The Black Echo (A Harry Bosch Novel, 1)

Michael Connelly's hero, Hieronymus (Harry) Bosch is introduced in The Black Echo where he has recently been demoted and moved to Hollywood Division because of a scandal caused when he shot a murderer who reached under his pillow to get what Harry believed to be a gun, but was actually a toupee. Internal Affairs, with the help of Irvin Irving, the big boss, who hates Harry, pushed the demotion through and Harry is perennially in trouble no matter what he does to redeem himself. The story begins when Bosch is called to the scene of a dead body discovered in a large pipe near the Mulholland Dam. A street kid witnesses the dump and calls Homicide. When Harry arrives, he finds he knows the victim, Billy Meadows, from his Vietnam days where they were both tunnel rats. Even though it looks like a heroin overdose, Harry finds discrepancies in the overdose theory, and against the wishes of everyone at the scene and his bosses, insists that it be processed as a homicide. His partner, Jerry Edgar, who does only the bare minimum and is usually busy with his real estate business, isn't really willing to help much, since he has an open house that he is hosting, so once again Bosch is unpopular. As the story unfolds, Bosch finds the kid who called in the body and also discovers a pawn ticket in Meadows' apartment that ties him to a bank vault robbery that occurred almost a year prior. Bosch calls the FBI and is paired up with Eleanor Wish; beautiful, of course, and very willing to sleep with Harry. Eleanor's boss doesn't like Harry nosing into an FBI case, but is forced to let Harry and Eleanor work on it. At the same time, Irving keeps two Internal Affairs officers on Harry to find a way to get him fired. During the course of the novel, Harry and Eleanor come close to being killed in a hit and run, are involved in several shootouts, and are generally in danger throughout the entire book. Of course there is corruption inside the police departments and federal agencies, which causes additional problems for Bosch. Bosch, however, is a very accomplished and meticulous detective, and finds clues that the FBI missed in the months prior to him being assigned to the case. He believes "There are no coincidences," which, with that point of view, helps him think outside the box and resolve the problems. Michael Connelly is a gifted writer, as he is able to weave several scenarios together in an exciting and believable story. Although there are other murders and shootouts, they are not overly graphic or violent. The Black Echo is a fun, fast read, and Connelly's characterizations of the main players makes them seem like real people in real situations. Bosch is not a team player, and has very strong feelings for the victims, which sets him apart from his colleagues and bosses. He is a hero who is likeable, albeit difficult; he chain smokes and drinks to excess, is a real loner, and loves jazz. It is recommended that this book be read first, as an introduction to the subsequent Harry Bosch novels. This book was purchased with personal funds and no promotion of the book was solicited by the author or publisher.

Right off, I need to say that I have watched the first 6 seasons of "Bosch" (2014-2020) before I read the first book (1991). So, needless to say, my impression of Harry was formed by the show. He was a rule-bender, but he got results. He is also portrayed as skilled with a firearm. Positive: I was pleased to see arcs from this first novel sprinkled throughout the first six seasons. Also, like the show, this book was difficult to put down. It just takes the reader along for the ride until Harry solves the remaining pieces of the mystery. Negative: The depiction of firearms and their use by Harry and others. I am spoiled by other authors (and the screenwriters) who appear to have done appropriate research. Right on page 7 (paperback), Harry has a Smith and Wesson stainless steel 8 shot semi-auto (probably a S&W M-3906) that he wears it in a clip-on holster??? Not very professional. At the vault, he suddenly has a 6 shot S&W revolver, as he removes 3 spent cartridges and reloads with _bullets_ ??? (cartridges or rounds) from his pocket. No mention of what happened to his semi-auto. When Harry catches up to one of the burglars (now deceased), he takes his automatic M-16 (correct) and an "extra clip of bullets"??? (magazine of rounds) Coming up to the next burglar, he fires the pick-up M-16 until he heard "the injector go dry"??? No such part in an M-16 (or a semi-auto, for that matter)! Then he loads a spare "clip".

I have read a couple of Michael Connelly books, though none in the Harry Bosch series. I recently streamed Bosch on Amazon Prime and was absolutely in love with the character and the actor that plays him. I'm really glad that I saw the 10 part season 1 first, since that allowed me to put faces to some of the characters, especially Harry. He is one of my very favorite characters! He is an excellent murder detective that is compelled to find the answers and the bad guys. He doesn't always follow police procedures, does things his way, and often gets in trouble for it. To me that makes him a more interesting character. Connelly has shown himself, in this book, to be a master at character development and capable of developing a strong, complex plot that easily draws the reader along to the very end. Harry is drawn deeply into the investigation because he personally knows the murder victim. Connelly entwines Harry's experiences in Vietnam into the investigation. This allows the reader to get to know Harry better than most first novels (in a series) do. He is a loner, who doesn't have a problem with being a loner, but who can be drawn closely to someone. You get to see how he handles IAD cops and superiors that he doesn't like and has no respect for. You even see what he does when (the right thing) when someone he knows and cares for disappoints him. I was really drawn in even though this is a very complex, twisting and turning, plot. There is some nostalgia in the reading because it takes place in the 80's (I think), so not many cell phones, lots of stops at pay phones to make calls (ah, the days!). I can't more highly recommend this book specifically, and this series. I LOVED it! If you like a great, complex murder mystery and police procedural, then this book is for you! It certainly was for me! I've already bought the next book in the series, The Black Ice.

Good read

Boschはベトナム戦争でのトラウマを抱えながら、友情それ故に孤独な死闘を続けます。事件展開の見事さと登場人物の性格などきめ細かい描写も冴えています。これを読まずして現代のハードボイルドは語れません。必読です！

A good thriller. Anyone who is reading after watching Bosch on Prime will love this..

If I could give this product a zero, I would. It looked nothing like the picture. It was a used (most likely STOLEN) library book. In the description it said that it was three novels so I assumed it was either a box set or it was all three in one. It arrived to my house and it was ONE stolen library USED with large print. Total scam.

"The Black Echo" ist ein gelungener Krimi mit einem ungewöhnlichen Ermittler: Hieronymus (kurz Harry) Bosch von LAPD ermittelt in einem Los Angeles, das in seiner Düsternis und Bedrohlichkeit von seinem Namensvetter gemalt sein könnte. Harry Bosch ist ein rundum gelungener Protagonist; seine Härte, seine Aufmüpfigkeit und Coolness, seine Klugheit und Erfahrung, aber auch seine Angst vor Gefühlen und davor, verletzbar zu sein, sind manchmal fast beklemmend zu spüren. So schließt sich Harry Bosch an die Detektive von Hammett und Chandler an, und er erinnert an den Humphrey Bogart des Film Noir und an "Chinatown", und Bosch hält dem Vergleich mit diesen Vorbildern locker stand. Die Story ist clever und komplex und wartet mit ein paar einfallsreichen Wendungen auf. Das einzige, was ein wenig des Guten zuviel ist, ist, dass Bosch und der ermordete Meadows gemeinsam als Tunnelratten im Vietnam-Krieg waren - einerseits dienen Boschs Erinnerungen an diese für ihn traumatische Zeit seiner differenzierteren Charakterisierung. Andererseits ist der Zufall irgendwo einfach zu sehr strapaziert - auch wenn dieser Zufall im Roman an einigen Stellen thematisiert wird, stellt das doch eine leichte Schwäche dar. Aufgrund der leichten Schwächen viereinhalb Sterne, aufgerundet auf fünf, weil Connelly super schreibt und mit dem düsteren Bosch einen klasse Ermittler erschaffen hat, der hohe Erwartungen weckt für die weiteren Folgen der Reihe.

Excellent comme tous les romans de Michael Connelly. J'ai oublié de préciser que ce sont les versions anglaises...