Status
Available
Genres
Collection
Publication
St. Martin's Paperbacks (2005), 416 pages
Description
Fiction. Mystery. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:Suspended from his job with the LAPD, Harry Bosch must face the darkest parts of his past to track down his mother's killer . . . even if it costs him his life. Harry Bosch's life is on the edge. His earthquake-damaged home has been condemned. His girlfriend has left him. He's drinking too much. And after attacking his commanding officer, he's even had to turn in his L.A.P.D. detective's badge. Now, suspended indefinitely pending a psychiatric evaluation, he's spending his time investigating an unsolved crime from 1961: the brutal slaying of a prostitute who happened to be his own mother. Even after three decades, Harry's questions generate heat among L.A.'s top politicos. And as the truth begins to emerge, it becomes more and more apparent that someone wants to keep it buried. Someone very powerful...very cunning...and very deadly. Edgar Award-winning author Michael Connelly has created a dark, fast-paced suspense thriller that cuts to the core of Harry Bosch's character. Once you start it, there's no turning back.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member wiccked
The fourth book, the third I've read.
I'm really enjoying these. This one is a little different, since Harry is out on stress leave, and working by himself on a case he shouldn't be on, but one he has to work all the same. He's finding life without his badge and his gun very different, despite the
I'm finding the continuity better now that I've actually read two in a row, but there are still gaps in the history that I feel mightn't be there had I read the second book too. Read them in order.
I'm really enjoying these. This one is a little different, since Harry is out on stress leave, and working by himself on a case he shouldn't be on, but one he has to work all the same. He's finding life without his badge and his gun very different, despite the
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fact that he seems to have become somewhat of a hero amongst many of the force that he may not have ever even met before, for something that he probably shouldn't have done.I'm finding the continuity better now that I've actually read two in a row, but there are still gaps in the history that I feel mightn't be there had I read the second book too. Read them in order.
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LibraryThing member debavp
I do think this by far the best in the series to date. Connelly plays Bosch close to the vest and is almost reluctant to reveal Harry's character, much like Harry himself.
LibraryThing member PIER50
One of the best Harry Bosch stories. Great plot, well written and plenty of surprises. Michael Connelly's eye for detail really adds to a good story
LibraryThing member bbuchan
The Last Coyote is one of the best of Connelly's Harry Bosch series. A great mystery story with great characters. Harry Bosch is on involuntary stress leave after putting his supervisor through a glass window. His career in doubt and his house has been red-tagged after an earthquake and is slated
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for destruction. We learn more of Harry's early past as he digs into the 30 year old case of his mother Marjorie's murder. Good read. Highly recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member markatread
Secondary title - Harry Has to Go to Therapy to Keep His Job. Therapy doesn't help him very much; neither does getting a new girlfriend. In fact, he starts the book miserable and he ends the book in almost the exact same place. Solving the mystery of who killed his mother 25+ years ago doesn't help
Late one night Harry sees a scrawny, scraggly coyote come up out of a canyon. He used to see them quite often and fears that one day he will stop seeing them. He talks to the therapist he is forced to go and see. He realizes he is like the coyote, able to adapt to mankind and it's relentless development of what is wild and natural, but unable to thrive any longer in the face of all the encroachments he sees around him. In the end he leaves and goes to see his new girlfriend in Florida. Florida is probably not any better, but at least it isn't California.
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Harry much either. He still ends up pretty much where he started out - morose, drinking to much, and pissing everybody else off. But in some ways that is what Harry does almost as well as solve mysteries, he collects rage and misery. Two people who don't need to be dead, end up dead anyway because of Harry and the choices he makes. He solves one homocide case and his actions lead to 2 other homocides. It's his life story in some ways, he is absolutely committed to working relentlessly to bringing the bad guys to justice, yet he breaks rules and circumvents the law every 15 pages. He is not just a walking contradiction, he is a miserable walking contradiction.Late one night Harry sees a scrawny, scraggly coyote come up out of a canyon. He used to see them quite often and fears that one day he will stop seeing them. He talks to the therapist he is forced to go and see. He realizes he is like the coyote, able to adapt to mankind and it's relentless development of what is wild and natural, but unable to thrive any longer in the face of all the encroachments he sees around him. In the end he leaves and goes to see his new girlfriend in Florida. Florida is probably not any better, but at least it isn't California.
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LibraryThing member edwardsgt
Another excellent Harry Bosch. Harry has been suspended for assaulting his boss and is undergoing compulsive therapy. During his enforced absence his mind turns to the question of his mother's murder over 30 years previously and who was responsible. Thus begins a crusade to find those responsible,
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irrespective of who gets caught in the cross-fire and the fact that he might not welcome the truth. Show Less
LibraryThing member rosalita
Los Angeles Police Detective Harry Bosch has been placed on indefinite stress leave after some sort of incident involving his commanding officer, Harvey Pounds. (We've seen the dysfunctional relationship between Harry and Harvey in previous entries in this series, so it's no surprise that it's come
He-man Harry has little patience for the psychobabble, but eventually he opens up to the female doctor, who is concerned for his mental health when he decides to spend his free time investigating the murder of his mother, a party girl/prostitute, 35 years ago. Chasing down leads takes him from L.A. to Florida and back again, and he begins to suspect some high-level shenanigans in both his mother's death and the subsequent investigation, which seems more like a cover-up than a quest for justice.
Bosch is a classic flawed protagonist. He's harsh, quick to anger, relentlessly un-PC; on the other hand, he cares more than anything about getting justice for the homicide victims whose cases cross his desk. Connelly has given us glimpses of Bosch's back story before, but this book really dives in and makes clear that everything that he is today stems from what happened to his mother. But can he solve her murder without triggering his own?
Connelly is not the smoothest or the most lyrical of writers; his background is in journalism and it shows in his straightforward, just-the-facts-ma'am style. But the glimpses he gives readers into the inner lives of his characters feel authentic, and the somewhat convoluted plots hold up well through the denouement. I do wish just once that the bureaucratic obstacle du jour standing in Harry's way didn't always turn out to be a stupid fat woman who gets her comeuppance in physical humiliation. Don't thin, moderately attractive women ever act like petty tyrants?
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to a head, though we only get the details in drips and drabs.) He won't be allowed to return to active duty until a police psychiatrist clears him, which involves thrice-weekly therapy sessions. He-man Harry has little patience for the psychobabble, but eventually he opens up to the female doctor, who is concerned for his mental health when he decides to spend his free time investigating the murder of his mother, a party girl/prostitute, 35 years ago. Chasing down leads takes him from L.A. to Florida and back again, and he begins to suspect some high-level shenanigans in both his mother's death and the subsequent investigation, which seems more like a cover-up than a quest for justice.
Bosch is a classic flawed protagonist. He's harsh, quick to anger, relentlessly un-PC; on the other hand, he cares more than anything about getting justice for the homicide victims whose cases cross his desk. Connelly has given us glimpses of Bosch's back story before, but this book really dives in and makes clear that everything that he is today stems from what happened to his mother. But can he solve her murder without triggering his own?
Connelly is not the smoothest or the most lyrical of writers; his background is in journalism and it shows in his straightforward, just-the-facts-ma'am style. But the glimpses he gives readers into the inner lives of his characters feel authentic, and the somewhat convoluted plots hold up well through the denouement. I do wish just once that the bureaucratic obstacle du jour standing in Harry's way didn't always turn out to be a stupid fat woman who gets her comeuppance in physical humiliation. Don't thin, moderately attractive women ever act like petty tyrants?
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LibraryThing member jmcclain19
Connelly used a tired formula with this novel - cop suspended from force due to lashing out, and has to spend time hashing over his past. All the while he's using his connections to hunt for his mother's killer. I'll give Connelly some credit, he still managed to keep my interest thru the entire
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book and put a nice twist at the end, just when you think you know who killed Bosch's mother, he flips it on you. The ending redeemed the book overall, but the build-up just seemed to drag for a while. Considering how good Concrete Blonde was (the Bosch book immediately preceding Lost Coyote) from beginning to end, I thought this was an overall disappointment. 3 stars as a book that had a solid ending but a fat, saggy middle. Show Less
LibraryThing member she_climber
Bosch tracks down the killer of his mother years after the fact with only vague childhood memories and limited resources. Bosch is on leave from the Department for threatening Lt. Pounds, and is required to meet with a psychologist before he can be deemed fit to return to duty. The Dr. helps him
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through his feelings that come up through this rouge investigative effort, losing his house that was condemned after the last quake, and numerous other stressors in his life. A good entertaining addition to the series. As I read along and get to know the character I begin to like him a little more each time. Show Less
LibraryThing member Joycepa
Yet another outburst of violence has LA Homicide Detective Harry Bosch in trouble again—only this time, he shoved his superior, Lt. Pounds, and he is suspended from the force pending a psychiatric evaluation from the Department psychologist, Dr. Carmen Hinojos. Other aspects of Bosch’s life are
Before long, oddities crop up: unusual police procedures, missing pages from the murder book, hints of undue interference from political figures. By the very nature of the case, Harry talks with people from his past, especially his mother’s best friend, and former police officers who are unduly wary of inquiries from Los Angeles.
The trail heats up, and leads Harry to several confrontations, one of which costs Pounds his life. Chagrined but determined to find out who killed his mother, Harry pushes on despite the danger to himself and others.
Another excellent installment in this series. Connelly’s novels always start out the way I imagine police investigations do—wandering a bit, especially in this instance with such an old case. There is no clear trail, nothing definite to put one’s finger on, just the sense of needing to push on. The writing is excellent and the plotting is superb. The climax is unexpected, and extremely well done. As usual, I’m left with the desire to read more.
Highly recommended.
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just as bleak; an earthquake has rendered his home officially unlivable (although of course Bosch continues to live there), and Sylvia Moore, with whom he has had a year-long serious relationship, has left him. While struggling to come to terms with his life, Bosch becomes convinced that he can only understand what drives him if he is able to solve the 30+ year old murder case of his mother. Using his suspension, he tries to pick up the dropped threads of an old, cold investigation.Before long, oddities crop up: unusual police procedures, missing pages from the murder book, hints of undue interference from political figures. By the very nature of the case, Harry talks with people from his past, especially his mother’s best friend, and former police officers who are unduly wary of inquiries from Los Angeles.
The trail heats up, and leads Harry to several confrontations, one of which costs Pounds his life. Chagrined but determined to find out who killed his mother, Harry pushes on despite the danger to himself and others.
Another excellent installment in this series. Connelly’s novels always start out the way I imagine police investigations do—wandering a bit, especially in this instance with such an old case. There is no clear trail, nothing definite to put one’s finger on, just the sense of needing to push on. The writing is excellent and the plotting is superb. The climax is unexpected, and extremely well done. As usual, I’m left with the desire to read more.
Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member Djupstrom
Pretty standard fare. Connelly can do much better than this.
LibraryThing member MikeD
Another good detective novel from Connelly. A very good character study of Harry Bosch, the detective. He deals with his own demons as he solves the murder of his mother many years before.
LibraryThing member amacmillen
Harry Bosch is recovering from problems within at his work. He decides to find out who killed his mother in the early 1960s. The chase leads him through political intrigue and ends up with the murderer being a jealous girl friend. His search causes others to die and leads him to question his life
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goals. Show Less
LibraryThing member emigre
Poignant and intense story featuring loner detective Harry Bosch whose suspension from the LAPD gave him time to investigate his own mother's murder from 33 years ago. Connelly used very haunting imagery throughout, he wrote whole chapters where the case doesn't really move forward but Bosch broods
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and reflects. Coupled with Bosch's house in post-earthquake disarray, and his budding relationship with a woman hiding a secret of her own, this book marks a turning point in Bosch's life. Show Less
LibraryThing member Darrol
Back story about killing of mother.
LibraryThing member Daftboy1
This is an ok book. Harry Bosch the main character has been suspended from the LAPD.
He uses his free time to investigate his Mothers murder 25 years earlier.
Harry uncovers a few old home truths. He finds love along the way ruffles some feathers in his own department.
This is the first Harry Bosch
He uses his free time to investigate his Mothers murder 25 years earlier.
Harry uncovers a few old home truths. He finds love along the way ruffles some feathers in his own department.
This is the first Harry Bosch
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wook I read it wont be the last. Show Less
LibraryThing member Kathy89
This is an angry, volatile Harry Boesch who is on suspension and forced to see the LAPD psychiatrist. He decides to solve a cold case, the murder of his mother, who was a prostitute 30 yrs ago. Harry uses people, bullies and steamrolls over everyone to get answers and manages to inadvertently get a
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couple of people murdered while trying to make the pieces fit into what he wants. Show Less
LibraryThing member Laura400
I found this disappointing. It's a hackneyed story, with obvious writing, from hammered-in metaphors and similes, to psychological cliches, to characters who are more wooden than I expect from this series. I'm hoping Connelly gets back on firmer ground with the next installments, because he's
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usually been much surer and less hokey. Show Less
LibraryThing member auntieknickers
One of my favorites of the Harry Bosch series so far. NOT about a serial killer, a lot of introspection, and a great picture of Los Angeles after the earthquake. Surprises keep coming right up until the end. Highly recommended. (I've read or listened to several of the series out of order so I'm
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going back and reading the ones I've missed. This is the fourth in the series.) Show Less
LibraryThing member Lou_Cadle
I like all Connelly's novels, but to my mind, this is the best of the Bosch series.
LibraryThing member ricaustria
Once again, Michael Connelly delivers. This one, he takes right down to the end with twist upon twist. The thread takes the lead character, Harry Bosch, all to the way back to his pre-teen years, and provides more insight into his motivations. Bosch reminds me of Dashiell Hammett and Dirty Harry at
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various times during the book, and his outbursts are sometimes surprising. Listened to audiobook for the last few chapters on a long boring 22-hour flight, and the book was certainly the highlight of the trip. This is a book, perhaps, best consumed in one long read/listen. Show Less
LibraryThing member JudithDCollins
I liked this book as another in the Harry Bosch series. Harry is going thru some bad times and after attack by his commanding officer (always issues here) and he now has to turn n his L.A.P.D. detective's badge. Now, suspended indefinitely pending a psychiatric evaluation, he's spending his time
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investigating an unsolved crime from 1961: the brutal slaying of a prostitute who happened to be his own mother (he is haunted by his childhood and the way his mother died). Very interesting drama and hard to put down as the story unfolds. Even after three decades, Harry's questions generate heat among L.A.'s top politicos. And as the truth begins to emerge, it becomes more and more apparent that someone wants to keep it buried. Show Less
LibraryThing member hchannell
I give the first 3/4 of the book 5 stars but I felt the last 1/4 and the ending were fairly weak hence the 4 stars. It was still a great read though.
LibraryThing member page.fault
After being on the cusp of mental breakdown for years, Bosch has finally lost it. After comparatively minor provocation (but tangentially related to his mother), Bosch put his superior's head through a glass wall. Forced onto involuntary leave, he begins to look into the crime that has haunted him
However, I was left with troubling doubts about the series. Maybe I read it is just that any book was bound to be a letdown after The Concrete Blonde. Much of the plot of Last Coyote centers around Bosch's explosive and unrestrained temper, but to me, this characterization seemed contradictory. Bosch seemed to always be burning with inner anger and pain, but always under tight control. His childhood memory of being pulled out of the swimming pool to be informed of his mother's death exemplified his general demeanour. Hearing the news, he dove deep into the dark waters, letting the depths swallow his screams and the water hide his tears. This is the guy who, in the last book, sat calmly, his face a mask, as he was accused of murder and scheming and called a monster. Bosch's previous actions made him seem someone who controlled and used his pent-up anger, releasing it in calculated bursts. But according to this story, he's had a "problem" with his "unrestrained temper" this whole time.
Isolation and loss are major themes of this story. However, this sudden isolation felt scripted and unnatural to me. The desertion of Bosch's love interest, Sylvia, is essentially unexplained--except it is thematically convenient. I feel Connelly has a pattern of treating women as plot devices rather than characters: in each book, a female character is introduced to provide reactions and explication in accordance to the story's theme. This female is then discarded between books, obviating any necessity of any female character development. One of the series' major themes is Bosch's repudiation of the way society treats outcasts and prostitutes. It is therefore rather ironic that Connelly exploits his female characters to develop these themes and disposes of them as soon as they are no longer useful.
I found Bosch a problematic protagonist in this book. He is definitely a rounded and empathetic antihero: deeply driven, with a problematic ethical code and a tendency to make terrible mistakes that have drastic consequences. This book adds new facets to his character by exploring the past he has repressed. But it hit me that he hasn't grown as a character; he's regressed. I'm tired of his apparent desire to alienate everyone around him and troubled and repulsed by his willingness to let ends justify means. This was a hard book to read, not least because so much of Bosch's pain, so much of his isolation, is due his own self-destructive behaviour. Tangentially, the way this book turned all the symbolism and metaphor into straightforward statements from a psychologist made the conclusions feel forced and superficial to me. I loved the relationship developing between Bosch and Irving, but I was irritated by Bosch's antagonism towards a man who has repeatedly stuck his neck out for Bosch. The two characters act as foils: while Bosch rampages towards his own goals and ignores the damage his actions inflict on others, Irving is the voice of practicality and law: a bureaucrat who cynically weighs the cost of his choices. Bosch repeatedly declares that his actions in pursuit of justice for the dead are "right," despite any illegality or cost to innocents. I was left with the sense that, despite grief at the consequence of his actions, Bosch would not rethink his path. It is not just that Bosch doesn't trust the system; he believes that the rules do not apply to him. Despite the opportunities this book provided for self-evaluation, I was left with an unsatisfying sense that Bosch was confirmed in his belief that he had the right to act as judge, jury, and executioner in the pursuit of his own ideal of justice. Perhaps as the series continues, he will begin to reconsider his actions, but I think I'll wait a bit to find out.
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since childhood: his mother's murder. This excruciatingly painful and personal case leads Bosch into the darkness of the past and causes him to cross more lines than ever before. It's a powerful, agonizing, and gripping story, and I couldn't put it down until I reached the last page.However, I was left with troubling doubts about the series. Maybe I read it is just that any book was bound to be a letdown after The Concrete Blonde. Much of the plot of Last Coyote centers around Bosch's explosive and unrestrained temper, but to me, this characterization seemed contradictory. Bosch seemed to always be burning with inner anger and pain, but always under tight control. His childhood memory of being pulled out of the swimming pool to be informed of his mother's death exemplified his general demeanour. Hearing the news, he dove deep into the dark waters, letting the depths swallow his screams and the water hide his tears. This is the guy who, in the last book, sat calmly, his face a mask, as he was accused of murder and scheming and called a monster. Bosch's previous actions made him seem someone who controlled and used his pent-up anger, releasing it in calculated bursts. But according to this story, he's had a "problem" with his "unrestrained temper" this whole time.
Isolation and loss are major themes of this story. However, this sudden isolation felt scripted and unnatural to me. The desertion of Bosch's love interest, Sylvia, is essentially unexplained--except it is thematically convenient. I feel Connelly has a pattern of treating women as plot devices rather than characters: in each book, a female character is introduced to provide reactions and explication in accordance to the story's theme. This female is then discarded between books, obviating any necessity of any female character development. One of the series' major themes is Bosch's repudiation of the way society treats outcasts and prostitutes. It is therefore rather ironic that Connelly exploits his female characters to develop these themes and disposes of them as soon as they are no longer useful.
I found Bosch a problematic protagonist in this book. He is definitely a rounded and empathetic antihero: deeply driven, with a problematic ethical code and a tendency to make terrible mistakes that have drastic consequences. This book adds new facets to his character by exploring the past he has repressed. But it hit me that he hasn't grown as a character; he's regressed. I'm tired of his apparent desire to alienate everyone around him and troubled and repulsed by his willingness to let ends justify means. This was a hard book to read, not least because so much of Bosch's pain, so much of his isolation, is due his own self-destructive behaviour. Tangentially, the way this book turned all the symbolism and metaphor into straightforward statements from a psychologist made the conclusions feel forced and superficial to me. I loved the relationship developing between Bosch and Irving, but I was irritated by Bosch's antagonism towards a man who has repeatedly stuck his neck out for Bosch. The two characters act as foils: while Bosch rampages towards his own goals and ignores the damage his actions inflict on others, Irving is the voice of practicality and law: a bureaucrat who cynically weighs the cost of his choices. Bosch repeatedly declares that his actions in pursuit of justice for the dead are "right," despite any illegality or cost to innocents. I was left with the sense that, despite grief at the consequence of his actions, Bosch would not rethink his path. It is not just that Bosch doesn't trust the system; he believes that the rules do not apply to him. Despite the opportunities this book provided for self-evaluation, I was left with an unsatisfying sense that Bosch was confirmed in his belief that he had the right to act as judge, jury, and executioner in the pursuit of his own ideal of justice. Perhaps as the series continues, he will begin to reconsider his actions, but I think I'll wait a bit to find out.
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LibraryThing member scartertn
I could not put it down. Another fantastic Harry Bosch novel in which Harry tracks down his mother's killer. I was guessing a different outcome every other page and did not see the ending coming until it slapped me in the face.
Subjects
Awards
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1995-06-01
Physical description
416 p.; 4.26 inches
ISBN
0312938640 / 9780312938642