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224 of 229 found the following review helpful:
 A Gripping YarnDec 07, 1999
By Mark Wylie
This was Michael Connelly's first novel (of 6 to date) featuring LAPD detective Hieronymous "Harry" Bosch. Matters begin innocuously enough when Bosch discovers that a dead body found in a drainage pipe is a one-time Vietnam comrade of his named William Meadows. It appears to be a simple drug overdose, but Bosch suspects foul play, and when he determines he is right, he is plunged into an investigation that develops into far more than a single murder case.The "iceberg" plot where a complex scheme is only gradually exposed is a crime fiction standard. Connelly is, even in his first novel, a master at this type of plot-line. His characters are three-dimensional and interesting, especially Bosch and his uneasy ally, FBI agent Eleanor Wish. Best of all, Connelly knows his territory--a former Los Angeles Times reporter, he knows LA and the LAPD (I suspect he still has sources in the department). The Black Echo is a superb novel.
95 of 96 found the following review helpful:
AWESOME POLICE PROCEDURAL, CONNELLY IS THE NEW MASTERNov 08, 1999
The first book I read by Mr. Connelly was his departure from the Bosch series, "The Poet" and I knew I had to read the rest. I have read every single other Bosch novel and finally went back to the beginning and read this. I should have started with this one, its just as good if not better than the series and Bosch is a fully-fleshed out character who you can always cheer for. This book is also interesting because of its attention to detail and the police procedure as well as the first meeting of Harry and Agent Eleanor Wish, his mysterious future love. Connelly has become my favorite author and his books are a pleasure to read. Just make sure you start with this one and work your way down, it does make a difference!
63 of 65 found the following review helpful:
Enter Harry BoschJul 19, 2004
By Archmaker
An absolutely terrific first novel in the superb Hironymous Bosch series, introduces us to Michael Connelly's enigmatic and troubled LA detective. Harry Bosch lives for his job, and the cost to his personal life and relationships is troubling. When we meet Harry, he has already been, in essence, demoted by being kicked off of the elite Robbery/Homicide squad and stuck in Homicide in the Hollywood division. But Harry is a pure detective, and will work every case with the same single-minded tenacity that gets results while alienating him from his fellows and irritating his bosses. A throw-away death of a junkie found in a drainage pipe would have gone unnoticed if anyone but Harry Bosch had caught the call. But Bosch, while having a lousy personal life IS a superb detective, and he sees what many would miss. Not only that, but the victim is someone from Harry's past which further prompts him to look deeper. Harry's investigation causes him to cross paths with the FBI and his conflicts become even more personal when he becomes romantically involved with a female FBI agent. The story unfolds with many surprises and the meticulous detail that we will come to expect from Connelly in the series. First rate all the way. A great beginning.
26 of 26 found the following review helpful:
Very strong start to a great series...May 31, 2006
By Cynthia K. Robertson
After reading about a half dozen books in Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch series, I decided I better start at the beginning and read them in order. The Black Echo is the first Bosch mystery and it's an amazing effort for a first time novelist. In fact, it won the prestigious Edgar Award for mystery writing.
The Black Echo opens when LAPD homicide detective Harry Bosch is called out on the discovery of a dead man in a drainage pipe. It appears that the victim died of an overdose, but enough red flags are raised to make Bosch suspect foul play. Not only that, but the detective actually knew the man: they were tunnel rats in Viet Nam. As Bosch starts investigating, he discovers that the victim, Bill Meadows, has been identified as a key suspect in a year old bank robbery. The robbers went through underground tunnels, and then dug their way into a bank safety deposit box vault. At first, the FBI rebuffs Bosch's attempts to pool information. But they finally relent and he is assigned to FBI agent, Eleanor Wish.
As the case progresses, Bosch and Wish discover that the bank caper has its roots in Viet Nam and things get very complicated and dangerous. Bosch also suspects that someone is working from the inside and compromising their case. Even when he thinks he's got everything figured out, there is still an important piece of the puzzle still missing.
I really liked The Black Echo for a number of reasons. First, the plot has numerous twists and turns, and shows Bosch's genius as a detective and Connelly's talent as a writer. In this book, we get a look at Bosch's background, which helps explain his motivations in later books. Also, The Black Echo takes place during a Memorial Day weekend. Since I read it over the same weekend, it made it more relevant.
I don't give many mysteries a 5 star rating, but The Black Echo is well deserving. Not only is it a very strong start to a great series, but it has become one of my Connelly favorites.
42 of 48 found the following review helpful:
 A fair novelMay 25, 2008
By Bookphile
My reaction to this novel was a bit of a surprise to me. Normally for me, it's a given that if I don't really like the main character, I won't like the novel itself. This book sort of turned that on its head as I did like the novel itself but didn't care for the main character all that much.
The novel is an interesting and well-plotted police procedural. The discovery of a body that seems to be that of a drug addict who overdosed turns up a very elaborate and involved mystery. I found the mystery to be rather inventive and fascinating in and of itself. It's difficult to discuss the mystery without giving too much away but suffice it to say that Harry Bosch knew the victim in Vietnam and that this past comes very much into play.
As for Harry Bosch, I just could never see him as more than a cliched character. He's what I tend to think of as the typical go-it-alone cop with a tortured past. I didn't actively dislike him, but I didn't find him interesting either. It seemed to me that for as original as the mystery was, Bosch himself was one of the most unoriginal characters I've ever encountered in a mystery novel.
I also felt that the portrayal of the internal affairs officers was cliched as well. I understand that the men and women who work in internal affairs are generally disliked by other police officers, but what I would really be interested in seeing is a novel that gives a more balanced view of the men and women who do what must be an exceedingly difficult job. Connelly's IAD cops are so ridiculous as to be little more than caricatures and the author even goes so far as to give the two of them the ludicrous names of Lewis and Clarke. Of course, this results in excessive poking of fun at their names. The portrayal of their boss wasn't any better, really, and I never understood exactly why he had it in for Bosch. I don't find the idea of cops trying to bring about the downfall of others cops a bad plot device--indeed, Elizabeth George uses it to great effect in her Lynley novels--,but there has to be a clear idea of just why the cops hate one another.
Lastly, I can't help but nitpick when it comes to the dialog. The characters have a tendency to speak without use of contractions, and this rendered the dialog so stilting at times that it jolted me right out of the story. Normal people use contractions all the time, and in order for a written conversation to sound authentic, it really needs to follow the conventions of normal speech. Not so here. It was as if the characters were trying to play act at being characters from a Jane Austen novel or something.
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