The Concrete Blonde
Written by Michael Connelly
Narrated by Dick Hill
Description
The Dollmaker was the name of the serial killer who had stalked Los Angeles ruthlessly, leaving grisly calling cards on the faces of his victims. Now, with a single faultless shot, 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.
About the author
Michael Connelly is an American author of detective novels and other crime fiction, notably those featuring LAPD Detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch and criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller. His books have been translated into 36 languages and have won many awards. He lives with his family in Florida.
Reviews
What people think about The Concrete Blonde
3.4Reader reviews
- (5/5)This is the third book in the series and at first I struggled to get into the book. However once I did it was a very enjoyable read and I loved the way the trial sequences linked up with the investigation of a Serial Killer. The trial sections were the favourite parts for me and I enjoyed the relationship between Harry Bosch and his adversary in court Honey 'Money' Chandler. I think by the end of the book I had worked out who the killer was but I did enjoy the journey to the final resolution. Michael Connelly is an excellent write however I still think I have a slight preference for the Lincoln Lawyer/Mickey Haller Series but it is increasingly a close call. One slight irritation, I could do without all the smoking in the book, it doesn't add to the book. If you enjoy crime books I would recommend this series.
- (4/5)This was a good book. Loved the story even though I figured some of it out before the end.
- (4/5)Harry is trting to reconcile his personal life and his job while solving a case that may prove his actions in a past case were incorrect. Like all Harry Bosch ooks, this is a bit dark, but engrossing and well written. I enjoyed it.
- (4/5)Harry Bosch is on trial. The wife of a man he shot and killed in the line of duty 4 years ago has brought a civil suit against the LAPD. Although the shoot was deemed good (the man, Norman Church, was reaching for something under a pillow after being told to freeze, Harry was still disciplined for not following procedure by going in alone. The evidence found at the scene certainly implicated the man as being the serial killer, nicknamed the dollmaker, that the police had been after. But just as the trial starts a note, written in the same style as those left for the original victims, has been found pointing to where another body can be located. When the body is dug up all evidence points to another dollmaker victim and initial investigations show the murder being committed 2 years after Church was killed. Do they have a copycat killer on the loose or did Harry shoot the wrong man? What implications will this have on Harry's trial?This is the third book in the series and using the backdrop of the trial while investigating the new murder allowed the padding out of what is a fairly basic story. It also provided the opportunity for some of Harry's back story and insight into his character to come to light. The new case throws in a few suspects along with a couple of red herrings to keep the reader guessing. The pacing of the story is good and doesn't get bogged down in the courtroom scenes as these segments are kept fairly short and it's not long before we're returned to the investigation which seems to proceed quickly. One thing that did bother me a little about the investigation though was why the composite sketch from the survivor of the dollmaker wasn't used to narrow down the suspect list of the follower. Did Mora, Locke and Bremmer all look the same? That didn't really affect my enjoyment of the story though and overall it ended up being a pretty decent thriller. I will at some point continue with the series.
- (4/5)a page turner
- (4/5)Harry Bosch is investigated as to whether his shooting of a serial killer was righteous while pursuing a copy-cat killer. Solid and enjoyable police procedural.