| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rebecca Verloren, 16, was discovered missing from her Chatsworth home on a July morning in 1988. Her corpse and the gun that ended her life were later found on a hill behind the house. An autopsy revealed that she'd recently undergone an abortion, and a piece of skin tissue--presumably the killer's--was found trapped inside the murder weapon. Only now, though, has DNA science matched that tissue to Roland Mackey, a dyslexic 35-year-old tow-truck operator with no obvious connection to the deceased. It's up to Bosch, once more partnered with Kizmin Rider, to determine whether Mackey offed Becky Verloren, or was at least an accessory to that tragedy. But the more Bosch and Rider dig into this dusty crime, trying in part to determine whether racial animosity might have been involved, the more pain and resistance they encounter. Becky's white mother maintains the teen's old bedroom as a shrine, while her shattered father, an African-American chef, has vanished into LA's homeless community. Of the two original investigators on the case, one has since committed suicide, and Bosch suspects that the other--now a police commander--is helping to keep the lid tight on some old departmental secrets, perhaps linked to our hero's nemesis, Deputy Chief Irvin S. Irving.
Understandably rusty after three years sans shield, Bosch makes his share of personal and professional mistakes here--including one that supplies The Closers with a lethal, plot-turning climax. But the greater problem is that Connelly exhausts so much time and effort following his protagonist through the tedium of modern police procedures, that he neglects what readers have liked more about this series in the past: its persistently deft exploration of Bosch's lonely, haunted soul (which remains mostly out of sight in this tale), and the author's frequent flights of lyrical prose (also not much in evidence). Would-be novelists wanting an example of a solidly constructed cop tale need look no further than The Closers. But readers hoping to learn why Connelly is so well-respected in this genre should turn, instead, to previous Bosch titles such as The Concrete Blonde, Angel's Flight, or City of Bones. --J. Kingston Pierce --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
113 of 120 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bosch is back - a little older, a little smarter,
By
This review is from: The Closers (Hardcover)
In Connelly's previous novel, The Narrows, Harry Bosch was seriously considering coming out of "retirement" and returning to service with the LAPD, despite several misgivings, one of which was the entrenched corruption throughout the force. However a new police chief is on board with a mission to clean house. Harry's old enemy, Deputy Chief Irving, a self-serving political player, wants Harry to fail and will do anything to achieve this end. Bosch has been assigned to the Open-Unsolved Unit, (cold cases) teamed up with his old partner, Kiz Rider, a no nonsense police woman in a predominately male domain, embark on an unsolved seventeen year old murder of a young girl, shot through the chest and taken out of her bedroom and dumped in a field. Harry attacks this unsolved murder with calculated zeal, leading to possible corruption in the force, pushing the case to it limits to find the perpetrator. The Closers begins at breakneck speed and doesn't let up until the last page is turned.
Reading The Closers was like meeting an old friend after a year of absence. Harry Bosch is one of the great characters in crime fiction, a man with an incredible sense of justice and an over bearing conscience, that pulls him into trouble from time to time. His relationship with Kiz Rider, as his partner, is a perfect match, as they know each other well, can read each other's thoughts before a word is spoken. Kiz never rides on Harry's coattails, but contributes to the motion, adding her own special skills to the investigation. Harry is older but he's a little smarter, and careful to stay within the bounds of the law. Kiz keeps Harry in line and is there to prevent him from slipping into his old, unorthodox habits. As a piece of crime fiction, The Closers is by no means a character study, it is entirely plot driven, following Harry Bosch at work to every twist and turn of the case. Connelly knows how to write a crime novel and does not leave anything to the imagination. I have come to believe that the crime genre is an art form all its own, and Connelly has become one of its masters. This is the real thing. Modern detective fiction doesn't get any better, and in the hands of Connelly, one can be sure the ride will be thoroughly entertaining; and The Closers delivers on all counts - a five star effort.
92 of 100 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Back to Basics,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Closers (Hardcover)
This was my favorite Bosch novel in a long time. From start to finish the book evidences Mr. Connelly's respect for pure police work untainted by political and personal considerations. Chief Bratton has clearly made a positive impact on our author. As a character, Harry Bosch had been kind of drifting--I am glad to welcome him back.
This book is the finest example of a police procedural. It touches on all the major policing issues of the day, local use of the Patriot Act, the "CSI" effect, various social issues, attention to unsolved cases, increased expectations of officers, and still remains faithful to the predecessor works. Granted, you have to know the prior works to fully appreciate the involvement of Deputy Chief Irving and Bosch's newfound peace with his situation but Connelly's plot is rich enough to carry the entire work without the need for Bosch's usual internal conflicts. Besides, I'm sure that Bosch will run into trouble again soon--L.A. has a new mayor and nobody knows what he really believes or what he really stands for (other than re-election. The masters make their work appear effortless--this work takes Connelly and Bosch to new heights. Do not expect to put it down until you are finished.
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Connelly still the tops,
This review is from: The Closers (Hardcover)
Once again, Michael Connelly has caused me to lose sleep. If I open one of his books, I don't rest until it's done. And I've never regretted the sleep deprivation!
The Closers reinforces the reader's belief in Harry Bosch, reunited with Kiz Rider, and their dedication to the victims of murder, regardless of their age at death. Letting the chips fall where they may is a brave stance and the only modus operandi when Bosch is involved. My advise, start at the beginning of Connelly's career as a novelist and ride along with Connelly as he develops one of the most incredible law enforcement characters ever!
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|