The Bosch series is for anyone who likes a good police detective thriller. The story isn't as fast paced as James Pattersons - Alex Cross series, but the pace will keep you reading. The Black Echo, Black Ice, and Concrete Blonde (4 stars, 4 stars, and 5 stars, respectively) are a great compilation for starting with the Bosch Series. The first book may be a slightly predictable, but it gives good detail on the lead character. The second book builds on the first, with a lot of twists, and the third is the best of them all, a must read.

Reading the "Harry Bosch Novels" gives you a great perspective on the books that follow. While each of Connelly's books are a great read on their own, it certainly makes them more enjoyable to start from the beginning of the series for the history. I was really impressed how Connelly handled the telling of the Dollmaker case in the third book, even though chronologically it was a case Bosch was involved in prior to the first book.

If you're a CSI fan, you'll really enjoy how Connelly delivers the details of the cases Bosch finds himself involved in. And if you like Nelson Demille's lead characters in Plum Island and General's Duaghter, you'll enjoy Harry Bosch who shares many of the same personal traits.

can get enough of bosch! connelly is an amazing writer and you will be pleased with all three of these books! a great read

A great story of a troubled teen. Neil Connelly does a great job of drawing the reader into his world at OLPH. I got so drawn in, it is as if I lived some of that life with Keegan. So much can be taken from this book at many different levels. I would recommend this book for high school students and parents of high school students. The book can be used as a tool teach, among many things, the value of communication. I also recommend this book for anyone who is just looking for a fun read. It is a story with which we can learn and a story in which we can just have fun with.

I look forward to his next novel.

Neil Connelly's debut novel, St. Michael's Scales has the ability to touch a part of every person who knows what it feels like to be the unpopular kid in high school and to feel like such an outsider, you resort to thinking dangerous scenarios. I think all readers can relate to the main character of this moving novel's main character, Keegan Flannery.

Keegan is 15, two years older than everybody in his class at Our Lady of Perpetual Help high school, yet he's smaller than everyone too. His size makes it easy for him to disappear from the real world and live in his mind, where he feels discarded from his deteriorating family. He feels he is the cause of his twin's death (in the womb at that). He thinks he's responsible for his mother's breakdown and his family's subsequent breakdown.

Due to his spiraling depression and feelings of inadequacy, Keegan plots to kill himself before his 16th birthday which is 14 days away. In his two-week countdown, Keegan befriends the unlikeliest of people, Perpetual Help's wrestling team. Through his interaction with the colorful and strange students and teachers of P.H., Keegan has to make the choice to either realize that his life is worth living or continue on his path to destruction.

St. Michael's Scales is a warm, poignant novel that touches the heart and the mind and makes the reader think. It's not just a novel for young adults. It's a novel for parents of young adults, and point blank, it's a novel for PEOPLE because we have all had moments of inadequacy, and most of us have faced the scary situation of "is my life meaningful?"

I look forward to reading more of Connelly's work.

Shon Bacon

This book is the best book i have ever read!! if you are looking for a thrilling book with some witty comedy, this is it. the author just illustrates the charcters so well, it's like they are right there in front of you, like they are in a play and you are the audince. This book is AWESOME!!

For anyone interested in getting to know more about Michael Collins and Ireland's finally successful struggle for freedom from Britain, this book is an excellent, easily read introduction. It depicts in words and photos a terrible and critically important period in Irish history and introduces the reader to one of the most fascinating and compelling figures in that history or any other. Highly recommended.

Everyone has heard the cliche "A picture's worth a thousand words" and Connolly proves it is true. History comes to life beautifully as the reader is enveloped in headlines, photos, drawings and letters of the time. As well as eye candy, The Illustrated Life of Michael Collins provides an accurate, easy-to-read biography and a palatable political analysis. Unlike some other historical profiles, Connolly stays away from melodrama and hero worship, telling the facts as they were and leaving the observer to make his own choices. A worthwhile purchase for anyone interested in Michael Collins and/or Irish history.

Being a fan of Irish history and in particular the life of Michael Collins I was very impressed with the content of the book.This book show's the man as he really was to the Irish people.A hero who died in the persute of freedom for his people.

This is one of the first books I bought when I started collecting arms and armour. The color photographs are detailed and of good quality, and there is a fairly good range of swords from European to Indian/oriental. I have found myself reaching for this book as a resource many times. I highly recommend it.

As a child I took weapons, swords, daggers, Sgian dubhs, dirks hanging on the wall as the norm for decor. My Grandfather's home was covered with this items that looked wonderful. As I grew I came to appreciate the beautiful and craftsmanship in weapons that dominated warfare for millenniums, until the coming of the more clumsy equaliser guns. Anyone can pick up a gun and fire it, but to use a sword with proficiency was something akinned to a ballet. Thrust, parry, block, defence and offence, from claymore to épées were breathtaking to watch, even more so was the feeling of hold these metal wonders in your hands. So it was not surprising I went on to collect swords. And this book satisfies that love of the weapon. With various contributors, they trace the earliest origins from stone area, bronze age and bronze age to the swords of World Wars I and II. It covers swords from the Middle East, the unsurpassed Japanese Samurai blades, Swords used in China and Central Asia, even into India, Africa and Pre-Conquest America.

It is LOADED with colour pictures of the weapons, historical paintings showing them in use, even details spectrograms on the composition of the swords, how they were made, used from the most basic to the most ornamental dress swords. Every page just is simply amazing.

Highly recommended any any sword collection, anyone interested in knowing more about these weapons that forged our history and especially of interest to historical writer and historical romance writers. An Absolute MUST for them.

This is the most complete reference I have seen on the subject, rife with good photographs and superb research. Each chapter is written by a different person (experts I assume) and provides exceptional detail. It has sections on Bronze and Iron Age weapons; western weapons from Rome through WWII; Japanese swords; Indian weapons; and Chinese and Southeast Asian weapons; it even covers African weapons quite well. If you are starting a library of edged weapons, or already have one, this book must be in it!

Yes...this book will definitely keep your interest, until the end...The only criticism is, can it possibly relate to real life? Well, it does to an extent, but the protagonist, Hieronymous (Harry) Bosch, is so extraordinarily focused, and so outstandingly righteous, that it's hard to believe he's real. Living in Los Angeles, this is a concern of mine, because Harry is with the LAPD. All the flack he puts up with, because he's a loner, it makes us citizens kind of feel a little uneasy: The LAPD is like a large and legitimate Mafia, the way they spy on each other...or, on the other hand, they don't take the job seriously, like Mr. Bosch does...they have "side jobs." Great! We have nothing to worry about! Cops like Harry are a fable and the cops who get fat and would rather be selling real estate are the reality!

Anyway, all that aside, there's an interesting quote, when Harry and his love interest, FBI agent Eleanor Wish, are conversing at one point. She asks Harry has he heard what J. Edgar Hoover said about justice. No, he says, but he probably said a lot. "He said justice is incidental to law and order."
Is that Platonic, or what? Nietzschean? Hitlerian? Well, anyway, it's cute. It simplifies everything for law enforcement people, don't you think?

Great book. That's why I'm not telling you what happens. Read it and find out! Diximus.

This is the first Harry Bosch novel. Bosch, formerly a Nam tunnel rat, is now a detective with the LAPD. The story concerns the death of one of Bosch's fellow tunnel rats in Vietnam. Bosch is basically a loner who lives on a Hollywood hillside over looking the city lights. A beer-drinking chain smoker, he follows his own moral compass and resists pressure to conform to department standards for a LAPD detective, taking minimum guff from everyone while staying in bounds of the rules. One of the main delights of the book is trying to figure out what makes Bosch tick. He behaves like most men secretly believe they could behave: like a real man. There is not a lot of action in this book but the narrative is tightly written and the dialogue sounds true to the ear. The author also has a fine way with setting a scene. All in all, a fine start and I can't wait to start my second Harry Bosch story and learn moe about this dude Bosch.

I read this book on the flight to the U.S. which initiated my move to this country several years ago. Having spent a couple of months in L.A. in 1991 just prior to the first Rodney King trial (which was to spark the upheaval this book, in part, draws on), at a time when tension was already palpable in the air, "Angels Flight" ("El Vuelo del Angel") immediately brought back my memories of that time. Now that I am living and working in Los Angeles again, I can appreciate even better Michael Connelly's excellent insight into the politics of this city and the situation of the LAPD, where, with the "C.R.A.S.H." scandal, the ghost of the old beast has recently reared its head again. Connelly's rendition is true to detail in every respect - even his description of the ongoing struggle to define the role of the "inspector general," whose position was created as a response to the Rodney King trials and tribulations; who as yet, however, has not been as effective as the creators of that office had in mind.

"Angel's Flight" was Connelly's first book I read, and it immediately drew me into the Harry Bosch series. I have since become an ardent fan and am always eagerly awaiting the next installment. Michael Connelly is one of the few authors who have never once disappointed me!

Thomas Perry's first novel is a Killer-Thriller! I had read "Sleeping Dogs"(the sequal) before I read "The Butchers Boy". Both books are great. I am glad they re-printed "The Butchers Boy" because it explains a lot I missed when reading
"Sleeping Dogs". However, each book can stand alone without the other. The "Butchers Boy" is about a hitman that is double crossed by the mob after he completed some contract(killing) work for them. It also tells the story of the Department of Justice Field Agent that is trying to tie all the killings together. It is a race to the end to find the missing link that will tie the knot to this killer-thriller. Also don't miss the few chapters that introduces us to the much loved "jane whitefield series" the lady that can make you disappear. I hope Perry brings that series back-it was one of his best. "Butchers Boy is a good read!

Thomas Perry introduces the unpredictable Butcher's Boy in this book and continues the story years later in the novel Sleeping Dogs. Both books are great. This one won an Edgar award. Read everything you can by Perry. He's the best thriller writer going. Unlike some more popular writers in this genre, he can actually write.

I read this book in one sitting, something I've haven't done since. It always amazed me that a movie hasn't been made out out this great story line: Hit-man on the run, young female FBI agent and Mafia hit-men on his trail. What fascinated me was the detailed picture that Perry paints on the need of a person in a business such as the 'Butcher's Boy' to blend into the background and, by all means, not get noticed. He's carried this on somewhat in his later books, which are all very good, but this is, I believe, his masterpiece.

While I eagerly awaited Bosch's return in Angels Flight I was somewhat disappointed in what I found between the covers. I hate to have to give this book a mediocre review.

Where did the Harry that I had grown to love go? It seemed as though his gritty, hard edged character has softened and in doing so become a bit bland.

I honestly, had to skim through several parts of this book because I just couldn't get into it. I am a huge fan of Connelly's and I just hope that Void Moon will take us back to the Connelly we know and love - hey, everyone is allowed to make a mistake, right?

If you are a Bosch fan then you should read Angels Flight but if not go back a read some of Connelly's older books first.

This is my introduction to both Michael Connelly and his detective character, Harry Bosch. Fortunately, the book is written so the reader can enjoy it without prior knowledge of the hero or his world. It opens with Bosch being awakened to investigate a double homocide, one of which is a local celebrity lawyer who makes a living suing the police. The investigation ranges all over, including a dominatrix, a child pornography web site, and a local automobile dealer tycoon.
Some of the strong points Connelly brings to this story are his seeming knowledge of police procedures and the realistic, modern feel. His mentions of the LA riots lend images to the fears in the story that this murder, possibly racially motivated, may give rise to further violence.
Burt Reynolds read this version of the audiobook. He has the ideal voice for Harry Bosch, and a good sound for detective mysteries in general, but not much vocal range. All the characters in the book sounded like Burt Reynolds. What was good for Bosch didn't quite work out for some other characters, especially the women. I kept picturing female characters in in dresses with bushy mustaches.

WOW! What a read. Wish there were more stars to award this book. Michael Connelly has brought Harry Bosh back in full glory. The twists and turns are all there, as Chief Irving pairs Bosh with his old nemesis, Sustain Chastain, to solve a case that combines all the dangers of every case that has been in the public view over the past 10 years. There is only one problem with this book, and that is that Michael Connelly has totally ruined every other author on the market for me. I can no longer enjoy mysteries or adventure stories by any other writer. So I have to read trash until Connelly issues his annual fare. I find myself re-reading Concrete Blonde and Trunk Music because the re-read is better than the first read of any other author. Keep 'em coming, Michael. Bosch is the best of them all.

Michael Connelly is probably today's best mystery writer. He's up there with the likes of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett. His Harry Bosch is one of the best, most engaging cop/PI/investigator since the noir years in the 50s and 60s. You know that when you start a Harry Bosch novel, you won't want to let go of it until you turn the very last page.

That's why Lost Light is a little bit disappointing. Not that it's a bad book. It's classic Connelly; it reads quickly, the writing is sharp, the dialogue even sharper and the plot moves quickly. Only thing is, Connelly has done this before, and better.

In Lost Light, we find Bosch investigating the murder of a young woman who worked as a production assisstant on a movie. That very movie is also under scrutiny, as it was the setting for a 2 million dollar heist that is still unresolved. Mix to this a missing FBI agent and you've got more than enough to keep your mind busy for 360 pages. But the plot itself is quite predictable. You can easily predict Bosch's next step. There are very few surprises for the reader in Lost Light

The one intersting thing is that, for the very first time, Connelly chose to write the book in the first person. And I have to admit that it suits the book and the character well. It was great to finally get into Bosch's mind, see how he thinks, what he does. I just love the way this character thinks and acts. He feels so real on the page that he just seems to creep right out of the book.

You can see that Connelly is trying to bring his character in a new direction now that he is retired. And retirement works well for Bosch. I liked him a lot as a cop, but I like him even more as a retired PI. And the very last pages of the book offers a surprise that will probably change Bosch quite dramatically in the future.

Lost Light isn't a bad book. Far from it, it can be quite entertaining at times. But Connelly has done this before with his earlier books. Maybe I would have liked more surprises, or maybe a bigger payoff in the end. It would only have been fitting that, because Connelly uses the first person for the first time, Lost Light would have been a breaking point in the series. Unfortunately, it isn't. As it is, Lost Light does provide a few hours of entertainment, if only that.

Harry Bosch is back & better than ever! Learning how to enjoy his retirement, Harry ponders on past cases, especially those he couldn't close. One such case involved a random slaying of a young woman in the vestibule of her apartment building, her lovely hands haunt Harry's dreams. Another case, in which he was forced to fire his weapon, was the audacious heist from a movie set of two million legitimate dollars in a delivery truck which a Los Angeles bank had catered.

Michael Connelly continues to write in his trademark taut, authentic & riveting style. LOST LIGHT is a fine tale of deceit & greed, friends plagued by guilt, homespun philosophy, false reports & rogue agents. This time, he also offers redemption, a rare & rewarding commodity.

Harry Bosch has begun his retirement and he doesn't like it. After a career in law enforcement, and devoting his life to protecting, and avenging those wronged by the law, Bosch finds it difficult to sit home and do nothing, especially since he is haunted by the unsolved murder of a young girl.

Bosch begins his private investigation, only to find another unsolved crime...one that is linked to the murder of the young woman.

Unable to rest until the killer is caught, Bosch will work outside of the law, but every step he gets closer to the truth brings him closer to a madman who'll stop at nothing to keep that truth from being found out.

'Lost Light' is another great entry in the Harry Bosch series. The story unfolds at a breakneck pace, and every turn of the page introduces a new plot twist. Harry Bosch is one of the best characters in detective fiction, and with each new outing we see him grow wiser and more mature taking the series to a whole new level.

Michael Connelly continues to dazzle readers with his original, fast-paced and complex novels. Each new novel surpasses that of the previous, proving Michael Connelly to be a master of his craft.

As with all previous Connelly novels, expect to see 'Lost Light' on all the bestseller lists.

Nick Gonnella

This was the first Michael Connolly book I read, and because of it I have since bought five others. The plot is engaging from the very start. Ex-FBI agent Terry McCaleb, whose speciality was profiling serial killers, has retired from the Bureau after a heart transplant and is living on his boat in LA harbour. Having turned his back on fighting crime, he has no intentions of helping Graciela Rivers, a woman whose sister has been murdered, until he finds out that the transplanted heart that saved his life belonged to her. With this knowledge, he feels obliged to investigate Gloria's death, against the express wishes of his doctor and knowing it could have serious consequences for his health.

All McCaleb has to go on is a video tape from a convenience store showing a masked man hold up the owner and then shoot the two witnesses. Add to this the hostility he receives from the two LAPD detectives assigned the case, and it seems like McCaleb isn't going to get far. However, it soon becomes clear that the crime is not as random as it seems, and McCaleb is on the trail of someone a lot more sinister than an opportunistic thief.

Connolly writes "Blood Work" with an unrelenting pace and a real flair for knowing exactly how to string the reader along. You'll be as hooked as one of the fish in the harbour!

This was my first time reading a book by Michael Connelly. I saw somewhere that Clint Eastwood has a movie version of "Blood Work" coming out in August and what I read of the plot interested me so I got the book. It did not disappoint. I enjoyed "Blood Work", I'm looking forward to seeing what Clint Eastwood did with it and I am definitely checking out some of Mr. Connelly's other books.

Terry McCaleb is a retired FBI Agent who specialized in profiling serial killers and he's fresh off a heart transplant. His new chance at life is compromised when he learns that the woman whose heart he was given was murdered - and her sister wants his help in finding the killer. McCaleb's unofficial investigation is hampered by his condition (still recovering from transplant surgery) and turf battles with local law enforcement who don't exactly appreciate hints from a former fed that they may have missed something. Plus he's become emotionally attached to the murdered woman's sister and son, and someone seems to be setting McCaleb up to look like a less than innocent recipient of a life-saving organ.

I liked the way Connelly was able to use McCaleb's heart transplant to both drive the plot forward, as a motivating force, and to hold McCaleb back, in terms of the reality of the situation - he couldn't drive a car because of air bags, he had to get someone to drive him or call a cab; he had to take a ton of medication and monitor his temperature to make sure he didn't reject his new heart. Later on in the book, he took a lot of chances that could have jeopardized his health, but it was necessary to the plot (he wasn't going to solve the murder from a hospital bed) and there was always an awareness that he was doing something risky - in fact his doctor was ready to dump him as a patient because of his actions. It put an interesting twist on a murder mystery/thriller.

"Blood Work" is fast-moving and entertaining fiction. It's made me want to read other Michael Connelly books and I'm looking forward to seeing the screen version.

Ex-FBI agent Terry McCaleb spends most of his days onboard his boat where he's recovering from a heart transplant. It's a quiet, restful life until Graciella Rivers steps onto McCaleb's boat. She wants McCaleb to find the murderer of her sister Gloria. McCaleb is uninterested until Graciella discloses one addition piece of information: the heart McCaleb received once belonged to Gloria.

McCaleb learns that Gloria's murder is more than just a random act of violence during a convenience store robbery. To say any more would give away too much of a great story. What makes the story great? First, Connelly writes smart. The story is intriguing, fast-paced, and most important - believable. As a reader of mysteries and thrillers, I really get tired of writers who jerk you around from one red-herring to another in order to steer your attention away from a plot detail you might have otherwise noticed. Connelly does none of this. His story (and his writing) has a flow that reads very naturally and easily. BLOOD WORK is one of the smartest thrillers I've read in a long time. Well worth your time and money.

496 pages