The Concrete Blonde

I can see how this opening book made the Harry series popular. It was a good read but a bit dragged out but loved the ‘place' harry was in.

»“I didn't know, Sylvia,” he said. “I hoped.”«I didn't know either but had hoped for a good Bosch novel and got even more than I expected.In [a:Michael Connelly 12470 Michael Connelly https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1539114448p2/12470.jpg]'s “[b:The Concrete Blonde 49350 The Concrete Blonde (Harry Bosch, #3; Harry Bosch Universe, #3) Michael Connelly https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388241215l/49350.SY75.jpg 449511]” we're revisiting Harry's “white whale” case, which is, of course, “The Dollmaker”'s. Harry shot that guy in self-defence four years ago but it left an ugly stain on his already rather grey vest. Harry was de facto demoted and at the time of the “Concrete Blonde” he's being sued over that shooting when another body is found that has all the marks of a Dollmaker victim...What ensues from this point on is part courtroom drama but, to a much larger extent, a very suspenseful, exciting and smart police procedural which managed to fool me at every turn. As always, Harry investigates this at high stakes and takes great risk and, thus, we sometimes cross over into the realm of thrillers which is a very welcome aspect here.As implied by the opening quote (which is the final sentence of the novel), we get to know Bosch a lot better yet: His budding relationship with Sylvia from the last novel goes to full bloom here - and keeps evolving. It's unusual to read this much personal information in a non-”cosy” police procedural but it's just one more way in which this novel works brilliantly: By not only showing Harry's professional rough cop side but also his convictions and ethical values, he becomes much more of a believable, sensitive person.»The anchor christened the killer the Dollmaker. After that, the killer was called that by everybody, even the cops.But Bosch always hated that name. It said something about the victims as well as the killer. It depersonalized them, made it easier for the Dollmaker stories that were broadcast to be entertaining instead of horrifying.«Harry even knows his Nietzsche and sees and recognises the danger he's in of becoming as bad - or worse - than the people he's hunting. »‘Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And when you look into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you....'«That Harry is aware of this danger, though, as well as his “moral compass” prevent him from becoming a monster.»Bosch drove over to Central Division and found an open parking space at the front curb. For a while, he sat in his car looking at two trustees from the lockup washing the painted enamel mural that stretched along the front wall of the bunkerlike station. It was a depiction of a nirvana where black and white and brown children played together and smiled at friendly police officers. It was a depiction of a place where the children still had hope. In angry black spray paint along the bottom of the mural someone had written, “This is a damnable lie!”Bosch wondered whether someone from the neighborhood or a cop had done it.«Everyone keeps growing in this one - even Irving, now promoted, comes around and grows a personality beyond just gnashing his teeth to cow his detectives. He even starts respecting Bosch both as a cop and a human being. Shockingly, Irving even has a sense of humour...»“Somebody put a cigarette butt in my pot,” he said. “That yours, Harry?”«Some fresh blood, Hans “Hans Off” Rollenberger, is also around and Honey “Money” Chandler makes an appearance as one of Bosch's adversary's (albeit cut short by an event I wasn't prepared for after seeing the TV show...).Ultimately, I very much enjoyed this novel and will undoubtedly read on in this series.Five out of five stars.»Bosch drove over to Central Division and found an open parking space at the front curb. For a while, he sat in his car looking at two trustees from the lockup washing the painted enamel mural that stretched along the front wall of the bunkerlike station. It was a depiction of a nirvana where black and white and brown children played together and smiled at friendly police officers. It was a depiction of a place where the children still had hope. In angry black spray paint along the bottom of the mural someone had written, “This is a damnable lie!”Bosch wondered whether someone from the neighborhood or a cop had done it.«Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

Executive Summary: I thought this started a bit slow, had a pretty good middle and a somewhat underwhelming ending.

Audiobook: Dick Hill does a pretty good with the book. He does a few voices that makes it easier to distinguish between the characters and making this book work pretty well in audio.

Full Review
This is now the 3rd Harry Bosch book I've read, and I thought it was OK, but I was sort of let down by the ending a bit. I also found some of the issues raised in this book by the trial of Harry Bosch stirring up memories of recent events in the news (and not in a good way).

I found the actual mystery part of the book pretty enjoyable. I liked the way in which Harry went about investigating things. I thought things felt pretty believable all along. However I found the final reveal and some of the fallout from it, a bit of a let down.

I'm not sure what I was hoping for, but I'm not sure I'll continue on with the series. I haven't found the sequel books nearly as enjoyable as the first one was.

I loved this book! It built on the first 2 books and was a work of pure art.

Terzo libro della serie con il protagonista detective Harry Bosch che è un personaggio creato da Michael Connelly, comparso per la prima volta nel romanzo del 1992, “La memoria del topo”. È il protagonista di una serie di romanzi, attualmente 15, che sono ambientati nello stesso anno della pubblicazione.

È abbastanza noto tra i suoi colleghi, ha un passato da veterano nel Vietnam e lavora come detective della omicidi alla polizia di Los Angeles. Il suo nome completo gli è stato dato dalla madre in onore dell'omonimo pittore del XV secolo.

In questo terzo episodio Bosch si trova in un'aula di tribunale in un ruolo per lui insolito: quello dell'accusato nel processo per omicidio intentatogli dalla vedova. Ma quando viene informato del ritrovamento di un nuovo cadavere, quello di una bionda sepolta sotto una colata di cemento e truccata come le undici vittime del Fabbricante di bambole, non può non chiedersi se l'uomo che ha ucciso non fosse innocente.

A differenza dei primi due titoli qui la lettura non si innalza ai soliti ritmi elevati come negli altri libri di Connelly e, tranne per le pagine centrali, il contesto in cui si muove il nostro detective non è il solito e questo rallenta di molto la narrazione; i più sono abituati a vedere Bosch muoversi tra le strade di Hollywood e non tra le mura di un tribunale. Insomma la parte legale riguardante il processo è un po' troppo estesa rispetto alla componente di azione. L'indagine in esame mischia elementi del romanzo poliziesco al legal thriller e risulta avvincente, anche se suona sempre come qualcosa di già letto.

Anche il finale è piuttosto deludente e non all'altezza del solito Connelly. Una prova intermedia che speriamo non precluda il resto di tutta la serie.