The Overlook (A Harry Bosch Novel, 13) - Hardcover

Connelly, Michael

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0316018953 ISBN 13: 9780316018951

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 2007

Synopsis

Near Mulholland Drive, Dr. Stanley Kent is found shot twice in the back of the head. It's the case LAPD detective Harry Bosch has been waiting for, his first since being recruited to the Homicide Special Squad. When he discovers that Kent had access to dangerous radioactive substances, what begins as a routine investigation becomes something darker, more deadly, and frighteningly urgent. Bosch is soon in conflict with not only his superiors but the FBI, which thinks the case is too important for just a cop. Complicating his job even more is the presence of Agent Rachel Walling, his onetime lover. Now guarding one slim advantage, Bosch relentlessly follows his own instincts, hoping they are still sharp enough to find the truth--and a killer who can annihilate an entire city.

About this title

About the Author

Michael Connelly, a #1 New York Times bestselling novelist and a former journalist, has won numerous crime fiction prizes. He lives in Florida.

Reviews

Michael Connelly originally published The Overlook as a serialized novella in the New York Times Magazine; the 16 sections contained 3,000 words each. Although expanded to novel form, The Overlook weighs in as a good, if slim (and perhaps, as a few critics claim, slight), addition to the Harry Bosch series. For the most part, the novel succeeds in maintaining Connelly's trademark fast-paced action, plot twists, suspense, and spare, humorous writing-all over the course of 12 hours. Some reviewers cited tired characters, dull romance, a bizarre time frame, and plotting missteps, but for followers of Harry Bosch, The Overlook is a worthy addition.
Copyright © 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc.

Starred Review. Bestseller Connelly's dazzling 13th Harry Bosch novel (after 2006's Echo Park) reunites Bosch with his former flame, FBI agent Rachel Walling. Bosch must break in a new partner, rookie Iggy Ferras, when they're called to look into the execution of physicist Stanley Kent on a Mulholland Drive overlook. When a special FBI unit, headed by Walling, arrives and tries to usurp his case, claiming it's a matter of national security, Bosch refuses to back down. Walling's focus on the potential theft of radioactive material from the hospital where Kent was lending his expertise to cancer treatment and her unwillingness to share information only make Bosch more determined to solve the case. This is a quick read, almost half the length of Connelly's previous novels, but he spares no punches when it comes to complexity and suspense. The scramble to investigate threats to national security, justified or otherwise, is a timely subject and one on which Connelly puts a brilliant new spin. (May 22)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

This short novel began life as a 16-part serial in the New York Times. Despite being expanded somewhat for book publication, the story's roots as a plot-driven serial remain visible: readers familiar with Connelly's celebrated Harry Bosch series--And what hard-boiled fiction fan isn't?--will notice less character development and less psychological texture here than in any of the full-length Bosch novels, but that isn't to say the story doesn't pack a wallop. In the wake of the controversial events at the conclusion of Echo Park (2006), Bosch has a new assignment, with LAPD's Homicide Special Unit. He lands his first case when a body is found on the overlook near Mulholland Drive. The victim, Dr. Stanley Kent, turns out to have had access to radioactive materials stored at hospitals throughout L.A. As the clues point toward a terrorist plot, Bosch must contend with various crime-fighting bureaucracies, including the FBI and Homeland Security. Bosch reacts to bureaucratic interference (even from former lover and FBI agent Rachel Walling) like the body reacts to radiation, so the sparks begin to fly immediately. Unlike other Bosch novels, which effortlessly mix action with the hero's inner struggles, this one unfolds like an episode of 24, pounding its way relentlessly to a surprising conclusion. Treat The Overlook like a tasty hors d'oeuvre: down it in one quick gulp, and look forward to the next Bosch entree. Bill Ott
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
• Publication date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0316018953
• ISBN 13: 9780316018951
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 240