I reread this one b/c the new season of Bosch incorporates this book and I remembered literally nothing of it from my earlier read.

 

Now I know why. If this isn't the weakest entry in the Bosch series, it must be close. The ending is so rushed that this feels like barely more than a novella. 

 

Connelly can do - and has done - so much better. Weak.

Harry Bosch is called to the scene of a murder on the "Overlook" a high location in LA which offers stunning views of the city of angels. It soon becomes apparent that renowned physicist Dr. Stanley Kent was shot twice in the back of the head, all the marks of a professional killing. Very quickly the FBI are involved  in the form of Bosch's on/off lover Rachel Walling. It would appear that not only is this a murder scene but a hazardous  radioactive element "cesium" remains unaccounted for presumably stolen when the physicist  was executed. What at first was thought to be a simple homicide has evolved into a serious security issue and both the FBI and the LAPD must rush to contain an emerging national emergency. If there is one thing that angers Bosch it is having to share an investigation with other government agencies. As a maverick investigator he views with suspicion the actions of others and questions why not only the FBI but Homeland Security should "muscle" in on his turf!

 

As a long time admirer of the writings of Michael Connelly I must admit to be disappointed in this the 13th outing of our irascible hero Harry Bosch. He is much more comfortable (and so is the reader) when he is examining incidents peculiar to LA. Once the FBI and Homeland Security takes charge of this possible major chemical contamination, Harry is always playing catch up. Nevertheless, and almost unbelievably, it is Harry who from a single piece of evidence is able to resolve the matter by simply acting on his own intuition. What is the significance of Dr. Kent's wife? Why has a small yet potentially dangerous amount of the chemical been stolen? Is there an ulterior motive behind the theft?

 

This is a relatively short novel and even though I never felt comfortable with the storyline Connelly's writing, descriptions and his knowledge of this diverse colourful city always makes for enjoyable reading. There are some great secondary characters; Harry's new partner Ignacio (Iggy) Ferras who Harry refuses to call by his preferred name..."See you there, Ignacio Bosch said. Harry, Ferras said, I told you. Call me Iggy. Everybody does" Then there is the comical figure of Captain Don Hadley, affectionately know to his fellow cops as Captain Done Badly, who sees himself as a type of John Wayne figurehead.."The rest of you warriors mount up! We're going in." And lets not forget those wonderful descriptions...."Past the dam the city spread out in a blanket of a million lights, which shimmered in the cool evening air like floating dreams."........"The gray had not yet chased all of the brown out of his hair but it was getting close to victory."....."We are all circling the drain, he thought. Some are closer to the black hole than others; some will see it coming and some will have no clue when the undertow grabs them and pulls them down into the darkness forever."....

Or not.

 

Bosch got a new partner who is a bit afraid of his way of doing things. Going head to head with the FBI and whoever like to stand in his way of investigation.

 

So... this is a not a straight forward murder. A man was first blackmail and then killed by possible terrorists.

 

This is a large print version and it is shorter than most of his other books. 

 

The constant in a Bosch novel is lies. FBI lied to Bosch and Bosch lied to FBI. 

 

In the last 2 chapters when the killer is being discovered. It is going to be a surprise. 

Eh. This was not my favorite Bosch. After a couple of home-runs with this series, this was definitely a disappointment. About half the length of his usual books, Connelly uses this to just show readers excerpts from his other books. I hit the finish line with this book at 74 percent I think. The remaining was just excerpts.

This felt and reads more like a short story. We have so many plot holes I don't even know which to begin with in "The Overlook." It's been a year since the events in "Echo Park." Harry is still bitter that Rachel Walling cut him off (I would have too) after his shennigans in the last book. He is still visiting his daughter in Hong Kong when he has time. He now has a new partner, after Kiz has gone back to working for the Chief of Police. His partner Ignacio (call me Iggy) Ferras is younger than Bosch, and their partnership is not going very smoothly. I wish I could sympathize with Bosch more, but honestly I was tired of his games from beginning to end in this one. And thankfully Bosch finally got it through his thick head he can't just do what he wants with no blow back. Maybe nuclear material entering the picture in this one was what he needed.

Bosch is no longer in Open/Unsolved. Now he is a unit called Homicide Special Squad. Bosch and Iggy (I don't care that Bosch doesn't like the guy's nickname, he was being an ass by refusing to use it) are called to a homicide where a Doctor Stanley Kent is found with some bullets to the head. It looks like a simple case of possible robbery gone wrong until Bosch is informed that Kent has access to radioactive material due to his job and a possible terrorist may have gotten his hands on it. Enter Rachel Walling and her colleagues from the FBI.

I was happy to see Rachel back in Bosch's face and Bosch realizing that many at the FBI think and know what a loose cannon he is. Bosch has hurt feelings about the whole thing and I may have stated mumbling "boy bye" under my breath. I like Bosch. But I am over the martyr act he has going for most of this book. Also since tracking down radioactive substances is more of an issue than him finding out who killed Stanley Kent I felt like his pissing match with the FBI was just ridiculous.

We get some new faces in this one and of course new with Iggy and some others. We see a reappearance of J. Edgar who once again proves that tv J. Edgar is better than book J. Edgar. It always makes me uncomfortable how Connelly portrays him as lazy and homophobic. Ugh.

The writing wasn't on par with previous books. I counted so many plot holes I gave up after 10. I think my biggest issue is that it doesn't make sense when you find out the why behind Kent's murder. It's beyond stupid. Why do something that would bring in the cops and the FBI? I think at that point you want to get caught. That's all I am going to say about that.

The book ends on a weird note. I know Bosch isn't dead (hello other books in the series) but it leaves things on a fraught note with him maybe getting in trouble due to being around some of the radioactive material. We have another partner of his who may be down and out. And at this point, you couldn't pay me to partner with Bosch.

Happy New Year, Booklikers!