My favorite mystery writer of all-time is Kenneth Millar, better known by his pen name “Ross Macdonald.” Macdonald’s Lew Archer series would get my vote for best detective series written in the United States. The mysteries are dense and multilayered but it’s not just that. Millar had a great way of getting into his character’s psyches and making them three dimensional. There are always stakes in an Archer book and the stakes feel real to the reader. Archer is less of a character in those […]
Tonight’s Show, We Have…
I’ve had a hankering to read quality Los Angeles mystery tales. It’s tough to find ones that don’t treat the city like either a playground for the rich and famous or a hell for never was-es to slum in. I don’t know much about LA but I’ve always been fascinated by it. I know plenty about New York City and I know the truth is somewhere in between its extreme portrayals and I assume the city of angels is the same. Michael Connelly’s books kind […]
I miss you, Secretariat.
Two or three years ago, while we were on vacation in The Berkshires, we spent a day at the Norman Rockwell museum. It was great. We learned a ton about Rockwell and his life and walked around the gorgeous property where he painted. As an added bonus, there was a special exhibit on display, featuring all (or at least a lot) of Edward Hopper’s Cape Cod paintings. This was particularly eye-opening, as I really didn’t know much about Hopper other than that he painted Nighthawks. […]
Fragmented Story
This book feels pretty fragmented to me. I think Connelly missed a great chance to showcase both Bosch and Haller in this one. Instead we primarily follow Bosch around as he acts like he is being tortured to investigate a case for Haller. And we weirdly have POV’s showing the killers in this one so you don’t have any kind of surprise when Bosch eventually finds out what is going on. I really hate mystery books that do this since you as a reader are […]
Downward Slide in Series
I am hard cringing at how much I disliked this book. I feel bad for it, I feel like it tried really hard and all I can keep saying is that it needs to do better. There are continuity problems galore, the fact that even though the years are passing (it’s been at least 3-4 years since the last book) that Bosch and his daughter Maddie are still the same age. We have Bosch investigating two cases (not related) and he stupidly gets in trouble […]
What’s in the Box?
I am so going to need someone to hold Bosch down one of these days and say going off to investigate solo has never worked out well for him. Bosch runs afoul of another person who is in charge of the Open/Unsolved unit he is back on who is out to get Bosch tossed. And due to Bosch ticking off the Chief of Police (seriously at this point how does Bosch have a job) he may be getting kicked after the events of this book. […]
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