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31 of 31 found the following review helpful:
Not garden variety mystery writing...Jun 04, 2006
By Cynthia K. Robertson
Trunk Music is the fifth novel in Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch mystery series, and so far, I have been very impressed with the consistency of Connelly's writing.
After spending all of book number four, The Last Coyote, suspended from the LAPD homicide department, Bosch is once again on the force. He is called out when another officer finds a body in the trunk of a car. The victim is Tony Aliso, and independent film producer. As Bosch and his two partners, Jerry Edgar and Kiz Rider, start to investigate, they discover that he lived an opulent lifestyle that could not have been possible based on just his film business. In fact, they believe it looks like a Mafia hit (i.e. Trunk Music). But when they notify the LAPD's Organized Crime Unit, they seem uninterested in pursuing the case. Tony Aliso went back and forth between LA and Las Vegas, and Bosch and his partners go back and forth between the two cities trying to run down clues. They also run up against the FBI, who is doing a mob investigation of their own. As with most Bosch mysteries, Harry is able to see things that most investigators can't and he gets a handle on the case before anyone.
Connelly seems to have a love/hate relationship with LA, and he constantly describes the complex personality of this city. In Trunk Music, he shows similar feelings for Las Vegas, although more loathing than love. He writes "Bosch had never liked Las Vegas, though he came here on cases. It shared a kinship with Los Angeles; both were places desperate people ran to.....Beneath the veneer of glitz and money and energy and sex beat a dark heart. No matter how much they tried to dress her up with neon and family entertainment, she was still a [...]." We're not talking garden variety mystery writing here. This is good stuff.
The only thing I found hokey with Trunk Music is that Bosch and his partners would secretly work on a case they were officially removed from (with the consent of their bureau commander). But Bosch is a loose cannon anyway, and even if he didn't have the bureau commander's approval, he would have done it anyway. So don't let this minor issue keep you from reading another good Connelly.
22 of 22 found the following review helpful:
Connelly never disappointsJul 20, 1999
I've read the first five Harry Bosch novels, and have come to regard them as one continuous narrative in the eventful life of an old friend. Trunk Music was one of the better installments, and displays Connelly's typical mastery of plot development and authentic characterization. I've never found anyone in this genre whose dialogue rings truer, reminding me of a print version of a Steven Bochco show. Trunk Music also re-energizes the formula by introducing some great new characters in fellow cops Kizmin Rider and Grace Billets, and bringing back old flame Eleanor Wish. Connelly weaves ambitiously intricate mysteries, always with several possible outcomes suggested. At times he seems to overreach, and the ending here feels a little rushed and unsatisfying. It's not that he leaves loose ends; everything is explained in his chosen scenario, it just seems that something with greater ironic power might have been available in this case. However, as I began this review, the more of these I read, the less I require them to be stand-alone masterpieces, and the more I simply relish inhabiting Bosch's world for a while.
23 of 24 found the following review helpful:
 Another Strong EffortMar 06, 2002
By John D. Costanzo
"johndc"
This was another strong effort from Connelly. Bosch, one of the most interesting and compelling crime stoppers in the genre, is a sort of Dirty Harry with an even darker side. Trunk Music has a strong plot with nice twists and plenty of surprises. As always, Connelly does a superb job at portraying that gray area between good guys and bad guys. Once again Bosch is being investigated by IAD, but the telling line of the novel is Bosch's: "Who polices the police who police the police?" Things wrap up a little too neatly at the end, but otherwise I highly recommend this book. I rank it a little behind some of Connelly's earlier novels, but it still stands out amongst today's best crime fiction.
12 of 12 found the following review helpful:
Rises well above genreMay 30, 2002
By Neal C. Reynolds
This is the first Michael Connelly book I read (am currently reading the third). I was interested in reading one that just came out in paperback, but decided to read earlier books about the two lead characters first...good choice on my part. This is the earliest book I could find and was a good enough introduction to Harry Bosch, although I would've liked to have found earlier adventures of his. It captured me from the beginning with the description of the crime scene and the Los Angeles area locale. The conflict between personalities and branches of law enforcement who should be working together to solve a crime is a constant theme woven throughout the book. And there is a fascination watching as a man's life is pieced together by the investigators. But the real fascination is with the skillful guidance down the wrong path with the main character and the subsequent twists and surprises. There are clues, but I'm learning that Connelly is good also at tossing in irrelevant information in a way that makes it appear relevant for a time. There's no cheating. There's quite a bit that can be anticipated if the clues are caught. The characters are stricty three dimensional, with no cardboard characters. Some you care for and some you don't. But they live and breathe. This can be enjoyed either as an entertaining read, or as a puzzle, a game in which the author plays fairly, and yet very likely will manage to surprise you at least in some of the particulars. There's plenty of depth here if you choose to read from a deeper level.
10 of 10 found the following review helpful:
 Boot Music ?Mar 19, 2001
By binnsie
"binnsie"
Harry Bosch is back at work in the LAPD homicide squad after a period of suspension. (I wish I had read these books in the right order). The question is whether he can buckle down and play by the rules whilst cracking the mystery behind a hit-man style murder. A body is found in the boot (ooops, make that trunk) of a white Rolls Royce (well, it is a British car) overlooking the Hollywood Bowl. After identifying the corpse, the plot moves between the plush Hollywood movie environment and the bright lights of Las Vegas and its strip joints. The pace is quick and the reader would have to be very sharp to work out "whodunit? There are more twists and turns than a game of snakes and ladders. Bosch meets a former girlfriend (as I said, it helps to read these books in the right order) who becomes a central character in the story. So now Bosch has got his girl, but the hard part which is to get his man, still lies ahead. Who is the man and what is the motive? Red herrings at every corner. As in a good spy story, not everyone is who he or she seems to be. "Goodies" or "Baddies" - be careful Harry. Not only is Bosch up against an organised crime syndicate, he has to stay one step ahead of the FBI who don't want him on the case and have their own diversionary tactics. This is a good novel which should whet your appetite for further crime thrillers from the pen of Michael Connelly.
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