4.5/5 (rounded up to 5) Harry, where have you been? It's been awhile since I was back on the mean streets of Los Angeles with my favorite police detect4.5/5 (rounded up to 5) Harry, where have you been? It's been awhile since I was back on the mean streets of Los Angeles with my favorite police detective. Harry is still working as a volunteer for the San Fernando PD working cold cases and hanging out in his "office" in the old jail. He's faced with a fresh double homicide and the potential release of an inmate on death row who accuses Harry of planting evidence. In the course of investigating the double homicide of a family-run pharmacy, Harry runs in to Jerry Edgar. Woohoo! Jerry, now a state medical board examiner, provides critical help to Harry. In the old case, Harry enlists the help of his half-brother Mickey Haller. Another Woohoo! Maddie also makes an appearance, completing the trifecta of favorite recurring characters. Mickey helps Harry prove the frame in a questionable way to Harry's mind, but makes the reader remember why Harry works one side of the law and Mickey on the other. A really great entry in the Harry Bosch universe....more
3/2/2019: 4.5 stars (rounded up to 5 stars) A dark, gritty, intense look at the dirty world of corruption. No one is safe and no one is likable. "How di3/2/2019: 4.5 stars (rounded up to 5 stars) A dark, gritty, intense look at the dirty world of corruption. No one is safe and no one is likable. "How did we get here? One step at a time." Don Winslow is an amazing author. He brings to life the really ugly side of life. No one is safe from Winslow's dark world: cops, addicts, drug dealers, city administrators, Federal Agents. You don't know who to root for, least of all the Main Character Denny Malone, because no one is innocent. The ending is intense and the only possible outcome. Honestly, I don't know what I was thinking when I tried reading this in 2017 because this was a very well done novel that will stay with me for a long time.
2/23/2019: I picked this up on Audible during one of their sales. I've started listening to this and find it much more interesting than when I read it in 2017.
I finally gave this up at Page 283. I'm writing this off as a book that's just not for me. I could not get in to the story. I felt like it took too long to get to the main premise of the story (189 pages before he gets nabbed by the Feds). I found that I just didn't care about any of the characters or what happened to them. I know there are lots of people who loved this book and loved this author, I'm just sorry I can't join them in their enthusiasm....more
5 STARS Update: 2/9/2020 After reading the series from start to finish, this one makes so much more sense. It's so much more enjoyable after meeting eac5 STARS Update: 2/9/2020 After reading the series from start to finish, this one makes so much more sense. It's so much more enjoyable after meeting each of the members of Mitch's "misfit team" and how he's worked for/against them previously. I still really love this one and would read it again and again. I stand by my original review in that you can read this as a stand-alone, but it is so much richer if you've read the entire series.
Finally getting around to reading this! What a great book! It was a non-stop thrill ride. Mitch and his merry band of men (and women). I have not read all the other books in this series, but did not feel like it was necessary. I will, however go back and read them to get the back story on Mitch's encounters with each one. I highly recommend this book for all fans of Ben Coes, Brad Taylor and Brad Thor....more
This was a brutal, dark, terrifying and completely satisfying read. This a thriller in the absolute best sense of the word. Her characters--all of theThis was a brutal, dark, terrifying and completely satisfying read. This a thriller in the absolute best sense of the word. Her characters--all of them--are terrifyingly real. Her main detective is a young detective on her first homicide case...one that is a little too personal. The bad guy is really well envisioned. I'm not saying you will like him, but he is not a cardboard cut-out. Even the minor characters are well drawn and life-like. I cannot recommend this book highly enough! I would give it 10 stars if GR allowed it. If you haven't read this yet...run out and get it ASAP!...more
Great start to a new series by Michael Connelly. Renee Ballard is a very different character than Harry Bosch. She's tough, resourceful and smart. SheGreat start to a new series by Michael Connelly. Renee Ballard is a very different character than Harry Bosch. She's tough, resourceful and smart. She's also a damn good investigator. I really enjoyed getting to know Renee. Her tenacity kept me reading long past bed time. She's a great addition to the Bosch World. I look forward to reading how Bosch and Ballard interact in the next book....more
This was a fantastic debut thriller with a new protagonist, Thea Paris. Thea is a Kidnap and Recovery Specialist suffering from Type 1 Diabetes. Thea This was a fantastic debut thriller with a new protagonist, Thea Paris. Thea is a Kidnap and Recovery Specialist suffering from Type 1 Diabetes. Thea is tough, strong and just a bit sassy. The author does an excellent job blending Thea's driving need to rescue her kidnapped father while hiding her diabetes from co-workers. Without getting all spoilery, while you know (or think you know) who the bad guys are there are still some surprising reveals at the end of the book. It had really good pacing and lots of action that kept me on the edge of my seat. I also thought the character development was great and can see lots of growth for Thea as the series continues. I am really looking forward to the next installment in April!...more
Updated 10/4/2019: I have nothing more to add. This was a thrilling, harrowing adventure. Dewey’s car chase through Paris was especially nerve wrackinUpdated 10/4/2019: I have nothing more to add. This was a thrilling, harrowing adventure. Dewey’s car chase through Paris was especially nerve wracking as narrated on Audible. The narrator was a Fantastic! I found myself on the edge of my seat through the whole book. Definitely my favorite of the series...I know, I said that about First Strike, but I think this was even better. The revelations in this book put a huge spin on what we’ve thought about Dewey through the whole series.
Another high-octane, auctioned-packed thriller from one of my very favorite authors. Ben Coes does a magnificent job of creating a complex conspiracy involving the over-throwing of the US Government using our very constitutional rules governing succession. Ben Coes is a master of thrilling sequences. There is the trademark chase scene involving a Lamborghini Aventador through the streets of Paris that is only topped by a harrowing scene aboard a speeding train. In addition to the action sequences, there are some old friends and old enemies brought along to distract Dewey from his mission. There is also an amazing revaluation for Dewey. Overall, these keep getting better and better. I cannot wait for Bloody Sunday to be released in July...more
What can I say? I liked this book...a lot. But I didn't love it the way I loved Orphan X. The middle of the book had two distinct story lines and I coWhat can I say? I liked this book...a lot. But I didn't love it the way I loved Orphan X. The middle of the book had two distinct story lines and I couldn't figure out how the two would converge. I will say though, once they did converge, the action was fast and furious and had all the hallmarks of what made Orphan X such a great novel. We do get to know a little more about Evan and there is a terrific cliff-hanger. I am really looking forward to reading the next installment, Hellbent....more
Update 9/24/2019: I don't have much to add that I didn't say below. I listened to the book on Audible and the narrator did a fantastic job. I felt moreUpdate 9/24/2019: I don't have much to add that I didn't say below. I listened to the book on Audible and the narrator did a fantastic job. I felt more fear, anxiety and tension than I did when I read the book the first time. I also loved how he changed his voice for Dewey's internal monologue. I still think this is my favorite of the series.
Ben Coes gets better with each book. In this installment in the Dewey Andreas series, Dewey faces his most challenging assignment to date. He is going up against ISIS, both in Syria and in the US. There is a brief appearance by Kohl Meir and a more significant role for (my favs) Katie and Rob. There is even a hint that Dewey is finally getting over the death of Jessica. What I love about these books is the (often) irreverent humor that cuts through some of the tensest moments ("who's idea was it to crawl through a tunnel smaller than a man's a$$hole?") Let's face it...Dewey is a super hero. But we all need super heros in our life! Some may say that there was an excessive amount of violence in this book. But, for me, it perfectly described my expectations of how terrorists would behave. In the world of action-thrillers, Ben Coes is my favorite author. I'm definitely moving straight in to Trap the Devil to get myself caught up before Bloody Sunday arrives on July 30th....more