Book # 19, in the Harry Bosch Mystery series
Once again, Michael Connelly has written a classy and a clever page-turner and has delivered another captivating story for his fans. In this latest our 64 years old school protagonist is teamed up with a new sidekick, a female rookie investigator named Lucia Soto, who happens to be an expert in new technologies. Harry is making every police minutes count before his retirement working convoluted cases involving murder victims of a long time ago. “The Burning Room” centers on two cold cases.
The first involves the recent death of a paraplegic ex- mariachi Orlando Merced. Rarely does a victim die decade after the crime of complications from being shot. Harry is too pleased to work a case in which the body is still fresh…This task will turn out to be highly charged and politically sensitive.
This swift moving story only picks up speed when Harry discovers that Lucy is investing her spare time on another cold case one involving arson and multiple homicides: an apartment fire that killed several children 20 years ago. After finding Lucy was one of the survivors Harry was even more motivated and willing to go along with her and bend some rules in order to bring closure.
The interplay between Harry and Lucy is quite dramatic and while they are searching for clues in order to solve their cases we are immersed in the minutia of a police procedural making every aspect of an investigation exciting. The addition of Lucy energizes this series, a mentor showing the ropes to rookie and even with some mistakes make her know she has what it takes to be a good detective is refreshing. The ending let us believe Harry may leave (or be pushed out) the LAPD but I do not think this is the end of our beloved Bosch….
Once more, we have a beautifully constructed plot with clever dialogue and crisp prose. Not a dull moment with lot of suspense, many unexpected twists and turns and fascinating tidbits of forensics. An ending that opens the door to new adventures…..we will see if Lucy will be a permanent fixture……I hope so.
Another excellent book by a master story teller
This contemporary mystery main aim is to highlight the special bond between siblings and to bring focus on the many struggles one can experience during college life. This is a haunting tale of love, loyalty, anger management, substance abuse and betrayal.
Ben and Kitty are the primary players but Emma is the character to watch for. She is Kitty’s bitchy roommate who brought havoc between brother and sister. Without her this story would not have been quite captivating she is portrayed as a complete psychopath. I love mystery but this one is a bit too soft for my taste, the first half is mainly the set-up of college life: the setting, atmosphere and the relationships, etc. The second half is more dramatic and moves along at a better pace but the suspense is kind of lightweight and the development so predictable I became anxious to see the end. Having said this does not mean it is boring, on the contrary it is quite a sentimental journey.
This lively story is told from the perspective of young adults. The portrayal of friendship and the strong characterization is where this story excels. The dialogue is somewhat stilted although I did overcome noticing this after a while. How Ben slowly spiral out of control, starts drinking, does drugs and argues all the time is especially well represented. The serious problems concerning anorexia as well as family issues are also at the forefront. There is something to please everyone even a murder scene for the mystery buffs to enjoy.
This book should appeal mostly to older teens and young adults and to older adults who which to reminisce about their days in college…
Book 2, in the Warriors series
If you are an adrenaline junky you will be well served here. We have rapidly moving scenes one after the other with very few pauses in between as breather. It may be a bit much for some but to fans who love hard-core action scenes it is definitely a delight to read. This book is a thriller in every sense of the word and very engaging from the start to finish. I surely got a lot of bang reading this great sequel to the “The Warrior".
The second book is even better than the first. The plot has a lot more energy and heart pounding moments with many twists and umpteen surprises at every corner. Mr. Patterson is definitely in his element writing this type of book. The characters exploits may be a bit far-fetched but action is what this book is all about. Leave aside the super hero antic, the chases and fights that pepper the pages and look for the smart dialogue that brings alive all the characters good and evil.
This time Broker and his team receive an unexpected offer from the FBI’s New York office. Their mission is to flush a mole that has been deeply buried among their rank. In order to do so they take on the number one gang in NYC, the ruthless 5Clubs. As things progresses the story fuels more mayhem and destruction to keep us on our toes and provide all the thrills needed to make reading “The Reluctant Warrior” an exciting and enjoyable experience.
Next to come is “The Warrior Code” .
