Echo Park by Michael ConnellyMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Jacket Blurb: When he receives word that somebody has confessed to the 1995 homicide of Marie Gesto, Detective Harry Bosch is surprised and relieved. For more than a decade, details of this savage murder had eaten away at the sensitive investigator. His emotions heighten, though, when he hears the murderer speak and learns that police missed a clue that could have led them to Gesto's killer and thus prevented nine subsequent murders. The realization leaves Bosch reeling with uncertainty about his colleagues and his own commitments. A very well done hard-boiled police procedural.
Read as an audiobook.
I was disappointed in this book in so far as Harry was once again acting like an ass, as if the world should revolve around him and his opinions. I don't know if a more belligerent, demanding, rude, and bossy detective could be found. I'm sure one exists, but I haven't come across him (or her) yet, though Wallander might come close.
It seems as if in this installment, it's Harry's way or the highway. And from what I could ascertain, there was absolutely no reason he had to be such a rude git. Not everybody needs to march to Harry's tune and as the saying goes, you catch more flies with honey than vinegar.
An example - per LAPD rules, Harry is put on "Home-Stay" pending an investigation by the OIS (officer involved shooting) department at the burial site of a 13 year old open-unsolved case after the killer escapes, which involved the deaths of two policemen. Harry goes back out to the site to have a look around, which is against regulations, and his car is noticed in the nearby parking lot. When his supervisor calls to ask why he's at the crime scene instead of anywhere else, instead of just saying, "I wanted to pay my respects to the closure of a 13 year old case I've been working on", he comes up with a lame-o excuse about a coin and gets defensive about his actions.
Later, he recruits Rachel Walling, FBI to help him in his investigation - using files he took from the office against regulations, a murder book that he copied against regulations, a surveillance he should not have been on, and a home invasion with out back-up despite Rachel warning him to call. And he wonders why everyone is pissed at him.
So, crabby pants detective in this one was a big detraction for me.
The murder mystery wasn't really - we know who the antagonist is, we know his actions, we know there is political intrigue. This was a "watch Harry put the pieces together" book. The ending(s) should come as no surprise.
Recommended with slight reservations if you've read the previous books.
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