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Harry Bosch #11
The Closers
After three years out of the LAPD, Harry Bosch returns, to find the department a different place from the one he left. A new Police Chief has been brought over from New York to give the place a thorough clean up from top to bottom. Working with his former partner, Kiz Rider, Harry is assigned to the department's Open-Unsolved Unit, working on the thousands of cold cases that haunt the LAPD's files. These detectives are the Closers - they put a shovel in the dirt and turn over the past. By applying new techniques to old evidence they aim to unearth some hidden killers and bring them to justice, for 'a city that forgets its murder victims is a city lost.' Harry and Kiz are given a politically sensitive case when a DNA match connects a white supremacist to the 1988 murder of Rebecca Verloren, a sixteen-year-old girl. Becky was of mixed race, and the case appears to have a racial angle. This was LA before the riots and Rodney King; the city was a powder keg waiting for a match. The detectives who worked the case all those years ago seem to have done a decent job, but something doesn't fit. Meanwhile Harry's nemesis, Deputy Chief Irving, is watching him. In the new 'clean' LAPD Irving has been sidelined to a meaningless job. Compelled by vengeance, he hopes that Harry will make a slip.
376 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2005
4775 people are currently reading
10772 people want to read
About the author
Michael Connelly
380 books35k followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads' database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Michael Connelly decided to become a writer after discovering the books of Raymond Chandler while attending the University of Florida. Once he decided on this direction he chose a major in journalism and a minor in creative writing — a curriculum in which one of his teachers was novelist Harry Crews.
After graduating in 1980, Connelly worked at newspapers in Daytona Beach and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, primarily specializing in the crime beat. In Fort Lauderdale he wrote about police and crime during the height of the murder and violence wave that rolled over South Florida during the so-called cocaine wars. In 1986, he and two other reporters spent several months interviewing survivors of a major airline crash. They wrote a magazine story on the crash and the survivors which was later short-listed for the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing. The magazine story also moved Connelly into the upper levels of journalism, landing him a job as a crime reporter for the Los Angeles Times, one of the largest papers in the country, and bringing him to the city of which his literary hero, Chandler, had written.
After three years on the crime beat in L.A., Connelly began writing his first novel to feature LAPD Detective Hieronymus Bosch. The novel, The Black Echo, based in part on a true crime that had occurred in Los Angeles, was published in 1992 and won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel by the Mystery Writers of America. Connelly has followed that up with over 30 more novels.
Over eighty million copies of Connelly’s books have sold worldwide and he has been translated into forty-five foreign languages. He has won the Edgar Award, Anthony Award, Macavity Award, Los Angeles Times Best Mystery/Thriller Award, Shamus Award, Dilys Award, Nero Award, Barry Award, Audie Award, Ridley Award, Maltese Falcon Award (Japan), .38 Caliber Award (France), Grand Prix Award (France), Premio Bancarella Award (Italy), and the Pepe Carvalho award (Spain) .
Michael was the President of the Mystery Writers of America organization in 2003 and 2004. In addition to his literary work, Michael is one of the producers and writers of the TV show, “Bosch,” which is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Michael lives with his family in Los Angeles and Tampa, Florida.
Michael Connelly decided to become a writer after discovering the books of Raymond Chandler while attending the University of Florida. Once he decided on this direction he chose a major in journalism and a minor in creative writing — a curriculum in which one of his teachers was novelist Harry Crews.
After graduating in 1980, Connelly worked at newspapers in Daytona Beach and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, primarily specializing in the crime beat. In Fort Lauderdale he wrote about police and crime during the height of the murder and violence wave that rolled over South Florida during the so-called cocaine wars. In 1986, he and two other reporters spent several months interviewing survivors of a major airline crash. They wrote a magazine story on the crash and the survivors which was later short-listed for the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing. The magazine story also moved Connelly into the upper levels of journalism, landing him a job as a crime reporter for the Los Angeles Times, one of the largest papers in the country, and bringing him to the city of which his literary hero, Chandler, had written.
After three years on the crime beat in L.A., Connelly began writing his first novel to feature LAPD Detective Hieronymus Bosch. The novel, The Black Echo, based in part on a true crime that had occurred in Los Angeles, was published in 1992 and won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel by the Mystery Writers of America. Connelly has followed that up with over 30 more novels.
Over eighty million copies of Connelly’s books have sold worldwide and he has been translated into forty-five foreign languages. He has won the Edgar Award, Anthony Award, Macavity Award, Los Angeles Times Best Mystery/Thriller Award, Shamus Award, Dilys Award, Nero Award, Barry Award, Audie Award, Ridley Award, Maltese Falcon Award (Japan), .38 Caliber Award (France), Grand Prix Award (France), Premio Bancarella Award (Italy), and the Pepe Carvalho award (Spain) .
Michael was the President of the Mystery Writers of America organization in 2003 and 2004. In addition to his literary work, Michael is one of the producers and writers of the TV show, “Bosch,” which is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Michael lives with his family in Los Angeles and Tampa, Florida.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,573 reviews
April 29, 2018
Three years ago, Harry Bosch abruptly walked away from his job as an L. A. Homicide detective, largely because he couldn't take the politics and the cynicism of the department any longer. He tried being a P.I., but without his gun and his badge, he felt "out of balance." And so now he's back, taking advantage of an opportunity allowed by a new department program that would allow ex-cops like himself to return. He's reunited with his old partner, Kiz Rider, and is assigned to the Open/Unsolved Unit. They are to be "The Closers," resolving cold cases that, for one reason or another, haven't ever been cleared.
On his first day back, Harry and Kiz are handed the case of a sixteen-year-old girl who was taken from her house seventeen years ago and shot to death. The initial investigation went nowhere, but DNA evidence from the murder weapon has now been linked to an ex-con named Roland Mackey. Mackey is now a tow-truck driver and has long had associates in white supremacy groups. The victim, Becky Verloren, was the daughter of a white mother and a black father. Is it possible that her race was the reason for her murder?
As often happens, Becky's death had catastrophic effects for her parents. Her father, a restaurateur, left home soon after her murder and disappeared into the city's homeless population. Her mother has remained in the house from which Becky was taken and has preserved the girl's room as a shrine, leaving it exactly as it was on the night her daughter disappeared. Harry is determined to give them the justice that has eluded them for so long.
The DNA evidence gives Harry and Kiz a good head start on finally solving the murder. But Harry knows that the DNA alone will never be enough to convict Mackey of the crime, and as the two detectives dig deeper into the case, it's apparent that the original investigation may have been compromised by some of the same forces that earlier drove Harry to retire.
This is a very good book with an interesting plot and a very heavy dose of police procedure. It's good to have Harry back in harness; he just wasn't the same character apart from his mission as a homicide detective. Harry, being Harry, will still make waves and ruffle a lot of feathers, but that's what readers have come to expect and this book should appeal to any fan of the series.
On his first day back, Harry and Kiz are handed the case of a sixteen-year-old girl who was taken from her house seventeen years ago and shot to death. The initial investigation went nowhere, but DNA evidence from the murder weapon has now been linked to an ex-con named Roland Mackey. Mackey is now a tow-truck driver and has long had associates in white supremacy groups. The victim, Becky Verloren, was the daughter of a white mother and a black father. Is it possible that her race was the reason for her murder?
As often happens, Becky's death had catastrophic effects for her parents. Her father, a restaurateur, left home soon after her murder and disappeared into the city's homeless population. Her mother has remained in the house from which Becky was taken and has preserved the girl's room as a shrine, leaving it exactly as it was on the night her daughter disappeared. Harry is determined to give them the justice that has eluded them for so long.
The DNA evidence gives Harry and Kiz a good head start on finally solving the murder. But Harry knows that the DNA alone will never be enough to convict Mackey of the crime, and as the two detectives dig deeper into the case, it's apparent that the original investigation may have been compromised by some of the same forces that earlier drove Harry to retire.
This is a very good book with an interesting plot and a very heavy dose of police procedure. It's good to have Harry back in harness; he just wasn't the same character apart from his mission as a homicide detective. Harry, being Harry, will still make waves and ruffle a lot of feathers, but that's what readers have come to expect and this book should appeal to any fan of the series.
August 15, 2024
In this 11th book in the 'Harry Bosch' series, the detective teams up with his old partner Kiz Rider to solve a cold case. The book can be read as a standalone.
*****
LAPD Detective Harry Bosch retired three years ago, in 1985, thinking he'd work on unsolved cases and spend time with his newly discovered young daughter Maddie. Maddie's now been whisked off to live in Hong Kong with her mother - a professional poker player - and Harry's bored and missing his badge and gun.
Harry's influential former partner, Kiz Rider, helps get him back in the LAPD - and the two of them are assigned to the Open- Unsolved Unit (cold cases).
The duo immediately land a case involving the murder of a biracial teenage girl, Rebecca Verloren, 17 years ago.
The probe just heated up because recent DNA analysis of blood from the murder gun points to ex-convict Roland Mackey, who used to run with neo-Nazis. The blood only links Roland to the weapon, not the murder, but it's a good start.
Harry and Kiz begin their inquiries by studying the murder book (case files) and talking to detectives, witnesses, and suspects from 17 years ago. The partners hit on new clues and discover that 'higher ups' in the police department may have derailed the original investigation. Thus it's no surprise that Harry's long-time nemesis - Deputy Chief Irvin Irving - 'runs into' Harry....and nastily asserts Harry will soon mess up and be out on his ass.
The book is essentially a police procedural, and provides an interesting view of how investigators identify suspects, get search warrants, bug phones, follow persons of interest, do stake-outs, etc. In this case, Harry and Kiz's hasty actions result in an additional death, and Harry JUST MIGHT get the heave ho. 😨
The story also demonstrates the repercussions of a tragic murder on the victim's family. Rebecca's father, once a successful restaurateur, became a homeless drunk. And Rebecca's mother - lonely, grief-stricken, and unable to move on - kept her daughter's old bedroom intact. This actually turns out to be beneficial, because the room 'tickles' Harry's intuition.
The book has an array of interesting characters, including Rebecca's old high school friends and teachers; some former skinheads; the new Police Chief Abel Pratt; and Harry's gossipy onetime partner Jerry Edward.
This isn't one of Connelly's best novels (IMO), being a bit slow and plodding, but I enjoyed trying to figure out 'whodunit.' I'd recommend the book to readers who like mysteries, especially Harry Bosch fans.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....
September 29, 2024
You know you have read a lot of books when you pick up a book as if you are looking at it for the first time and begin reading it and realize it sounds familiar. I can’t begin to count on my fingers how many times I have done this to myself. Of course, it has to happen with classic Connelly. And, Bosch. I love Bosch.
So, when this book was deposited as a donation to my Little Free Library Shed recently, I couldn’t help but think, is this one of his stories I missed? Of course not. It is one, that I forgot I had read. And, now I am reviewing it.
This is where Detective Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch is now working for the Open-Unsolved Unit, hoping to find a way to find closure for those “chorus of forgotten voices” and certainly justice for the unresolved cases. This is also an opportunity for Bosch to learn about the advances in forensic science that have been made since he retired 3 years earlier.
What I love about Connelly is his beautiful attention to detail. Basics in investigative police work – police procedurals at its best.
As Bosch takes on his first case, the reader gets an inside tour of the streamlined LAPD and all the advanced techniques used in comparative analysis of DNA, ballistics and fingerprints.
As a reader, I am soaking up the methods of modern forensics, and it is obvious that it is revitalizing Bosch, too. But we also get a taste of his old-fashioned police detective work in action, as well. As well as his gut instinct at following the clues. What we appreciate the most is his way of speaking for the dead.
In true Connelly fashion, this will be a page-turning, well-done read for fans. And those new to Bosch, will want to get to know him. But as in all series, it is always best to start at the beginning. The first Harry Bosch book was “The Black Echo.”
So, when this book was deposited as a donation to my Little Free Library Shed recently, I couldn’t help but think, is this one of his stories I missed? Of course not. It is one, that I forgot I had read. And, now I am reviewing it.
This is where Detective Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch is now working for the Open-Unsolved Unit, hoping to find a way to find closure for those “chorus of forgotten voices” and certainly justice for the unresolved cases. This is also an opportunity for Bosch to learn about the advances in forensic science that have been made since he retired 3 years earlier.
What I love about Connelly is his beautiful attention to detail. Basics in investigative police work – police procedurals at its best.
As Bosch takes on his first case, the reader gets an inside tour of the streamlined LAPD and all the advanced techniques used in comparative analysis of DNA, ballistics and fingerprints.
As a reader, I am soaking up the methods of modern forensics, and it is obvious that it is revitalizing Bosch, too. But we also get a taste of his old-fashioned police detective work in action, as well. As well as his gut instinct at following the clues. What we appreciate the most is his way of speaking for the dead.
In true Connelly fashion, this will be a page-turning, well-done read for fans. And those new to Bosch, will want to get to know him. But as in all series, it is always best to start at the beginning. The first Harry Bosch book was “The Black Echo.”
January 9, 2017
Another enjoyable outing with Harry Bosch - 400 and something pages just zoomed past:)
This book was a little slower than some of the earlier ones but I always enjoy police procedurals so it was okay with me. Harry seemed a little more mellow. He tried harder to work as part of a team and apologised nicely to Rider when he failed. And although he was still dead set on find the killer he took some of his co workers failings without comment instead of antagonising everyone.
I enjoyed the fact that he had the support of his immediate bosses. I find lately that too many books in this genre have the poor MC fighting to deal with an incapable boss at the same time as working his cases. As a story line it gets old very quickly.
Overall a very enjoyable read and I look forward to moving on to the next one.
This book was a little slower than some of the earlier ones but I always enjoy police procedurals so it was okay with me. Harry seemed a little more mellow. He tried harder to work as part of a team and apologised nicely to Rider when he failed. And although he was still dead set on find the killer he took some of his co workers failings without comment instead of antagonising everyone.
I enjoyed the fact that he had the support of his immediate bosses. I find lately that too many books in this genre have the poor MC fighting to deal with an incapable boss at the same time as working his cases. As a story line it gets old very quickly.
Overall a very enjoyable read and I look forward to moving on to the next one.
January 19, 2017
Harry Bosch is back with the LAPD, this time with the Open-Unsolved Unit, a new division responsible for closing cold cases. He's partnered with Kiz Rider and their first assignment is the 17-year old murder of a 16-year old biracial girl, Rebecca (Becky) Verloren. It should come as no surprise that Harry and Kiz end up opening the proverbial Pandora's box involving old police department politics.
Oh, how I loved this story! I finished it in two road trip sessions and was thrilled that I had no distractions because the details mattered. Connelly was nimble in his writing, not wasting many words in character development, clues and descriptions. The mystery was challenging and hooked me from the beginning. While my initial guess was right, I abandoned it for more compelling suppositions. The ending was so delicious and I NEVER saw one aspect of it coming but it was brilliant. Len Cariou's narration was pitch perfect. Can you tell I loved this book?
Here's hoping Bosch continues to have a future with the LAPD, especially in this new unit under competent leadership for a change and with a great partner.
Oh, how I loved this story! I finished it in two road trip sessions and was thrilled that I had no distractions because the details mattered. Connelly was nimble in his writing, not wasting many words in character development, clues and descriptions. The mystery was challenging and hooked me from the beginning. While my initial guess was right, I abandoned it for more compelling suppositions. The ending was so delicious and I NEVER saw one aspect of it coming but it was brilliant. Len Cariou's narration was pitch perfect. Can you tell I loved this book?
Here's hoping Bosch continues to have a future with the LAPD, especially in this new unit under competent leadership for a change and with a great partner.
August 20, 2025
Another HUGE notch in Michael Connelly's success belt!
After three years off the force, Harry Bosch opens THE CLOSERS re-instated to the LAPD. His experience has earned him a plum posting with his old partner, Kizmin Rider, to the "Open Unsolved Unit" but the chief has made it clear that Bosch is under probation as the oldest "boot" on the force. Perhaps smarter, more matured, more mellow and definitely more introspective and cautious, Bosch realizes that his future with the force is contingent on staying out of trouble and sticking rigorously to the letter of the law and regimented procedure according to the book. But trouble has a way of seeking out Harry Bosch and getting under his skin.
Bosch is handed his first case, supposedly a slam dunk with new evidence. Rebecca Verloren was murdered 17 years ago. Rebecca's white mother is hopelessly mired in the past and mourns her death to this day. Her black father, formerly a successful restaurateur, fell into the bottle and vanished into LA's homeless community. DNA analysis, that didn't exist at the time of the murder, leads Bosch and Ryder toward Roland Mackey, a tow truck driver with connections to a radical fascist white supremacy group. But Bosch and Rider aren't satisfied. While the DNA ties Mackey to the murder weapon, there doesn't seem to be any way to tie Mackey to the murder or to a relationship with the victim. Further investigation into the racial aspect of the case begins to point Bosch into that most treacherous territory of "high jingo" - internal police wrongdoing and cover-ups related to the LA race riots that were happening at the time of Rebecca's murder.
THE CLOSERS is considerably less character driven than previous Harry Bosch novels but Bosch's character is still an important consideration. It's clear throughout the novel that Bosch wrestles internally with his old demons - the compulsion to lapse back into unorthodoxy, the drive to get the job done at all costs, his inability to deal compassionately with those around him. I will admit, however, that it was probably more clear to me as a confirmed lover of Harry Bosch novels than it would be to a new fan choosing to pick up THE CLOSERS as a first Harry Bosch entrée. Kiz Rider, by contrast to Bosch, matures and strengthens as an understanding partner and a highly competent female investigator in a primarily male world. She has the ability, the courage and the compassion necessary to let Bosch know about his shortcomings and to hold him firmly in check when it's necessary. Her innovative, insightful and independent thinking seems unhampered by a much more strict "by the book" approach.
The plot - well, what can one say about Michael Connelly's mastery of the police procedural that hasn't already been said? The textbook layout of the clues and the investigation is impeccable and compelling in its intensity. And the twist at the end is worthy of the finest thriller. Five stars, two thumbs up and a bonus of two big toes as well!
Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
After three years off the force, Harry Bosch opens THE CLOSERS re-instated to the LAPD. His experience has earned him a plum posting with his old partner, Kizmin Rider, to the "Open Unsolved Unit" but the chief has made it clear that Bosch is under probation as the oldest "boot" on the force. Perhaps smarter, more matured, more mellow and definitely more introspective and cautious, Bosch realizes that his future with the force is contingent on staying out of trouble and sticking rigorously to the letter of the law and regimented procedure according to the book. But trouble has a way of seeking out Harry Bosch and getting under his skin.
Bosch is handed his first case, supposedly a slam dunk with new evidence. Rebecca Verloren was murdered 17 years ago. Rebecca's white mother is hopelessly mired in the past and mourns her death to this day. Her black father, formerly a successful restaurateur, fell into the bottle and vanished into LA's homeless community. DNA analysis, that didn't exist at the time of the murder, leads Bosch and Ryder toward Roland Mackey, a tow truck driver with connections to a radical fascist white supremacy group. But Bosch and Rider aren't satisfied. While the DNA ties Mackey to the murder weapon, there doesn't seem to be any way to tie Mackey to the murder or to a relationship with the victim. Further investigation into the racial aspect of the case begins to point Bosch into that most treacherous territory of "high jingo" - internal police wrongdoing and cover-ups related to the LA race riots that were happening at the time of Rebecca's murder.
THE CLOSERS is considerably less character driven than previous Harry Bosch novels but Bosch's character is still an important consideration. It's clear throughout the novel that Bosch wrestles internally with his old demons - the compulsion to lapse back into unorthodoxy, the drive to get the job done at all costs, his inability to deal compassionately with those around him. I will admit, however, that it was probably more clear to me as a confirmed lover of Harry Bosch novels than it would be to a new fan choosing to pick up THE CLOSERS as a first Harry Bosch entrée. Kiz Rider, by contrast to Bosch, matures and strengthens as an understanding partner and a highly competent female investigator in a primarily male world. She has the ability, the courage and the compassion necessary to let Bosch know about his shortcomings and to hold him firmly in check when it's necessary. Her innovative, insightful and independent thinking seems unhampered by a much more strict "by the book" approach.
The plot - well, what can one say about Michael Connelly's mastery of the police procedural that hasn't already been said? The textbook layout of the clues and the investigation is impeccable and compelling in its intensity. And the twist at the end is worthy of the finest thriller. Five stars, two thumbs up and a bonus of two big toes as well!
Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
November 1, 2024
Another top notch mystery featuring my favorite LA detective, Harry Bosch.
Bosch, newly returned to LAPD, has been assigned to the rejuvenated cold case unit and is once again partnered with Kiz Rider.
They’re assigned to a cold case which is heating up because of newly discovered DNA evidence. It’s a great ride as Bosch cuts a few corners and makes a few deals (with his nemesis) to close their case.
Yeah I guessed a few things in advance including the ending but it’s so well-written that it didn’t matter— I still enjoyed watching Bosch make connections, just in the nick of time.
Already looking forward to the next one!!
(Reviewed 4/16/19)
Bosch, newly returned to LAPD, has been assigned to the rejuvenated cold case unit and is once again partnered with Kiz Rider.
They’re assigned to a cold case which is heating up because of newly discovered DNA evidence. It’s a great ride as Bosch cuts a few corners and makes a few deals (with his nemesis) to close their case.
Yeah I guessed a few things in advance including the ending but it’s so well-written that it didn’t matter— I still enjoyed watching Bosch make connections, just in the nick of time.
Already looking forward to the next one!!
(Reviewed 4/16/19)
December 24, 2023
3.5/5 Estrellas
Último recurso, última oportunidad de dar a los muertos la posibilidad de hablar.
Harry aprovecha la coyuntura y, tras 3 años de retiro, decide reengancharse al Departamento de Policía de Los Ángeles y lo asignan a "Casos Abiertos", una nueva unidad donde vuelven a abordarse antiguos casos sin resolver, con la ayuda de las nuevas tecnologías que permiten dar utilidad a antiguas pruebas (ADN por ejemplo) y de la mente analítica de buenos investigadores como Harry y su antigua compañera Kiz Rider, con la que vuelve a trabajar.
Sin embargo los viejos fantasmas del Departamento, corruptelas, ocultaciones, prevaricaciones, sobrevuelan el caso desde el primer momento y las cosas no son lo que parecen.
¿Podrá sobrevivir Harry a su primer caso? ¿Podrá resolverlo? ¿Podrá enfrentarse a las turbias aguas que enfangan el Departamento desde hace décadas? ¿Porqué lo han dejado volver con tanta facilidad? ¿Porqué le han asignado este caso?.
Muchas preguntas, que se van resolviendo con sobriedad a lo largo de la trama. Harry comete errores, lo empujan al precipicio, remueve esas aguas profundas a las que lo han arrojado, pero consigue salir airoso.
Como siempre los casos donde aparece tan abiertamente la larga sombra de asuntos internos y de las corruptelas internas de la policía me suelen gustar menos. Tampoco me ha parecido un caso brillante en su desarrollo y resolución, pero las 4 estrellas son bien merecidas.
Todavía me estoy preguntando si una huella dactilar puede mantenerse intacta en una superficie durante 17 años......
Último recurso, última oportunidad de dar a los muertos la posibilidad de hablar.
Harry aprovecha la coyuntura y, tras 3 años de retiro, decide reengancharse al Departamento de Policía de Los Ángeles y lo asignan a "Casos Abiertos", una nueva unidad donde vuelven a abordarse antiguos casos sin resolver, con la ayuda de las nuevas tecnologías que permiten dar utilidad a antiguas pruebas (ADN por ejemplo) y de la mente analítica de buenos investigadores como Harry y su antigua compañera Kiz Rider, con la que vuelve a trabajar.
Sin embargo los viejos fantasmas del Departamento, corruptelas, ocultaciones, prevaricaciones, sobrevuelan el caso desde el primer momento y las cosas no son lo que parecen.
¿Podrá sobrevivir Harry a su primer caso? ¿Podrá resolverlo? ¿Podrá enfrentarse a las turbias aguas que enfangan el Departamento desde hace décadas? ¿Porqué lo han dejado volver con tanta facilidad? ¿Porqué le han asignado este caso?.
Muchas preguntas, que se van resolviendo con sobriedad a lo largo de la trama. Harry comete errores, lo empujan al precipicio, remueve esas aguas profundas a las que lo han arrojado, pero consigue salir airoso.
Como siempre los casos donde aparece tan abiertamente la larga sombra de asuntos internos y de las corruptelas internas de la policía me suelen gustar menos. Tampoco me ha parecido un caso brillante en su desarrollo y resolución, pero las 4 estrellas son bien merecidas.
Todavía me estoy preguntando si una huella dactilar puede mantenerse intacta en una superficie durante 17 años......
April 1, 2024
If you like Harry Bosch, I’m sure you will like his 11th installment !
After a 3 year retirement, Harry returns to work. Now he joins her detective friend Kizmin Rider in a new department, the Open-Unsolved Unit, which is focused on closing unresolved cases from way back. That is why they call themselves “ The closers “.
As you can expect, the plot is brilliant, full of twists and turns, the dialogs believable. I will say no more, just that this is my 17th novel from Connelly, so take a wild guest.
Not all of them keep the same standard. Some (just one or two, truth be told) have disappointed me, but on the whole, the author gives you solid thrillers. His Mickey Haller series are not just as good, even if “The Lincoln lawyer” is one of the best I have ever read. I’d rather stick with Bosch. Now I have to go forward to read “The black box”, which is the next one in the series that I haven’t read yet. I hope it will be as good as this one!
Be as it may.
Reading date: 2016 march the 16th.
December 1, 2024
5★
“Only an hour back on the job and he was already chasing a killer. It didn't matter how long ago the blood had fallen. There was a killer in the wind and Bosch was coming.”
Go get ‘em, Harry! Deputy Chief of Police Irvin Irving thought he’d seen the back of Detective Bosch when Harry retired, but the powers-that-be in the Los Angeles Police Dept know they need more people, so they have invited recent retirees to reapply for positions. Harry hasn’t been satisfied with his private investigator work and misses the old homicide table.
His former LAPD partner, Kiz Rider, has been working on Level 6 with the high and mighty, and Harry said he would go back if she would move back down to Level 5 as a detective again. This will be a new Open-Unsolved unit, cold cases. The chief himself gives Harry his old badge back.
“Now they shook hands, but as they did so the chief didn't smile.
‘The chorus of forgotten voices,’ he said.
‘Excuse me. Chief?’
‘That's what I think about when I think of the cases down there in Open-Unsolved. It's a house of horrors. Our greatest shame. All those cases. All those voices. Every one of them is like a stone thrown into a lake. The ripples move out through time and people.’”
They sure do. Harry and Kiz have been given one new bit of evidence – DNA – from a case seventeen years ago where a teenaged girl was murdered. The autopsy showed she’d had a pregnancy terminated six weeks before the murder.
The DNA, useful as it is, is on the gun that was placed beside her body where she was found, sitting up against a tree, as if she had committed suicide.
Nobody, not her family nor her very close friends, had known anything about the pregnancy. Nor did anyone know to whom MTL in her diary referred to. My True Love, perhaps?
The girl was Becky Verloren, and the first thing that occurred to me is that 'verloren' is the German word for 'lost', probably where 'forlorn' comes from. Forlorn is certainly apt for her parents.
She was an only child, and her mother has kept her bedroom like a shrine, while her father has lost himself in toyland, an area of toy manufacturers and wholesalers where many homeless people gather.
“The rear walls of the missions on one side and the toy warehouses on the other were lined almost end to end with cardboard and canvas shanties. It was quiet. These were probably the self-made shelters of the night people. It wasn't that there was no room for them in the mission dormitories. It was that those beds came with basic rules attached and the people in the alley did not want to abide by such rules.”
Harry wants to find him as well as everyone else connected with Becky. They will start from scratch. He and Kiz have the original murder book, the ring-binder of reports, photos, and interview that were collected seventeen years ago.
DNA on a weapon is enough to set them on the trail again, but unless they can connect the gun’s owner with the shooting, they won’t have a case.
This is Michael Connelly’s Bosch, so of course we trust they will figure it out, but I have to admit that even when I spot a clue (and I did notice a couple this time), I still don’t know how it will prove to be relevant.
Connelly sometimes writes so many little details in a scene or in an exchange between characters, that it almost like a play script - but more interesting. (Scripts are an acquired taste). It could seem extraneous, but I think these are the sorts of details a good investigator would put in the mental bank.
Someone is left-handed, limps, is sensitive to light, is jumpy, is strong (enough to carry a body), is agile (enough to scale a roof), is small (enough to hide in a shadow).
One of the biggest changes for Harry is the regular use of cell phones. His begins to ring at an extremely awkward moment one night.
“He had forgotten to mute his phone before creeping the house. It was a mistake that could have blown everything and maybe put him into a confrontation with an investigative target. Three years ago, before he had left the job, it would never have happened. He started thinking about what Irving had said about his being a retread that would come apart at the seams, that would blow out.”
This is not his only moment of misgiving, of course. He misses his relaxing smokes, but I certainly don’t, and while he enjoys a drink and a lady, this book is very light on both. It’s much more about trying to catch those people causing the ripples.
Harry is back and badged. It was good to see him working with a team again.
(#1) My review of The Black Echo
(#2) My review of The Black Ice
(#3) My review of The Concrete Blonde
(#4) My review of The Last Coyote
(#5) My review of Trunk Music
(#6) My review of Angels Flight
(#7) My review of A Darkness More Than Night
(#8) My review of City of Bones
(#9) My review of Lost Light
(Jack McEvoy #1, Harry Bosch Universe #5, prequel to The Narrows) My review of The Poet
(#10) My review of The Narrows
“Only an hour back on the job and he was already chasing a killer. It didn't matter how long ago the blood had fallen. There was a killer in the wind and Bosch was coming.”
Go get ‘em, Harry! Deputy Chief of Police Irvin Irving thought he’d seen the back of Detective Bosch when Harry retired, but the powers-that-be in the Los Angeles Police Dept know they need more people, so they have invited recent retirees to reapply for positions. Harry hasn’t been satisfied with his private investigator work and misses the old homicide table.
His former LAPD partner, Kiz Rider, has been working on Level 6 with the high and mighty, and Harry said he would go back if she would move back down to Level 5 as a detective again. This will be a new Open-Unsolved unit, cold cases. The chief himself gives Harry his old badge back.
“Now they shook hands, but as they did so the chief didn't smile.
‘The chorus of forgotten voices,’ he said.
‘Excuse me. Chief?’
‘That's what I think about when I think of the cases down there in Open-Unsolved. It's a house of horrors. Our greatest shame. All those cases. All those voices. Every one of them is like a stone thrown into a lake. The ripples move out through time and people.’”
They sure do. Harry and Kiz have been given one new bit of evidence – DNA – from a case seventeen years ago where a teenaged girl was murdered. The autopsy showed she’d had a pregnancy terminated six weeks before the murder.
The DNA, useful as it is, is on the gun that was placed beside her body where she was found, sitting up against a tree, as if she had committed suicide.
Nobody, not her family nor her very close friends, had known anything about the pregnancy. Nor did anyone know to whom MTL in her diary referred to. My True Love, perhaps?
The girl was Becky Verloren, and the first thing that occurred to me is that 'verloren' is the German word for 'lost', probably where 'forlorn' comes from. Forlorn is certainly apt for her parents.
She was an only child, and her mother has kept her bedroom like a shrine, while her father has lost himself in toyland, an area of toy manufacturers and wholesalers where many homeless people gather.
“The rear walls of the missions on one side and the toy warehouses on the other were lined almost end to end with cardboard and canvas shanties. It was quiet. These were probably the self-made shelters of the night people. It wasn't that there was no room for them in the mission dormitories. It was that those beds came with basic rules attached and the people in the alley did not want to abide by such rules.”
Harry wants to find him as well as everyone else connected with Becky. They will start from scratch. He and Kiz have the original murder book, the ring-binder of reports, photos, and interview that were collected seventeen years ago.
DNA on a weapon is enough to set them on the trail again, but unless they can connect the gun’s owner with the shooting, they won’t have a case.
This is Michael Connelly’s Bosch, so of course we trust they will figure it out, but I have to admit that even when I spot a clue (and I did notice a couple this time), I still don’t know how it will prove to be relevant.
Connelly sometimes writes so many little details in a scene or in an exchange between characters, that it almost like a play script - but more interesting. (Scripts are an acquired taste). It could seem extraneous, but I think these are the sorts of details a good investigator would put in the mental bank.
Someone is left-handed, limps, is sensitive to light, is jumpy, is strong (enough to carry a body), is agile (enough to scale a roof), is small (enough to hide in a shadow).
One of the biggest changes for Harry is the regular use of cell phones. His begins to ring at an extremely awkward moment one night.
“He had forgotten to mute his phone before creeping the house. It was a mistake that could have blown everything and maybe put him into a confrontation with an investigative target. Three years ago, before he had left the job, it would never have happened. He started thinking about what Irving had said about his being a retread that would come apart at the seams, that would blow out.”
This is not his only moment of misgiving, of course. He misses his relaxing smokes, but I certainly don’t, and while he enjoys a drink and a lady, this book is very light on both. It’s much more about trying to catch those people causing the ripples.
Harry is back and badged. It was good to see him working with a team again.
(#1) My review of The Black Echo
(#2) My review of The Black Ice
(#3) My review of The Concrete Blonde
(#4) My review of The Last Coyote
(#5) My review of Trunk Music
(#6) My review of Angels Flight
(#7) My review of A Darkness More Than Night
(#8) My review of City of Bones
(#9) My review of Lost Light
(Jack McEvoy #1, Harry Bosch Universe #5, prequel to The Narrows) My review of The Poet
(#10) My review of The Narrows
September 25, 2024
I was very eager to reader The Closers to find out what happened next to Harry Bosch. I was a bit disappointed in the book as a whole. It was more of a transition book in the series as Bosch returns to the LAPD and leaves behind his life as a private detective. Connelly is a talented writer and I'm always invested in his characters. As a parent, I couldn't imagine the grief and utter despair that these parents lived through after their teen-age daughters murder.
The plot was average. The cold case could have been from any number of television shows. I felt like I've been through it before. The twists and turns did not surprise me like in other Michael Connelly books. I thought it was kind of predictable. I am glad I read the book because I became very invested in Bosch's new partner and am curious to see how the political agenda of the higher ups will develop. If you love the Harry Bosch books I suggest reading it. If you are looking to begin reading the Bosch books, I suggest starting somewhere else. I read The Poet first, and then discovered Bosch in The Narrows. Both superb books.
The plot was average. The cold case could have been from any number of television shows. I felt like I've been through it before. The twists and turns did not surprise me like in other Michael Connelly books. I thought it was kind of predictable. I am glad I read the book because I became very invested in Bosch's new partner and am curious to see how the political agenda of the higher ups will develop. If you love the Harry Bosch books I suggest reading it. If you are looking to begin reading the Bosch books, I suggest starting somewhere else. I read The Poet first, and then discovered Bosch in The Narrows. Both superb books.
October 20, 2024
My expectations were naturally high as I ventured back alongside Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch as he re-joins the force in "The Closers". This novel does bring a different tempo, quite unlike the whirlwind of suspense we often associate with Bosch's live-wire cases. Instead, he delves into a cold case, bringing a slower, perhaps more methodical, feel to this venture.
Initially, my excitement ebbed slightly as the urgency I’m familiar with in Bosch novels was subdued due to the nature of a cold case. However, as Bosch's intricate world unfurled, the story's pace began to pick up, rendering my initial reservations (mostly) moot. Detours from urgency can indeed provide new spaces for character exploration and narrative depth. This novel proved that slow-burning embers could have the potential to ignite an inferno.
The inclusion, perhaps reintroduction, of Irvin Irving added a nuanced blend to the storyline. Though I found Irving's character portrayal to be somewhat dissonant with previous depictions, it provided a refreshing dimension. It's these unexpected character arcs that might polarise views but undeniably stir the plot's dynamic.
Also, Kizmin “Kiz” Rider's return from administrative duties to being Harry’s partner on “sixth floor” made for a welcome addition. Sadly, she remains somewhat bland and underused but at least she’s back.
Lastly, the narrative's gradual acceleration led to a climax that, while not as adrenaline-pumped as some of Connelly’s others, was satisfyingly appropriate given the plot's trajectory.
Connelly proves with "The Closers" that revisiting cold cases need not be a cold affair; rather, it can kindle new respect for nuances in crime-solving that fresher cases rarely provide the space to explore.
While the novel initially felt like a quiet murmur compared to the thunderous exploits of Bosch, it evolved nicely into a rhythmic soliloquy, deserving a solid four-star rating.
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Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam
Initially, my excitement ebbed slightly as the urgency I’m familiar with in Bosch novels was subdued due to the nature of a cold case. However, as Bosch's intricate world unfurled, the story's pace began to pick up, rendering my initial reservations (mostly) moot. Detours from urgency can indeed provide new spaces for character exploration and narrative depth. This novel proved that slow-burning embers could have the potential to ignite an inferno.
The inclusion, perhaps reintroduction, of Irvin Irving added a nuanced blend to the storyline. Though I found Irving's character portrayal to be somewhat dissonant with previous depictions, it provided a refreshing dimension. It's these unexpected character arcs that might polarise views but undeniably stir the plot's dynamic.
Also, Kizmin “Kiz” Rider's return from administrative duties to being Harry’s partner on “sixth floor” made for a welcome addition. Sadly, she remains somewhat bland and underused but at least she’s back.
Lastly, the narrative's gradual acceleration led to a climax that, while not as adrenaline-pumped as some of Connelly’s others, was satisfyingly appropriate given the plot's trajectory.
Connelly proves with "The Closers" that revisiting cold cases need not be a cold affair; rather, it can kindle new respect for nuances in crime-solving that fresher cases rarely provide the space to explore.
While the novel initially felt like a quiet murmur compared to the thunderous exploits of Bosch, it evolved nicely into a rhythmic soliloquy, deserving a solid four-star rating.
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Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam
November 22, 2025
Хари Бош се завръща в полицията и първото неразкрито убийство, което трябва да разследва, го води към мрачни събития от преди седемнайсет години.
Но той никога не се отказва и не позволява да бъде отклонен или спрян. За него всяка жертва е от значение, независимо от това каква е била приживе.
Серията за Бош продължава да е силно интригуваща и отлично написана!
Но той никога не се отказва и не позволява да бъде отклонен или спрян. За него всяка жертва е от значение, независимо от това каква е била приживе.
Серията за Бош продължава да е силно интригуваща и отлично написана!
April 28, 2017
Connelly Back To His Old Self
Bosch and Connelly are back in top form in the Closers. Harry is back on the force and Connelly is back to writing Bosch in closely held third person point of view. For me, the point of view impacts the experience of Bosch considerably.
For several novels now, Harry has been retired from the Police force and also written in the first person by Connelly. There is something lost in the brooding loner Bosch--the man on a mission, his credo: everyone counts or no one counts--when I am allowed totally inside his brain. Viewing your hero from afar and idealizing his qualities, only to get inside his head and find out he is thinking about his relationship problems knocks him off the pedastal with a big thud.
In The Closers, Harry is written in third person and I'm back to idealizing his inner monologue. Now I can safely and incorrectly assume he's always thinking about the crooks and how to rid the world of killers and the corruption that gets in his way. Ignorance is bliss.
The Closers is a straight-forward cold case mystery novel and works in the ways this genre should. Narrative drive is there. The characters have interesting shapes and forms. Surprises aren't obvious. And Harry is always out in front.
If you like Bosch, you will like the Closers.
Bosch and Connelly are back in top form in the Closers. Harry is back on the force and Connelly is back to writing Bosch in closely held third person point of view. For me, the point of view impacts the experience of Bosch considerably.
For several novels now, Harry has been retired from the Police force and also written in the first person by Connelly. There is something lost in the brooding loner Bosch--the man on a mission, his credo: everyone counts or no one counts--when I am allowed totally inside his brain. Viewing your hero from afar and idealizing his qualities, only to get inside his head and find out he is thinking about his relationship problems knocks him off the pedastal with a big thud.
In The Closers, Harry is written in third person and I'm back to idealizing his inner monologue. Now I can safely and incorrectly assume he's always thinking about the crooks and how to rid the world of killers and the corruption that gets in his way. Ignorance is bliss.
The Closers is a straight-forward cold case mystery novel and works in the ways this genre should. Narrative drive is there. The characters have interesting shapes and forms. Surprises aren't obvious. And Harry is always out in front.
If you like Bosch, you will like the Closers.
January 6, 2025
My wife and I, for no particular reason, watched “Lethal Weapon 3” a couple nights ago. I grew up on these movies, watched them constantly on VHS, loved them. I knew they weren’t Great Cinema. They were fun buddy-cop action movies that portrayed a very male-fantasy version of the LAPD. I hadn’t watched them in a long time.
Here’s a few thoughts on the movie after seeing it now, in 2020, almost 25 years after it was in theaters:
It would never get made today. In fact, it would probably never get past the studio executive’s initial read, and would most likely get the screenwriters blacklisted for promoting police brutality and egregious racial stereotypes. Throw in misogyny and homophobia, too, although those were probably givens for the genre at the time.
I’m exaggerating somewhat but not much.
Overall, the film hasn’t lost its ability to entertain, which was its primary goal. Unfortunately (or fortunately), we are living in a different time. We have either become more enlightened or too politically correct: take your pick, really. All I know is that there is a scene that is (uncomfortably for a 2020 viewer) played for laughs in which Mel Gibson “jokingly” tries to shoot a jaywalker while Danny Glover holds him back and lets the (probably shitting-his-pants terrified) jaywalker go.
There is a truly disturbing scene (not played for laughs, thankfully) in which Glover’s character shoots a young black man who is armed and then bursts into tears when he realizes that it is a friend of his teenaged son. Glover’s character is understandably distraught and is consoled by Gibson’s character, who tells him, “It was a clean shoot.”
Glover’s acting is heartfelt and moving in this scene, and, for the most part, the scene---and subsequent scenes that attempt to deal with his post-traumatic stress over the incident---works well. These scenes are actually strangely mature and therefore out-of-place in a cartoonish shoot-’em-up.
The disturbing and uncomfortable part of the film is something that is disturbing and uncomfortable about most films of its ilk: a gratuitous deification of male violence. There is also the almost sexualized representation of guns and gun violence. Clearly guns are stand-ins for the phallus, as evident in the one sex scene in the movie, between Gibson and Rene Russo, in which foreplay consists of their characters showing off their various gunshot wounds with ever-increasing horniness.
I still love the “Lethal Weapon” movies as mindless entertainment, but they are not the same movies that I watched in my early 20s. Well, okay, actually they are the same movies. I, however, am not the same guy watching them. Sensibilities change. I am far more sensitive and aware of the ridiculousness and politically incorrect nature of these films. I may still love these movies, but I now recognize the essential toxicity and harmfulness of them.
****
All of this is a very long lead-in to Michael Connelly’s “The Closers”, his eleventh novel in his series featuring LAPD detective Harry Bosch.
“Lethal Weapon 3” and “The Closers” are as different as night and day. While they are both stories about the LAPD, both involve gun violence, and both touch upon racial tensions, they are worlds apart when it comes to how each deals with these issues.
In “The Closers”, Bosch is returning to the LAPD after a brief (but unsuccessful) attempt at retirement. He has been assigned to Open-Unsolved, the LAPD’s cold-case section. His first case is an unsolved murder of a teenaged girl in 1988.
Seventeen years after the fact, Bosch attempts to piece together the facts of the case left in the jumbled murder book, after one of the original detectives in the case committed suicide and the other has been promoted. Bosch uncovers shoddy police work, but it may have been helped by a police department in the throes of controversy.
The original investigation was happening during the turbulent late-80s and early-90s in Los Angeles, a time of violence in the streets by both gangs and police officers. It ultimately culminated in the infamous Rodney King beating, trial, and subsequent LA riots. All of this ultimately displayed to the world the institutionalized racism in the LAPD.
Bosch’s re-opening of the case with fresh eyes points out a glaring myopia, or, worse, a purposeful blindness to possible leads in the case that were never followed up or even entertained to begin with.
It is interesting to note that “The Closers” contains nary a car chase, shoot-out, or giant explosion. Unlike Riggs and Murtaugh, Bosch gets the job done without having to shoot multiple suspects. In fact, he spends a majority of the time in the book reading files, interviewing people over the phone, or going door to door. Strangely enough, I actually found this fascinating and suspenseful.
There is a numbing of the mind and sensory desensitization to watching scenes of gratuitous violence over and over again. This has actually been studied and proven. When you start feeling bored watching people shoot each other for 45 minutes, that’s not a healthy sign.
The brutality and violence that we are witnessing practically on a daily basis perpetrated by cops in this country may be directly related to the amount of times these cops have watched the “Lethal Weapon” movies. I’m being somewhat facetious, of course, but it does beg the question as to what motivates these trigger-happy cops who shoot black men seven times in the back or strangle a black victim to death with his knee, all while being videotaped as if what they are doing is completely normal.
This normalization of this type of violence is what is truly terrifying, and it is what rational-minded people in this country want to see rooted out of our nation’s police forces. We are not against cops. We are against brutal bad cops who seem to think that the answer to any problem is a gun.
This is what makes “The Closers” a great novel. It is a realistic depiction of good police work, one that attempts to find the humanity in both the victims and the perpetrators.
Here’s a few thoughts on the movie after seeing it now, in 2020, almost 25 years after it was in theaters:
It would never get made today. In fact, it would probably never get past the studio executive’s initial read, and would most likely get the screenwriters blacklisted for promoting police brutality and egregious racial stereotypes. Throw in misogyny and homophobia, too, although those were probably givens for the genre at the time.
I’m exaggerating somewhat but not much.
Overall, the film hasn’t lost its ability to entertain, which was its primary goal. Unfortunately (or fortunately), we are living in a different time. We have either become more enlightened or too politically correct: take your pick, really. All I know is that there is a scene that is (uncomfortably for a 2020 viewer) played for laughs in which Mel Gibson “jokingly” tries to shoot a jaywalker while Danny Glover holds him back and lets the (probably shitting-his-pants terrified) jaywalker go.
There is a truly disturbing scene (not played for laughs, thankfully) in which Glover’s character shoots a young black man who is armed and then bursts into tears when he realizes that it is a friend of his teenaged son. Glover’s character is understandably distraught and is consoled by Gibson’s character, who tells him, “It was a clean shoot.”
Glover’s acting is heartfelt and moving in this scene, and, for the most part, the scene---and subsequent scenes that attempt to deal with his post-traumatic stress over the incident---works well. These scenes are actually strangely mature and therefore out-of-place in a cartoonish shoot-’em-up.
The disturbing and uncomfortable part of the film is something that is disturbing and uncomfortable about most films of its ilk: a gratuitous deification of male violence. There is also the almost sexualized representation of guns and gun violence. Clearly guns are stand-ins for the phallus, as evident in the one sex scene in the movie, between Gibson and Rene Russo, in which foreplay consists of their characters showing off their various gunshot wounds with ever-increasing horniness.
I still love the “Lethal Weapon” movies as mindless entertainment, but they are not the same movies that I watched in my early 20s. Well, okay, actually they are the same movies. I, however, am not the same guy watching them. Sensibilities change. I am far more sensitive and aware of the ridiculousness and politically incorrect nature of these films. I may still love these movies, but I now recognize the essential toxicity and harmfulness of them.
****
All of this is a very long lead-in to Michael Connelly’s “The Closers”, his eleventh novel in his series featuring LAPD detective Harry Bosch.
“Lethal Weapon 3” and “The Closers” are as different as night and day. While they are both stories about the LAPD, both involve gun violence, and both touch upon racial tensions, they are worlds apart when it comes to how each deals with these issues.
In “The Closers”, Bosch is returning to the LAPD after a brief (but unsuccessful) attempt at retirement. He has been assigned to Open-Unsolved, the LAPD’s cold-case section. His first case is an unsolved murder of a teenaged girl in 1988.
Seventeen years after the fact, Bosch attempts to piece together the facts of the case left in the jumbled murder book, after one of the original detectives in the case committed suicide and the other has been promoted. Bosch uncovers shoddy police work, but it may have been helped by a police department in the throes of controversy.
The original investigation was happening during the turbulent late-80s and early-90s in Los Angeles, a time of violence in the streets by both gangs and police officers. It ultimately culminated in the infamous Rodney King beating, trial, and subsequent LA riots. All of this ultimately displayed to the world the institutionalized racism in the LAPD.
Bosch’s re-opening of the case with fresh eyes points out a glaring myopia, or, worse, a purposeful blindness to possible leads in the case that were never followed up or even entertained to begin with.
It is interesting to note that “The Closers” contains nary a car chase, shoot-out, or giant explosion. Unlike Riggs and Murtaugh, Bosch gets the job done without having to shoot multiple suspects. In fact, he spends a majority of the time in the book reading files, interviewing people over the phone, or going door to door. Strangely enough, I actually found this fascinating and suspenseful.
There is a numbing of the mind and sensory desensitization to watching scenes of gratuitous violence over and over again. This has actually been studied and proven. When you start feeling bored watching people shoot each other for 45 minutes, that’s not a healthy sign.
The brutality and violence that we are witnessing practically on a daily basis perpetrated by cops in this country may be directly related to the amount of times these cops have watched the “Lethal Weapon” movies. I’m being somewhat facetious, of course, but it does beg the question as to what motivates these trigger-happy cops who shoot black men seven times in the back or strangle a black victim to death with his knee, all while being videotaped as if what they are doing is completely normal.
This normalization of this type of violence is what is truly terrifying, and it is what rational-minded people in this country want to see rooted out of our nation’s police forces. We are not against cops. We are against brutal bad cops who seem to think that the answer to any problem is a gun.
This is what makes “The Closers” a great novel. It is a realistic depiction of good police work, one that attempts to find the humanity in both the victims and the perpetrators.
September 20, 2011
Too slow moving. Not as good as other books in the series.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
This is one of the weaker books in the Harry Bosch series. If you want to read just a few of them, skip this one. Me, I intend to read them all, and I’m glad I read it. I did it as an audiobook, keeping me company while I was doing other things, so I didn’t mind the slowness. As a mystery it was average and slow at times. Nothing special was done during the investigation, kind of plodding along. But there was one neat scene. Bosch gets some temporary tattoos and goes undercover for maybe an hour with a suspect. That was fun to watch.
We learn who killed Rebecca, but the motive and details weren’t clear enough. I wanted to know the conversations between Rebecca and the killer. Was he stalking her? Did she break up with him? What was their dispute?
At the end of book 8, Bosch retires from the police force. Books 9 and 10 have him solving cases as a private detective. In this book 11, the chief of police asks Bosch to come back to work in the Open Unsolved Unit (old, unsolved, cold cases). In the author’s note at the end of the audiobook, he says he realized that private detectives rarely solved murders. Therefore he knew he had to bring Bosch back to the police force to do this – Bosch’s mission.
SETTING DATE:
I’m confused about the setting date. One part of the book calculates to 2004. Another part gives me 2005. It’s not a big deal, but I’m trying to get it right.
STORY BRIEF:
Sixteen-year-old Rebecca was murdered 17 years ago. Her father was black, her mother white. This might have something to do with a racial hate group that was active at the time. The police could trace the gun to Mackey, but they couldn’t prove he was the murderer. Bosch wants to spook Mackey and get him talking to his buddies and/or the murderer.
NARRATOR:
The narrator Len Cariou is excellent. My only hesitation is that his Canadian accent doesn’t fit a “west coast Harry Bosch.” For example “talk” sounds like “tahk.” Other than that he does a good job with both men and women. A couple seconds of music between some of the chapters was nice.
DATA:
Unabridged audiobook length: 11 hrs and 45 mins. Narrator: Len Cariou. Swearing language: strong but not frequently used. Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes: none. Setting: 2004-2005 Los Angeles, California. Book Copyright: 2005. Genre: crime mystery. Ending: Not exciting, but positive.
THE SERIES:
I recommend reading the Harry Bosch books in order, but it would be ok to try “The Last Coyote” or “Lost Light” first just to see if you like the style. Then go back and read the rest in order. Following is my recommended reading order.
3 stars. The Black Echo
3 ½ stars. The Black Ice
4 stars. The Concrete Blonde
5 stars. The Last Coyote
4 stars. Trunk Music
4 stars. Angels Flight
4 ½ stars. Blood Work (McCaleb series #1) Bosch is not in this.
3 ½ stars. A Darkness More Than Night (McCaleb series #2) McCaleb is the primary investigator, but he interacts with Bosch.
3 ½ stars. City Of Bones
5 stars. Lost Light
5 stars. The Poet (McEvoy series #1) Bosch is not in this. Read this any time before “The Narrows.”
4 stars. The Narrows (sequel to The Poet) Bosch is the main investigator.
3 stars. The Closers
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
This is one of the weaker books in the Harry Bosch series. If you want to read just a few of them, skip this one. Me, I intend to read them all, and I’m glad I read it. I did it as an audiobook, keeping me company while I was doing other things, so I didn’t mind the slowness. As a mystery it was average and slow at times. Nothing special was done during the investigation, kind of plodding along. But there was one neat scene. Bosch gets some temporary tattoos and goes undercover for maybe an hour with a suspect. That was fun to watch.
We learn who killed Rebecca, but the motive and details weren’t clear enough. I wanted to know the conversations between Rebecca and the killer. Was he stalking her? Did she break up with him? What was their dispute?
At the end of book 8, Bosch retires from the police force. Books 9 and 10 have him solving cases as a private detective. In this book 11, the chief of police asks Bosch to come back to work in the Open Unsolved Unit (old, unsolved, cold cases). In the author’s note at the end of the audiobook, he says he realized that private detectives rarely solved murders. Therefore he knew he had to bring Bosch back to the police force to do this – Bosch’s mission.
SETTING DATE:
I’m confused about the setting date. One part of the book calculates to 2004. Another part gives me 2005. It’s not a big deal, but I’m trying to get it right.
STORY BRIEF:
Sixteen-year-old Rebecca was murdered 17 years ago. Her father was black, her mother white. This might have something to do with a racial hate group that was active at the time. The police could trace the gun to Mackey, but they couldn’t prove he was the murderer. Bosch wants to spook Mackey and get him talking to his buddies and/or the murderer.
NARRATOR:
The narrator Len Cariou is excellent. My only hesitation is that his Canadian accent doesn’t fit a “west coast Harry Bosch.” For example “talk” sounds like “tahk.” Other than that he does a good job with both men and women. A couple seconds of music between some of the chapters was nice.
DATA:
Unabridged audiobook length: 11 hrs and 45 mins. Narrator: Len Cariou. Swearing language: strong but not frequently used. Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes: none. Setting: 2004-2005 Los Angeles, California. Book Copyright: 2005. Genre: crime mystery. Ending: Not exciting, but positive.
THE SERIES:
I recommend reading the Harry Bosch books in order, but it would be ok to try “The Last Coyote” or “Lost Light” first just to see if you like the style. Then go back and read the rest in order. Following is my recommended reading order.
3 stars. The Black Echo
3 ½ stars. The Black Ice
4 stars. The Concrete Blonde
5 stars. The Last Coyote
4 stars. Trunk Music
4 stars. Angels Flight
4 ½ stars. Blood Work (McCaleb series #1) Bosch is not in this.
3 ½ stars. A Darkness More Than Night (McCaleb series #2) McCaleb is the primary investigator, but he interacts with Bosch.
3 ½ stars. City Of Bones
5 stars. Lost Light
5 stars. The Poet (McEvoy series #1) Bosch is not in this. Read this any time before “The Narrows.”
4 stars. The Narrows (sequel to The Poet) Bosch is the main investigator.
3 stars. The Closers
April 1, 2024
Bosch rejoins the force after a short retirement. He’s with a new group devoted to cold cases. Another exciting installment in the series.
September 15, 2015
I sometimes take a break from "serious" literature to read some genre fiction. After reading Julia Keller's review of Michael Connelly's most recent novel I decided to try one of his earlier works, The Closers, featuring Detective Harry Bosch.
I was not disappointed as the novel was tightly woven, suspenseful story of crime and detection. In it Detective Harry Bosch is brought out of retirement by a new chief of police and assigned to a new division called "Open-Unsolved"; basically a 'cold case' division that is known as "The Closers". They look into cases that have remained unsolved for many years, and are hoping to close the file after all these years. He is teamed with his old partner, Kiz Rider, and they have the DNA of a man connected to the murder, but quickly discover that there may be more to this case than there seems. It is a seventeen-year-old case whose twists and turns kept this reader turning the pages until the resolution almost four hundred pages later. The book is full of realistic details about police work and references to some of the changes in criminal law, particularly the impact of "hate crimes". The change in the science of detection with the advent of DNA and its' resulting ubiquity is also an important factor in the story. This was a delightful light read, and introduced my to an author to whom I plan to return for more enjoyment in the future.
I was not disappointed as the novel was tightly woven, suspenseful story of crime and detection. In it Detective Harry Bosch is brought out of retirement by a new chief of police and assigned to a new division called "Open-Unsolved"; basically a 'cold case' division that is known as "The Closers". They look into cases that have remained unsolved for many years, and are hoping to close the file after all these years. He is teamed with his old partner, Kiz Rider, and they have the DNA of a man connected to the murder, but quickly discover that there may be more to this case than there seems. It is a seventeen-year-old case whose twists and turns kept this reader turning the pages until the resolution almost four hundred pages later. The book is full of realistic details about police work and references to some of the changes in criminal law, particularly the impact of "hate crimes". The change in the science of detection with the advent of DNA and its' resulting ubiquity is also an important factor in the story. This was a delightful light read, and introduced my to an author to whom I plan to return for more enjoyment in the future.
July 10, 2016
Harry is back on the force working cold cases. This case is reopened since DNA evidence is now available. While DNA is conclusive in most TV shows, it isn't in real life since it can now be read from such tiny, old samples. Often it is just evidence that someone interacted at some point - good data, but certainly not the whole story. Harry makes this clear as he follows a typically twisty tale.
I almost knocked this down to 3 stars because it was pretty much just a police procedural, but dealing with a few things bumped it up. We find out more about Cassie Black & her parole officer, both really nice touches. The other thing is a spoiler, so I'll just say that I was glad to see it happen & the new police chief is great. I also really liked the thread of how an unsolved murder could haunt people & how they reacted to it. All were sad, but understandable.
The next in line is the title story from Angle of Investigation #15.5 in my reading order which can be found in my review of the first book in the series The Black Echo here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
which lists all of Connelly's books & short stories in the correct chronology for reading. I highly recommend this. Connelly ties several of his series together with character crossovers that can include spoilers.
I almost knocked this down to 3 stars because it was pretty much just a police procedural, but dealing with a few things bumped it up. We find out more about Cassie Black & her parole officer, both really nice touches. The other thing is a spoiler, so I'll just say that I was glad to see it happen & the new police chief is great. I also really liked the thread of how an unsolved murder could haunt people & how they reacted to it. All were sad, but understandable.
The next in line is the title story from Angle of Investigation #15.5 in my reading order which can be found in my review of the first book in the series The Black Echo here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
which lists all of Connelly's books & short stories in the correct chronology for reading. I highly recommend this. Connelly ties several of his series together with character crossovers that can include spoilers.
![Profile Image for Terence M [on a brief semi-hiatus].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1712357414i%2F6658001._UY200_CR4%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
June 30, 2025
5-Stars for "The Closers" third time around!
Connelly + Bosch = Police Procedural Perfection!
Added to iTunes 27-05-25 for Re-listen
The most satisfying of my re-reading-listening to the Harry Bosch series!
Written review will follow shortly (or not!).
April 19, 2016:
4-Stars for "The Closers"
My assessed rating for this audiobook after I joined Goodreads was 4-Stars.
Michael Connelly - Harry Bosch 11 - The Closers (John Chancer,12.00 hrs)
Read (2006), Heard (2016) %%
Connelly + Bosch = Police Procedural Perfection!
Added to iTunes 27-05-25 for Re-listen
The most satisfying of my re-reading-listening to the Harry Bosch series!
Written review will follow shortly (or not!).
April 19, 2016:
4-Stars for "The Closers"
My assessed rating for this audiobook after I joined Goodreads was 4-Stars.
Michael Connelly - Harry Bosch 11 - The Closers (John Chancer,12.00 hrs)
Read (2006), Heard (2016) %%
November 23, 2019
** Continuing my read and review of Michael Connelly’s Detective Bosch series **
Connelly’s 15th book and 11th outing with Bosch - “The Closers” - was first published back in 2005. Detective Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch is a Vietnam war veteran and a twenty-year police officer serving in the Los Angeles, California police department. Harry was once a star in the Robbery/Homicide division, working out of the LA city headquarters until his bad habit of fighting the formal structure of the police department and especially those in leadership positions led him to being demoted to the Hollywood detective squad, and eventually retiring from law enforcement.
When the book starts, Bosch has ended his three-year stint as a private investigator, and accepted an offer from the Los Angeles Police Department to return as a Lead Detective in the elite open-unsolved (“cold cases”) unit. He is partnered again with his former teammate, Kizmin "Kiz" Rider, who personally helped persuade the new Police Chief to bring Harry back into service. Bosch and Kiz are assigned to review cases whose investigations had flaws, got stalled, or even abandoned to other more important or high-profile investigations.
However, prior history and department politics remain a challenge for Harry. His new Police Chief has personally instructed him on the rules and expected behaviors, as well as those that will not be accepted. Harry has confirmed he understands the expectations. In addition, Deputy Chief, Irvin Irving, who has been politically moved to the side by the new Police Chief, is keeping an eye out on Bosch, looking to cause trouble for the returned detective and damage to the Chief.
One of Harry and Kiz’s cold cases is brought back to life when a DNA match shows up matching the fingerprints of a white supremacist gang member to the gun used to kill sixteen-year-old, Rebecca Verloren, back in 1988. Since Rebecca was of mixed race, a racial angle appears to have been possible, especially since she was a good student, participated in school activities, and had no apparent enemies. However, as Harry and Kiz re-examine the old case file, there are problems with the work performed by the prior detectives, evidence is missing, and additional information is discovered regarding Rebecca carrying personal secrets that may lead to her killing.
Between trying to solve an old but unforgotten case, Harry finds himself dealing with the disturbing disintegration of a family unable to let things go, and the political manipulations of police leadership using him as a pawn in their battle for power and position.
Like the previous books, this one takes place over a short period of time, converging past loss with Harry’s investigation to tell a provocative and twisting story. The mystery is explored in a fast-paced, staccato style that pulls you in from the beginning and easily keeps you thinking about who the killer was. As with his previous books, Connelly’s prose is sharp and precise. There are no wasted words and his descriptions are crisp and flow with dramatic energy. He makes it so easy to just soak in the words effortlessly and get lost in the story as if you were Harry’s and Kiz’s partner, fully participating in the investigation.
I was especially pleased with how well Connelly set-up Harry as a pawn between his old nemesis, Deputy Chief Irving, and the new Police Chief. Watching the pot line unfold in such a cat and mouse, back and forth manner, was so well planned, and the outcome a very interesting development. It almost made up for Harry’s daughter, Maddie, and ex-wife, Eleanor, who are said to be in Hong Kong related to her gambling career. I cannot wait to see how this plays out further in future books in the series. Somehow. I don’t think it’s over yet.
Another interesting item of note was that in this book, Connelly returns to an omniscient third-person style narration of his early Bosch novels. The previous two books, set during Bosch's retirement (“Lost Light” and “The Narrows”) were narrated in from a first-person perspective. I don’t really think one voice was necessarily better than the other, but I found it interesting to experience how Connelly uses both methods to tell an excellent story.
Overall, I am deeply impressed with the consistent quality that Connelly applies to each one of his books. He is a master narrator, never telling the same story twice, and constantly surprising his readers with great stories, characters, and settings. I make this same statement after finishing each of his novels, and I am making it again - Bosch just gets better and better. It’s that simple. I don’t know how he keeps raising the bar, but he does. Now that Harry is back in bureaucratic world of the LAPD, struggling with a love/hate relationship with his ex-wife, and trying hard trying to develop a real bond with his daughter, there is still so much more for Connelly to explore and develop with Bosch and the other contributing characters. I can’t wait to read and find out what happens next…
Connelly’s 15th book and 11th outing with Bosch - “The Closers” - was first published back in 2005. Detective Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch is a Vietnam war veteran and a twenty-year police officer serving in the Los Angeles, California police department. Harry was once a star in the Robbery/Homicide division, working out of the LA city headquarters until his bad habit of fighting the formal structure of the police department and especially those in leadership positions led him to being demoted to the Hollywood detective squad, and eventually retiring from law enforcement.
When the book starts, Bosch has ended his three-year stint as a private investigator, and accepted an offer from the Los Angeles Police Department to return as a Lead Detective in the elite open-unsolved (“cold cases”) unit. He is partnered again with his former teammate, Kizmin "Kiz" Rider, who personally helped persuade the new Police Chief to bring Harry back into service. Bosch and Kiz are assigned to review cases whose investigations had flaws, got stalled, or even abandoned to other more important or high-profile investigations.
However, prior history and department politics remain a challenge for Harry. His new Police Chief has personally instructed him on the rules and expected behaviors, as well as those that will not be accepted. Harry has confirmed he understands the expectations. In addition, Deputy Chief, Irvin Irving, who has been politically moved to the side by the new Police Chief, is keeping an eye out on Bosch, looking to cause trouble for the returned detective and damage to the Chief.
One of Harry and Kiz’s cold cases is brought back to life when a DNA match shows up matching the fingerprints of a white supremacist gang member to the gun used to kill sixteen-year-old, Rebecca Verloren, back in 1988. Since Rebecca was of mixed race, a racial angle appears to have been possible, especially since she was a good student, participated in school activities, and had no apparent enemies. However, as Harry and Kiz re-examine the old case file, there are problems with the work performed by the prior detectives, evidence is missing, and additional information is discovered regarding Rebecca carrying personal secrets that may lead to her killing.
Between trying to solve an old but unforgotten case, Harry finds himself dealing with the disturbing disintegration of a family unable to let things go, and the political manipulations of police leadership using him as a pawn in their battle for power and position.
Like the previous books, this one takes place over a short period of time, converging past loss with Harry’s investigation to tell a provocative and twisting story. The mystery is explored in a fast-paced, staccato style that pulls you in from the beginning and easily keeps you thinking about who the killer was. As with his previous books, Connelly’s prose is sharp and precise. There are no wasted words and his descriptions are crisp and flow with dramatic energy. He makes it so easy to just soak in the words effortlessly and get lost in the story as if you were Harry’s and Kiz’s partner, fully participating in the investigation.
I was especially pleased with how well Connelly set-up Harry as a pawn between his old nemesis, Deputy Chief Irving, and the new Police Chief. Watching the pot line unfold in such a cat and mouse, back and forth manner, was so well planned, and the outcome a very interesting development. It almost made up for Harry’s daughter, Maddie, and ex-wife, Eleanor, who are said to be in Hong Kong related to her gambling career. I cannot wait to see how this plays out further in future books in the series. Somehow. I don’t think it’s over yet.
Another interesting item of note was that in this book, Connelly returns to an omniscient third-person style narration of his early Bosch novels. The previous two books, set during Bosch's retirement (“Lost Light” and “The Narrows”) were narrated in from a first-person perspective. I don’t really think one voice was necessarily better than the other, but I found it interesting to experience how Connelly uses both methods to tell an excellent story.
Overall, I am deeply impressed with the consistent quality that Connelly applies to each one of his books. He is a master narrator, never telling the same story twice, and constantly surprising his readers with great stories, characters, and settings. I make this same statement after finishing each of his novels, and I am making it again - Bosch just gets better and better. It’s that simple. I don’t know how he keeps raising the bar, but he does. Now that Harry is back in bureaucratic world of the LAPD, struggling with a love/hate relationship with his ex-wife, and trying hard trying to develop a real bond with his daughter, there is still so much more for Connelly to explore and develop with Bosch and the other contributing characters. I can’t wait to read and find out what happens next…
February 5, 2017
Harry Bosch is back with the LAPD as part of the Open/Unsolved Unit. His first case is about the murder of a biracial teenager seventeen years ago. The case has been reopened because the DNA found on the murder weapon has now been analyzed and a match has been found. Harry and his partner, Kizman Rider, start weeding through the evidence, trying to put the pieces together.
It's nice to see Harry back with the police department again. He's trying very hard to be a team player and not cut his partner out of the investigation as he has done in the past. He has a new boss that seems to believe in his investigators and works well with them. This mystery had lots of twists and turns. I enjoyed it even though I guessed the killer early in the book. My rating: 4.5 Stars.
It's nice to see Harry back with the police department again. He's trying very hard to be a team player and not cut his partner out of the investigation as he has done in the past. He has a new boss that seems to believe in his investigators and works well with them. This mystery had lots of twists and turns. I enjoyed it even though I guessed the killer early in the book. My rating: 4.5 Stars.
February 19, 2020
After a renewed interest in finishing up the Bosch series, I read the Renée Ballard series, and then, newly inspired, I went back and started where I had left off. I've been enjoying my journey back into the Harry Bosch Universe, and this was no exception. It was pretty complex and had a lot of variety.
It starts with Harry as he begins a new phase of his career in cold cases, one that had some DNA that had been obtained before thay were able to test it. The pistol used had a habit of pinching the shooter under the mechanism, so although the gun was wiped clean, the DNA was on the inside and was missed. They had a match with a criminal that Harry thought did not really match the profile, so he started poking around in the can of worms, and found evidence of racial hatred, police corruption, and other factors that nobody but him would ever even consider. Questioning nazis and skinheads was made more interesting by having a black (female) partner.
He didn't manage to get into too much trouble this time, but it was close.
It starts with Harry as he begins a new phase of his career in cold cases, one that had some DNA that had been obtained before thay were able to test it. The pistol used had a habit of pinching the shooter under the mechanism, so although the gun was wiped clean, the DNA was on the inside and was missed. They had a match with a criminal that Harry thought did not really match the profile, so he started poking around in the can of worms, and found evidence of racial hatred, police corruption, and other factors that nobody but him would ever even consider. Questioning nazis and skinheads was made more interesting by having a black (female) partner.
He didn't manage to get into too much trouble this time, but it was close.
September 23, 2016
7.5/10
Bosch is back! Well he never really went away in literature terms but he's back in terms of the LAPD.
Working on the cold case unit, Bosch and his partner, Kiz Rider, are tasked with finding out who murdered a teenage girl 17 years beforehand. Quite a monumental task you would think, but advances in technology and policing means it's worth another crack when a hit on a blood sample links this case to some new information.
What could be seen as a slow, procedural style book still manages to have plenty of intrigue and tense moments. Connelly is able to create a great read even when most of the book is digging out leads and staking out potential suspects. Even when my eyes were drooping I was fighting them and trying to keep going. That to me is a good read, this is the norm with Connelly for me too so no massive surprises here.
It's not the best in the series, the ending feels a little rushed (even if the overall resolution is nicely done as is the academy graduation) but it still holds up really well. What was going to be a 3 stars has just been bumped because looking back I enjoyed this more than I realised.
Bosch is back! Well he never really went away in literature terms but he's back in terms of the LAPD.
Working on the cold case unit, Bosch and his partner, Kiz Rider, are tasked with finding out who murdered a teenage girl 17 years beforehand. Quite a monumental task you would think, but advances in technology and policing means it's worth another crack when a hit on a blood sample links this case to some new information.
What could be seen as a slow, procedural style book still manages to have plenty of intrigue and tense moments. Connelly is able to create a great read even when most of the book is digging out leads and staking out potential suspects. Even when my eyes were drooping I was fighting them and trying to keep going. That to me is a good read, this is the norm with Connelly for me too so no massive surprises here.
It's not the best in the series, the ending feels a little rushed (even if the overall resolution is nicely done as is the academy graduation) but it still holds up really well. What was going to be a 3 stars has just been bumped because looking back I enjoyed this more than I realised.
August 24, 2025
A lot of sadness in this book. Harry was amazing as usual.
May 28, 2023
This was amazing! Bosch in third person perspective again: excellent.
Bosch is back on the police force, having given up his job as a private detective in order to become part of the cold case team with his old partner Kizmin Rider.
In this one, I thought I knew where it was going as the mystery unfolded. Then there was a twist… and another twist… then the final twist which was the twist of all twists!! So satisfying for the reader and upsetting for one character.
Connelly did it again. Back in top form. Onto the next!
Bosch is back on the police force, having given up his job as a private detective in order to become part of the cold case team with his old partner Kizmin Rider.
In this one, I thought I knew where it was going as the mystery unfolded. Then there was a twist… and another twist… then the final twist which was the twist of all twists!! So satisfying for the reader and upsetting for one character.
Connelly did it again. Back in top form. Onto the next!
July 13, 2017
It's been awhile since I read a Connelly book. What took me so long to come back to this series? I love Harry Bosch! Great story, excellent characters and a nice twist at the end. Welcome back in to my life Mr. Connelly!
March 18, 2016
If you like Harry Bosch, I’m sure you will like his 11th installment ! After a 3 year retirement, Harry returns to work. Now he joins her detective friend Kizmin Rider in a new department, the Open-Unsolved Unit, which is focused on closing unresolved cases from way back. That is why they call themselves “ The closers “. As you can expect, the plot is brilliant, full of twists and turns, the dialogs believable. I will say no more, just that this is my 17th novel from Connelly. Not all of them keep the same standard. Some (just a very few ones) have disappointed me, but on the whole, the author gives you solid thrillers. His Mickey Haller series are not just as good, even if “The Lincoln lawyer” is one of the best I have ever read from him, I’d rather stick with Bosch. Now I have to go forward to read “The black box”, which is the next one in the series that I haven’t read yet. I hope it will be as good as this one!
August 28, 2022
A great read. 1988 cold case murder. Harry teamed with Rider is back in the police investigating unsolved murders. A young girl is murdered in 1988 and a DNA match comes back. Once again Irving is in the mix and Harry pushes the suspects to the limits.
I immediately suspected one of the characters and for once I was correct, a rarity😀. The race aspect was a red herring and the ending with the father getting revenge with the principal unexpected. Slowly working my way through the Bosch series and will be sad when I finish.
I immediately suspected one of the characters and for once I was correct, a rarity😀. The race aspect was a red herring and the ending with the father getting revenge with the principal unexpected. Slowly working my way through the Bosch series and will be sad when I finish.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 11, 2023
As usual, Connelly delivers another highly readable crime book documenting a cold case centered on the death of a young pregnant girl that LA cops had executed poorly. There is nemesis Irving cropping up in this one along with good vibes as well as he works with someone he respects.
Colorful descriptions of LA and its police force as usual.
At this point in time there are 30 books in the Bosch series - this one is number 11.
Library Loan
Colorful descriptions of LA and its police force as usual.
At this point in time there are 30 books in the Bosch series - this one is number 11.
Library Loan
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