Rating: 
Summary: First-rate thriller
Review: THE NARROWS revisits Connelly's earlier books, THE POET and BLOOD WORK incorporating the characters of both into this story, but the main focus of the story is The Poet who ten years earlier committed a gruesome series of killings. Thought to be dead, we now find out that Robert Backus AKA The Poet is alive. Rachel Walling is the one credited with not only shooting The Poet, but also with major screw-ups in the case was her banished to the North Dakota office. She sees her chance to get back into the FBI's good graces when she called back into the new manhunt for Backus.Former LAPD detective, Harry Bosch, is asked by the widow of Terry McCaleb (protagonist in BLOODWORK) to look into her husband's death. Backus emerges as the prime suspect in Bosch's case. Bosch and Walling reluctantly decide the work together when their cases intersect. Connelly successfully intertwines the plots of the two earlier works into a suspenseful and gripping new thriller. I would recommend reading THE POET first since many of the characters are from that book. Characters from BLOODWORK are less integrated into this story so it is not really essential to know that story before the current one. We are also shown another side to Bosch's personality while he copes with being a father to a child he barely knows. Michael Connelly's characters continue to evolve with each installment of the series.
Rating:
Summary: This may well be Connelly's best work to date!
Review: There has been a great deal of prepublication hype concerning THE NARROWS, Michael Connelly's new Harry Bosch novel. Most of it centers on the fact that it is a sequel to THE POET, Connelly's tale from some years ago about Robert Backus, an FBI profiler who himself turns into a serial killer. While sequels usually disappoint in direct proportion to the degree of their public anticipation, THE NARROWS is a welcome exception. It may well be Connelly's best work to date. What has not been noted about THE NARROWS is that it is also a sequel of sorts to BLOOD WORK. BLOOD WORK is perhaps Connelly's best-known novel due in large part to its film adaptation by Clint Eastwood. The movie, interestingly enough, is mentioned in THE NARROWS. Connelly in fact breaks on through to the other side at several points during THE NARROWS, bringing an immediacy and reality to the tale that is quite refreshing. Always a masterful storyteller, Connelly continues to improve as a writer. He switches quite effortlessly in perspective back and forth between Bosch and FBI Agent Rachel Walling, whose career took a disastrous reverse due to the events chronicled in THE POET. A lesser craftsman would have ultimately made a mess of things, but Connelly keeps things moving smartly and coherently with nary a misstep. THE NARROWS begins with Harry Bosch investigating the death of his old friend, Terry McCaleb, at the request of McCaleb's widow. McCaleb, who was the subject of BLOOD WORK, has succumbed to an apparent heart attack. His widow, however, has found that someone had in fact tampered with McCaleb's heart medication, leading to his death. During the course of the investigation Bosch learns that McCaleb, while freelancing as a consulting investigator, may have stumbled across The Poet, who appears to be responsible for McCaleb's death. McCaleb's file notes also indicate that he has a theory regarding the fates of six men who mysteriously disappeared while visiting Las Vegas. Bosch begins to follow the trail created by McCaleb's theory, a trail that leads to an FBI investigation of a series of burials in the Nevada desert --- an investigation that commenced with a mysterious message from The Poet, directed to Rachel Walling. Walling is begrudgingly brought into the FBI investigation as an observer, and when Bosch interjects himself into the proceedings the two of them become an unlikely and unofficial, but highly effective, team. While they are tracking Backus, he is also tracking them, along a trail of his own devise and choosing. Backus has unfinished business from the past that he fully intends to complete, and he wants to do it right under the noses of his pursuers. All business and trails end at THE NARROWS. While THE NARROWS is a dark and grim book in many ways, Connelly occasionally gives a wink and a nod to savvy readers as an indication that he is not taking himself too seriously. In addition to the references to the Blood Work film, Connelly name checks several mystery writers --- there is a George Pelecanos reference that is subtly hilarious --- and uses Bosch's new knowledge of his fatherhood to pay tribute to a popular television cartoon character whose demeanor is totally at odds with the grim goings-on in THE NARROWS. Alert readers will also catch fleeting allusions to some of Connelly's past books besides BLOOD WORK and THE POET. Ultimately, THE NARROWS is a novel that on many different levels lives up to its hype and surpasses it. --- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
Rating: 
Summary: A Light Bosch
Review: This another enjoyable entry in the Harry Bosch series. Aficionados of this series will enjoy it but come away wanting more. The basic plot is excellent with the return of the Poet (the former FBI agent turned serial killer). He has created a cemetery in the desert of ten of his victims and has challenged the FBI to find him. Bosch will end up teaming with FBI agent Rachel Walling in tracking down the Poet. The chemistry between these two is pretty good. Unfortunately Connelly has a sex scene between the two that is just short of ludicrous. Almost like he was writing the scene for its value to a movie script than its need in the narrative story. Virtually all other characters are cardboard cutouts, particularly the the FBI agents. There must be a school all mystery writers have to attend where they learn only one way to portray the FBI. There is some very good detective work as Harry and Rachel work their way toward the Poet. The introduction of his daughter in the last book is cause for a lot of angst for Bosch, but was totally unnecessary. It does nothing for the storyline or our understanding of Bosch. Eleanor Wish is back in a couple small scenes. She is a wonderful character, but Connelly doesn't seem to have any real use for her anymore. Probably the biggest failing of the book is lack of development of the Backus character. He's simply the serial killer with no real fleshing out of his character and what really drives him. Why does he kill men rather than women (the overwhelming choice of all other male serial killers)? Who knows. The ending is okay, if forced. The plot twist at the end is absurd and doesn't fit the prior 400 pages of the book. Though it is part of the storyline it is very reminiscent of Maddie's introduction in the last book. You end of asking, "where the hell did this come from?". All in all Bosch fans will be pleased with this book. It is an enjoyable, if light, read.
Rating:
Summary: Well Done!
Review: This book had it all. A good story, good characters and well paced writing that made it fun, interesting and easy to read. When Michael Connelly is "on," there is nobody better. In this book he is "on." And I loved the way he incorporated characters and storylines from previous works that had, until now, been unrelated. Well done!
Rating: 
Summary: my first Bosch book
Review: This was my first book by the author and for me it was a good read. I'd recommend this to anyone who likes good page-turning suspense. I wasn't aware this was the latest of a series, but that didn't bother me. Some of the plot development towards the end didn't garner four star ratings, but the writer is so good at what he does I could see myself re-reading this book in the future. I'd put this on the same level as James Patterson "1st To Die" Very Good!
Rating:
Summary: Lose the gimicks, please.
Review: While I like all of this author's books, this one felt a little like a stunt to me. The author seemed to go out of his way to have all his protagonists from previous novels meet, and the one from "Void Moon" had no purpose other than to complete the set. The pop-culture references come fast and furious, including numerous references to the movie made based on "The Poet" and many other recent high-profile murders. I'm left to wonder if the book was too short and he needed to pad for length.
There are a few major developments in the lives of his characters, so if you read the series, you'll want to make sure to read this one. Hopefully with the next book, the author will return to the form that drove me to read all his previous books.
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