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Available
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Description
A Vietnam veteran-turned-detective, Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch discovers the body of a former comrade-in-arms during an investigation and, with the help of an attractive FBI agent, hunts for the murderers on a trail leading back to Saigon.
User reviews
LibraryThing member cmbohn
This may be the only time I can remember that I am giving a book 5 stars, but I'm not planning to read anymore in the series.
It's not the main character. I really liked Harry Bosch. Maybe he's a bit cliched, but I found him a likable sort of loner with a messed up past. A crummy childhood, combined
When the body of a fellow Tunnel Rat, a guy from Harry's old army unit, is found apparently dead of an overdose, Harry feels like he owes his old buddy more than the cursory glance the rest of the police force wants to give the case. Add to that some guilt Harry feels about letting his old buddy down, and he's just not about to let things drop. So when his investigation leads to a connection with a major bank heist that the FBI is still investigating, he starts asking questions. A lot of questions. And now he's being follow by two guys from Internal Affairs who can't wait to shut him down.
This all sounds pretty good, so what am I complaining about? It's just the general feel of the book. It's unrelentingly pessimistic - life stinks, you can't trust anyone (and Harry can't), everyone is hiding something, and there's no such thing as a happy ending for anyone. It's Harry against The World. And I'm just not going to read more of that. My own life is complicated enough; I don't want to read somethings this dark when it's supposed to be reading for fun. So I guess I'm saying that it's a good book; it's just not the right book for me.
It's not the main character. I really liked Harry Bosch. Maybe he's a bit cliched, but I found him a likable sort of loner with a messed up past. A crummy childhood, combined
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with some serious PTSD from the Vietnam war, has left him unable to trust anyone. It's a good thing, really, because with just a couple of exceptions, everyone in this book is exclusively working for himself.When the body of a fellow Tunnel Rat, a guy from Harry's old army unit, is found apparently dead of an overdose, Harry feels like he owes his old buddy more than the cursory glance the rest of the police force wants to give the case. Add to that some guilt Harry feels about letting his old buddy down, and he's just not about to let things drop. So when his investigation leads to a connection with a major bank heist that the FBI is still investigating, he starts asking questions. A lot of questions. And now he's being follow by two guys from Internal Affairs who can't wait to shut him down.
This all sounds pretty good, so what am I complaining about? It's just the general feel of the book. It's unrelentingly pessimistic - life stinks, you can't trust anyone (and Harry can't), everyone is hiding something, and there's no such thing as a happy ending for anyone. It's Harry against The World. And I'm just not going to read more of that. My own life is complicated enough; I don't want to read somethings this dark when it's supposed to be reading for fun. So I guess I'm saying that it's a good book; it's just not the right book for me.
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LibraryThing member AnnieMod
Meet Harry Bosch - an LAPD detective, recently transferred to the Hollywood Division after being part of a very messy and public case that stopped the LAPD from kicking him out from the force. He is not very happy with that - but he is doing the best he can. And one day he is called at the scene of
The novel is written at the time when the war in Vietnam was the last war for the USA and the survivors (one way or another) of that war are a big part of the story. The murder leads to an older crime, one connected to Vietnam in more that one way. And Harry needs to solve it - because of the connection he feels and because it is his job.
More people die, some diamonds make an appearance, FBI muscles in on the investigation and somewhere along the line, betrayals happen - both old and new. Just when Harry believes he finally got to the bottom of it, something happens and all needs to be reevaluated.
So many twists and turns should sound gimmicky. But Connelly has a style that somehow works - and this ends up one of the better thrillers that I had read lately. It drags occasionally - some of the scenes could have been a lot shorter - and I could have lived without the two IA detectives but despite that, it is still a pretty good book.
Highly recommended.
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a murder - and recognize the dead man as one of the people that were in the tunnels of Vietnam with him. The novel is written at the time when the war in Vietnam was the last war for the USA and the survivors (one way or another) of that war are a big part of the story. The murder leads to an older crime, one connected to Vietnam in more that one way. And Harry needs to solve it - because of the connection he feels and because it is his job.
More people die, some diamonds make an appearance, FBI muscles in on the investigation and somewhere along the line, betrayals happen - both old and new. Just when Harry believes he finally got to the bottom of it, something happens and all needs to be reevaluated.
So many twists and turns should sound gimmicky. But Connelly has a style that somehow works - and this ends up one of the better thrillers that I had read lately. It drags occasionally - some of the scenes could have been a lot shorter - and I could have lived without the two IA detectives but despite that, it is still a pretty good book.
Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member EmScape
Harry Bosch is a law enforcement officer who is "not part of the family," which means he likes to do things his own way, isn't overly concerned about protecting the department from scandal, is more likely to investigate something that others would slag off, and absolutely gets results. This is a
The writing is crisp and suspenseful. Connelly really knows his police procedure. The acronyms, abbreviated dialogue, and other details were spot-on. The twisty ending kept me guessing. I will read more Harry Bosch books and I hope they are all as good as this one.
(p.s. Written in 1992, and taking place close to the present of that time I was continually struck by how Bosh smokes cigarettes EVERYWHERE: restaurants, his own office building, other people's offices, etc. So. Jealous.)
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bad thing for the criminals and slag-offs he seems to be surrounded by. Harry's first case begins with the murder of a person Harry served in Vietnam with. It looks like a routine heroin overdose, but Harry's relationship to the victim and above-average attention to detail propel him to discover more. Soon the trail leads to a bank robbery and a partnership with an FBI agent as well as a tail by a couple of overzealous Internal Affairs detectives who already dislike Harry. He's got a lot of interference and obstruction to deal with on his own side while he investigates this case. Harry's got flaws, though, too. His investigation methods and loud-mouthed perseverance, as well as a blatant disrespect for authority and orders don't make him a lot of friends with the other law enforcement agencies involved. In a way, he makes things more complicated for himself by being so belligerent. He's still haunted by events from Vietnam as well as the more recent demotion he received after another case was investigated by IAD. He's also probably an alcoholic. But, he gets the job done and does so in a way that takes this gruff, brash, broken character and makes him sympathetic and almost lovable. The writing is crisp and suspenseful. Connelly really knows his police procedure. The acronyms, abbreviated dialogue, and other details were spot-on. The twisty ending kept me guessing. I will read more Harry Bosch books and I hope they are all as good as this one.
(p.s. Written in 1992, and taking place close to the present of that time I was continually struck by how Bosh smokes cigarettes EVERYWHERE: restaurants, his own office building, other people's offices, etc. So. Jealous.)
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LibraryThing member imyknott
It took me a while to get into this book because of the American slant (I had been reading a number of English detective novels previously). However I was soon absolute only story which was fast paced and exciting. The tunnel rat context was interesting since I was on a holiday to Vietnam and
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Cambodia at the time of reading it. The story had a good twist at the end but I am in two minds whether to read any other Harry Bosch novels. Show Less
LibraryThing member Joycepa
First in the Harry Bosch series.
On call on a Sunday morning, Harry Bosch, LAPD homicide detective, catches the call for a dead body in a pipe on Mulholland Drive. He recognizes the corpse as Meadows, a Vietnam vet with whom he served as a "tunnel rat"--those trained to go into the labyrinthine
Bosch's investigation leads him into an uneasy collaboration with the FBI; Special Agent Eleanor Wish becomes his temporary partner and his lover.
Meadows' murder is related to an unsolved bank robbery. As Bosch and Wish continue to pursue the investigation, they are drawn into an increasingly complex situation involving high-ranking refugee Vietnamese drug barons.
The denoument is very well written as an underground confrontation that echos Bosch's Vietnam experience. There is an excellent twist at the end.
The book is very well written and very well plotted but I had a hard time gettting into it, probably because Bosch seems like a clone of John Rebus. My initial reaction was "Oh, no--not another hard-boiled wounded soul of a cop!" While Connelly is a good writer, Rankin is better; of the two, Rebus is the more interesting character.
Still, not a bad read.
On call on a Sunday morning, Harry Bosch, LAPD homicide detective, catches the call for a dead body in a pipe on Mulholland Drive. He recognizes the corpse as Meadows, a Vietnam vet with whom he served as a "tunnel rat"--those trained to go into the labyrinthine
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underground tunnels constructed by the Viet Cong to flush out the enemy. It looks as if Meadows has ODed on heroin, not surprising given his record as a drug user. But there are details that bother Bosch; he suspects murder.Bosch's investigation leads him into an uneasy collaboration with the FBI; Special Agent Eleanor Wish becomes his temporary partner and his lover.
Meadows' murder is related to an unsolved bank robbery. As Bosch and Wish continue to pursue the investigation, they are drawn into an increasingly complex situation involving high-ranking refugee Vietnamese drug barons.
The denoument is very well written as an underground confrontation that echos Bosch's Vietnam experience. There is an excellent twist at the end.
The book is very well written and very well plotted but I had a hard time gettting into it, probably because Bosch seems like a clone of John Rebus. My initial reaction was "Oh, no--not another hard-boiled wounded soul of a cop!" While Connelly is a good writer, Rankin is better; of the two, Rebus is the more interesting character.
Still, not a bad read.
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LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
I liked this one. It flowed well, sucking me in from the beginning and never letting me go, and I got more intrigued--and interested in the protagonist detective, Harry Bosch, more and more as we went along. This is a first novel, but it lays enough backstory that it feels like there were prior
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books. Bosch had a case in the past so famous he got paid to be a consultant and have his name used in a television series, and he owns a home overlooking Los Angeles as a result. And another case got him trouble with Internal Affairs and a demotion. The novel layers in several elements--the Vietnam War, a murder mystery and a bank caper, and I felt all the elements tied in well in the end with more than one surprise. A gripping read--not quite a keeper, or one I'd call a favorite. The book is dark and cynical in its worldview. But the book is strong enough I certainly would be interested in reading more about Bosch or other novels by Connelly. Show Less
LibraryThing member crazybatcow
It was nicely paced and the characters were believable.
The twist in the story was a bit predictable and the IAD investigation which fills a large part of the storyline is not really explained/justified and I finished the book still unclear as to why Bosch is so "bad" that he needed to be
I didn't really enjoy the military sub-storyline (it wasn't quite political but had a tinge of politics), and don't understand the antagonist's motivations even though they are spelled out at the end.
Regardless, I'll read the next in the series because I suspect Bosch will be a very interesting character.
The twist in the story was a bit predictable and the IAD investigation which fills a large part of the storyline is not really explained/justified and I finished the book still unclear as to why Bosch is so "bad" that he needed to be
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investigated.I didn't really enjoy the military sub-storyline (it wasn't quite political but had a tinge of politics), and don't understand the antagonist's motivations even though they are spelled out at the end.
Regardless, I'll read the next in the series because I suspect Bosch will be a very interesting character.
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LibraryThing member nomadreader
The backstory: After enjoying the Bosch pilot on Amazon, I decided to finally start reading the Michael Connelly series so many, including Alafair Burke, one of my favorite crime novelists, rave about.
The basics: The Black Echo, the first novel in Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch series, introduces
My thoughts: Originally published in 1992, The Black Echo is a delightful time capsule into its time. As close as 1992 seems, the Vietnam War is closer to it than it is to today. This mystery is firmly grounded in the lingering impact of Vietnam, and it even takes its title from a War reference:
"Meadows was something else…. Back then, we were all just a bunch of kids, afraid of the dark. And those tunnels were so damn dark. But Meadows, he wasn’t afraid. He’d volunteer and volunteer and volunteer. Out of the blue and into the black. That’s what he said going on a tunnel mission was. We called it the black echo. It was like going to hell. You’re down there and you could smell your own fear. It was like you were dead when you were down there."
As a character, Bosch is a little bit rogue, which I enjoyed. The reader slowly learns more of his back story, but I was so engrossed with the mystery, I hardly cared when or how I learned about Bosch himself. As is often the case with first-in-a-series-mysteries, the person solving the mystery has a personal connection to the victim. In this case, the connection was fascinating rather than convenient, and it drove the story deeper.
Favorite passage: "My father was in the military. Most I ever spent in one place was a couple years. So my memories aren’t really of places. They’re people."
The verdict: The Black Echo is a tight, twisty mystery whose resolution left my mouth hanging open. I enjoyed the journey as much as the payoff, and I can't wait to read Connelly's next Bosch mystery.
The basics: The Black Echo, the first novel in Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch series, introduces
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readers to the LAPD homicide detective. When a dead body is discovered in a pipe, Bosch recognizes the victim as a fellow tunnel rat from his days in Vietnam. What otherwise might have been classified as a junkie dead from an overdose turns into a complicated, intriguing mystery stretching back to the Vietnam War itself.My thoughts: Originally published in 1992, The Black Echo is a delightful time capsule into its time. As close as 1992 seems, the Vietnam War is closer to it than it is to today. This mystery is firmly grounded in the lingering impact of Vietnam, and it even takes its title from a War reference:
"Meadows was something else…. Back then, we were all just a bunch of kids, afraid of the dark. And those tunnels were so damn dark. But Meadows, he wasn’t afraid. He’d volunteer and volunteer and volunteer. Out of the blue and into the black. That’s what he said going on a tunnel mission was. We called it the black echo. It was like going to hell. You’re down there and you could smell your own fear. It was like you were dead when you were down there."
As a character, Bosch is a little bit rogue, which I enjoyed. The reader slowly learns more of his back story, but I was so engrossed with the mystery, I hardly cared when or how I learned about Bosch himself. As is often the case with first-in-a-series-mysteries, the person solving the mystery has a personal connection to the victim. In this case, the connection was fascinating rather than convenient, and it drove the story deeper.
Favorite passage: "My father was in the military. Most I ever spent in one place was a couple years. So my memories aren’t really of places. They’re people."
The verdict: The Black Echo is a tight, twisty mystery whose resolution left my mouth hanging open. I enjoyed the journey as much as the payoff, and I can't wait to read Connelly's next Bosch mystery.
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LibraryThing member jmcclain19
A solid crime mystery novel. Lots of LA/SoCal flavor intermixed in the novel. Connelly is a good story teller who sets his scene up nicely and keeps the story movie. Harry Bosch, Connelly's hero, is a damn the torpedoes & my way or the highway type of guy and the story reflects that. He dances that
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razors edge of gray in who is good and who is bad that which helps the pages keep flying by. Another brownie point - I read this book in 2007, 15 years after it was published, and in no way did the story feel dated or time stamped. A big negative however - the Internal Affairs cops came across as way over the top caricatures and had me rolling my eyes with disbelief on multiple occasions. Show Less
LibraryThing member sjmccreary
Harry Bosch, LAPD, is just back on duty after a 30-day suspension by internal affairs and assigned to Hollywood homocide. When called out to the scene of a reported dead body, he discovers that it is one of his "tunnel rat" commrades from the vietnam war, and what was set up to look like a death by
This book is the first of a series featuring Harry Bosch. Unlike many series starters, we are not given a thorough introduction to our hero. While we are given the back story on Bosch's suspension, it does not explain the apparent vendetta that Internal Affairs has with Bosch, who is still under some sort of clandestine surveillance. I also don't believe we are given enough information to "figure it out" on our own before the end of the book, which I count as a weakness. In a similar vein, once the crucial information is revealed, I thought it was weak and not very convincing or compelling, and made for an unsatisfying finish.
This was a re-read for me. I didn't care for it the first time, and didn't like it much better this time, but I've been told that the series improves after this, so I'm willing to stay with Harry Bosch a little longer.
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accidental drug overdose, is actually murder. His investigation leads him to Eleanor Wish, the FBI agent in charge of an unsolved bank robbery, and the two of them work together to solve both cases.This book is the first of a series featuring Harry Bosch. Unlike many series starters, we are not given a thorough introduction to our hero. While we are given the back story on Bosch's suspension, it does not explain the apparent vendetta that Internal Affairs has with Bosch, who is still under some sort of clandestine surveillance. I also don't believe we are given enough information to "figure it out" on our own before the end of the book, which I count as a weakness. In a similar vein, once the crucial information is revealed, I thought it was weak and not very convincing or compelling, and made for an unsatisfying finish.
This was a re-read for me. I didn't care for it the first time, and didn't like it much better this time, but I've been told that the series improves after this, so I'm willing to stay with Harry Bosch a little longer.
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LibraryThing member Darrol
***Spoiler Alert***
Although it should not be it is such a cliche. The detective meets a girl. Goes to bed with her. She turns out to be a perp. Come on!! Why does this still get written?
The book is saved because Harry Bosch is a fun character, and i enjoy his taking on his police department.
Although it should not be it is such a cliche. The detective meets a girl. Goes to bed with her. She turns out to be a perp. Come on!! Why does this still get written?
The book is saved because Harry Bosch is a fun character, and i enjoy his taking on his police department.
LibraryThing member ethanr
Even in his first novel, Connelly shows his talent for clear, simple writing mixed with perfect pacing. He manages to give all the details of Harry Bosch's life without reverting to tiresome flashbacks.
LibraryThing member mrtall
Although it's the debut novel in Michael Connelly's long-running Harry Bosch series, The Black Echo is an impressive police procedural. Bosch is introduced here with his character, habits and backstory already surprisingly well-developed. There's no doubt some of Connelly's later efforts are better
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-- Echo suffers from too much exposition-via-dialog, and several plot scenarios are overly complex -- but it's never the less an excellent start to an excellent series. Recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member JimBrewington
Excellent! Easy to follow, surprises, some humor, the first Harry Bosch (the detective) novel.
LibraryThing member glennfeole
Gripping, great atmosphere. A portent of things to come from Connelly. Edgar award winner.
LibraryThing member markatread
The first of the Harry Bosch series and is based on a true event. The author, Michael Connelly, does a good job but does better with some of the books that come later in the series. I read this one on the way to Hawaii. I have fond memories of it.
LibraryThing member miyurose
This is the second book I've read in this series, and I like it. It's an interesting first book for me, because there's a lot that's already happened to Bosch before this book even begins. I also find that these books start off rather slow, but once they gain momentum they keep you reading. The
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mystery in this is interesting, and is about more than just a murder. I expect the animosity between Bosch and his higher ups will continue further into the series, and it adds another layer to everything. Show Less
LibraryThing member mahallett
i don't like bosch. does anybody? but this was a very good story. i didn't really get eleanor wish. she's more like an imposed love interest than a character. she is so wacky i don't know how she could appear normal to anyone. she never did to me. bosch seemed to like the way she raised her
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eyebrows. Show Less
LibraryThing member AdonisGuilfoyle
Random selection based solely on the L.A. setting - I had absolutely no expectations of the author, but the positive reviews promised a thrilling read if nothing else. Yet apart from taking me over a week to get through an airport-standard police procedural, however, Michael Connelly's novel read
I loved reading about L.A., though, which was enough for me - 'From the back porch Bosch could look northeast across Burbank and Glendale. He could see the purple-hued mountains past Pasadena and Altadena. Sometimes he could see the smoky loom-up and orange blaze of brush fires in the hills. At night the sound of the freeway below softened and the searchlights at Universal City swept the sky.' Like a random postcard in the middle of a borrowed novel.
Plodding and forgettable, I just don't have the time for this kind of plot-based, read-and-discard pulp fiction, so I won't be reading further 'Harry' Bosch novels, but I enjoyed my stay in the City of Angels (1990s style) while reading!
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more like an episode of Magnum P.I. to me. 'Maverick' detective', Vietnam vets, cops on the take, bank heists, smuggled diamonds - all present and correct, all fairly predictable. Also, the character names must be for comic effect - Hieronymus Bosch? Eleanor Wish? I loved reading about L.A., though, which was enough for me - 'From the back porch Bosch could look northeast across Burbank and Glendale. He could see the purple-hued mountains past Pasadena and Altadena. Sometimes he could see the smoky loom-up and orange blaze of brush fires in the hills. At night the sound of the freeway below softened and the searchlights at Universal City swept the sky.' Like a random postcard in the middle of a borrowed novel.
Plodding and forgettable, I just don't have the time for this kind of plot-based, read-and-discard pulp fiction, so I won't be reading further 'Harry' Bosch novels, but I enjoyed my stay in the City of Angels (1990s style) while reading!
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LibraryThing member debavp
Very Good! This series was highly recommended so I thought I'd give it a shot. I was not disappointed.
Connelly has give the lead character Bosch a very deep and complex character, reminiscent of Robert Crais' Elvis Cole.
Connelly does excellent work in delivering the back story of Bosch's Vietnam
Looking forward to the next in the series.
Connelly has give the lead character Bosch a very deep and complex character, reminiscent of Robert Crais' Elvis Cole.
Connelly does excellent work in delivering the back story of Bosch's Vietnam
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days without revealing too much, giving you just enough and leaving you with the desire to learn more about him.Looking forward to the next in the series.
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LibraryThing member les121
One of the best crime fiction novels I've ever read. Suspenseful, entertaining, and it will keep you guessing until the very end. I'm looking forward to reading more about the tough yet likable loner Detective Harry Bosch.
LibraryThing member edwardsgt
Harry Bosch, sidelined out of Robbery Homicide Division after an Internal Affairs enquiry, is first on the scene of the murder of a Vietnam "Tunnel Rat" he knew and takes a personal interest in solving his death, which takes him into some unexpected and unwelcome areas as he begins to unravel a
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complex plot which has its origins in the Vietnam war. Michael Connelly at his best, superb plotting, characters and writing takes you into the heart of Los Angeles, LAPD and the FBI. Highly recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member Tanya-dogearedcopy
I was remarkably ambivalent about "Black Echo." I neither liked it nor disliked it, but it would be harder to convince me to like it than not. Police procedurals have gotten formulaic (cf Martin Beck, John McClane, Inspector Rebus) with stock characters and plot devices. Protags tend to have a
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traumatic event in their past, dysfunctional domestic lives, a method of doing things outside of departmental procedure, a degree of a Luddite mentality and, a way of snagging an attractive counterpart along the way. Plot devices include some organizational preparation, the hunch and, then the stroke of luck, which brings it all together. In a year, it may be hard for me to recall the specifics of this story outside of the Viet Nam references. Show Less
LibraryThing member mazda502001
This is the first in the Harry Bosch series and I really enjoyed it. Really good story which grabbed me from page 1.
Back Cover Blurb:
One Sunday LAPD homicide detective Hieronymus 'Harry' Bosch gets a call out on his pager. A body has been found in a drainage tunnel off Mulholland Drive, Hollywood.
Back Cover Blurb:
One Sunday LAPD homicide detective Hieronymus 'Harry' Bosch gets a call out on his pager. A body has been found in a drainage tunnel off Mulholland Drive, Hollywood.
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The body looks like yet another OD, but Bosch isn't convinced - the one new puncture wound amidst the scars of old tracks stirkes an odd note. And something else: Harry knows him. Billy Meadows was a fellow tunnel rat out in Vietnam, running against the VC and against the fear they used to call the Black Echo. Harry let Meadows down once, he won't do it again. Show Less
LibraryThing member cdeuker
I'm a sucker for Michael Connelly books. Fast-paced, hard-bitten detective with a heart of gold underneath. "Somebody has to answer for Sharkey." Reminded me of Humphrey Bogart's "When your partner dies, . . ." in the Maltese Falcon. Vietnam War vet Billy Meadows turns up dead in a drainage pipe.
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Diamond heist, corrupt cops, femme fatale partner Ellie Wish. Great fun despite a too talky ending. Show Less
Awards
Edgar Award (Nominee — First Novel — 1993)
Anthony Award (Nominee — First Novel — 1993)
Dilys Award (Nominee — 1993)