Reviews

The Overlook

"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."
— Publishers Weekly, * Starred Review

"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, Booklist, American Library Association

Even a slim addition to the Harry Bosch series is a treat, and what "The Overlook" lacks in heft it more than makes up for in unexpected twists. The work first appeared as a serialization in the Sunday New York Times Magazine. Connelly has reworked the original and succeeds, again, at creating a first-rate crime novel - fast-paced and dizzying, and driven by Bosch's unrelenting vision. Bosch's last case, in "Echo Park," found him assigned to the Los Angeles Police Department's Open-Unsolved Crime Unit. But "Echo Park" didn't end well for Bosch. "The Overlook" finds him back on the current crime beat, in Parker Center's Robbery/Homicide Special Division. Bosch is home when the first call on his new job comes, at midnight. The Hollywood Division has asked for Homicide Special to take over a murder committed on the overlook above Mulholland Dam. The crime scene has the look of an execution. The trunk of the victim's Porsche is open, and whatever had been its contents - something quite heavy - has been removed. The victim had been made to kneel on the ground before being killed by shots to the back of his head. Identification on the body shows the victim's name as Stanley Kent. Bosch's new partner, Ignacio (Iggy) Ferras hasn't made it to the crime scene when the feds show up, in the person of FBI Agent Rachel Walling of the Tactical Intelligence Unit. Rachel provokes discomfort on two levels. She and Bosch have a romantic history, and their last chapter didn't end well. Also, the federal presence and its implied interference don't sit well with Bosch. The Tactical Intelligence Unit is focused on homeland security and terrorist activities. It is interested in Kent's death because he is a medical physicist who had access to radioactive isotopes used for cancer treatment. Bosch and Rachel go to Kent's home, where they find his wife bound and gagged. It looks as though Kent had been blackmailed into turning over a number of cesium sources to his attackers; the marks in the trunk of his car are easily attributed to the lead-shielded case holding the sources. The ownership and location of the radioactive materials, the building block of dirty bombs, are of keen interest to the FBI. As they set off on a desperate race against time, intent on protecting L.A. from terrorist attack, Bosch and Rachel lose sight of solving Kent's murder. The FBI's assumption is that finding the terrorists behind the theft will certainly lead to the killer. Bosch isn't so sure. Those who read "The Overlook" as a serialization won't find any changes to the basic story; the outcomes remain the same. But, as Connelly explains on his website (MichaelConnelly.com), the work that originally appeared in The New York Times had to adhere to a strict format: 16 chapters with around 3,000 words each. Connelly said he is happier with the pacing of the rewrite, and that he enjoyed the opportunity to revisit and reflect upon changes to a story after it was supposedly finished. It has been 15 years and 13 novels since Bosch appeared in "The Black Echo." Connelly's work is now the stuff of best sellers, and his recognition is well-deserved. Simplistically, he takes a lone wolf with a passion for justice, sets him against a fallible system and writes about their intersection with tight lyricism. "The Overlook" is a fine addition to Connelly's oeuvre, replete with all the elements his readers have come to expect: great velocity, imagery and unexpected twists. But the novel's most endearing quality, shared with its predecessors, is that Bosch and those characters in his orbit are unusually fully realized and fallible - in other words, human. Bosch's sense of what is right and appropriate drives this tale and the ultimate outcomes are surprising, to say the least. But what is perhaps most surprising is that Connelly, once again, has hit a home run. He does it quietly and without any pyrotechnics. He makes it look deceptively easy.
— Robin Vidimos, The Denver Post

"The Overlook is a slick, fast-paced mystery novel. The reader is quickly drawn in as momentum and excitement build exponentially, taking some very clever and unexpected twists along the way. An unsolved murder is interesting in its own right but there is also the feel of something larger and more malevolent happening to ratchet up the danger level of an almost perfect crime. Michael Connelly is no nonsense and in complete control, using his straightforward, intelligent style to reveal crucial puzzle pieces, the perfect bait, at precisely the right moments. He does this just enough to feed the reader's need and growing desire for more. Using references to familiar news items, Connelly plays on but does not exploit the fears and vulnerabilities born of the Twin Towers and perpetuated by the current political climate. Add this to a tight plot and excellent characters and The Overlook becomes real. The Overlook is brilliant, seamlessly written, and believable. We are grateful this mystery was released as a novel. It is far too compelling and addictive a read for many die-hard fans to cultivate the patience to endure the wait between each segment of the original New York Times Magazine serial. Once again, Michael Connelly proves himself to be an excellent writer; the master of his game. If one could die from the obsessive ingestion of mystery novels, he would make it one hell of a way to go.
— J Curran, www.TheMysterySite.com