Michael Connelly's new book, THE NARROWS, will be released on May 3 in the USA and Canada and on May 10th in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. But review copies are making the rounds and people are already talking about the book. So, this is the place to come and discuss this book in its entirety--spoilers and all. Please do not discuss it at length anywhere else on this board or you might spoil it for other readers.

By Anthony on Monday, April 05, 2004 - 05:52 pm:

Like a few other places, I shall make the first visitor message. :-)

Does anyone know someone who has read a review copy of the book? If so, do you know what they think of it? I just want to get a good idea of how good it will be when I finally get it in the first week of May.

By plabadie on Tuesday, April 06, 2004 - 11:11 am:

I'm expecting my copy of "The Narrows" from Dennis McMillan Publishing within two days. I ordered some collectible copies from him. I'll give you my perspective after I've read it, which will be within 24 hours of receiving it.

By Mel White on Tuesday, April 06, 2004 - 11:25 am:

I read a review by Harriet Klausner. She liked it and gave it 10 out of 10. But she also revealed something about the story that really took me by surprise. It seems like a spoiler so I won't repeat it here. I am just warning you before you go searching for reviews.

By Jane Davis on Thursday, April 08, 2004 - 11:59 am:

Two reviews are in so far:

"There's a gravitas to the mystery/thrillers of Michael Connelly, a bedrock commitment to the value of human life and the need for law enforcement pros to defend that value, that sets his work apart and above that of many of his contemporaries. That gravitas is in full force in Connelly's newest, and as nearly always in the work of this talented writer, it supports a dynamite plot, fully flowered characters and a meticulous attention to the details of investigative procedure. ...The suspense is steady throughout but, until a breathtaking climactic chase, arises more from Bosch and Walling's patient and inspired following of clues and dealing with bureaucratic obstacles than from slash-and-dash: an unusually intelligent approach to generating thrills. Connelly is a master and this novel is yet another of his masterpieces."
— Publishers Weekly (Starred, Boxed Review)

"Harry Bosch is at his best in this thriller as he balances fatherhood, love and a debt to a deceased friend while trying to outwit a brilliant killing machine."
— Harriet Klausner, AllReaders.com

By Anonymous on Thursday, April 08, 2004 - 01:13 pm:

Publishers Weekly doesn't give out very many starred, boxed reviews. It sounds like Connelly has hit another grand slam with The Narrows, which is no surprise to those of us who have been reading his books for years.

By Anonymous on Sunday, April 11, 2004 - 10:54 am:

I just read THE NARROWS and loved it!! (I work for a publishing house, that is how I got the book early) My only question is where is Cassie Black mentioned in the book? I did not come across her name. Wasn't she supposed to be mentioned?

By Kathy Fite on Sunday, April 11, 2004 - 12:04 pm:

Michael: Well, I just found out the answer to my question regarding Cassie Black. I figured out that she is Jane Davis, Harry's neighbor in his motel/apartment.

I like how you use your family and friends names in your books. If I'm not mistaken, hasn't Jane Davis been used for two different characters?

By victoriaholguin on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 - 08:58 pm:

Hey there Mr. Connelly:

I won't spoil the book, but more so the DVD. I live in L.A. and had no idea you were at a ceremony with Chief Bratton. That was so cool, especially when the Chief invited the famous Detective back! I have to admit that Harry became real to me at that moment, and not just a fictional character. How did you feel about that? Is Chief Bratton a fan of Bosch?

Great DVD! Made me start reading the books all over again and recreating the visuals as they were read by W. Petersen and filmed.

See you in Pasadena at Vromans!! Put a Native American character in one of your books sometime.

Victoria Holguin

By Preston on Monday, April 19, 2004 - 08:29 am:

I just finished reading my copy of THE NARROWS that I bought from McMillan Publishing. The book is an excellent, collectable version of THE NARROWS. I highly recommend it to those who can afford a copy.

THE NARROWS is an excellent book. The Poet is back, but Harry is better. It is a great read, and an excellent ride. IMHO, it is Michael Connelly's best work yet. The book answers a lot of questions, but provokes many more.

By Anthony on Monday, April 19, 2004 - 10:06 am:

The reviews of it here seem pretty good. I still have yet to reserve my copy, but I'll be happy to finally pick one up later on.

By Judy B on Thursday, April 29, 2004 - 02:40 pm:

Oh happy day!...Barnes & Noble mailed me my copy early so I'm already done with it and it was very good, as usual. I'd like to make a prediction that within the next couple of books that Madddie (with or without Eleanor) will be coming to live with Harry.
Excuse me now, I'm going to reread it and get to pickup what I missed the first time.

By Anonymous on Thursday, April 29, 2004 - 03:33 pm:

Judy B--Did you get the DVD too? If so, how was it?

By Judy B on Friday, April 30, 2004 - 02:04 pm:

To Anonymous...I haven't watched the DVD yet. Expect to this weekend. I didn't have a DVD player but have bought one. It's sitting on the table waiting for my grandson to set it up. Will let you know when I watch it.

By Borashi on Sunday, May 02, 2004 - 09:47 am:

Blue Neon Light DVD was spectular, gave a rich history of special places that Connelly wrote about in his books and also gave special insights about some of his writing techniques, how he came up with the plot for his first story the Black Echo.

I just finished reading the narrows in under 2 days! I definitely liked this book a lot more than Lost Light, I think tying up the loose end with the Poet was brilliant. Also Harrys decision to join the force again is a great choice. I just felt that in Lost Light when Bosch was a private investigator that there was something missing, the politics of the department wasn't there, Edgar and Kiz weren't really along for the ride, and the feeling wasn't there like his previous novels, Lost Light was a turning point in Boschs life, but The Narrows is a great step towards Harrys redemption back onto the force. I'd rate the Narrows definitely 10/10 as it had a great plot, characters, and story behind the novel. Its a first rate novel by one of the most talented fiction writers in the game. Definitely don't miss one of this years best.

By Judy B on Sunday, May 02, 2004 - 03:23 pm:

I finally got to watch the DVD and it was very good. There was scenes of places that are mentioned many times in the books. ie: Harrys street, the view from his house, Hollywood Blvd. If you can get the book with the DVD it is well worth the search. I know anyone who sees the DVD will enjoy it.

By Gretchen Passantino on Tuesday, May 04, 2004 - 02:21 am:

Wrecked my work day for tomorrow by staying up to read The Narrows all in one sitting. Well worth the sacrifice. I can't begin to enumerate the excellent qualities of this book. I have followed Connelly and Harry since the first book many years ago (only in paperback, never a hard cover, in those days), and both simply get better and better book by book. I am so glad Connelly takes chances and stretches his characters -- especially Harry -- from book to book, but never stretched beyond the potential of the soul inside. In that stretching, he also stretches us readers. I couldn't imagine Harry no longer LAPD -- and then it was so right, and now it's so right that he's going back. And how could I imagine Cielo Azul growing up without her father, but I know now she will. And Harry with a daughter? And yet, now, what this exemplifies about Harry's never-wavering belief in starting over, a new day, a baptism, a second chance, a new life -- an innocent daughter in his own marred image. Thank you, Mr. Connelly, for never compromising your standard of excellence, for remaining faithful to your mission.

By Jane Davis on Tuesday, May 04, 2004 - 09:52 am:

Join The BarnesandNoble.com Online Book Group Discussion Of The Narrows. Michael will be taking part in this group discussion. It takes place in a Message Board environment--no live chats. Discussion begins in June 7th. Sign up now at BN.com.
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/bookclubs/RG_cds2.asp?PID=5874

By limeyf on Tuesday, May 04, 2004 - 01:41 pm:

Wow, what a great opening,and what a great Terry McCaleb story, The best yet about him.

By Anonymous on Tuesday, May 04, 2004 - 06:48 pm:

I just finshed the book. It was great. I can't wait for another. What will Harry be up to next. I'm glad he went back to the job. He needed to go back. Thankyou Michael for such a wonderful book I read it in one day with two young chidren to look after. I guess they were on their own while I was reading LOL. I Love your work Please keep writing. Thankyou for such a wonderful peice of mystery. I can't wait for another!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By breilly on Wednesday, May 05, 2004 - 06:50 am:

THE NARROWS was amazing. It definitely answered my question about the possibility of another Terry McCaleb book coming down the pipeline. I had the chance to Meet MC and get my book signed in Boston and he's a really nice guy. The Q&A session was great and really shed some light on his methods, intentions and why he chose to revisit the Poet. To be honest, I never expected the reason to be the one he offered. Anyway, he said he's already working on the next Bosch book and I can't wait for it. I am very curious to see if Irving pops up and if so what nasty little things he has in store for LAPD (as is alluded to in The Narrows). I also can't wait to see if Harry choses the new Cold Case Division in the next book or goes back to Hollywood Homicide. And I thought that was pretty interesting how MC snuck the name Jane Davis in there for his neighbor. Kudos.

By Anthony on Wednesday, May 05, 2004 - 12:13 pm:

Quick note: Jane Davis is the web site manager, but also the alias for Cassie Black from Void Moon. When Connelly says that there's a reference to Cassie Black somewhere if you look carefully, I think this is what he's talking about.

I finished reading this book in two days, and I must say. This is probably the best Connelly novel yet, although all his books are great from the first one. I really like how so many characters return, from Terry McCaleb's death to Maddie to Rachel Walling. It was also nice to see Bosch deciding to come back to the LAPD. I won't repeat anything else mentioned here already, except...

Read this book, or else you'll miss one of the best books ever written.

By Anonymous on Wednesday, May 05, 2004 - 08:20 pm:

I'm one of the people who buy Michael's books the first day they are available and I have thought all of them excellent. Having said that (and knowing in advance I will be trashed by others), I did not like the first third of The Narrows. The too many references to Blood Work, the movie, Clint Eastwood, etc., were off-putting and . . . what was the point?

The rest of the book was prime Connelly, however, and I was happy for that!

By connie on Thursday, May 06, 2004 - 10:47 am:

I disagree with the above posting, I thought the discussion between Harry and Buddy were very real. I think if a movie was made based on a friend's experience that you would naturally talk about it with some one who had known and worked with him. Anyway, I thought it added to the story. I also like the way MC refers to current events, like the Laci Peterson case. Makes the people seem more real to me. Anyway so far I really like the book, I have read about half and hope to finish it this week end. Already looking forward to the next "Harry" book.

By Anonymous on Thursday, May 06, 2004 - 12:04 pm:

I agree with Connie. I think bringing in real life stories, like the Blood Work movie, Robert Blake and Laci Peterson and Ted Bundy, all worked to make this story even more effective. It is as if this is all happening in the real world that we all live in. A real life story in a fictional world.

By Mel T on Thursday, May 06, 2004 - 01:07 pm:

Okay, I just finished it. I now need to decompress. I feel like I have been living it for the last two days. What an outstanding book. It wraps up many characters and yet leads to a potential new future for Harry, Rachel, Eleanor and Maddie. I love the idea of Harry and Kizmin together again. I loved the relationships in this book: Harry with Buddy, Harry with Rachel, Harry with Maddie. What a great book!

By jason keith on Friday, May 07, 2004 - 02:20 am:

Just finished the book it was awesome. As a response to the comments about the Blood Work references, it had to be done. Harry commented on the movie/book being made to his partner in Angel's Flight. I don't think Buddy could have been in the novel (and the whole McCaleb storyline for that matter) without referencing it. I guess Connelly could have made up stuff about the fictional movie, but why not use the real characters. My only regret is that the movie was so bad.

As for Cassie Black, it took me a day or so after reading the book to make the Jane Davis connection. I think I read it too quick to catch all the details.

My only question is, are Harry's stories going to return to the 3rd person now that he is back on the force? I didn't like lost light due to the first person, but I thought it was better in this one. Switching back and forth from first to third was a little akward at times, but he pulled it off.

By Auskar on Saturday, May 08, 2004 - 01:19 am:

I bought it. I finished it. I liked it. Haven't viewed the DVD yet, but since I live in the county just to the south, I think it will be pretty interesting.

Actually, I like Harry better in his retirement than in the early books. He isn't so angry all the time, but more emotional in different ways. I also prefer it when the books don't constantly present management as stupid and such, but leave it in the background (like we know it is there but don't need to be hit over the head with it constantly).

I like that McCaleb got killed off. It was an interesting opening twist for Blood Work, but I couldn't identify with the character.

I was kind of worried that Harry would end up happily every after with Eleanor and Maddie and the books would be done. I'm kind of glad that Harry has his Alafair.

Poor Harry. Sometimes on the verge of happiness, but never quite there.

By Jonathane on Saturday, May 08, 2004 - 09:02 am:

Some musings on the book:

Bringing The Poet, Bloodwork and Harry Bosch altogether in one book must have been a massive undertaking. The skipping between first and third person took a little getting used to, however I liked the first person of Harry Bosch the best.

Got a kick out of the mentioning of "The Tin Collectors" by Stephen Cannell (yes the producer) and his Shane Scully series.

I really like the idea of Harry going back to the LAPD. I really was taken back in the book where he was supposed to go to Robbery/Homicide and ended up quitting instead. Thought for sure he would go back and then after Lost Light was sure that he never would.

Being a police officer, I sometimes laugh at how authors protray the work of police officers; however, I did have some problems with the story. I would have a difficult time believing that a FBI agent with as much training as Rachel Walling would still enter the Backus trailer even after being ordered not to by her supervisor. The fact that the trailer blew up almost killing her would be a very-very difficult screw up to ignore and insubordination like disobeying a direct order is terms for being fired. So any thought of pulling the bait stunt and going to OPR would really look like a disgruntaled employee thing. She really should have been fired for that stunt.

Rachel and Harry confronting Backus in the house was another dumb tactical move both should have known better about. The old saying, "there are old pilots and there are bold pilots, however there are no old bold pilots" also is true in law enforcement. Again, I would think Rachel would have a lot of explaining to do as for why she did not call for back up.

For once I would like to see Harry in a relationship. If I remember correctly, I think his time with Julia Brasher was the closest we have seen to an actual relationship and we know how that one ended. With the way Rachel walked out of Harry's door, I am guessing we are not going to be seeing much more of her.

The one thing I was really confused about was Harry's putting Terry's suicide togeather at the end. That whole thing seems kind of a stretch, espeically since it was Harry's ticket into the whole thing. Harry does a great job of laying out his case, however I really do not understand how the author makes the leap that they know Terry committed sucide. Sure they had worked with Terry before, however they also worked with Backus and came away from that encounter not the smartest sounding people. Harry had a lot more information than Rachel did about Terry and I think it is a stretch to think she could have made that determination long before Harry did.

Overal, I really enjoyed the book and look forward to the next one.

By Jack Evans on Saturday, May 08, 2004 - 11:29 am:

I really loved The Narrows. I found it very interesting how Harry did his thing despite the FBI's efforts to "do it their way". It was good to see Buddy and Rachel and Kiz back in Harry's life, and I like the idea that he will return to the LAPD.

However, I have to agree with Jonathane's remark concerning the final plot twist. I too have to wonder why Terry's death had to turn out to be a suicide. I question how Rachel (or the FBI) would have come to that conclusion before Harry did? I also wonder why Bachus didn't finish McCaleb off (he apparently had the opportunity, means and motivation). I guess we'll never know. But I can't see how the suicide angle added anything other than confusion to an otherwise great story line. I suppose we'll just have to accept MC's decision in this matter.

I must also comment on Blue Neon Night. I found it absolutely fascinating, and a MUST for all of Michael's readers. From the haunting saxophone sound of "Lullaby" to the L.A. scenes so vividly described in the books, this DVD captivated me for the full 56 minutes. To actually see those cantilevered houses, the Angels Flight railway, Mulholland Drive and so many other places in Harry's world gave me goosebumps. If you haven't already viewed this fascinating DVD, please make sure that you do! And don't miss LAPD Chief Bratton's tribute to Michael and Harry at the end of the film. He needs you, Harry!

By Anonymous on Saturday, May 08, 2004 - 11:43 am:

Johnathane,
You've got a good road ahead catching up with Harry Bosch's life. Enjoy and it is best to take them in order. I definately would not read The Last Coyote before first reading the preceeding books.
The Black Echo
The Black Ice
The Concrete Blonde
The Last Coyote (my all time favorite) The Poet (Rachel W)
Trunk Music Blood Work (Terry McCaleb)
Angels Flight
A Darkness More Than Night
City of Bones
Lost Light (second favorite---MC, what will you come up with next for HB and his loves)
Harry's longest relationship is either Ellenor Wish his wife or Silvia Moore. Forgive me if I misspell the names as I buy the audio books and listen to them to or from work.
I'm sure you are right with the idea that backup should have been called but the life of the book seller/ex-homicide cop and friend of Harry's did call for direct action. Tell that to the brass, right!
Anyway, an author presents his characters actions and you buy into the story line what you will. Michael Connelly's writing has hooked me where Cannell, Kellerman, Turrow, etc. just fill in some time till the next MC novel. Grisham comes closest (loved The Runaway Jury and King Of Torts).
Rachel Walling's actions in the trailer made me think of Ahab in Moby Dick and I could not help but wonder if Backup would get her in the end.
I agree completely with your acessment of why Harry 'knew' Terry McCaleb had killed himself. What about the pictures Bacus had sent him, didn't they mean Terry was in his sites, not just an intrusion or whatever? Need to write down Harry's timeline to follow his events in order sequence. Anyway, I can see Harry posibly making a mistake there with his belief that 'there are no coincedences'. A flaw in character? Love our character's flaws/beliefs. Harry Bosch is the best in his first person of putting life in perspective and I can't help but buy into his beliefs even if they do lead to his ultimate distruction some day...'There is no end to things of the heart'..as MC wrote.
TerryB

By Anonymous on Sunday, May 09, 2004 - 12:57 pm:

Okay, here is my take on the ending about Terry. I think while Terry was investigating the deaths in Vegas and the guy who came on his boat, he found out that his heart was failing. And he didn't want to put his family through the ringer so he ended things quickly himself. Remember on Terry's file about the Poet was the name William Bing and a Las Vegas phone number. Harry called the number and reached a hospital. He assumed that Terry was trying to reach a doctor or a patient there and wondered why it was written on the Poet file. Later, when the FBI got the file, they asked Rachel to look into the William Bing thing. She reports back that William Bing was a heart transplant patient at the hospital. The FBI made the assumption that he was a friend of Terry's. She let that assumption stand. What is not reported in the book is her actual research of William Bing. So we are suppose to figure out that she checked into it and discovered that William Bing was actually Terry and that his heart was failing. She must have realized that the Poet would not have messed with his pills--that was not his style. She puts two and two together but doesn't say anything to anyone in an attempt to save Terry's family from finding out. Backus did become aware of Terry and did have him in his sites but he admitted to Bosch that he hadn't had time to finish him off yet. Then when Harry sees that Terry's daughter's favorite book is with William Bing, and he recalls what the Poet said about Terry and how Rachel tried to quiet him down about it, and looks at the method of how Terry died, he figures things out and figure out that she knew all along.

By Anonymous on Sunday, May 09, 2004 - 02:49 pm:

Good explanation, Anon. I just finished the book minutes ago, and I enjoyed it. It's not MC's best book by any stretch, but it's somewhere in the middle. I agree with the earlier post that all the references to the movie and Eastwood added nothing to the book. Thomas Harris's Lector series and the movies have diverged substantially, and neither has any obligation to reference the other. To me, this was a constant annoyance.

I got the impression in Chasing the Dime that MC had Hollywood very much in mind when he wrote it, with some cliches that really only make sense when you're watching a screenplay. I get the same impression with The Narrows, as if MC is strongly hoping for a movie deal and wants to give Hollywood an "out" for the sub-par Blood Work movie. I imagine the money from selling Blood Work was pretty fat, so I really can't blame him for seeking another movie deal if that's what he wants, but the new book would have been just fine without acknowledging the movie.

The DVD was informative, especially with views of Harry's neighborhood, etc., but the music got very repetitive. You end up hearing Lullabye a dozen times or so throughout the thing, and I got very sick of hearing that song. Which is too bad, cuz it's a good tune. It really didn't strike me as a "pro" production, either--some of the camera work seems like it was shot in a hurry, with poor lighting. But, hey, it was free.

By Charlotte on Sunday, May 09, 2004 - 04:31 pm:

I just finished The Narrows and I loved it. I don't want to say too much to spoil it, even though this is the place where I could. I do want to say that I'm glad Harry went back to the job. Now, all I want to know is when is the next book due out? Just kidding. Still it can't be too soon.

By Anonymous on Sunday, May 09, 2004 - 09:46 pm:

I forgot to mention that two years ago during his City of Bones tour, MC split some of his appearances with another author, Jonathan King. King's book was The Blue Edge of Midnight, which MC recommended. In this book the bad guy uses GPS units to tell the cops where his victims can be found. When I saw the same concept in The Narrows, I felt like I was reading a secondhand idea.

King's book was just OK, nothing special. Seems like his website is down, too.

By Lisa on Monday, May 10, 2004 - 11:10 am:

Just finished reading The Narrows last night. AWESOME!!! I didn't know how I would like the pairing of Bosch and Rachel Walling, but it worked well. Am I the only one who wanted to see Jack McEvoy again??? I was hoping he would turn up somewhere in the book! I thought it was brilliant how MC brought together all the different elements from his other books and incorporated the characters so seemlessly. I still haven't watched the DVD, but plan to soon!

By Kevin A. on Monday, May 10, 2004 - 05:01 pm:

I had a lousy day yesterday: sleep-deprivation due to having stayed up too late the night before in order to finish THE NARROWS. But it was worth it!

As for Jack McEvoy: He does, indeed, show up in THE NARROWS. He is the "sultan" in the maroon turban that Bosch and Jane Davis spot getting off the black jet.

It's a long story...

By Anthony on Tuesday, May 11, 2004 - 09:27 am:

Jack McEvoy is that sultan? OK. This is something I didn't notice. Can you explain?

By Lisa on Tuesday, May 11, 2004 - 11:13 am:

Kevin:

Let's hear the "long story" How do you know that is Jack?

By Anonymous on Tuesday, May 11, 2004 - 01:49 pm:

Anon,
Very good, you explained it right. I had not put it together when I was listening to the CD of the book and it makes sence now how Harry puts it together. I see where Rachel Walling did identify William Bing as Terry McCaleb. Either that or she hadn't put it together and when Harry confronted her with it, she was upstaged.
As for MC writing the book to get a Hollywood deal, I saw it more as a slap at them putting Buddy Lockridge so prominent in the story line. Here Hollywood, try to do a screanplay with one of the main characters someone you killed off earlier in Blood Work. You should not have changed my story! Anyway, I always liked Buddy and thought it was a big mistake what Hollywood did to his character in the movie. Now there are three books with Buddy in them. And in a way, Buddy is all of us fans wanting to be a part of the story. Now MC, tell me that didn't cross your mind?
The Blue Neon Night DVD was very good and it's nice to hear MC explaining his writing and the places his stories are set in. Also, great to hear he has more stories about LA to tell.

By Jeff on Tuesday, May 11, 2004 - 04:01 pm:

Just finished Narrows. Loved every bit of it particularly the last sentence "...build a future"

Kevin A: I too would like to know how Jack is the "sultan."

Also what was with the Monte Carlo boxes in Jane's trunk?

By Me on Tuesday, May 11, 2004 - 04:45 pm:

Hey guys, I think Kevin is joking.

By Judy B on Tuesday, May 11, 2004 - 08:34 pm:

So Anonymous didn't think the DVD was professional? It was true to life as if Harry was showing us around LA. It felt like we were being given a personal tour. This gave us a chance to see Harry's LA and not some travelog. What more could you want?

By Anonymous on Wednesday, May 12, 2004 - 08:10 am:

Just finished The Narrows. I paced myself so I could enjoy it for at least four days. I thought the references to Blood Work the movie, Clint Eastwood and other current events only added to the book. I wondered how Rachel was going to get away with entering the trailer and destroying evidence--such a truly unprofessional move. The two of them entering the Turrentine house alone again heigtened the suspense, but seemed unlikely considering their combined professional experience. I had to go over the McCaleb suicide scenario three times before I could even understand it. I'd rather have believed that it was part of the Poet's work than done by McCaleb himself. He was already on the "dole" since he was on Medicaid and how would it have affected his pension or retirement if he had simply lived his life out? Having said that, I thought the book was excellent. I feel as though Harry is a personal friend after reading all the HB books and I 'm glad he's going back to the LAPD.

By Jilly Howe on Wednesday, May 12, 2004 - 01:00 pm:

Just finished The Narrows and thought it was great. The only problem is that everyone seemed "mean" somehow. Harry treated poor Buddy like dirt. Those FBI people were awful...Rachael not much better....Eleanor was on the rag as usual. Too bad things can't lighten up alittle for Harry B.

By Anonymous on Wednesday, May 12, 2004 - 09:28 pm:

JudyB, the only thing you mentioned in your post was the content of the DVD, and I was talking about the production quality. In some cases when MC spoke on camera, it looked like they'd simply started impromptu filming with a camcorder--the lighting was poor, and background noises obscured MC's words sometimes. Rather than being a deliberate stylistic aspect, it seemed like it was just hastily put together with a "close enough" attitude. The content was fine, I just didn't care for the audio and video aspects of it. That and hearing Lullabye twelve times in a row. But like I said, it was free, so it's not like I feel ripped off or anything.

By Peter Van Skyler on Thursday, May 13, 2004 - 03:45 am:

Good book, it kept me from doing my work for a day. The final exchange with Rachel is too abrupt, though: I think MC needed to unpack the scene a little. It's bizarre when Bosch surmises that he won't be seeing her again, when what she did wasn't so terrible. (And Bosch should appreciate her loyalty to McCaleb.) But I can understand why MC doesn't want to fall into the cozy domesticity thing that has taken the edge off Lawrence Block's Matt Scudder, among other gumshoes...

The shark cartilage thing is a bit clunky, isn't it, especially for a character like McCaleb, who lived in a world where people always check the contents of pill bottles. But I agree that the references to the tepid Eastwood picture were great: MC slyly makes fun of Brian Helgeland turning Buddy into a "creep" while exploiting our memory of Jeff Daniels' performance. There's even a suggestion that Buddy might be a creep, after all.

MC is great at maintaining a kind of dread--an awareness of some higher evil--that often dissipates when you get to the wrap-up. The Narrows is better on that score--maybe because the narrows themselves (and the L.A. river) offer such a potent metaphor for the climax and aftermath.

By DorieAnn on Thursday, May 13, 2004 - 06:16 pm:

Finished the book today and I loved it. Jilly, your comment about Eleanor had me LOL. She's bugged me since she and Harry first got married.

I too suspected MC might be setting Buddy up to have killed Terry, but was happy when that wasn't the case. I felt really bad for Buddy, always wanting to help both Terry and Harry but always given the brush-off. He's a very sympathetic character.

I loved the scenes with Harry and his daughter, they were so poignant. I'm glad Harry that he has her in his life.

And hurray! Harry's heading back to the force! How happy am I? I was talking to a friend right before I started reading the book, saying I hope that it would be better than 'Lost Light' because I really didn't like Harry as a private eye -- he's a cop, darn it. And now he's going back! Can't wait to see what Irving is up to. The dynamic of his relationship with Harry is fascinating to me.

By CFioren317 on Friday, May 14, 2004 - 09:10 am:

I finished the book yesterday and while it was very good, it wasn't really the usual "WOW" I expect from a Bosch story.

I think it is rediculous that Rachel would sleep with Harry, because she is supposed to be a professional and she really appears to be a slut. It was bad enough she started sleeping with Jack in The Poet, but at least there, it appeared they liked each other and it was a relationship. Here, MC called it "gladiator love", which is just an excuse to have 2 people have sex, in my opinion. Of course, she was also married to the FBI Agent Gordon in the Poet, so maybe MC is just keeping up with one of her personal faults, which is to have sex with the men with whom she works. If this is the case, then OK, I guess. But it devalued her in my eyes.

Another thing that annoys me is Harry's attitude regarding the whole Maddy/Eleanor thing. There was a clear point in the book where she says he is welcome there, but he CHOOSES not to be there with them. To me, this makes him selfish. He could live there and be the nanny instead of the live-in she currently has. But poopsey doesn't like Vegas or Eleanor's poker playing so he leaves his kid there. BS. Butch-up Harry. Suck it up for the sake of your daughter and live there with them. If Eleanor didn't want him there and hated him, then I could see him not staying. But some of the things she says makes it clear he could stay if he wanted. Sometimes, Harry, you need to put the life of your daughter ahead of finding killers in LA. Again, just my opinion.

I liked how MC brought in Cassie from Void Moon, as Jane the balcony neighbor. It was disappointing to see someone as intuitive as Harry make the mistake of prying too much and pushing her away. I think the shoe boxes may have been a reference to how her old boss told her how to always be prepared to leave where you are in 5 minutes. No attachments and little personal belongings.

Buddy was a goof in Blood Work, both the movie and book. And he was a bigger goof here. Interesting how MC says he has a pocket full of red $5 chips in his pocket, meaning he won alot at a BJ table. Of course, he would need a big pocket to have won more than a couple hundred in red chips, and wouldn't the BJ dealer or pit boss have requested a color-up for those chips. Assuming they did and Buddy declined, that makes him an even bigger goofball.

By Dena Bishop on Friday, May 14, 2004 - 04:43 pm:

I thing the reason Harry does not move in with Eleanor is they cannot stop fighting. I think Eleanor does hate Harry. And maybe the other way around. Staying in a relation ship with the way they treat each other, just for the kid, can be even worse than living seperatly. Kids pick up on the bitterness and stress alot more that most adults think. I am sure Harry wants to minimize this, and living in L.A. (far away, but not to far for frequent visits) brings a certin reduction on the emotional upheavel.

By Anonymous on Friday, May 14, 2004 - 06:01 pm:

Wow, I saw the review that Stephen King gave The Narrows in his Entertainment Weekly column today. He is quite the fan. That is a pretty amazing review. Congrats MC!

By Mike Leahy on Saturday, May 15, 2004 - 03:21 pm:

Just finished the Narrows. Great book !

I was disappointed to see that MC had Terry McCaleb die in this one. I liked having Terry and Harry work together.

Glad to see Harry is headed back to the LAPD.

Not disappointed at all about the Eleanor/Harry conflict... seems that MC wants to always leave Harry the option of some romantic encounter in each new book -- either a reconciliation with Eleanor OR a Rachel Walling connection.... Long term, Rachel may be a better match for Harry....she is still in the hunt for bad guys and has not been disgraced professionally to the degree that Eleanor has. Eleanor may still harbor some resentment that Harry can still go after the bad guys, while she is forced to just make a living like the rest of us !

I think Harry's heart will only ever be fully captured by his daughter Maddy.... Let's see -- in 17 years when she graduates from college she'll end up...... on the LAPD ????

By pgd_melb on Saturday, May 15, 2004 - 08:23 pm:

Great book, as usual. Left me with the customary post-Connelly tristesse when I finished it. At least I can re-read all the salient books which preceded this one. Hope I can get a copy of the DVD, but living in Australia might make it difficult.

I drove from LA to Vegas a couple of times in the last 3 or 4 years. I always wondered about that Zzyzx Rd. Now I know - because it never seemed to lead anywhere significant.

I too was conflicted about the changes from 3rd person to 1st person. I remember ridiculing James Patterson because it takes great skill to make it work. MC achieved it miles better than JP. Not surprising really.

By nancyk on Sunday, May 16, 2004 - 05:05 am:

Thank you Jane for the DVD. Watched it last night and then finished the book.Enjoyed seeing MC 's and Harry's surroundings.As with all of Mc's books, I need to read it a second time to pick up all the details. The first reading is always just for the stories. Later.

By 6 on Sunday, May 16, 2004 - 05:50 am:

I just finished reading the Narrows, and found it to be pretty gripping. I liked how MC seamlessly blended *actual* fact and fiction together so well, where the reader didn't know where fact left off and fiction took over.

There really was a "Bloodwork" movie, and it really did star "Clint Eastwood," and to mix references to the movie in with the story line made it all the more believable, and I might add, fun to read.

I'm sure I'll have more to say about the book, after I've had some time to digest it.

By Anonymous on Sunday, May 16, 2004 - 06:47 pm:

Just finished reading "The Narrows". I thought the first 3/4's of the book was sensational and I have to say I found the final 1/4 to be rushed, and disappointing. I felt that the climactic seen where Backus dies in the narrows was weak, considering all of the build up to this climax over the course of two books. I also felt that there were way too many loose ends at the end. Maybe, I missed something, but who was the corpse in the trailer identified as??
What about Robert Finder?? Was he Backus after more plastic surgery?? Loose ends.

By Anonymous on Tuesday, May 18, 2004 - 10:55 am:

I wonder if it was MC's intention for the McCaleb story to end prior to the release of "Blood Work" the movie. I also wonder if MC thought that McCaleb's character had been destroyed by Clint Eastwood's interpretation and subsequent butchering of the book. Therefore he chose to take McCaleb out on his own terms.

By Anonymous on Tuesday, May 18, 2004 - 06:52 pm:

I like Michael Connelly and I like his writing but I thought the Narrows was not as good as some of his other books. I guess I prefer my characters one at a time: I am obviously in the minority here.

By marvin on Wednesday, May 19, 2004 - 08:06 am:

Have just finished 'The Narrows'. Why did Terry have to die? Bloodwork is my favourite book and I was looking forward to another. Maybe he didn't want Clint Eastwood making another movie. Maybe Buddy would have killed Bosch in the next one.

By Misty on Wednesday, May 19, 2004 - 10:25 am:

Just finished reading The Narrows, couldn't put it down, but I haven't looked at the DVD yet. I liked the way Harry found the Poet---this former FBI mastermind was hunted down for something he didn't do, kill Terry---is it poetic justice?

Rachel thought the dead guy in the trailer was a passenger on the plane with her when she flew out to Vegas...I was actually hoping it would be Alpert.

By Anonymous on Thursday, May 20, 2004 - 07:04 am:

Misty, Who is Albert? Someone also memtioned the name Robert Finder, I do not recall either of those names, maybe I need to re read The Narrows.
Willsomeone fill me in?

By Anthony on Thursday, May 20, 2004 - 07:21 am:

I think Alpert is one of Rachel's supervisors.

By Misty on Thursday, May 20, 2004 - 07:30 am:

Albert is the FBI agent in charge who gave Rachel a hard time and at the end was sending her back to the boonies until she let him have it over having her followed, putting a GPS on her vehicle, and tapping her phones. He would have then been the one under investigation. There was one thing that bothered me that neither Harry nor Rachel picked up on the fact they had so many people following them.

By help on Thursday, May 20, 2004 - 09:24 am:

Robert Finder is the name that Backus used when he went fishing with Terry McCaleb.

By morehelp on Thursday, May 20, 2004 - 10:40 am:

Jordan Shandy was the name Backus used when he chartered Terry's boat. Robert Finder is the boat charter competitor that Buddy thought broke in and stole the GPS.

By Anonymous on Thursday, May 20, 2004 - 02:36 pm:

I've not long finished the narrows and i'm glad to say that i was not disappointed. After having read the Poet, the first ever Michael Connelly book i've ever read i just could not wait to read the sequal,buying it in hardback,instead of waiting as i usually do for it to come out in paperback.Needless to say i'm glad to discover many more books by Michael Connolly i can read. So i'm just about to read "lost light" I'm sure again that I will not be disappointed.

By Anonymous on Thursday, May 20, 2004 - 03:08 pm:

jUST FINISHED THE NARROWS AND I ALL READY MISS
HARRY. I WISH HE WOULD FIND SOME HAPPINESS. I THINK HE MUST BE AROUND 53 BY NOW. I WAS SORRY T.C. WAS NO LONGER WITH US, BUT IT MADE FOR AN INTERESTING STORY. I ENJOYED THE DVD. SINCE THE REASON I STARTED READING MICHAEL'S BOOKS IS BECAUSE IT TOOK PLACE IN CAL. ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLACES TO VISIT. HOPE HE COMES OUT WITH A NEW BOOK SOON.

By Allan Beacham on Friday, May 21, 2004 - 06:55 pm:

I loved the The Narrows. Is the Cassie Black parts in the book an introduction to a new Cassie Black book. What was she packing in the back of her car? I loved the interaction between buddy and Harry, it showed that harry has less patience then Terry when dealing with people. The switching between Rachels third person POV and Harrys first person POV was excellent.

By Bill Rodman on Saturday, May 22, 2004 - 06:35 am:

I too stretched it out so I could finish it on a coast to coast plane trip. Really thought there'd be more exploration into Backus and his father and/or what "created" him. Did I miss it?
The Blood work movie caused me to see Jeff Daniels with every mention of Buddy, and he was closer to his role in Dumb and Dumber.
anyone else see the humor in Harry's musing about the price for the rare Pelecanos book?...
Over all enjoyed it, but have to agree with many postings about the anti-climactic demise of Backus and a few other details.
when I can do better I'll consider actual criticism.

By Anonymous on Saturday, May 22, 2004 - 07:44 am:

It's funny, but ever since I read ADMTN I could see only one actor in the role of "Buddy Lockridge". And after reading The Narrows, that impression remains in my mind's eye. The actor I have in mind is none other than Jerry Van Dyke. Think about it.

By Jean Duncan on Saturday, May 22, 2004 - 10:33 pm:

Just finished The Narrows and loved it. His books are a cut above other contemporary mystery writer's. Although Michael Connelly is my favorite, John Lescroart is also excellent, with his Dismas Hardy mystery novels. A good author to try to get you through until the next Michael Connelly book.

By Liz Cooper on Monday, May 24, 2004 - 10:24 am:

Just finished THE NARROWS. As usual, couldn't put it down. I loved the way the characters, particularly Buddy, slated the movie of BLOOD WORK. After seeing the movie I had to re-read the book to make sure that I was not imagining a totally different book. Thank you for sending Harry back to LAPD. It's where he belongs and he will be great on the cold case team. Can't wait for the next one!

By Michelle on Tuesday, May 25, 2004 - 02:38 am:

Hi, I have just finished The Narrows in record time (the world stops while I am reading MC's novels). Loved it...as usual and I cannot wait for the next one. Does this mean I have to attend a MC Anonymous? (Just kidding).

I have just one question concerning the book...Is Bob really dead this time?????8-))

By Andrea Meany on Tuesday, May 25, 2004 - 04:48 am:

Just finished reading the narrows. Brilliant as ever. I was thrilled to find it in Kuala Lumpur so soon. I've been living here now for almost a year and have been on constant alert for more Connelly books.
Hope the next one will be not too long away!, just hope that Harry finds love somewhere along the line.

By David Fleming on Tuesday, May 25, 2004 - 06:50 am:

had a few days to digest the book now, and some comments.

(1) This book had the feeling of a 'book end' about it - the bringing together of most of the HB Universe characters, the death of Terry, HB going back to the LAPD =- like the end of one chapter, preparing for the beginning of the next one - presumably Harry doing Cold Case work, a good move for MC as it gives a lot of creative scope

(ii) I liked the way Jane Davis/Cassie Black appeared - and there were some other familiar 'real word' names as well if I'm not mistaken!

(iii) The Bloodwork movie references - I thought these were actually a brilliant literary device by Michael - allow his characters to express the dissatisfaction with their movie portrayal that he felt. Of course, I could be completely wrong, but...

By David Fleming on Tuesday, May 25, 2004 - 07:01 am:

Ooops, meant to say, i also like the way he name-checks both Ian Rankin and Dean Koontz.

By Anonymous on Tuesday, May 25, 2004 - 01:08 pm:

I like the way several people from past books have shown up in The Narrows. It makes perfect sense to me that they should, in real life you will go with out seeing someone for a long time and look up one day and there they are. I hope Backus is really gone this time. Looking forward to Harry's next adventure. Keep up the good work.

By Dave Worrell on Tuesday, May 25, 2004 - 05:25 pm:

I enjoyed the book a lot, although I was sad to see McCaleb die. My father passed away from a heart attack in April and I probably mourned Terry's passing moreso because of it. I think Michael probably killed Terry off more in acknowledgement that he'd had a pretty long life with the transplant, as far as those go, and it wasn't going to be realistic for him to go on for many more years, rather than any kind of commentary on Hollywood or anything. It's funny, but I intentionally refrained from reading much about the book before I read it. The only thing I knew was that The Poet was back and Harry was involved because of the death of an old friend. I was sure Jerry Edgar was the victim. Man, was I shocked! I miss Jerry. I'm more interested in seeing him again than Kiz, although I don't dislike her.

Dropping Robert Finder bugged me, as it seemed like it should be more than a red herring, Bob Backus being the villain and the FBI and Harry essentially trying to be "Bob finders". As Harry says, there are no coincidences, but I guess there are in this case.

I assumed all the shoe boxes were Cassie Black's money she kept from Void Moon, but I haven't read it in a while. She probably should have been able to find a way to move it into an overseas account or something. And I doubt she left a bunch of shoe boxes filled with money in the trunk of a car in long term parking back when she went to Hawaii, but for some reason that's what I assumed was in the shoe boxes. I'd have much more enjoyed Harry jumping across the smoking balcony and looking into her room instead of having Rachel come in for some survivor sex, but I guess that's a story for another day. Maybe Bosch will meet her again. I'm not sure how all that played out for a first time reader, though.

Did anyone from Chasing the Dime make an appearance?


Loved the Tin Collectors reference. I didn't realize Cannell had done a sequel to that, let alone three, so that little nod has increased my summer reading.

All in all I enjoyed the book. I actually liked Lost Light more, but this one was plenty good in its own right. Looking forward to more.

By PabloMc2 on Thursday, May 27, 2004 - 02:47 pm:

I have just been to my first ever Michael Connelly book signing at Milton Keynes (UK) and it was extremely interesting. MC somehow managed to talk for a good 30 minutes about his decision to write a sequel to The Poet, about the various meanings behind the title of "The Narrows", and generally about his career, characters and novels without giving away ANY spoilers for ANY of his books ! Very impressive !

The Q & A session was good too, and I even managed to ask one ! I had prepared a fairly lame question about whether MC thought HE would make a decent detective (or serial killer !) as he wrote about them so well, however, MC's answer to the first question he was asked thankfully prompted me to ask him a different one instead !

Someone had asked MC how Stephen King had become involved in writing the introduction to the relaunched version of The Poet, and during his answer MC mentioned that King had been directing his OWN version of "The Shining" as he hadn't liked Kubrick's version, so I asked MC if that meant that in 10/15 years time, we could expect to see HIM directing HIS version of "Blood Work" !

I was also determined to pass on my appreciation to MC while he signed my copy of "The Narrows" without sounding like a starstruck fan or telling him what everyone else does ! Here's what I managed to come up with ! :-

MC : Hi, thanks for coming
Me : No, Thank YOU for coming ! You've come a hell of a lot further than I have - I only work around the corner !

I then went on to (quickly !) tell him how much I appreciate his active feedback back to his fans, such as the signing tours, the Q & A section on this website, and the short stories etc. that we get on the mailing list and how rare it was for an author. He seemed pleased by this and thanked me for saying so ! :-)

Anyway - I'm not sure if I'm allowed to do this or not (I'm sure Ms Davis will slap my wrist and remove the link if not !) but I took a few photographs tonight which can be seen here if anyone is interested :-
Pictures from Michael Connelly Book Signing - Milton Keynes, UK

Thanks Michael - will hopefully be back on the front row again next time you visit :-)

Paul

By Anonymous on Friday, May 28, 2004 - 12:03 am:

The Poet being the first MC book I ever read and also being my favourite, I was extremely excited when I found out The Narrows was going to be the sequal. I'd like to say that I was rapt it lived up to all I expected (and more!) I thought the bringing of so many characters together in the one book was fantastic. Well done MC.

By Leah on Friday, May 28, 2004 - 02:09 pm:

Really loved Blood Work movie references, it shows us MC's opinion of the destruction of such a great book. Not sure how I feel about The Narrows overall though, Harry and Rachel getting together was not neccessary enough to make it in there and really wanted Jack to make an apperence at some stage. I understand that Harry is the demon hunter and that he can never stop being an avenger but I would still love to see him settled, even if that means the end of the road for the series. MC is such a good writer and is well able to create brilliant novels outside of Harry Bosch, as seen in Chasing The Dime etc., so I feel reassured that he could still keep us all gripped, no matter what he chose to write. The Narrows was a book I could not put down, even if it seems I am only critising it.

By Dave Worrell on Friday, May 28, 2004 - 05:32 pm:

I was thinking about the Cassie Black scenes today and it struck me that Harry probably should have recognized her. Didn't he see her on his honeymoon with Eleanor? I don't have Trunk Music handy, but it seems to me he noticed her while he was on the beach. I mean, it's one face in Hawaii among so many others he saw and he had other things going on at the time and she may have been in sunglasses and some sort of head covering for all I can remember, but it'd be neat if they ever meet again for him to recall seeing her that first time.

By Anonymous on Saturday, May 29, 2004 - 09:16 am:

Dave-
You are confusing the stripper from Trunk Music with the burglar from Void Moon. Cassie was the burglar.

By eoin pluinceid on Saturday, May 29, 2004 - 10:29 am:

I was sitting in my bed finishing the narrows this morning (got it new and signed yesterday) and oh my god the way he tied Cassie into it, incredible storytelling!

By Dave Worrell on Saturday, May 29, 2004 - 08:44 pm:

Yeah, I know who Cassie is. I was thinking Harry sees Cassie in Hawaii on his honeymoon with Eleanor. It's at the end of the book (maybe I'm getting the book wrong) when they are on the beach and he notices a woman walking by. I don't have the book handy and I haven't read it in a couple years, but I'm pretty sure about it.

By Dave Worrell on Saturday, May 29, 2004 - 08:53 pm:

I see. You're saying the stripper that was on the run was who Harry saw on his honeymoon?

I can see that. For some reason I assumed it was Cassie, but I see Void Moon was written after Trunk Music. I think I must have read TM right after VM and got confused.

By Dave Worrell on Monday, May 31, 2004 - 05:05 pm:

And now I've pulled it out and see they explicitely state it was the stripper, so I've no idea how I became convinced it was Cassie. Thanks for the correction.

By Anonymous on Tuesday, June 01, 2004 - 01:21 pm:

Ok, I've just finished The poet and The Narrows My first MC books And I have to say I totally enjoyed both. Any suggestions on which one to read next? Also I was very intrigued by Jane. I've read the other post and I'm confused about her and this Cassie, somebody fill me.

By Andrew Jones on Tuesday, June 01, 2004 - 02:18 pm:

Someone mentioned in an earlier post that they liked Harry better in retirement because he "wasn't angry all the time." Man, I am just the opposite. The Narrows was the least satisfying of all the Bosch books, for me, because Harry, off the force and relying on others for help, seems to have completely lost his edge. His anger and intensity is what endeared him to me. I am rejoicing that he is going back on the inside. It would be even better if Connelly would go back to third person writing; I think Bosch's intensity is more clearly communicated through that style.

I was initially sad to lose McCaleb, but quickly got over it as I realized how well Connelly stuck it to the movie version of Blood Work.

By Jane Davis on Tuesday, June 01, 2004 - 04:45 pm:

Two things:
1. Michael is going back to third person writing in the next book--which he is writing now.

2. Cassie Black and Jane Davis are the same person. Cassie was the main character in Void Moon and you have to read it to understand who she is.

By Brian Dunne on Wednesday, June 02, 2004 - 10:49 am:

Finished the Narrows last night and i thought it was excellent. Have read five MC novels now and have geniunly loved them all. Im off to start Void Moon now.

By Matthias Schmidt on Thursday, June 03, 2004 - 01:45 pm:

I have just finished the book in englich language since it will be long until it will be released here in Germany. I liked it very much, but I got aswell confused a bit with Jane. So I will have to read Void Moon, the only one I haven't read yet.
So even in english I appreciated the book very much and didn't find it hard to understand. So I am really looking for the next HB.

By JoLee on Thursday, June 03, 2004 - 03:18 pm:

Awesome, awesome book. I LOVED the way so many loose threads united, and also the many in- jokes to do with Bloodwork and other writers. I'm annoyed with myself that I didn't place Jane Davis as Cassie Black from Void Moon, as I knew this seeming diversion would likely lead to something of note in Harry's future. Many of us have expressed enthusiasm for Harry and Cassie to cross paths, but I NEVER expected he and Rachel to get together. Maddie was utterly adorable, but I'm not sorry that he and Eleanor can't make a go of it - I've never cared much for her.

I'm also very happy that Harry found a way to get back to the LAPD and look forward to he and Kiz teaming up again - roll on the next book.

By Anonymous on Friday, June 04, 2004 - 09:22 pm:

ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!

You tricked us! No wonder you cannot write a another book about Terry. Boring, hah!

Great book. Looking forward to Harry and Kiz back in the saddle again too!

By Judy B on Saturday, June 05, 2004 - 10:04 am:

Am I the only one in the world that likes Eleanor? For Maddie to be as sweet and adorable as she is you have to thank Eleanor. She is the one raising her. Yes, she has some of Harrys genes but she lives with Eleanor and she's the one that has the most influence on het.

By Robin Hull on Saturday, June 05, 2004 - 11:50 am:

Just finished reading 'The Narrows' - I love Harry Bosch and I am really pleased that he is back in harness with the LAPD - but I found the book a little weak and at times the clues were solved all too quickly and without little effort. And why does Harry always have to 'shag' the birds?

Nethertheless, another cracking read! Well done!

By Robin Hull on Saturday, June 05, 2004 - 12:13 pm:

me again...

Echoing Pablomc2 - the book signing at 'Murder One', London, was cool. To chat about French dip sandwiches and 16c coffee at Philippe's and to top it all, getting a book signed. Brilliant!

Thanks again!

By Travis Leamons on Saturday, June 05, 2004 - 04:09 pm:

Hello all,

I have also finished reading Michael Connelly's latest "The Narrows." I found it to be fantabulous. (I know that's not a word but it sounds funny nonetheless.)

Is it me or am I the only one that found it ironic that by mere coincidence Rocky Mountain News reporter Jack McEvoy's life has come full circle.

What I mean is path of melancholy started after the death of his sister, continued when his brother die, and ended when Backus drowned. Notice that both Backus and sister suffered the same fate.

Just my two cents,

Travis

By Jane Davis on Monday, June 07, 2004 - 10:22 am:

The BarnesandNoble.com online group discussion of The Narrows began today. It will run through July 12th. Michael will join in the discussion. You can find out more about this at: http://www.barnesandnobleuniversity.com

By JoLee on Monday, June 07, 2004 - 05:12 pm:

Judy B - I still haven't forgiven Eleanor for keeping Maddie a secret in the first place, or for those earlier betrayals either I guess. I'd like to re-visit she and Harry at a time when they were happy, so I must go back and re-read, er,..... which book do they first get together in? I'm just flicking through Trunk Music, which is very interesting with hindsight. There is an extremely significant moment in Harry and Eleanor's history

By Anonymous on Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 07:43 am:

Judy B, How in the world can you like Eleanor? From the very begining she has treated Harry badly, she set him up as a suspect in the Black Echo, of course she said that she would have come clean if it came to him being arrested, but I have my doubts, and to keep Maddie a secret, how cruel. I wish Harry could find some happiness with someone, but he does seem doomed where women are concerned.

By Koen on Friday, June 11, 2004 - 04:56 am:

Congratulations on another wonderful book. I especially liked the switching between characters and going from first- to third-person gave the story an extra vibe. It highlights different angles and perspectives, and made the read all the more enjoyable for me.

As most others undoubtedly, I am looking forward to seeing Harry and Kiz working cases together again. They complement eachother in a lot of ways. Harry rejoining the LAPD is something that fits in my view of his character, as he has to make a pragmatic choice with regard to what he calls his mission: working as a lone wolf with all the difficulties that entails, or using the resources available to him through the department. The latter will most likely be more effective for the mission, even though the politics will surely haunt him again. But hey, he didn't let that stand in his way before...and I'm sure he never will. The new resolve that comes from his love for his daughter will help him along, and gave him more depth as a character.

So two thumbs up for Harry and MC.

By Bill Millan on Friday, June 11, 2004 - 01:15 pm:

I loved the Book, but the Suicide twist at the end doesn't work. McCaleb would have had to have the insurance before his heart was diagnosed as bad. They would never issue it after that. All Insurance policies have a mandatory two year max on Suicide. After that they pay off if you do away with yourself.

So McCaleb had no reason to hide a suicide. The policy had to have been over 6 years old.

By Elsewhere on Friday, June 11, 2004 - 01:40 pm:

I liked the book but it let me down in some areas I won't go into too much (Jane Davis, anyone?).

One thing that sort of struck me - the climax at the "narrows". I grew up in LA. I remember being thrilled at the sight of the torrents going down the concrete-lined river channels when the rains got bad. I remember having bad dreams of being caught in them.

There are four seasons in LA: Riot, Earthquake, fire and flood. This is part of the reason my wife and I live and raise our kids somewhere else now.

I didn't want my kids to have the same kind of dreams.

By Anonymous on Friday, June 11, 2004 - 01:57 pm:

Bill, I don't think he was hiding the suicide from the insurance company, I think he wanted his family to think he had justed dropped dead. I think he knew as the book pointed out that it would take every cent that they had to get the care he needed and would only add a few more years to his life and then when he died his family would be in a real tight moneywise, so he took the suicide route to protect his family.

By Bill Millan on Friday, June 11, 2004 - 03:35 pm:

You may be right, but I read it differently. I liked the way he brought "The Poet" in and used Clint's movie as if it were a real event. And using Bratton's change in policy, which is real, as a way to get Bosch back on the force was excellent.

I have been following Bratton for years, and he is outstanding. If they want make real changes in the FBI, they should make him Director.

By Roger Mathieson on Monday, June 14, 2004 - 01:57 am:

Have just finished THE NARROWS and M.C. has again showed he is the pre-eminent story-teller in this genre. He very very cleverly advised Clint Eastwood and others in Hollywood how he felt about the pathetic way those guys meddle with intelligent writer's well thought out plot-lines. Please Michael, don't let such a travesty happen again as you have garnered a huge world-wide and intelligent following. By the way I really enjoyed THE NARROWS, the opening grab with the G.P.S. was superb as were all the other sub-plots through out. The ending was alittle disappointing; it didn't quite fit with the overall high standard of the story that led to the ending. Having said that I can't wait for the next H.B. and/or Cassie Black adventure. I look forward to seeing M.C. here in Sydney, Australia in August. Jane: Will the D.V.D. be available in Australia?

By Jane Davis on Monday, June 14, 2004 - 08:47 am:

Roger-
No, the DVD was a promotion by the US publisher only. IT will not be available in other countries. You can still find the DVD/Book combo available at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com though.

By GloMac on Monday, June 14, 2004 - 11:03 am:

I just finished The Narrows, my first (and most certainly not last) MC book, I was thrilled to find this site and discussion. The characters were great and the plot riveting. I just have one thing that's lingering in my mind and I can't get past it: The FBI found McCaleb's fingerprints on the boat in the desert, but that was never explained (if it was, I apologize but I must've missed it!)

Can someone please fill me in as to how they got there and what it meant?

I'm now a certified MC fan, just makes me wish I had read the other books first so I could know the characters better, but now I have a lot of catching up to look forward to.

By Patti Cancellier on Wednesday, June 16, 2004 - 08:59 am:

Elsewhere--I grew up outside LA in La Mirada. We had the concrete lined channels as well. We called them "the wash". All the parents in the neighborhood warned us about going into the wash because of the danger of sudden flooding. There were stories about children being washed away. But to us it was a place to find tadpoles in the spring and a place to rollerskate (none of the 1950s housing developments had sidewalks to skate on).

I love Michael Connelly's books--the characters; the mysteries; and most of all the references to places and things in the LA area that I miss.

By Sue H on Friday, June 18, 2004 - 07:00 am:

Michael Connelley is just the coolest. I love how he's essentially created a world for us to step into for a few hours each year! I'm still finishing up The Narrows, but when I got to the part where Harry talks to Jane and she was sad because of her daughter living in France, I knew right away that that MC had done it again! We were catching a glimpse of our long lost Cassie Black. I was so excited by the Harry/Cassie interaction that I couldn't concentrate on the next page and a half of story!

As for Jack McEvoy, someone below said he was the "sultan" at the airport. Is it because I haven't finished the book yet, but how would you make that connection?

Is that three-year rule for the LAPD for real? I only assume it is b/c MC wouldn't make up something like that, but it just seems awefully convenient for HB and the storyline.

By Steven Weakley on Friday, June 18, 2004 - 08:46 pm:

I don't fully understand the final twist in the Narrows. I understand that Terry McCaleb committed suicide, and I understand that Rachel knew it, but were Terry and Rachel in cahoots? Why did Rachel deceive Harry? Why is she mad at the end of the book? Can someone briefly explain the final twist involving Rachel?

By Bob Dolan on Saturday, June 19, 2004 - 07:25 am:

I do not understand why The Poet chartered a fishing trip with Terry if his intenetion was not to kill him. I also don't understand the importance of the wife and kid photos taken by the Poet and mailed to Terry. What am I missing?

By mike on Saturday, June 19, 2004 - 11:37 am:

Here is what I think. The Poet read that McCaleb was looking into the deaths in the desert--remember the newspaper reported that. He came out and checked Terry's life out--followed his family, went on his boat. Sent him the photos to spook him. He mentions to Bosch that McCaleb was on his list but he didn't get to him before he died. I think Backus is the type that would have loved stalking his victims first.

As for Rachel and Terry being in cahoots--no they weren't. Terry knew he was dying and sped up the process. He didn't want his family dragged through the medical expenses and struggle. If you remember, Rachel volunteered to look into the name William Bing and the hospital phone number that were marked down on Terry's folder. She must have discovered that Terry was William Bing and a patient at the hospital. She must have also discovered the Terry knew that he was dying. She reports back that Bing was a a heart transplant patient at the hospital and allows the FBI to assume that it was just a friend of Terry's. I think she covered it up to keep his family getting the insurance/pension money. Harry puts it all together at the end, thinking about what Backus said, knowing that William Bing was the name of Terry's daughter's favorite book, knowing that Terry had a receipt from a health food store where he could get the fake pills, knowing that Graciela had said that their insurance had run out, knowing that his death didn't match up with Backus's usual style. He puts it together. I think Rachel got mad at him because she was afraid he would spill the beans. I doubt he would.

I like that Michael doesn't tie up every loose end for us. He expects us to do some of the thinking. I appreciate that confidence in his readers.

By Bhavinder Ral on Sunday, June 20, 2004 - 11:40 am:

Last year I sent a message to MC saying how much I love Harry Bosch & Terry McCaleb the characters in his books, and when he said his next book The Narrows will feature both these characters I was over the moon looking forward to reading the book when it comes out following year. And after reading it The Narrows is a excellent read but I was left sad and disappointed about Terry McCaleb's character being killed off like that, guy was worth at least 2 more books but ideas for new stories don't grow on trees, and I pray MC doesn't do that to Harry?

By Gigi Diorio on Sunday, June 20, 2004 - 06:17 pm:

I loved the book! I started it and didn't put it down until I finished it. It was great! I too would have like to seen what Harry found in Jane Davis' room rather than the survial sex between him and Rachel. I was hoping maybe Harry would have gotten Jane/Cassie to talk about herself. To find out what she's been up too lately. I hope MC writes about Cassie Black soon. I really didn't like MC having Terry McCaleb committing suicide. About the fingerprints on the boat, did McCaleb put them there himself on his way to the hospital in Vegas in case someone found out about his plan and if his plan didn't work Backus would have been blamed for it