosch as a
big guy. Instead, he is “a few inches short of six feet and was built lean”.
His size is consistent with him being a member of the American Army tunnel rats
in Vietnam.
Connelly provides a powerful
description of Bosch’s war:
“Out of the blue and into the black is what they called
going into a tunnel. Each one was a black echo. Nothing but death in there.
But, still, they went.”
It is little wonder that Bosch is
still affected by his service in Vietnam.
His bleak life as a child in foster
homes is touched upon in the book.
As the book begins Bosch is called
out to investigate a body found in a tunnel on the Mulholland Dam in Los
Angeles. He is startled when he recognizes the deceased as Billy Meadows, a
fellow tunnel rat, who has struggled with heroin addiction since coming home.
All present at the scene are content
to conclude Meadows died of a self-injected heroin overdose. The meticulous
Bosch refuses to accept the easy solution. By carefully examining the body, the
tunnel and the apartment of Meadows he determines it was murder.
When Bosch makes a connection with
an unsolved bank heist he contacts the FBI and meets agent Eleanor Wish. It is
a frosty first contact in her office.
Bosch riles fellow officers and
other government agencies with his investigation. We meet Deputy Commissioner,
Irvin Irving, who wants Bosch, clearly not a team player, out of the police
force.
Bosch had nearly been fired for his
actions during the Dollmaker serial killer investigation. IAD, frustrated he
was merely demoted from the elite Robbery Homicide Unit, is pursuing Bosch hard
for evidence that would get him off the force.
Bosch has a partner in Jerry Edgar but is barely concerned whether Edgar even keeps up with him in the investigation.
In Bosch’s world there are no
coincidences. He looks for information linking the bank job with Meadows death.
Bosch and Wish become an unlikely team working the cases. Connelly creates an
inventive and credible method of attacking the bank.
As they gradually close in on the
killers Connelly displays his ability to build tension. As with most Connelly
books I found myself racing to the end.
I thought the solution was alright
but it was not as good as the balance of the book.
On Saturday I will be posting
thoughts on how Harry Bosch has evolved as a character between Black Echo and The Drop. (Mar. 30/12)
I have read this book (and all of Michael Connelly's), but have often considered going back to the start - I have even kept all my copies. I recall enjoying this one very much, and I think in retrospect it (and the next few Bosch novels) were much more detailed than the later ones. I dimly recollect that I thought the ending was not as good as the rest of The Black Echo, like you.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to reading your further thoughts on this excellent series.
Bill - Thanks for reminding me of how it all began. The ending of The Black Echo may not match up to the rest of story, but one thing I truly like about this novel is what we learn about Harry Bosch. I also like the way Connelly later returns to The Dollmaker case in The Concrete Blonde. I'll be really interested to see what you have to say about the Bosch character, and now you've got me thinking about how the style of the novels has evolved. Thanks :-)
ReplyDeleteIt´s funny the way we think we know what ´our´ characters look like.
ReplyDeleteSome time ago my daughters discussed if one of my protagonists had blonde or dark hair. I had to think about that one for some time because it wasn´t an aspect that meant much to me, but I did recall her chestnut curls.
Maxine: Thanks for the comment. If you have the time I think you would gain a new appreciation of the series by going back to the start.
ReplyDeleteMargot: Thanks for the comment. I agree Connelly did a superb job of developing the character of Harry Bosch in Black Echo.
ReplyDeleteDorte: Thanks for the commment. I think it would be an interesting exercise to have a group of readers describe a well known character from memory and then go to check the book to see how close memory accords with the actual description.
ReplyDeleteI am the odd one out here having never read Michael Connelly before, an imbalance I hope to set right by reading his ANGLE OF INVESTIGATION currently in my possession. It has three Harry Bosch stories.
ReplyDeleteBig Harry Bosch fan. Everyone counts or no one counts. I'm behind in the series. I latched onto Connelly with Bloodwork and went from there. I'm very interested in your thoughts about the evolution of the character. Looking forward to that! Keishon
ReplyDeletePrashant: Thanks for the comment. If you can get access to the series I do recommend starting with Black Echo.
ReplyDeleteKeishon: Thanks for commenting. Bloodwork remains my favourite all time mystery! It was a great book to start reading Connelly.
ReplyDeleteI must read Bloodwork! I just found the movie made of the book in the library catalogue, but somehow it doesn't seem like it does justice to the book.
ReplyDeleteNow, trying to read a lot of global crime fiction, including Nordics, and books from Oz and Canada, and then trying to catch up with Harry Bosch is a tall order.
Then there's the wish to read all day and forget the bills, chores, errands, phone calls, emails, etc.
That may be the only way I catch up with Bosch's history.
kathy d.: Thanks for the comment. I shudder when I think of the Bloodwork movie. It should go at the bottom of Clint Eastwood's work. I have not been able to watch the whole movie. When you do pick up the book make sure they are no bills to be paid, chores to be done, errands to be run, phone calls to make or receive, shut down the email, etc. You will want to just keep reading.
ReplyDelete