The Concrete Blonde (Harry Bosch)

The Dollmaker was the name of the serial killer who had stalked Los Angeles ruthlessly, leaving grisly calling cards on the faces of his female victims. Now with a single faultless shot, Detective Harry Bosch thinks he has ended the city's nightmare.

But the dead man's widow is suing Harry and the LAPD for killing the wrong man-- an accusation that rings terrifyingly true when a new victim is discovered with the Dollmaker's macabre signature.

So for the second time, Harry must hunt down a death-dealer who is very much alive, before he strikes again. It's a blood-tracked quest that will take Harry from the hard edges of the L.A. night to the last place he ever wanted to go-- the darkness of his own heart.

With The Concrete Blonde, Edgar Award-winning author Michael Connelly has hit a whole new level in his career, creating a breathtaking thriller that thrusts you into a blistering courtroom battle-- and a desperate search for a sadistic killer.

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Michael Connelly ranks up there with all of those distinguished writers. He has a fluid, detailed writing style that conveys the scene without bogging down in such intricacies that the reader gets lost. The dialogue is snappy and hard-boiled but will probably age well (unlike, say, some of Chandler's).

"The Concrete Blonde" is the third novel starring LAPD detective Harry Bosch. (The order goes "The Black Echo," "The Black Ice," "The Concrete Blonde," "The Last Coyote," "Trunk Music," and "Angel's Flight." The new novel coming out in early 2001 involves Bosch as well, but it's not clear if Bosch is the main character or a secondary character.) I've read the first three and the last ("AF"), and, while they are all good, "The Concrete Blonde" is the best thus far.

Earlier in his career, an incident that is described or alluded to in virtually every novel, Bosch gained some notoriety and fame for taking down a serial killer known as "The Dollmaker." He was so called because he would use makeup and polish to paint up his victims. The killer sent bad poems to Bosch, taunting him with descriptions of the victims. Eventually, Bosch tracked down the killer and shot him to death when the man reached toward his pillow . . . for a hairpiece, as it turned out. Bosch was cleared of wrongfulness in the shooting, though he was disciplined for not calling for backup.

Fast forward four years. The dead man's widow is now suing the LAPD and Bosch for violating her husband's civil rights, and the case is going to trial. All of a sudden, a letter is dropped off for Bosch at the police department: it contains a poem, just like the ones the Dollmaker sent, and it leads the LAPD to another body . . . which is painted up just like the Dollmaker's victims. Could Bosch have killed the wrong man?

"The Concrete Blonde" alternates between the court scenes and the investigation of the new murder, and the transitions are deftly handled. While the court scenes are not perfectly accurate (I am, unfortunately, a lawyer by trade), they are much better than in most novels.

The mystery is tight and compelling. Having read lots of mysteries, I often am able to guess at the outcome simply because the set-up reminds me of another book I've read. In fact, that happened with "The Black Ice." Not so with "The Concrete Blonde." About 180 pages into it, I thought I had it figured out. With about 50 pages to go, I thought my instinct had been confirmed. Oops. I was wrong, and about as shocked as Bosch!

In addition to weaving a great mystery, Connelly paints a reasonably deep picture of his main character, Bosch, a Vietnam veteran (he cleared out enemy tunnels) who is simultaneously cultured but also emotionally damaged.

To sum it up, let me put it this way: I started with "Angel's Flight," and when I was finished, I ordered all of the Harry Bosch novels immediately.

19 of 19 found the following review helpful:

The best of both worlds: a murder mystery inside a courtroom drama...Apr 28, 2006
By Cynthia K. Robertson
The Concrete Blonde by Michael Connelly provides the best of both worlds: a murder mystery that takes place within a courtroom drama.

The Concrete Blonde opens with Los Angeles Police Department homicide detective Harry Bosch on trial for murder. When Bosch shot Norman Church, he believed he was killing the Dollmaker, a serial killer responsible for the rape and brutal murder of eleven prostitutes in Los Angeles. The Dollmaker's widow believes otherwise, and she sues Bosch in civil court for wrongful death. Just as the trial is underway, another victim is discovered and this one was murdered after the death of Church. This 12th victim was encased in concrete and is dubbed the Concrete Blonde.

The Concrete Blonde casts a shadow on the trial and gives ammunition to the aggressive and scheming prosecuting attorney, Honey "Money" Chandler. Is it possible that Bosch killed the wrong man? Maybe there's a copycat killer. Also, Chandler and the press have information that is being leaked from within the LAPD. Whatever the case, the investigation is ongoing and the judge won't delay the trial to give Bosch time to solve the new murder.

Connelly is one of the best mystery writers out there today, and his plots and characters reflect a realism that developed in his years of being a police reporter for the Los Angeles Times. The Concrete Blonde was written after the LA Riots and Rodney King, and shows the darker side of this city of contrasts. When Bosch tells his lawyer in the courtroom that he seeks the truth, he is lectured "And you're going to sit there and talk to me about truth? When was the last time you saw a truthful police report? When was the last time that you put down the unadulterated truth in a search warrant application? ... The truth has got nothing to do with what goes on in here. Neither does justice. Just words I read in a law book in a previous life." But for homicide detectives, "the homicide squad wasn't a job. It was a mission. As surely as murder was an art for some who committed it, homicide investigation was an art for those on the mission. And it chose you, you didn't choose it." So while Bosch may be cynical and jaded by his many years of wearing a badge, he can't give up his battle of good vs. evil. But for as brilliant as Bosch is at solving cases, he's a bit of a cowboy and doesn't always follow rules, which often gets him in trouble with his superiors.

Connelly is a talented writer, and The Concrete Blonde is one of his best books. I'm now going to have to fill in the gaps with his other Bosch books.

11 of 11 found the following review helpful:

`Justice is just a concrete blonde'Feb 18, 2008
By J. Cameron-Smith "Expect the Unexpected"
This is the third of Mr Connelly's novels to feature LA Police Detective Harry Bosch. In this novel, Harry is on trial in a civil case for the fatal shooting of an alleged serial killer known as the Doll Maker. Just as the trial begins, a new murder victim is discovered and there appear to be links to the murders committed by the Doll Maker. Harry is both simultaneously involved in court and in solving this new murder mystery: time is critical.

Michael Connelly is an accomplished writer of crime novels who knows how to bring his characters to life. His previous employment as a crime reporter has no doubt provided him with insights into the operations of the LAPD. At the same time as we are travelling with Harry to solve this new murder and the mystery of the Doll Maker, we are learning more about Harry himself.

I enjoyed this novel, and look forward to continuing to read about Harry Bosch. Now, what's the name of the next one in the series?

Highly recommended for crime fiction fans.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

9 of 9 found the following review helpful:

***ANOTHER HOME RUN FOR CONNELLY***Oct 19, 1999

TREMENDOUS!!! Connelly did it again. Great plot and character development. Michael Connelly is as artful a sculpter of words as Michelangelo was with marble. My only regret is that I did not start at the beginning. I did not start with his first book, THE BLACK ECHO and read his Harry Bosch series in sequential order. ***Please do not make the same mistake. Start with THE BLACK ECHO then go on to the others; you will more fully enjoy Connelly's masterful creations. Also look for his latest--VOID MOON--(coming to a bookstore near you, soon.)

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