| | |  | Amazon Kindle | Home » » » Echo Park (Harry Bosch) | | | | | | | Description: | | In 1995, Marie Gesto disappeared after walking out of a supermarket in Hollywood. Harry Bosch worked the case but couldn't crack it, and the 22-year-old woman never turned up, dead or alive. Now Bosch is in the Open-Unsolved Unit, where he still keeps the Gesto file on his desk, when he gets a call from the DA. A man accused of two heinous killings is willing to come clean about several other murders, including the killing of Marie Gesto. Bosch must now take Raynard Waits's confession and get close to the man he has sought - and hated - for eleven years. But when Bosch learns that he and his partner missed a clue back in 1995 that could have led them to Gesto's killer - and that would have stopped nine murders that followed - he begins to crack.
Michael Connelly's suspenseful new novel pits the detective People magazine calls "one of the most complex crime fighters around" against one of the most sadistic killers he has ever confronted. It confirms that Michael Connelly "is the best writer of suspense fiction working today" (Richmond Times-Dispatch). | | | Product Details: | | | Average Customer Rating:
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Average Customer Review:
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83 of 92 found the following review helpful:
 Four and one half stars...Oct 17, 2006
By Cynthia K. Robertson
Michael Connelly's latest Harry Bosch mystery, Echo Park, is just about as good as it gets. I am amazed at the consistent high quality of Connelly's writing.
In 1993, Connelly was assigned the case of Marie Gesto, a young lady who disappeared on her way to a riding stable. Her body was never found, no suspect was ever identified, and the unsolved case continues to haunt Bosch (an LAPD detective now working in their Open-Unsolved Unit). In 2006, Raynard Waits is driving a van in Echo Park at 2:00 AM when he is stopped by the LAPD. Trash bags are discovered in his van that contain the body parts of two women. In an effort to avoid the death penalty, Waits wants to make a deal and confess to the murders of nine other individuals--including Marie Gesto. But Bosch isn't convinced that Waits murdered Gesto and things go terribly awry.
Politics play a big role in Echo Park. Richard "Ricochet" O'Shea is a prosecutor running for district attorney. He's trying to use the Waits' case as a publicity stunt. When things go bad, he tries to blame the LAPD. The now retired assistant police commissioner and Bosch nemesis, Irvin Irving, is running for city council. He blames Bosch for his forced retirement and takes potshots at him in the press. Anytime politicians get involved, there seem to be bribes, cover-ups, blaming, and sacrifices that will benefit themselves.
In Echo Park, FBI agent Rachel Walling (of The Poet and The Narrows) returns. Although not part of the official investigation, Walling still offers her expertise as a former psychological profiler. She also helps to keep Bosch on an even keel and provides a romantic twist.
My only criticism of Echo Park is that the political angle plays such a prominent part in this book, but then fizzles at the end. We never learn if O'Shea and Irving are elected to higher office, or not. Otherwise, I would have given Echo Park five stars.
26 of 27 found the following review helpful:
 The Lines We Will CrossOct 13, 2006
By J. Brian Watkins
Here's a book about feeding the dog, meaning that though each of us have competing desires and self-imposed limitations, we choose which part of our character to "feed", we draw the lines that we will refuse to cross. Mr. Connelly's finest creation, Detective Bosch, is one of those rare members of our society who are tasked with forming and testing assumptions regarding the limits of individuals. As we learn in short order in any mystery, you just never know what someone may be capable of--but Bosch does. Society has vested in Bosch the power to judge--not to convict or sentence, but to judge, a rather fine distinction. For this reason Connelly can set Bosch free; indeed, Bosch does much better work when he is unencumbered by rules, relationships and regulations. In Echo Park, we learn yet again that Bosch's judgment is not to be trifled with. More significantly, Bosch has become a much stronger character, more confident in his judgment and actions.
Connelly writes a multi-dimensional mystery. There are always several things going on at once; indeed, some threads continue from book to book. In short, Connelly makes excellent use of the rich history upon which he can draw from the former volumes in the series. And, I noted that our author must have plenty of free time to scope out the local restaurants; he's grown weary of Phillipe's.
Connelly remains at the top of his form and this work shows no hints of the slacking off that so often (and regrettably) takes place when the shelf holding an author's published works starts to creak under the weight. In this book we see how the power of choice makes all the difference--to say more risks spoiling a great read, but suffice it to say that we have the power to overcome any difficulty if we choose to do so. Or, we can choose to give in to our weaknesses and ruin everything. Connelly seems to me to be fascinated by our ability to act within a certain sphere--regardless of our perceived power, our actions always have so much more to say and so much more impact than we can imagine.
This author's gift is to take simple but powerful themes and invest them with new life and meaning by way of particularly adept characterizations; his books are literally a character study. For example, by way of a minor cameo appearance we are again reassured that the Chief of Police is honorable and that the LAPD is under sound direction: Bosch is trying to sneak into an ER with the Chief's entourage, an annoying gate keeper tries to block Bosch by pointing out that he does not belong, however, the Chief shuts down the gatekeeper and renders support to his officers, including Bosch, in a very simple but satisfying exchange. Though but a cameo, you feel as if you know the Chief's character. That our author can do so much with so little highlights the complexity of his creation in the character of Bosch, of whom Mr. Connelly has had numerous volumes to develop.
Very highly recommended.
19 of 20 found the following review helpful:
Outstanding. Connelly Delivers on Echo Park.Oct 09, 2006
By Peter Thomas Senese - Author.
""A book is a free ticket to anywhere in the universe - read!""
Over the past six months I have read nearly every Michael Connelly book with both my own personal attention to the study of the craft of writing, and for my overall amusement and entertainment. Echo Park is the first book that I have been waiting for from this distinguished author who has raised the literary bar for those writers who concentrate in the suspense/thriller genre'. In Echo Park, Michael Connelly delievers a terrific continuation of the Harry Bosch 'movement' with deliberate and flawless attention and consistancy to character development and plot line in juxtaposition to setting, thematic, and character profile.
What is amazing in Connelly's writing of Bosch in this informative and clever novel is how the author brings the reader into the head and heart of the protagonist in such a way that the reader feels their own heart racing, hair standing straight up, pins dagging into your spin, as you too question if Bosch errored in ways regarding the investigation of a murder years earlier that perhaps somehow allowed for more innocent lives to be victemized by a serial killer.
This is one of Connelly's best so far, and by far my favorite in the Harry Bosch series. What is clear is that Michael Connelly continues to wrap his hands magnificantly on the craft of storytelling, combining historical fact and 'truthisms' in the creation of the fiction world Harry Bosch navigates thru. Educational, pulsating, page-turning, Michael Connelly does a wonderful job bringing the reader to Echo Park.
16 of 18 found the following review helpful:
 Not one of his bestDec 18, 2006
By Mr D.
"Artist/Designer/Kibitzer"
In Echo Park, Michael Connelly's eighteenth novel, Detective Harry Bosch works a thirteen year old case - The abduction and assumed murder of twenty-two year old Marie Gesto. The story opens with a flash back to 1993 where Bosch and his then partner Jerry Edgars discover the victims car in a garage assigned to an vacant apartment in a Hollywood landmark.
They never found Marie Gesto and her case became one of Bosch's cause celebre cases, reviewing the case from time to time. This seems to something Bosch seems do with regularity, having taken other so-called cold cases under his wing. Anyway, the cold case of de jour for this story was the Gesto case, which becomes part of a serial murderer's confession in a plea agreement.
This doesn't sit well with Bosch, since he had pegged another individual as the perp. As the story plays out Bosch's suspicions are substantiated. On a field trip to disinter Gesto's remains, The serial killer, Raynard Waits, grabs a detective's gun killing him and another police officer, then wounds Bosch's present partner, Kiz Rider. The fact that his partner is critically wounded, keeps Bosch from pursuing Waits allowing the serial killer to escape.
In his efforts to gain an understanding of the Waits, Bosch calls Rachel Walling, an FBI agent and former profiler he cooperated with in the past. She becomes loosely involved in the investigation and as in the past, the two became romantically involved.
As in the past it was a mistake, on both Bosch's and Connelly's part. Connelly, a great mystery writer, is no romance writer. He's as awkward and clumsy at romance as is his protagonist.
Conclusion
Having read all eighteen novels that Michael Connelly has written, I am usually at the head of the line singing his praises. There is no doubt that is a talented story teller and writer. His writing flows naturally, is easily understood and isn't flowery. Personally I hate it when a writer's goal seems be more to confuse you than inform and entertain you. That type of writer should write poetry instead of prose.
That said, I can't say that I felt Echo Park was one of Connelly's better books. Indeed it is a page turner and I went through the book with speed but part of that can be attributable to his excellent writing style as much as content. While I was thoroughly involved in the story while I was reading it, ultimately I was left with an empty, unsatisfied feeling. I thought the ending, for the sake of misdirection, was not only manufactured but weak as well. Earlier, the tie to a mediaeval tale of Reynard the Fox, out of the blue, didn't grab me, and many of Bosch's investigative suppositions were, frankly, a stretch.
The truth is, and this is my own personal opinion, while I was reading the story, I felt the whole plot was contrived. Maybe after a dozen or so novels, my hero Hieronymus Bosch, is beginning to get tiresome. In reality he is far from a knight in shinning armor. His romantic relationships are a disaster; he's self-centered and operates on the fringe of accepted procedure. That's okay for an occasional exception but has become Bosch's mantra - his M.O. Final rating 3.4 stars.
9 of 9 found the following review helpful:
Harry Bosch remains one of the best cop characters in fictionOct 20, 2006
By Jerry Saperstein
Settling in with a new Harry Bosch book by Michael Connelly is like getting together with an old, close friend you haven't seen in a long while. Harry is still with LAPD's Open-Unsolved Unit along with his partner, Kiz Ridder. Returning to the police force after a short, unsatisfying retirement, Harry still looks at cases from long ago, cases that he had a hand in, but were never solved.
One of these files concerns Marie Gesto, a 22 year old woman, who disappeared in 1993. Her car was found in an apartment garage, her clothes neatly folded and stacked on the front seat. The case has bothered Harry for 13 years,
Now there's a break: Reynard Waits was stopped for a traffic violation in the Echo Park area. The officers spotted a plastic bag dripping blood and arrested him. The dismembered remains of two young women were stuffed in the bag. Reynard Waits, through his eminent criminal defense attorney, Maury Swann, has struck a deal with the fast-rising, ambitious prosecutor Rick O'Shea. Waits will lead officers to the body of Marie Gesto and seven other murder victims in return for life in prison instead of a death sentence.
This doesn't sit well with Bosch, who is a smart, cynical, jaded cop out for justice. But Harry will follow orders. Taken to a remote site, Waits leads a police team to the burial place of Marie Gesto - and then escapes, killing two officers and wounding Kiz Ridder, Harry's partner.
Now the real chase begins. Harry suspects a set-up. The prosecutor, who is running for District Attorney, is a prime suspect in Harry's mind, especially so when Harry learns that he has taken campaign contributions from one of the sleazier guys in town, a man whose son Harry had pegged for the Gesto murder more than a dozen years ago.
Waits has kidnapped another woman and Harry is desperate to find him before he murders again. Along for the ride is Rachael Walling, an FBI agent who was once a criminal profiler.
Things start getting sticky. It looks like Harry's partner - and Harry - missed a major clue in 1993 that might have led them to Waits before he murdered seven more women. But nothing feels right to Harry. There's something wrong.
Much of the book is taken up with Harry's very intensive investigation of Waits who is more than meets the eye; the shifting suspicions of who is corrupt; Harry's relationship with Walling. There's not a dull page in this book, maybe not even a dull paragraph. Connelly keeps the action moving as Harry turns one rock over after another. To say more would give away too much of the story and I'm not about to do that.
Heavy readers will be amused by Connelly's affectation of giving minor characters the names of other genre authors, like Duane Swierczynski, who has written an excellent noir thriller "The Wheelman".
If you like police procedurals, you'll love Michael Connelly and Harry Bosch. If you simply enjoy good, suspenseful writing, you'll love them as well.
Jerry
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