The Overlook by Michael Connelly, Book Review

The Overlook by Michael Connelly is another great novel centered around a detective in LA named Harry Bosch. This installment takes place shortly after the previous Harry Bosch novel closed, Echo Park. As I’ve followed the series over the years, I just can’t get enough of the gritty world that Mr. Connelly has created.

I don’t pretend to know what it is like in a cop’s world, but I tend to believe that what I see on TV and movies is a load of crap. Mr. Connelly’s books are full of realistic characters and deep personal interactions between those characters.

The difference between Michael Connelly’s books and other authors is that the characters are the center of the novel’s focus. Rather than the story’s timeline determining the process of events, it feels like the characters themselves drive the events. I don’t know how Connelly does it, but the whole story feels like it is balanced on a pinhead. Rather than a steady progression of events, the reader is thrown into a dynamic world that feels alive under your fingers!

You might ask me, “Chris, how can a book be dynamic?”

Well, here’s an example. As I read this novel I began to pick up hidden clues in the case that the main character, Harry Bosch, is working on. It’s not just a story line, it’s a mystery that I’m involved in. The clues and how our characters react to them is what determines the events of the story. It’s exciting to be a part of and it makes this book vivid and dynamic.

Overall, The Overlook is a great book. I would recommend reading the entire Harry Bosch series, but this installment stands on it’s own.

Rating: 9 out of 10