The Black Box

Once again Michael Connelly has me hooked! The mystery and intrigue of this Bosch adventure in book 16 of his book series tied together a crime that happens connecting some military members overseas then back to riots in LA to modern day mystery waiting for the death of a woman that fell into Bosch’s hands to be solved. Without ruining the story for those who may have not yet read it, as always Connelly kept me on the edge of my seat. I admit no matter what book I’ve been reading in this Bosch series I’ve had a hard time putting the books down. I thoroughly enjoy and love the mystery and intrigue Connelly draws his fans into. I find it a very pleasurable and relaxing way to spend my time and every single time I finish a book in the series I cannot wait to move onto the next one. He is a very talented writer and proves through his writing and acknowledgments to his connections contributing to his writing that he is very thorough in his research. You not only get a feel for the fight and the fire in Bosch that is so relentless and which I absolutely love and admire as characteristics but also the hurt and care he feels towards the victims of such heinous crimes and wanting to, choosing to be a voice for the voiceless. It is sheer pleasure to live out these stories through the depth of the character Connelly has created in Bosch. For all my feeler mystery, crime, intrigue readers I can promise you it’s time well spent and I strongly recommend his Bosch book series. Once again, very well done, Mr. Connelly! Cheers!

As the 20-year "anniversary" of the Rodney King riots creeps ever closer, the LAPD makes an effort to reopen the investigations into some of the murders that occurred during the riots as a show of good faith - which means that Harry Bosch is digging into an old case that's bothered him for years: the murder of a Danish journalist during the riots that never seemed to settle quite right with him. So begins The Black Box, a solid, if unexceptional, entry in the Harry Bosch series that finds Connelly doing what he does very well, but not really breaking much new ground. The choice to move Bosch to cold crimes a few books back in the series was a wise one by Connelly; it's allowed Bosch to become almost more of an avatar of justice than he already was, and it's allowed Connelly to play with time and its effects in rich and compelling ways. And when the idea of the book is to dig back into one of the most tumultuous and infamous periods in LA history, that seems like it's going to play perfectly into the books' strengths. The reality, though - and this isn't much of a spoiler - is that the murder doesn't have all that much to do with the riots, and that means that we have a more traditional murder mystery here. That's not to say that The Black Box isn't a solid and compelling piece of work; Connelly knows how to pace a mystery, and the revelations here are good ones, and doled out at just the right pace to keep you dying to know what's next. And even though one aspect of the climax seems a little too convenient (it's all but a deus ex machina, honestly), it's set up enough to work, just not enough to be entirely satisfying. But all in all, The Black Box is a good mystery, one that's filled with Bosch's usual world-weariness but dogged belief in justice, and it's a joy to see how Connelly has kept the man working after so many years and made his age and his past as much a part of him as anything else. The Black Box may not be top-tier Connelly, but it's a solid read still, and worth checking out for any fan of the series to date.

The latest in the Harry Bosch series by Michael Connelly, The Black Box, more than delivers. While this book is part of a series featuring the wonderfully named detective, Hieronymus (Harry) Bosch, and there are rich rewards for readers who have followed the life and adventures of the main character, the beauty of Connelly’s books means that new readers can come to this book and still receive so much pleasure – the type that comes from reading an author who is a master of both his craft and the genre. Now a member of the cold case squad, Bosch, who has been given an extra five years on a special contract (DROP) so he doesn’t have to retire, finds himself reinvestigating a murder he originally encountered twenty years earlier. Back then, a young and lovely Danish reporter, Annika Jeppersen, was shot dead during the LA riots. Due to the increased crime at the time and the demands placed on the police, Bosch was forced to hand over the investigation to the Riot Crimes Task Force and the case was never solved. It was one that never really left Bosch and when it’s handed back to him two decades later, he determines to uncover the murderer, even at the expense of his reputation and his job. The “black box” is the name Bosch gives to the one piece of evidence that, like the black box flight recorder in a plane, explains all the other clues, creates a clear context that leads to the murderer and often the motive. Working alone, Bosh is at first unable to piece the evidence together, but when he discovers the all-important “black box” everything changes. Bosch’s instincts that Jepperson’s death wasn’t simply collateral damage from a city out of control, but the result of a deliberate murder, proves right. What Bosch doesn’t expect is that this discovery will lead him to uncover a conspiracy that goes back decades and involves people at the highest levels… While the novel contains the usual elements of suspense and the inevitable piecing together of the murder puzzle and coming to grips with suspects, what makes the Connelly books terrific is that all of the nuts and bolts of crime writing is interwoven with aspects of Bosch’s private life – the way he struggles to do the right thing by his daughter as a single dad and the growing pains of a new romantic relationship – giving him extra dimensions and humanising him in wonderful ways. Bosch is so ethical and yet, he also doesn’t suffer fools, endearing him to everyone but his superiors and the criminals who often underestimate him. Connelly has this terrific capacity to make even the predictable (in terms of the investigation) unpredictable and when Bosch makes a few poor choices, his future in terms of career and even his life, keep the reader guessing. If you enjoy well-written crime and great characters, then make sure you pick up Connelly. I did and my only regret is that he can’t write faster!

Good writing, good story, good characters and a good conclusion.. Michael Connelly is indeed a master storyteller. Can’t wait to start his next novel.

Trama bem urduda, personagem muito humano e convicente e que foge ao padrão usual do gênero. Desfecho emocionante, amei! Recomendo

久しぶりのボッシュ刑事もの。20年前のロス暴動、湾岸派兵等が絡んだコールドケース。 毎回、期待を裏切らないコナリーの才能は枯れることはない様子。 定年延長もあと5年、65才のボッシュ刑事。マディ巡査??? 早く、次作を読みたい。

Concernant la collection : Il convient de saluer cette collection HARRAP'S YES YOU CAN comme elle le mérite : des deux mains, des deux pieds et de tout ce qui pourra faire du bruit : - Le système de traduction des mots clefs et des expressions difficiles dans les marges est très bien fait. Au début de ma lecture, j'ai été un peu gêné par l'agencement du texte, mais après quelques chapitres, je ne le remarquais plus. De plus, on picore au fur et à mesure dans les marges, ne se référant aux traductions que pour ce que l'on ne comprend pas, ce qui permet de lire avec beaucoup de fluidité, tout en comprenant toutes les phrases ! - Non seulement, cette collection permet aux lecteurs présentant des faiblesses dans la lecture de l'anglais de lire un texte sans difficultés, mais de surcroit c'est bon marché et pour couronner le tout, vous pouvez découvrir la toute dernière aventure de Harry Bosch sans avoir besoin d'attendre la fin de la sieste du traducteur ou le bon vouloir de l'éditeur. C'est vraiment du super boulot, quel dommage que le catalogue soit pour le moment aussi court ! Concernant le livre lui même : Du coup, j'ai lu la seizième aventure de Harry Bosch sans avoir lu la quinzième (The Drop) mais ce n'est pas trop grave, vu que je vais bientôt pouvoir le faire, cet autre roman étant disponible dans la même collection (entrechats et sauts de carpe). Il s'agit d'une belle enquête de l'inspecteur Bosch, très bien construite, avec une histoire très solide. Toujours dans le service des affaires en souffrance, il s'attelle au meurtre resté inexpliqué d'une journaliste Danoise pendant les émeutes de 1992 à Los Angeles. Une fois de plus, Harry se démène pour mener son enquête, malgré les pressions de ses supérieurs hiérarchiques, malgré une enquête interne, malgré l'adversité et malgré sa fille. Je ne suis pas très fan des problèmes éducatifs d'Harry avec sa fille de seize ans, mais c'est un détail et ça ne ralentit l'enquête que pendant quelques chapitres. J'ai trouvé le dénouement un peu tiré par les cheveux, un peu trop rapide à mon gout, mais au final plutôt réussi. Sans être le meilleur titre de la série, The Black Box est dans la moyenne haute des épisodes des dix dernières années. Pas extraordinaire, mais très agréable à lire, une fois de plus. Longue vie à cette superbe collection. Je doute qu'elle enchante les détenteurs des droits de traduction, mais on ne peut pas réaliser les rêves de tout le monde en même temps.

... so it isn't some great wonder that this also happens to our hero Harry Bosch. In the last book ( The Drop (A Harry Bosch Novel) , instead of chosing retirement Harry Bosch returned to the LAPD with a 5 year contract under the Deferred Retirement Option Plan - "The DROP". He now works with the Open Unsolved Unit trying to bundle up Cold Cases. And there it comes along ... May 1992 - The Snow White case. So called because most of the other victims after May 1992, and after four LAPD officers were acquitted for the savage beating of Rodney King, were of colour. What was a very young and very white Danish reporter doing in the middle of the looting and beating that took place for weeks in certain quarters of Los Angeles. Harry and his colleagues - working under wartime conditions and the supervision of ex-Gulf-War troopers - can only do that much on the crime scene. Not enough to solve this apperently so futile murder. But there WAS someone to gain of the death of the free-lance reporter... And now it has come his way - the Snow White. And Harry, the old bloodhound as always, begins to sniff in all possible places to find his The Black Box . He calls it that way because he knows: In every case there is a Black Box, like those who are nearly indestructable and give away - when found - their knowlegde about airplane or ship desasters. He only needs to find his special Black Box to resolve the case. And he will find it. And will try to hunt the culprit(s) down. But he himself is a hunted, too. He has lacked of respect for the (In)competence of his superiors at LAPD - especially his current Lieutenant O'Toole more or less friendly nicked "O'Fool" -who refers Bosch to Internal Affairs on what seems to be a petty cause. But it could become very important because it can affect the way Harry may run or not the investigation. And he could lose his job very easily if the complaint remains standing. But in the very end also the Internal Affairs will be of very, but very very important use for our hero, who has centered a wasp's nest with his investigation. And - as I said above - we are all gettin' older every day - and so's our Harry. So also heroes need a helping hand, sometimes... This book is a perfect read not only for friends and lovers of Michael Connelly and Harry Bosch, but for all those who like their Police Proceduals with the very personal touch only an author of this bravura nowadays dares to use on his protagonists. And that is an experience to value highly - in this times of easy e-books and wishy-washy investigations!

Started out watching Bosch on Amazon ( excellent ). I like to read so I bought the first book. I have been reading one after another since. Connelly weaves his plots to keep you guessing. He drags you into the story, keeping you engrossed. Harry Bosch is one of the best fiction detectives I have read. In some ways Connelly’s writing style makes me think of British crime novels. He depends on the cast of characters to pull the story along. Bosch is far from perfect he has many failings but he overcomes many of them through his sense of honor; his motto, “ everyone matters or no one does” drives him. He tends to use people to reach his goals and this causes him many problems in his professional and personal lives. Like most of us he tends to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. Because of his rough upbringing and his service in Vietnam he distrusts pretty much everybody and this adds to his cynical outlook and inner loneliness. Bosch’s best qualities are his relentlessness and his focus. But he also is a very caring person. This is shown by his relationships in that he cares deeply about those he becomes involved with, lovers, his exwife, partners and other coworkers, but his own paranoialike distrust leads him to sabotage these relationships. The only pure relationship to this point is with his daughter who loves unconditionally. It is edifying that one who has seen so much ugliness can retain the capacity for this. harry has his demons but he is still able to control them. I highly recommend this series. There are 20 novels and a few short stories. Many times I will start a novel series, read a few, get worn out and move to a new novel or series then eventually come back. With Bosch I have not felt this. Bosch is too compelling. Too relatable. I need to know what’s next. Without Bosch this self isolation would be unbearable. Thank you Mr. Connelly.