The Black Echo (A Harry Bosch Novel, 1) Paperback – October 15, 2013

Michael Connelly's hero, Hieronymus (Harry) Bosch is introduced in The Black Echo where he has recently been demoted and moved to Hollywood Division because of a scandal caused when he shot a murderer who reached under his pillow to get what Harry believed to be a gun, but was actually a toupee. Internal Affairs, with the help of Irvin Irving, the big boss, who hates Harry, pushed the demotion through and Harry is perennially in trouble no matter what he does to redeem himself.The story begins when Bosch is called to the scene of a dead body discovered in a large pipe near the Mulholland Dam. A street kid witnesses the dump and calls Homicide. When Harry arrives, he finds he knows the victim, Billy Meadows, from his Vietnam days where they were both tunnel rats. Even though it looks like a heroin overdose, Harry finds discrepancies in the overdose theory, and against the wishes of everyone at the scene and his bosses, insists that it be processed as a homicide. His partner, Jerry Edgar, who does only the bare minimum and is usually busy with his real estate business, isn't really willing to help much, since he has an open house that he is hosting, so once again Bosch is unpopular. As the story unfolds, Bosch finds the kid who called in the body and also discovers a pawn ticket in Meadows' apartment that ties him to a bank vault robbery that occurred almost a year prior. Bosch calls the FBI and is paired up with Eleanor Wish; beautiful, of course, and very willing to sleep with Harry. Eleanor's boss doesn't like Harry nosing into an FBI case, but is forced to let Harry and Eleanor work on it. At the same time, Irving keeps two Internal Affairs officers on Harry to find a way to get him fired.During the course of the novel, Harry and Eleanor come close to being killed in a hit and run, are involved in several shootouts, and are generally in danger throughout the entire book. Of course there is corruption inside the police departments and federal agencies, which causes additional problems for Bosch. Bosch, however, is a very accomplished and meticulous detective, and finds clues that the FBI missed in the months prior to him being assigned to the case. He believes "There are no coincidences," which, with that point of view, helps him think outside the box and resolve the problems.Michael Connelly is a gifted writer, as he is able to weave several scenarios together in an exciting and believable story. Although there are other murders and shootouts, they are not overly graphic or violent. The Black Echo is a fun, fast read, and Connelly's characterizations of the main players makes them seem like real people in real situations. Bosch is not a team player, and has very strong feelings for the victims, which sets him apart from his colleagues and bosses. He is a hero who is likeable, albeit difficult; he chain smokes and drinks to excess, is a real loner, and loves jazz. It is recommended that this book be read first, as an introduction to the subsequent Harry Bosch novels.This book was purchased with personal funds and no promotion of the book was solicited by the author or publisher.

I've been curious about the Bosch series for some time now, though I lost some enthusiasm when I wasn't thrilled with the first season of the Amazon show. I thought it was well acted and well produced, but the story just depressed the hell out of me and didn't hook me at any point. I'd already downloaded this book and a few others at that point and didn't know when I'd ever get to them. When I found the special edition audiobook version read by Titus Welliver, that's when I decided to give it a shot.The story follows every aspect of and explores every nook and cranny of a case, and though the details don't become tiresome or boring at any point, they weren't really thrilling, either. I'm more of a Jack Reacher fan than a Harry Bosch fan, but Bosch is interesting just the same.Two personal notes that connected me to the story: I actually met Titus Welliver at a special screening for the movie The Town and got a picture with him. He was very deadpanned but friendly enough to let me get that moment in. I cherished that memory, long before I knew him as Bosch.Also, the painting "Nighthawks" by Edward Hopper is mentioned in this book, and Harry sees himself in one of the people in the painting. It has always been my favorite work of art, and I actually have a print of it hanging in my basement, and I was right next to it when I first heard it mentioned in the book. When I was able to look right over and know exactly what Bosch was talking about as he was describing the painting, it was a very neat moment.

I really enjoyed this book. People told me, it was a great read and I completely agree. If you would like a good detective story, this book is for you.

I have read a couple of Michael Connelly books, though none in the Harry Bosch series. I recently streamed Bosch on Amazon Prime and was absolutely in love with the character and the actor that plays him. I'm really glad that I saw the 10 part season 1 first, since that allowed me to put faces to some of the characters, especially Harry. He is one of my very favorite characters! He is an excellent murder detective that is compelled to find the answers and the bad guys. He doesn't always follow police procedures, does things his way, and often gets in trouble for it. To me that makes him a more interesting character. Connelly has shown himself, in this book, to be a master at character development and capable of developing a strong, complex plot that easily draws the reader along to the very end. Harry is drawn deeply into the investigation because he personally knows the murder victim. Connelly entwines Harry's experiences in Vietnam into the investigation. This allows the reader to get to know Harry better than most first novels (in a series) do. He is a loner, who doesn't have a problem with being a loner, but who can be drawn closely to someone. You get to see how he handles IAD cops and superiors that he doesn't like and has no respect for. You even see what he does when (the right thing) when someone he knows and cares for disappoints him. I was really drawn in even though this is a very complex, twisting and turning, plot. There is some nostalgia in the reading because it takes place in the 80's (I think), so not many cell phones, lots of stops at pay phones to make calls (ah, the days!). I can't more highly recommend this book specifically, and this series. I LOVED it! If you like a great, complex murder mystery and police procedural, then this book is for you! It certainly was for me! I've already bought the next book in the series, The Black Ice.

Great read. Many twists. I will read hit up again. At Times a little wordy, but very smart. Leads easily to more stories.

I liked the intricate plot from this book. Up until the very end, you were not sure of how the story would end.

Totally different than the TV show. Captivating for sure, loved the flow of this book. Keep them coming, slow and steady.

Another Connelly masterpiece

No la he terminado pero hasta ahora va muy bien, muy entretenida

brilliant and meticulous picture of LA, its police and crime. Hugely readable.

This book offers rich storytelling. It`s full of emotions, sounds, smells. I`m tasting the salt: “The warm winds and the dream had made him sweat. Then the wind had dried the moisture on his skin like a salty shell.”The story starts with a dead body in a tunnel. “I heard the car coming before I saw it. Cause the guy has no lights on.” The Black Echo goes back to the Vietnam War. “The corruption within the Saigon police department was orchestrated or controlled by a triad called the Devil`s Three.” To get all their stolen money out of the country, they chose diamonds to start a new life in L.A. “No way in two days unless it was greased. This guy already had approval. He was connected.” The connection was hidden since April 1975 when Saigon fell until Harry Bosch is connecting the dots 16 years later. The enemy is always close behind and even besides him.Meanwhile the detectives Wish and Bosch are getting closer. Bosch is having a crush on the FBI agent: “He watched Eleanor Wish. Her eyes darted that way but quickly went back to the photograph.” Not much time left for romance, when their only witness, a young boy has been murdered. “They want us to know they did it. They are laughing at us.” Some more dead people, and “his share is growing larger. Would he say, ‘My share has gone up’ or would he simply say, ‘It’s all mine’? Bosch’s gut feeling was he would say the latter, unless there was still someone else sharing the pot.”“Bosch did as they wanted. Because it was what he wanted.” “His head down and his hair blowing a hundred different ways.” “I could have just buried you in paper. But I didn`t.” Bosch has been a star on TV, now many colleagues are after him trying to proof him being a criminal. “We’re going to toast your ass right this time.” “One more notch on our barrel.”

Una novela de detectives bien escrita. Muy recomendable.