The Harry Bosch Novels: Volume 1: The Black Echo, The Black Ice, The Concrete Blonde

Harry Bosch is a great creation - he's an LAPD cop (the maverick kind) who has a lot of baggage. During the course of the first three novels the reader gradually gets to know him, and why he is the way he is.It's also the record of a writer getting to know the character, and perhaps the crime novel form too - as you progress through them, you'll see how the books improve from good to very good: the structure tightens; themes are allowed to run through the narrative; characterisation improves; and plot twists become less obvious.Perhaps the best thing is that there are at least 15 novels featuring Harry Bosch to read. I've just finished the fourth, and it's a nice feeling to know that I have that many to look forward to.The only gripe about this book is the format - the publishers have crammed three 500-page books into a larger sized paperback - great value, but they've also reduced the print size, which means that each page is cramped, and I found it difficult on the eye at first; it was a struggle to read at times.Book 1: THE BLACK ECHOThis is very much a 'procedural' novel: it's a tale told over the space of five days, with each day forming a separate section of the book. I found this a bit off-putting at first, as it seemed very linear and over-concerned with getting every little part of the process right, and I wasn't too keen on wading through the form-filling side of things with Detective Bosch. However, by the end I had been thoroughly converted - Connelly really knows his stuff, and I would say it's one of the major strengths of the book.The story is told in the third person, which has the benefit of providing a good overview of the action, although it lacks the immediacy of first person narrators like Denis Lehane's Patrick Kenzie A Drink before the War , for example.There's a passage in the book which centers around Edward Hopper's famous painting, Nighthawks I. I found it nice to be able to study the painting as I read it.The characters and the story start taking over, and the whole thing comes to life. However, it's fairly predictable, with a fair amount of misdirection that doesn't work - but once it gets going it's a good solid read, with a well-defined cast of characters that you can look forward to reading more of in the rest of the series. A great amount of pleasure can be had by simply watching the tale unfold.Book 2: THE BLACK ICEThe body of a colleague is found in an apparent suicide case - the book wouldn't take long to read if that was all there was to it, so obviously all is not as it might first appear.This is the second in the Harry Bosch series (the first being a good place to get acquainted - The Black Echo). It's got quite a pace to it, even though it feels quite cerebral; the eye is definitely on the detail here - we follow Harry as he goes through all the stages of the case (a lesser writer would be incapable of making the inevitable post-mortem scenes sound original, but one of Connelly's main strangths is his ability to frame a character and build on him or her very quickly and convincingly), all the way through to what would be a fairly large-budget film if it was ever shot.Another of Connelly's strengths is his depth of knowledge - he spent many years as a court reporter and his experience of the processes of law and detection are evident in every page. The pleasure is partly in watching the story unfold; this tale is far less predictable than the first one, though.Book 3: THE CONCRETE BLONDEThe body of a colleague is found in an apparent suicide case - the book wouldn't take long to read if that was all there was to it, so obviously all is not as it might first appear.This is the second in the Harry Bosch series (the first being a good place to get acquainted - The Black Echo). It's got quite a pace to it, even though it feels quite cerebral; the eye is definitely on the detail here - we follow Harry as he goes through all the stages of the case (a lesser writer would be incapable of making the inevitable post-mortem scenes sound original, but one of Connelly's main strangths is his ability to frame a character and build on him or her very quickly and convincingly), all the way through to what would be a fairly large-budget film if it was ever shot.Another of Connelly's strengths is his depth of knowledge - he spent many years as a court reporter and his experience of the processes of law and detection are evident in every page. The pleasure is partly in watching the story unfold; this tale is far less predictable than the first one, though.Thanks go out to Mike and OEJ for introducing me to this great series.

Good price for 3 books in 1. Good quality product. I was keen to read the books after seeing the Prime video dramatisation and certainly was not disappointed

an excellent read at a very good price.

super value, very fast delivery, thamks

enjoyed the TV series so looking forward to reading all the books

Having only just discovered Michael Connelly novels, I am delighted with the 3 volumes of the Harry Bosch series.The book is in excellent condition and I would definitely use this supplier again. Many thanks.

Usual Connolly quality

Connelly has an impressive insight into police procedure. He has an impressive ability to construct complex plots and he writes well. Why not full marks? I find the plots almost too elaborate and twisty. One turn too many and it is easy to lose interest because the story simply gets implausible. The characters are quite stereotypical and predictable, including Bosch. He has a troubled past, problems with his bosses, problems to maintain long-term relationships with the ladies, he smokes and drink too much. He is not afraid to speak his mind and to cut corners if required to catch the bad guys, and deep down he has a soft side..... you get the picture. Very entertaining, and if you enjoy this genre, Bosch is right down your alley. I finished the 3 novels in this edition and enjoyed them, but I'm not sure I will read the rest of the series.