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The Overlook Reviews
Bestseller Connelly's dazzling 13th Harry Bosch novel (after 2006's Echo Park) reunites Bosch with his former flame, FBI agent Rachel Walling. Bosch must break in a
new partner, rookie Iggy Ferras, when they're called to look into the execution of physicist Stanley Kent on a Mulholland Drive overlook. When a special FBI unit, headed by Walling, arrives and tries to usurp his
case, claiming it's a matter of national security, Bosch refuses to back down. Walling's focus on the potential theft of radioactive material from the hospital where Kent was lending his expertise to cancer
treatment and her unwillingness to share information only make Bosch more determined to solve the case. This is a quick read, almost half the length of Connelly's previous novels, but he spares no punches when it
comes to complexity and suspense. The scramble to investigate threats to national security, justified or otherwise, is a timely subject and one on which Connelly puts a brilliant new spin.
— Publishers Weekly, * Starred Review
In a 12-hour adventure first serialized in weekly installments in the New York Times Magazine, Harry Bosch finally catches a fresh case after years of resurrecting old ones, and it's a honey.
Before he was shot to death at a scenic overlook on Mulholland Drive, Stanley Kent was a medical physicist who had access to the radioactive cesium used to treat uterine cancer. Because the murder looks like an
execution, Bosch and his new partner, Ignacio Ferras of LAPD Homicide Special, are under orders to grab the case from Hollywood Homicide. In a breathtakingly short time, though, it's grabbed from them by Rachel
Walling, Bosch's former lover and her take-no-prisoners FBI partner Jack Brenner. The reason: Shortly before he died, Kent had driven to St. Agatha's Clinic for Women and removed dozens of doses of cesium at the
demand of the masked thugs who'd broken into his home, tied up his wife and threatened to rape and kill her. Alicia Kent is still alive, but her husband isn't, and the cesium has vanished. Captain Don Hadley, the
well-connected nincompoop in charge of L.A.'s Department of Homeland Security, is convinced the threat of a dirty bomb is linked to anti-American provocateur Ramin Samir; the FBI is more intent on locating a Syrian
terrorist who goes buy the nickname Moby. But Bosch is convinced the Feds have missed important clues, and soon he's dug up an eyewitness to the crime and found new evidence at the Kent home. Both discoveries send
him barreling into a series of jurisdictional battles that almost upstage the terrorist threat. A beautifully stripped-down case that makes up in tension and velocity what it lacks in amplitude. Serialization hasn't
hurt Connelly any more than it did Charles Dickens, who's cited at several key points.
— Kirkus Reviews
This short novel began life as a 16-part serial in the New York Times. Despite being expanded somewhat for book publication, the story's roots as a plot-driven serial remain visible: readers
familiar with Connelly's celebrated Harry Bosch series—And what hard-boiled fiction fan isn't?—will notice less character development and less psychological texture here than in any of the full-length Bosch novels,
but that isn't to say the story doesn't pack a wallop. In the wake of the controversial events at the conclusion of Echo Park (2006), Bosch has a new assignment, with LAPD's Homicide Special Unit. He lands his first case when a body is found on the overlook near Mulholland Drive. The victim, Dr. Stanley Kent, turns out to have had access to radioactive materials stored at hospitals throughout L.A. As the clues point toward a terrorist plot, Bosch must contend with various crime-fighting bureaucracies, including the FBI and Homeland Security. Bosch reacts to bureaucratic interference (even from former lover and FBI agent Rachel Walling) like the body reacts to radiation, so the sparks begin to fly immediately. Unlike other Bosch novels, which effortlessly mix action with the hero's inner struggles, this one unfolds like an episode of 24,
pounding its way relentlessly to a surprising conclusion. Treat The Overlook like a tasty hors d'oeuvre: down it in one quick gulp, and look forward to the next Bosch entree.
— Bill Ott, Booklist, American Library Association
Even a slim addition to the Harry Bosch series is a treat, and what "The Overlook" lacks in heft it more than makes up for in unexpected twists. The work first appeared as a serialization in
the Sunday New York Times Magazine. Connelly has reworked the original and succeeds, again, at creating a first-rate crime novel - fast-paced and dizzying, and driven by Bosch's unrelenting vision. Bosch's
last case, in "Echo Park," found him assigned to the Los Angeles Police Department's Open-Unsolved Crime Unit. But "Echo Park" didn't end well for Bosch. "The Overlook" finds him back
on the current crime beat, in Parker Center's Robbery/Homicide Special Division. Bosch is home when the first call on his new job comes, at midnight. The Hollywood Division has asked for Homicide Special to take
over a murder committed on the overlook above Mulholland Dam. The crime scene has the look of an execution. The trunk of the victim's Porsche is open, and whatever had been its contents - something quite heavy - has
been removed. The victim had been made to kneel on the ground before being killed by shots to the back of his head. Identification on the body shows the victim's name as Stanley Kent. Bosch's new partner, Ignacio
(Iggy) Ferras hasn't made it to the crime scene when the feds show up, in the person of FBI Agent Rachel Walling of the Tactical Intelligence Unit. Rachel provokes discomfort on two levels. She and Bosch have a
romantic history, and their last chapter didn't end well. Also, the federal presence and its implied interference don't sit well with Bosch. The Tactical Intelligence Unit is focused on homeland security and
terrorist activities. It is interested in Kent's death because he is a medical physicist who had access to radioactive isotopes used for cancer treatment. Bosch and Rachel go to Kent's home, where they find his wife
bound and gagged. It looks as though Kent had been blackmailed into turning over a number of cesium sources to his attackers; the marks in the trunk of his car are easily attributed to the lead-shielded case holding
the sources. The ownership and location of the radioactive materials, the building block of dirty bombs, are of keen interest to the FBI. As they set off on a desperate race against time, intent on protecting L.A.
from terrorist attack, Bosch and Rachel lose sight of solving Kent's murder. The FBI's assumption is that finding the terrorists behind the theft will certainly lead to the killer. Bosch isn't so sure. Those who
read "The Overlook" as a serialization won't find any changes to the basic story; the outcomes remain the same. But, as Connelly explains on his website (MichaelConnelly.com), the work that originally
appeared in The New York Times had to adhere to a strict format: 16 chapters with around 3,000 words each. Connelly said he is happier with the pacing of the rewrite, and that he enjoyed the opportunity to
revisit and reflect upon changes to a story after it was supposedly finished. It has been 15 years and 13 novels since Bosch appeared in "The Black Echo." Connelly's work is now the stuff of best sellers,
and his recognition is well-deserved. Simplistically, he takes a lone wolf with a passion for justice, sets him against a fallible system and writes about their intersection with tight lyricism. "The
Overlook" is a fine addition to Connelly's oeuvre, replete with all the elements his readers have come to expect: great velocity, imagery and unexpected twists. But the novel's most endearing quality, shared
with its predecessors, is that Bosch and those characters in his orbit are unusually fully realized and fallible - in other words, human. Bosch's sense of what is right and appropriate drives this tale and the
ultimate outcomes are surprising, to say the least. But what is perhaps most surprising is that Connelly, once again, has hit a home run. He does it quietly and without any pyrotechnics. He makes it look deceptively
easy.
— Robin Vidimos, The Denver Post
By all accounts, The Overlook should be a "minor" Michael Connelly novel. After all, the award-winning author's 18th novel — and the 13th in his Harry Bosch series — was serialized last year in The
New York Times Sunday Magazine. While other authors, such as Patricia Cornwell and Scott Turow, have taken their serialized work and published it as an "as is" novel, Connelly took a different
approach. No longer bound by the magazine's constraints that required each of the 16 segments be about 3,000 words, Connelly expanded some chapters, refocused the political and bureaucratic subplots, added a
character and changed the time frame. The result is a novel superior to the serialized version. While the story is more compact — 240 pages as compared to most Connelly novels that top off at more than 450 pages — The Overlook maintains the author's trademarks of superior plotting, solid story telling and fascinating character studies. In a way, The Overlook is like a compressed 24 with LAPD detective Harry Bosch chasing terrorists just like Jack Bauer does. Only Harry manages to do it in 12 hours. Harry is called out to an area up in the hills that's the "unofficial overlook of the city" where the body of a doctor has just been found. The investigation will pit Harry against the FBI, which claims the case is a matter of national security since radioactive material also has been stolen, and it reunites him with his former girlfriend, FBI agent Rachel Walling. Harry fears the man's death will be forgotten as the FBI tracks religious terrorists believed to be responsible. It's a new kind of crime for Harry, who "was used to chasing killers motivated by greed or lust or any one of the big seven sins. Religious extremism wasn't often on the list." The Overlook moves at a brisk pace as Connelly puts the main emphasis on plot. Although he doesn't neglect his unique spin on character development, The Overlook doesn't delve much into Harry's inner struggles. Instead, The Overlook is about crime and the "marks," the "transfers" that it leaves on a community.
— Oline H. Cogdill, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
The best thing about Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch books is he dunks our heads and shoves us into the back seat of an accelerating police investigation and holds us captive — with his muscular prose, intimacy with
police procedure and back-hand knowledge of the city of Los Angeles — for 350 pages. Connelly's latest novel is a bit of an anomaly; it clocks in at just 224 pages, mainly because the writer had to work within
someone else's parameters: "The Overlook" was serialized in the New York Times Magazine, 16 installments of 3,000 words each. It's not the way Connelly likes to write, which is to the point of
exhaustion, but he was able to revise and expand "The Overlook" before it is published by Little, Brown as a book on Tuesday. It's midnight and the indomitable Bosch, who's transferred from the old case
squad after the debacle in "Echo Park" to the city's Special Homicide Unit, is listening to his latest musical obsession, alto saxophonist Frank Morgan, waiting for the phone to ring. He picks up the
receiver and catches a case, an execution-style shooting — two bullets to the back of the head — on the Mulholland Drive overlook, which offers a panoramic view of the city. The victim is Dr. Stanley Kent, a medical
physicist with access to every hospital in the city. Kent handles radioactive material for cancer procedures. What seems like a simple homicide becomes a federal case. Cesium, the key ingredient in a dirty bomb, is
missing from a women's hospital, and Harry's off-and-on girlfriend (mostly off) shows up with a few dozen of her FBI colleagues, as well as other government alphabet-soup agencies, citing national security. They
elbow the detective and his rookie partner Ignacio ("call me Iggy") Ferras aside, which, as Bosch fans know, triggers Harry's knee-jerk reaction. Who has the stuff? The FBI is betting on a couple of
shadowy terrorists who have infiltrated the country; Harry, who not only battles his new, by-the-book partner and his ex-flame, but roguish government blue suits, has studied the evidence and knows the feds' theory
doesn't float. But how can he prove it? And what if he's wrong and the reservoir glows for 300 years? Connelly, a descendant of Raymond Chandler (in Connelly's world a laptop "carried more viruses than a
Hollywood Boulevard hooker"), is not just a police procedurist. He's a writer's writer who has created one of the most interesting, respected characters in modern fiction in Bosch. His plots always intrigue,
and his prose is urgent — every sentence moves the story forward. "The Overlook" will keep you on the edge of the precipice to the last page.
— Steve Bennett, San Antonio Express-News
In his 13th Harry Bosch novel, Michael Connelly reveals some traces of his main inspiration, Raymond Chandler. But while Chandler created a heady atmosphere around his action and characters, Connelly leaps right into
the action with only minimal description of Los Angeles and its diverse inhabitants. He's an economic writer with an arch sense of humor, a quick-sketch master, and his eye is on the plot all the way, making this a
fast read and a hard book to put down if you're a murder-mystery fan. Bosch finds a doctor with access to dangerous radioactive substance dead on the overlook above Mulholland Dam. He's been shot in the head, and
there's a witness to prove it. It's Bosch's first case since he left the Los Angeles Police Department's Unsolved Unit for the more prestigious Homicide Special squad, and it's a toughie because the threat of
radiation contamination seems to hang over the case with bone-chilling ubiquity. At every turn, apparent clues appear to surface regarding a large quantity of radioactive cesium which was stolen shortly before the
doctor's death. Does it involve a plot by possible Middle East terrorists, as one interpretation allows? Or is this a clever cover-up for something else closer to home? When Bosch's one-time lover, Rachel Walling of
the FBI, shows up and appears to want to take the case from the LAPD, things get more confusing and, of course, more interesting. Bosch's new partner, young Ignacio Ferras, is intelligent and quick to respond to the
many requests put to him, but Capt. Don Hadley (nicknamed "Captain Done Badly"), a cocky police official above him in rank that Bosch must deal with, is nothing but trouble. He's had an innocent man
killed, jumping to conclusions about the case based on unproved speculation, thus giving Bosch extra hurdles to deal with besides the FBI. Connelly's won just about every major mystery award on the globe, and it's
no wonder his works have been translated into 31 languages. A universal quality imbues his stories and characters, yet they're textured with an American sensibility that echoes Chandler, Dashiell Hammett and others.
The fact that he's writing in the 21st century adds immediacy. Portions of "The Overlook" were originally serialized in The New York Times Sunday Magazine. This novel includes material not published in the magazine, including new characters and more obstacles for the main character.
— Holly Johnson, The Oregonian
The good news: In plenty of time for summer reading, Michael Connelly has given us another crime thriller starring Los Angeles homicide detective Harry Bosch. The even better news: Although "The
Overlook" takes a more terse tack than other Bosch books, it meets Connelly's standards in all ways. And fans of Connelly know how high he sets his standards for plot, characterization and local color.
"The Overlook" was originally serialized in the Sunday magazine of The New York Times. Although the hardcover version is expanded, it weighs in at only 225 pages, with a plot that unreels in
something close to real time. That plot starts with a corpse, of course — a doctor with access to radioactive material used in medical treatments. The doctor had taken a bunch of the radioactive stuff from a
hospital, and now, it's missing. The murder sets off alarm bells in the FBI, whose agents fear a terrorist plot. The FBI tries to shoulder Bosch aside. After all, the police detective is focusing on one mere murder,
while the FBI is trying to head off a mass murder with a weapon of mass destruction. Regular readers can guess how the moody and stubborn Bosch reacts. While tracking down the killer, the obsessive Bosch also does
battle with the FBI, whose ranks include Rachel Walling, his one-time lover. Whose view of the case is proper? Bosch's close-up murder investigation? Or the FBI's wide-net terrorist hunt? Read "The
Overlook" and find out.
— Harry Levins, St. Louis Post Dispatch
Speaking of cool, Connelly's Harry Bosch is back in The Overlook, a novel that began as a serial for The New York Times Magazine. (The story, says the publisher, has been "expanded and revised substantially.") Why was a doctor found murdered, execution-style, on Mulholland Drive? Was it because he had access to radioactive substances? Los Angeles cop Bosch is his typical selfish, driven and coolly effective self as he follows divergent trails. Perhaps because of its original format, "The Overlook" isn't as cohesive and tight as most Bosch outings; still, fans won't want to miss it.
— Michele Ross, Cleveland Plain Dealer
Most fans of TV's 24 confess to having enjoyed the show better straight through via DVD. Now author Michael Connelly's worldwide audience can do the same via a real-time read of his highly anticipated serial. The
sixteen-part tale, featuring LAPD detective Harry Bosch, ran last year in The New York Times Magazine. With The Overlook, Connelly has taken a great serial and made it even better, adding more research
and character development. And let's face it, who wants to wade through 16 weeks of newsprint?At only 225 pages, this lean and mean LA noir is wound tight with adrenalized crime and corrections as only a master can
tell it. It's midnight in the Hollywood hills. Detective Harry Bosch is wide awake, chilling to a classic jazz track. The mood is ruined by the inevitable ring of the phone. A body's been found in the parking lot of
the overlook near Mulholland Drive; two bullets in the back of the head. Harry's close to the scene; he takes the case. Bosch is currently working Homicide Special. Since the events of last year's Echo Park (just out in paperback), faces have changed and cops are wary of the veteran detective. Waiting for his new (and very green) partner to arrive, Harry finds he's outranked by the odd intervention of Homeland Security. Bosch's ex-flame, Rachel Walling of the FBI, is on hand to further complicate the investigation. This is much more than just a simple execution-style murder. Seems the victim, a Dr. Kent, had access to radioactive materials gleaned from several LA hospitals. Now he's dead and the lead-lined goodies might be in the hands of terrorists. Harry, Rachel plus several stone-walled FBI agents and cops begin a frantic nocturnal house-to-house canvas. Dr. Kent's wife is found at home, hogtied and anxious to see her missing hubby. A young man turns up in the courtyard of Madonna's former Hollywood residence. The misinformed fan claims he saw the murder from a distance. As the clock ticks, egos begin to run out of control. Bosch's veteran instincts are being trod upon by Homeland Security. Political swaggering from both the feds and LA's finest threatens to destroy any hope of containing a potential hazard looming over Los Angeles. Can Harry and Rachel put aside their volatile past and work as a team? Will Harry's new partner live through his first case? And is there really a terrorist-driven bomb? With The Overlook,
Michael Connelly delivers the goods in this classic case of misdirection. Bosch is never more alive when he's at his most vulnerable. Tensions flare, sweat breaks out, guns are drawn and fired. It's just another
night in LA. for Detective Harry Bosch.
— JC Patterson, Madison County Herald
Who says Michael Connelly doesn't take risks? His new book, "The Overlook," which hits stores Tuesday, was adapted from a 16-part serial that appeared in The New York Times magazine last year. At
first glance, this might seem like an exercise in vanity — a superb modern crime novelist tapping into previously published material and trying to build on it. Running out of fresh ideas happens to even the best of
writers. And finding out that Connelly's latest work isn't really original is like finding a re-wrapped present under the Christmas tree. But somehow, someway, Connelly pulls it off. "The Overlook" isn't
his best work or nearly as exciting as "Echo Park" and "The Lincoln Lawyer" but it's a taut thriller with punch. It's certainly one of the best crime novels so far this year. So why did Connelly,
a former cops reporter for The News-Journal in the early 1980s, tackle the project? "There were pretty strict guidelines on the NYT story — 16 chapters and each had to be about 3,000 words," he said in a statement. "It was nice to revisit the story and pace it the way I wanted to. The story now is more complex. I didn't change the significant aspects of plot and character . . . but I made the bureaucratic and political obstacles that Harry Bosch faces more complicated." Bosch is the gruff detective for the Los Angeles Police Department who has been the protagonist in 13 of Connelly's novels. He was first introduced in 1992's "The Black Echo" and has been a force to be reckoned with ever since. "The Overlook" takes place about five months after the events of last year's "Echo Park." Bosch has been assigned a new partner, Ignacio Ferras, and he no longer works in the Open-Unsolved Unit of the LAPD. The two quickly find themselves immersed in a case that appears to be an ordinary homicide. But nothing in Connelly's novels is ever ordinary. After all, it is Los Angeles. On an overlook near Mulholland Drive, the body of Dr. Stanley Kent is identified. He was killed in an execution-style shooting. Bosch and Ferras, now working for the city's Homicide Special Squad, are called in late at night to investigate. It begins as a routine homicide investigation, but it quickly goes downhill from there. Kent's beautiful wife is found gagged and bound in the bedroom of the couple's home nearby. She's OK, but there are inconsistencies in her story. The FBI suddenly shows up, including Bosch's former lover, Rachel Walling. Bosch is informed that Kent had access to dangerous radioactive substances from several hospitals in Los Angeles County. The substances, including cesium-137, are used in cancer treatment. Suspecting something sinister, Walling, Bosch and other agents storm a hospital and, to their horror, discover 32 vials of cesium-137 are missing. It's now a national security issue, and the FBI quickly brings in the anti-terrorism cavalry. They are concerned the vials could be used in a radioactive "dirty bomb" attack in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, the plot is starting to sound like an episode of "24," and it goes in that frantic direction — for awhile. Bosch, Walling and Ferras rush throughout the city to try and find clues to stop a potential terrorist attack. But Bosch isn't entirely convinced it's a terrorist threat. Following his own instincts, he clashes with the FBI and his own co-workers, especially Ferras, to solve the case before it becomes a national disaster."This is national security, Harry," says Ferras. "This is different. There's a greater good here. You know, the good of the order." "The good of the order starts with that guy lying dead on the overlook," replies Bosch. "If we forget about him, then we can forget about everything else."
— Mark Davis, Daytona Beach News Journal
"A second mystery novelist whose stories are set in Los Angeles is veteran Michael Connelly, back with another Harry Bosch tale, "The Overlook." The LAPD detective is off the Open-Unsolved Unit and back on
Homicide, catching a live case for a change. Murder, conflict with his bosses and the FBI, cover-ups and a touch of romance blend to make this another winner in the franchise."
— Allen Pierleoni, Sacramento Bee
Like police detective Harry Bosch, the star of 13 of his best-selling novels, writer Michael Connelly is a hard-boiled pro. His novels are remarkable for their authentic detailing of police procedures. His new book, The Overlook,
originally was created as a 16-part serial for the New York Times Magazine. Connelly has expanded and revised it into its present form as a novel about a body found on an overlook near Mulholland Drive in
L.A. Bosch butts heads with the FBI — including onetime lover Rachel Walling — and LAPD brass trying to figure out who killed a scientist. Solving the murder is all in a night's work for Bosch.
— Carol Memmott, USA TODAY
The last entry in Connelly's unstoppable Harry Bosch series, 2006's Echo Park, was perfectly okay. When you're a trusted brand name and your hero is a straightforward, jazz-loving tough, that can
too easily be enough. What a treat, then, to open Bosch's 13th installment, which was serialized in The New York Times Magazine, and smell fresh blood. Bosch is hunting not just a murderer but also some
missing radioactive substances that could paralyze his beloved L.A. Admittedly, it's an easy, early guess as to who the bad guy is, but Bosch gets into some amusingly tense tussles with the feds as his case climbs
up the ranks of national importance.
—Karen Valby, Entertainment Weekly B+
Harry Bosch has been promoted from the LAPD Open Unsolved Unit to the Homicide Special Unit, but this supposedly greener pasture hasn't brought better sleep. His very first case at his new job involves the murder of
a doctor with access to radioactive cesium. The investigation moves to red-alert status when it's discovered that a large quantity of the deadly material disappeared shortly before the killing. With the threat of an
imminent terrorist attack hovering in his head, Bosch must not only track down the killers but also sidestep homeland security turf wars in the process. Thrilling with the deep tinge of reality.
— BarnesandNoble.com Editors Review
"Every time Michael Connelly puts out a new Harry Bosch mystery novel I end up hitting the sack at four or five in the morning because I made the mistake of starting it late in the day. It's enough to almost hate the
guy. The Overlook is a book you want to start first thing in the morning with a pot of coffee already brewed, lunch already made, and the local pizza joint's number on your speed dial on the phone you have to remember to plug back in before you dial for supper. If Michael Connelly had any consideration for his readers he would end a chapter with "This is where Harry Bosch decided to get a good night's sleep to start the investigation refreshed the next day and so should you." ...Connelly is in top form here and this mystery, with its many surprising but warranted twists and turns, will more than please his many fans."
— www.TheMysterySite.com
"It takes place in a twelve-hour period and reads like a half episode of TV's "24." Its pace will suck you in and keep you hooked through to the end. Armchair Interviews Says: This is a quick shot in the
arm for those that need a Harry Bosch fix."
— www.ArmchairInterviews.com
"The Overlook is a slick, fast-paced mystery novel. The reader is quickly drawn in as momentum and excitement build exponentially, taking some very clever and unexpected twists along the way. An unsolved murder is interesting in its own right but there is also the feel of something larger and more malevolent happening to ratchet up the danger level of an almost perfect crime. Michael Connelly is no nonsense and in complete control, using his straightforward, intelligent style to reveal crucial puzzle pieces, the perfect bait, at precisely the right moments. He does this just enough to feed the reader's need and growing desire for more. Using references to familiar news items, Connelly plays on but does not exploit the fears and vulnerabilities born of the Twin Towers and perpetuated by the current political climate. Add this to a tight plot and excellent characters and The
Overlook becomes real. The Overlook is brilliant, seamlessly written, and believable. We are grateful this mystery was released as a novel. It is far too compelling and addictive a read for many die-hard fans to cultivate the patience to endure the wait between each segment of the original New
York Times Magazine serial. Once again, Michael Connelly proves himself to be an excellent writer; the master of his game. If one could die from the obsessive ingestion of mystery novels, he would make it one hell of a way to go.
— J Curran, www.TheMysterySite.com
If this book looks a little smaller than is typical, that is because this is really a novella based on a serial that was run in the New York Times Magazine. I saw Connelly prior to its publication in that venue, and while he said he enjoyed the process, he felt somewhat stifled by the format of a set number of words each week. He prefers his chapters to have more of a natural flow, so this version of the story has had extensive revision from the original serial. It is a Harry Bosch story, and it is excellent. As regular readers of the series know, we last saw Harry in Echo Park,
which ended with some problems for him. In The Overlook, he has a new assignment, a new partner and a second go at FBI agent Rachel Walling.
Bosch is now working the Homicide Special unit of the LAPD, and is basically training his young rookie partner, Ignacio. He prefers to be called Iggy but Harry just can't bring himself to do that. Their assignment is a dead doctor who had access to radioactive materials. The fear of terrorism brings in the FBI and ratchets up the suspense to an almost unbearable point, especially with the twists it takes, making this short novel a very fast, very satisfying read.
— Stacy Alesi, www.BookBitch.com
"Originally written as a sixteen-part serial—then expanded and reworked for publication—The Overlook comes together seamlessly, moving along at a breath-taking pace. Readers will feel the story's urgency—and the pressure that Bosch is under as he races to solve the case. The entire story takes place in around twelve hours—and Connelly wastes no time in telling it. There aren't a lot of extra details in this short, 225-page novel. There's no unnecessary fluff. And though Connelly's writing isn't always perfectly smooth, the suspense-filled story races along at break-neck speeds, flying around unexpected turns and coming to its end with a surprising twist that still manages to make perfect sense. Anyone who's read Connelly's work knows that he's a master of crime fiction. But his latest is so fast-paced and thrilling that you might want to consider having a seatbelt installed in your favorite reading chair before you begin—because you're definitely in for a wild ride.
— Kristin Dreyer Kramer, www.NightsandWeekends.com
"No one needs to sing Michael Connelly's praises. The guy is as solid as his lead detective. Connelly plots the story perfectly and brings it home with all the self-confidence and easy storytelling of a master."
— Sue Burke, www.FreshFiction.com
"The true appeal of the book, however, is following Bosch as he continues to grow older and wiser while retaining his fierce passion for justice. This complex, tortured soul with a long back-story of
failed relationships and rocky work history rivals Loren D. Estleman's Amos Walker and James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux as one of the most compelling and fully realized heroes of modern crime fiction."
— Bruce DeSilva, Associated Press
"The Overlook has fewer of the contemplative departures in which Bosch considers his history or relationships — the sort of passages that make previous books like long, multidimensional jazz improvisations. This one is an intense riff, and that's satisfying, too."
— Nancy Gilson, Columbus Dispatch
"A former crime reporter, Connelly clearly knows his way around the inside of a police department. His stories smack of authenticity. And, as always, his writing and pacing are top-notch. "The
Overlook" was originally written as a 16-part serial published weekly in the New York Times Magazine. But Connelly has reworked it so that you can't tell. It's a great -- and timely! -- read."
— Curt Schleier, Minneapolis Star-Tribune
"The Overlook originally appeared as a 16-part serial in the New York Times Magazine, although that version was fleshed out considerably for the novel. A former reporter for the Los Angeles Times,
Connelly has lived in Tampa for several years but still nails his Southern California setting in all its strange richness. Connelly's books are always compellingly suspenseful, but this one runs in overdrive, with
little time for Bosch's usual reflections on the past. The whole book takes place in barely half a day and bristles with ripped-from-the-headlines touches, from the frantic reactions of government agencies
suspicious of terrorism to one suspect who sounds a lot like Sami Al-Arian. There is a sense of Bosch looking toward the future, in his own curmudgeonly way, in his interactions with his new young partner, Iggy
Ferras, even though they see the world very differently: "Under the glass top of his desk Ferras had a collage of photos of his bride. Under the glass on his side of the workstation Bosch had photos of murder
victims whose killers he was still looking for." Bosch may be bearing down on 60, but he's still in the hunt. Although there's an ominous note to The Overlook's ending, with its questions about radiation exposure and its echo of Chandler's The Big Sleep, the energy and skill Connelly continues to bring to this series will leave readers eager for Bosch's next case."
— Colette Bancroft, St. Petersburg Times
"The Overlook" thus makes for a current-events opportunity for any reader searching for a new favorite fictional character to follow. If you like this one - and it would be surprising if you
didn't - it wouldn't hurt to start at the beginning, with a younger and more nimble yet no less ornery Bosch, in "The Black Echo."
— George Meyer, Tampa Tribune
"Our Tip of the Ice Pick Award goes yet again to veteran crime novelist Michael Connelly for his 13th Harry Bosch novel, The Overlook. ...Let me just say that this is perhaps the sparest, most riveting and
most plot-driven Bosch novel to date. Adapted from a 16-part serial in the New York Times magazine, The Overlook has been considerably reworked for book publication—now richer and more complex, it is well worth reading even if you read it in the original form."
— Bruce Tierney, BookPage
The Overlook made the following "Best Of 2007" Lists
Amazon.com's Best of 2007 Lists
# 2 Customers' Favorite Mystery/Thrillers
(Ranked according to customer orders through October.
Only books published for the first time in 2007 are eligible.)
# 32 on Customers' Top 100 Books
(Ranked according to customer orders through October. Only books published for the first time in 2007 are
eligible.
The Seattle Times, Best Crime Fiction 2007
Chicago Tribunes Favorite Books of 2007, Thrillers
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