The Narrows

Rating:
Summary: The Poet resurfaces.
Review: In Michael Connelly's latest thriller, "The Narrows," Bob Backus once again appears on the scene to taunt his old friends at the FBI. For those who don't remember him, Backus, known as "The Poet," was an FBI agent as well as a vicious serial killer, who has left a trail of corpses behind him in both the United States and Europe.

Harry Bosch, retired Los Angles cop, is also back. Graciela McCaleb, the widow of Terry McCaleb, asks Harry to look into her husband's sudden death. McCaleb, the central character in Connelly's novel, "Blood Work," was an FBI profiler whose life was saved by a heart transplant. After leaving his job, McCaleb continued to work cold cases unofficially; he was pursuing promising leads in the Poet case, among others, when his heart gave out for the last time. Although Harry no longer carries a badge, he has been working as a private investigator, and he agrees to help Graciela. Harry soon begins to suspect that Terry's interest in the Poet may have led to his death. Along with Rachel Walling, an FBI agent who had worked with Backus in the past, Harry sets out to find the Poet before he kills yet again.

"The Narrows" is a terrific police procedural, every bit as dark and menacing as "Lost Light," Connelly's last Bosch novel. It has all the elements we have come to love in the Bosch series: feuding and manipulative FBI agents, tantalizing clues, sharp and witty dialogue, and a touch of romance. There are also amusing references to the Clint Eastwood movie, "Blood Work," that hint at Connelly's displeasure with the "Hollywood treatment" given to his book.

I have always loved Harry Bosch. He is smart, cynical, compassionate, and tough, and if he's on a case, you know that he'll see it through until the bitter end. Connelly's complex plot had me breathlessly turning pages into the night, and the surprises kept on coming until the dramatic conclusion. If you like novels with great characters, lots of action, and twists and turns galore, you will love "The Narrows" as much as I did.

Rating:
Summary: (4.5) Harry Bosch Meets Rachel Walling on the Road to Zzyzx
Review: In THE NARROWS Michael Connelly ties together the themes and characters from several of his previous novels while returning to the loose end of the unresolved fate of Robert Backus at the conclusion of THE POET. Those readers familiar with the world of Hieronymous (Harry) Bosch know that it is the centered in LA - "a sunny place for shady people"- and that Harry's character and Connelly's style have both evolved in reaction to the events which they have experienced. This book continues Connelly's recent adoption of the first person narrative by Harry Bosch interspersed with third person narrative for the other main characters in the book, primarily FBI profiler Rachel Walling and Backus, the former FBI agent who had for years used his knowledge of police procedures to escape detection as a serial killer. As is always the case in the author's work, this book is as much about the development of the characters and providing the reader with great depth of insight concerning the impact upon them of the events described as it about bringing the case to a conclusion.

Rachel Walling is recalled from her exile FBI posting in Rapid City, S.D. by a mysterious message sent to the FBI that unambiguously indicates that the serial killer identified as THE POET has reemerged. The nature of the communication also clearly indicates his desire that his former pupil and associate Rachel should be a member of the investigatory team despite her marginalization with the Bureau as a result the outcome of their previous encounters. Simultaneously, Harry Bosch is hired by Graciela McCaleb to investigate evidence she has inadvertently uncovered that the cause of the death of her husband Terry was not simply the failure of his transplanted heart that occurred during a charter aboard his fishing boat. (As a result of the book BLOODWORK being made into a movie both directed by and also starring Clint Eastwood, Terry McCaleb may be Connelly's most widely recognized character. In a wonderful twist, as the story proceeds we learn that Clint Eastwood attended Terry's funeral.) The threads of the two cases become intertwined in a complex story of evil that involves several very intriguing elements. As might be expected, these include the tension betwen the FBI investigators with their agenda of controlling the impact upon the Bureau of any potentially devasting political blowback often coming into conflict with Rachel's and Harry's views of the best procedural steps to follow. Thus, unsurprisingly, an uneasy alliance is gradually forged between Rachel and Harry which concludes in their investigation nearly resulting in disastrous consequences.

There are several other elements woven into the plot, including Harry's old LAPD associate Kiz Rider convincing Harry to consider rejoining the Cold Case Unit of the Department under a policy actually adopted by Chief Bratton to encourage the return of recent retirees. Finally, while I won't reveal the role that it plays in the plot, for those readers unaware of the location of the road to Zzyzx, it is on US 15 halfway betwen LA and Las Vegas. (In a wonderful line that both captures the macabre poetry of Connelly's work and is reminiscent of a recent book, it is "a CITY OF BONES at the end of the alphabet.") As readers of LOST LIGHT have undoubtedly surmised, the necessity for Harry to travel to Las Vegas in pursuit of the truth regarding Terry's death means that he can visit Maddie (his five year old daughter who only recently entered his life) and will undoubtedly continue to joust with his former wife (and former FBI agent) Eleanor Wish about the propriety of Maddie growing up in Las Vegas while her mother earns her living during the late night hours of a professional poker player.

Providing further meaningful details of this story would almost certainly involve spoilers which would only detract from the reader's enjoyment of the book. They are also unnecessary, since any fan of Connelly undoubtedly knows that no summary can do justice to the richness of the picture which he draws. (He has stated that his goal in his writing is "to paint to all four corners of the canvas {of his story} and fill in the holes.) Like most detective stories, this one is largely about unraveling the past and understanding its impact on the present. But at the same time is does also present a glimpse of fleeting hope for the future despite the evil which Harry has to confront.

The reason why I subtracted a half point from my rating was my less than total satisfaction with two aspects of the conclusion. It was action packed and very clever, and certainly tied in completely with Harry's introductory comments that set the tone of the story. But it semed to me somewhat contrived and overly dramatic; more in keeping with the visual impact of a movie than the understated and nuanced nature of Harry's world. But this is still a wonderful story, both for long time Harry Bosch fans and first time readers who want a good psychological detective tale in the tradition of Philip Marlowe.

NOTE: If you also obtain a copy of the complimentary DVD - BLUE NEON LIGHT - subtitled MICHAEL CONNELLY'S LOS ANGELES, with commentary by Connelly and excerpts from his work narrated by William Petersen (CSI), be sure to take the time to view it. It is wonderfully produced and provides great background and insights about Connelly's development as a writer and the themes that tie together his novels.

Tucker Andersen

Rating:
Summary: Welcome back Backus
Review: In The Narrows, Michael Connelly brings back his most vicious and original killer to date, an ex-FBI agent named Backus aka The Poet. And in the process, Connelly invites his favourite character, Harry Bosch, to investigate the killer. Some old faces, like Terry McCaleb and Rachel from The Poet are also brought back to put an end to the Poet's vicious crimes.

Although The Narrows is far from achieving the levels of suspense found in The Poet, the book is still a very tense and very entertaining read. And I think Connelly is getting softer with time (a quality that might do his novels a lot of good); while The Poet was drowning in gruesome murders, the deaths in The Narrows happen off the page. Actually, there are very few deaths that happen during the course of The Narrows and yet, Connelly creates great suspense and a lot of mystery for the reader. The finaly 50 pages are a breathless thrill ride that will make you bite your nails down to the flesh.

I loved the fact that Connelly chose to tell the story both in the first person (for Bosch, a technique he began using with last year's Lost Light) and in the third person (for Rachel and Backus). The novel begins as Bosch is asked by the wife of the recently-deceased McCaleb to investigate his death. Little does he know that his investigation will bring him to The Poet. He eventually teams up with Rachel even though the FBI doesn't want Bosch on the investigation.

His search brings him to Las Vegas where The Poet has left his latest string of victims buried in the middle of the desert. But eventually, Bosch returns to his home turf of LA to try and put an end to the Poet's reing.

Filled with great suspense, compelling and interesting characters and a very orignal premise, The Narrows is everything a Michael Connelly novel should be. This isn't and doesn't feel like a tired sequel. Instead, its a completely new adventure that has enough twists and turns to keep you reading well past the wee hours of the morning. Even after all these books, Bosch is still a fresh and very distinct characters. Connelly really is this generation's great suspense writer.

Rating:
Summary: The Best Only Gets Better
Review: Looking for proof that Michael Connelly is the best mystery novelist today? The Narrows is evidence enough. On a very simple level, this is a mystery novel about a serial killer, "The Poet," and at least 14 murders attributed to him in this current wave of mayhem. It's also about a complex ex-LAPD homicide detective, Harry Bosch, and a frustrated FBI Behavioral Sciences Unit reject agent, Rachel Walling. The characters are complex, conflicted, believable, and stretched beyond what is expected but not beyond the potential of each soul. Even the two major locations, Los Angeles and Las Vegas, are drawn with such intensity and multi-faceted power that they almost become characters in themselves. The plot is intricate, surprising, and challenging -- but ultimately so finely composed and exquisitely executed that even the final shock in the last few pages, while completely unsuspected, still resonates with complete authenticity and credibility. And underneath everthing beats the heart of Michael Connelly's mission: to describe the deadly dance between good and evil, a dance that comes within a hair's breadth of consuming both, but ends with hope. The book opens with the powerful intensity of the threat of evil: "I knew that my life's mission would always take me to the places where evil waits, to the places where the truth that I might find would be an ugly and horrible thing. And still I went without pause. And still I went, not being ready for the moment when evil would come from its waiting place. When it would grab at me like an animal and take me down into the black water." And it ends with the dawn of hope: "I looked out at the city and thought it was beautiful. The rain had cleaned the sky out and I could see all the way to the San Gabriels and the snow-covered peaks beyond. The air seemed to be as clean and pure as the air breathed by the Gabrielenos and the padres so many years before. I saw what they had seen in the place. It was the kind of day you felt you could build a future on." And in between is the best fiction anywhere.

Rating:
Summary: Michael Connelly at His Best
Review: Michael Connelly brought all of his writing skills to bear on his newest book. The Narrows is one of his best, if not THE best of this series. It ties up loose ends from several earlier projects. In addition, the plot of The Narrows moves Harry Bosch's life and character forward significantly.

It was good to see Bosch shake the depression he has been in since his last days with the LAPD. But if he was still depressed, he didn't have a moment to waste on moodiness in this action-packed thriller.

I spotted a new character who seems likely to turn up in one of Connelly's future plots: Jane Davis, his next-door neighbor at the motel in Las Vegas. I will be keeping an eye out for her.

Rating:
Summary: A Very Worthy Sequel to "The Poet"
Review: Michael Connelly has devoted most of his writing career to solid crime procedurals starring LAPD homicide detective Harry Bosch. Almost a decade ago, he took a detour to write "The Poet", a novel depicting FBI agent Rachel Walling's nationwide pursuit of a serial killer who exacts revenge on cops and then disguises the crimes as suicides. It was a work every bit as intriguing as Thomas Harris at his best, and its ending left the door wide open for a sequel. In "The Narrows", Connelly brings both protagonists together to solve the untimely death of yet another name from the past, retired FBI agent Terry McCaleb of "Blood Work".

Crossover stories by any author put me on alert as I'm afraid that I'm about to be served a comic book gimmick (what if Superman and Batman worked together?). Connelly had already somewhat faltered when introducing Bosch and McCaleb in "A Darkness More than Night". However, "The Narrows" corrects that earlier book's mistakes and provides a thrilling conclusion to the Poet's tale.

The action is immediately underway and well-paced as always. Connelly does his usual great job of starting with events that initially seem unconnected and then credibly meshing them through the detective work of his characters. The suspense builds from The Poet's very creepy efforts to place himself back in the FBI's sights through his engame of revenge on his pursuers. The resulting game of cat-and-mouse and its climax(es) are true page-turners.

I'm still not convinced that I like Bosch's side being told in first-person (a convention that began with his last Bosch novel, "Lost Light") because it detracts from Connelly's gifts with wording. As you'd expect, Bosch's thoughts and feelings are very economical, which leads to sparse prose. Scenes from other characters' perspectives flow very nicely in third-person voice.

The pairing of Bosch and Walling is more natural than that of Bosch and McCaleb was in "A Darkness More than Night". This success is partly due to their natural similarities. For example, Walling now finds herself a pariah within the FBI despite her excellent skills, very similar to Bosch's situation throughout most of his tenure at LAPD. During the course of the investigation, they achieve some trust and intimacy, but not so much that the characterization of either is compromised. This delicate balance that Connelly maintains here is what puts this crossover way ahead of his earlier attempt.

But the real trick that Connelly pulls off in this one is the mystery itself. You can't call the book a whodunit because you immediately know that the Poet is back - he advertises it himself. So why read the book? Read it for the true question that's skillfully saved for the ending surprise: not so much whodunit but what-did-he-really-do?

Without revealing any spoilers, the ending provides not only a powerful surprise but also further development in Bosch's life that career fans have surely been itching for. The result is very satisfying for "The Narrows" on its own and also opens up great possibilities for Bosch's future tales.

If you discovered "The Poet" as a one-shot and are looking forward to this sequel, I recommend reading at least some of the Harry Bosch series and "Blood Work" first. The absolute minimum chronology would be "The Black Echo", "The Last Coyote", "Trunk Music" and "City of Bones". You can still make sense of this book without a complete background on Bosch; you'll just be cheating yourself out of a lot of great mystery fiction.

Rating:
Summary: Too much of everything--too little of everything.
Review: Michael Connelly has written several outstanding crime novels and several more good ones. His earlier Harry Bosch novels have depth and are very well written. The Last Coyote is particularly good--certainly should have one the Edgar for that year. Void Moon is his best novel (not a Harry Bosch work), predictably underappreciated. The Poet, to which The Narrows is a kind of sequel, is also extremely well done--plot, suspense, characterization, details etc. Chasing the Dime is also excellent because Connelly takes some risks by mixing disparate elements of life so effectively--the novel doesn't completely work, but is still better than 99% of crime fiction being written today. BEFORE reading The Narrows the reader really must read Blood Work, The Poet, and couple of early Harry Bosch novels
The Narrows simply tries to do too many things without developing the differing strands with enough thought, imagination or depth. The portions of the book on the poet himself simply lack the necessary character and plot development necessary to develop suspense. Just touches here and there are not enough. The way that the poet finds his victims just isn't plausible the way it is presented. Certainly, someone would have traced at least one of the men to Clear--even a layman detective wife. I also found Walling to be unattractive, which is fine (my liking a character isn't a prerequesite to a good novel), but Walling is underdeveloped and just plain yucky. By the way, why do the other FBI agents stop following her when she hooks up with Bosch---no reason except whole episode in poet's killing field would have been botched up (a grievous plot flaw from a writer given so many accolades as Connelly). M.C. references to Eastwood and Pelecanos are cloying. The plot intertwining with McCaleb works fairly well--the parts of the book touching on McCaleb's life, death, wife, friend are by far the best, because they are actually developed with some care. The sex scene was ludicrous ("B" movie junk) The shots at the FBI were repeats from Lost Light. I'm glad Connelly has a daughter, but is creating a daughter for Bosch so he can write about his own daughter is self-indulgent mush. The "suspenseful" ending is good at the bookstore, but forced and factitious when Walling and Bosch get back to the Valley and the L.A. River.
My feeling is that Connelly knows he can write books that will sell and he also know that readers like me realize he's the best we've got in the U.S., no matter what he turns out. What saddens me is that his novels have steadily declined (Chasing the Dime excepted)since Void Moon. Unlike Brits, Reginald Hill and Ruth Rendell (my favorite "mystery" novelists, along with S. Kaminsky) Connelly has actually sold out--the big paycheck no matter what he writes. Seriously, should he happen upon this review, I suggest he read Rendell's Going Wrong, The Crocodile Bird and The Bridesmaid to see how a writer refuses to rest on her proverbial laurels. Same with R. Hill; read a few of his earlier series novels and then read On Beulah Heights, or, especially Dialogues of the Dead (Dialogues, along with Thomas Cook's Breakheart Hill, is the finest suspense novel of all time: the test, you can read these two books more than once with deepening pleasure and imaginative elan.) The Narrows reads fast because it's basically a "beach" or "airplane" book, ala Grafton, Kellerman, Cornwall ad nauseam. Actually, Connelly only need reread a couple of his earlier books, The Concrete Blonde or Void Moon. and compare them to what he is churning out now. A major disappointment that he doesn't take his writing seriously now that he is a success. And the Narrows is a soup with too many ingredients splashed into a pot and left to boil without even a casual glance at what is happening to this terribly, underdeveloped, over-hyped, novelistic mush. Sad.

Rating:
Summary: The Narrows
Review: Michael Connelly is at it again, his writing is great and the story will not only keep you reading but when you finish the book the feeling of sadness will set in. You will want more and have become part of the thriller by reading the pages. His characters are great and you have seen some of them before if you have read the Poet. The road to Las Vegas from Los Angeles is always hot, but this time its not from the heat of the sun but the heat of a serial killer, the good ex-detective Harry Bosch is ask to help stop the killer before he kills again. Harry wanted out of this type action but it's in his blood and he just can't say no. This book is a must read-Larry Hobson- Author "The Day Of The Rose"

Rating:
Summary: Connelly is at the top of his game!
Review: Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch is in my opinion the best hard boiled detective series right along side with Lawrence Block's Matt Scudder. What makes these two series so great besides the obvious great characters and plot lines is that both authors can make the reader hang on to the simplest of tasks: a minor description, a passing thought. These books are to be read slowly and every word is to be savored. That in itself is a great accomplishmnet in todays quick and disposable society. I won't get into any details about the new book suffice to say that I read it in two days. If you are new to Connelly, there is not a bad book in the whole Bosch series. I'd suggest reading them in order. As a side if you haven't read any of the Matt Scudder novels, you are in for a similar treat.

Rating:
Summary: No nonsense crime thriller...
Review: Michael Connelly's novels are habit forming. When picking up his latest, my intention was to savour the experience, only read a little at a time, maybe a few chapters before bed, so that that the pleasure would extend, lasting a long time. This did not happen. In fact, this text was completed in one sitting. After turning the last page, the story left me satisfied, though, wondering when Connelly would release his next one. This type of behaviour may sound a little on the neurotic side, but Connelly's stories are simply that good. I've come to have high expectations about his work, and thus far, have not been disappointed. The Narrows is an excellent piece of crime writing.

Those of you familiar with Harry Bosch from Lost Light, Connelly's last novel, and many others, will find the character hasn't changed. Harry remains that sombre, fatalistic and determined individual. He's a cold realist without the cynicism. This character has a strong sense of his purpose in life, which he calls his mission, and the ability to stare evil directly in the eye without flinching. Bosch is a no nonsense type of guy, who manages to see that shred of goodness in the world, where others only see darkness. Harry is a good man. In a world filled with superheroes, fictional characters that are way over the top, here we have a hero in a rumpled suit, a man who knows himself, with a strong sense of his function in the world. He will get the job done no matter what happens, and without actually coming out and saying it, he would gladly lay down his life if it meant saving yours.

The Narrows is a sequel to Connelly's fifth novel, The Poet. The killer is ex FBI, a sadistic murderer that was dubbed The Poet because he would leave clues that could be traced back to the poems and writings of the master of the macabre, Edgar Allen Poe. Special Agent Rachel Walling, in the first novel, shot the killer through a window, and all hoped he was dead. But now he's resurfaced with a new agenda. Through investigating the suspicious death of an old friend, Terry McCaleb, (the famous protagonist from the novel and film, Blood Work) Bosch uncovers a connection to the poet; the investigation takes him to the deserts of Nevada, where the bodies of several men have been uncovered. As usual, Bosch is ahead of everyone else in the investigation, teaming up with Rachel Walling, they discover this intelligent killer is playing with them, leading the duo towards his dramatic finale.

Fans of Harry Bosch novels will not be disappointed with this new instalment. It's an absolute winner. Though new readers of Connelly's work will not have to read the previous novels, particularly The Poet, in order to appreciate this one.