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Title: The Narrows: A Novel by Michael Connelly ISBN: 0-316-15530-6 Publisher: Little Brown & Company Pub. Date: 03 May, 2004 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $25.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.64 (47 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: .
Comment: "Stay out of the narrows...",
the children of Los Angeles are told. Of Connelly's 14th novel, which takes its name from the LA flood drainage system, it is advice best taken. If you are new to his work, that is - because THE NARROWS is essentially both a coming together of all Connelly's work up to this point, and, I think, a renaissance. If you're a long-term reader, disregard it entirely. Dive in. Indeed, you probably already have.
The Poet is back in business. The serial killer escaped at the conclusion of Connelly's novel of the same name. The official word, though, was that he had been killed. But now he's surfaced again, and leads the FBI to a site in the barren Mojave desert where they begin to uncover fresh victims. The FBI brings in agent Rachel Walling, who worked the original case, as an advisor. Meanwhile, in L.A....an old acquaintance of Harry Bosch's dies. His widow comes to the retired homicide-detective-turned-PI and asks him to investigate, citing some very suspicious circumstances that suggest the death was anything but natural.
The pre-publication buzz about this novel was remarkable - helped along no doubt by the fact that no advanced copies were doled out, destined in the end for sites like eBay. The level of hype may be part of the reason why I'm a little disappointed. Hell, not very though, it's still a terrific book. Although while I was suspecting it might be Connelly's best, it's not quite.
As I've said, THE NARROWS is a melding of all his work to date. As a result, it is actually not quite as convincing as all the other Bosch novels unfailingly are. Too, Connelly has always been excellent at stitching his work into real-life; other authors often try, but the result often seems perfunctory and vacuous. Here, though, while the copious references might absolutely delight some fans, I thought he went slightly over the top, referencing to such an extent that it sometimes becomes rather surreal, making this book neither of this world nor quite of the fictional one - it seems to exist in an awkward limbo. Sometimes, the touches are magical, but here I think he's trying slightly too hard - after all, the reader is all too aware of the true nature of Connelly's world, and the fact that these characters and events don't exist in reality, just their own internal one - even if it's nice to think that, somewhere, they may do, and no matter how many times they chat about the movie Blood Work. (It was nice to see Ian Rankin, though, if only in pictorial rather than corporeal form!)
All that above, though, is just me being pedantic and silly. Because, when it comes right down to it, I did love this book. I didn't even mind too much that we don't spend a lot of time in L.A., Connelly's evocation of which is masterful and a great strength of his series. After a while, I didn't at all miss the exceptional passages about the city. Mainly because I didn't have time to, the plot moves at such thrilling pace. It's slick, engrossing, and interlocks just as excellently as it did in The Poet. I certainly would not be surprised if Connelly, and his characters, came back from this work even stronger than before. Considering that he's probably the best crime writer in America, that bodes incredibly well. He's also the most accomplished crime writer I know at keeping his series fresh, and once again there's a wealth of new directions he could go after this.
THE NARROWS is very well-written, very enjoyable, and very clever. It shows a crime-writer writing as crime-writers write best. The conclusion, incorporating the aforementioned narrows, is tense and, along with a nice twist, forms an excellent culmination to the book.
The last word, though, must go to Bosch. Almost stereotypically fascinating, he stands out because he is probably the least static protagonist in all crime fiction. Both his situation and his character are continually undergoing an evolution, and of course even more is to come now that he's discovered he's a parent:
"All I knew was that I didn't want to teach her anything. I felt tainted by the paths I had taken in my life and the things I knew. I had nothing from it I wanted her to have. I just wanted her to teach me."
Rating: 5
Summary: Spectacular!!!
Comment: Harry Bosch is asked by a friend's widow to investigate her husband's death. She suspects that it was murder, not a heart attack.
Concurrently, tarnished FBI agent Rachel Walling (on a "hardship posting" in South Dakota) receives a late night phone call from Quantico indicating that a demonic serial killer, assumed dead, is back in business.
The simultaneous plots converge at the Zzyzx Road exit on Highway 15 between Las Vegas and LA.
Harry's quest and Rachel's investigation eventually lead to a partnership that adds tension to the story.
The characters are well drawn and believable; their strengths and weaknesses probed.
Mr. Connelly is a master at quietly producing continuous action that explodes exponentially into a white-knuckle ride.
His ability to hide clues in plain sight is extraordinary
Taut suspense, intricate plotting and the captivating premise propel Harry and Rachel in their pursuit of the diabolical villain.
It is "cat and mouse" at the highest level.
The overriding struggles and characters are potent and persuasive, the plot labyrinthine, the twists logical yet unforeseen.
Michael Connelly is the magical virtuoso of present day crime fiction. He defines and refines the genre---never playing it safe.
"The Narrows" is the most peerless example of contemporary noir writing imaginable.
I am certain one can enjoy "The Narrows" without having read "The Poet"---but if one does, it will spoil one's reading of "The Poet."
Rating: 5
Summary: Simply, His Best!!
Comment: I have liked most of Michael Connelly's novels, but until this one, I always thought The Poet was his best. With this one, building upon that novel, Connelly has out done himself. Harry Bosch has agreed to look into the death of a good friend at the request of the widow. Everyone thinks it was a heart attack. Through careful sleuthing, Bosch comes up with a scenario which suggests murder, but no obvious reason or suspect. In the meantime FBI agent Rachel Walling, last seen in The Poet, has been drawn back into another search for the serial killer, whom all thought dead. The Poet was her mentor as an FBI agent and he clearly has plans for more killing. As the story moves between Walling and Bosch the lines of the story intersect and Bosch and Walling, while dealing with FBI higher ups that make your teeth hurt, follow the clues and find the truth. If you only buy one harcover book this summer, buy this one. It is flat, dead great.
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