Nine Dragons

Harry Bosch, Book 14

By: Michael Connelly

Narrated by: Len Cariou

Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

LAPD Detective Harry Bosch is off the chain in the fastest, fiercest, and highest-stakes case of his life.

Fortune Liquors is a small shop in a tough South L.A. neighborhood, a store Bosch has known for years. The murder of John Li, the store's owner, hits Bosch hard, and he promises Li's family that he'll find the killer. The world Bosch steps into next is unknown territory. He brings in a detective from the Asian Gang Unit for help with translation - not just of languages but also of the cultural norms and expectations that guided Li's life. He uncovers a link to a Hong Kong triad, a lethal and far-reaching crime ring that follows many immigrants to their new lives in the U.S. And instantly his world explodes.

The one good thing in Bosch's life, the person he holds most dear, is taken from him and Bosch travels to Hong Kong in an all-or-nothing bid to regain what he's lost. In a place known as Nine Dragons, as the city's Hungry Ghosts festival burns around him, Bosch puts aside everything he knows and risks everything he has in a desperate bid to outmatch the triad's ferocity.

Impressed? Ace detective Harry Bosch is also on the case in other exciting Michael Connelly crime-fiction novels.

We're thrilled to announce that our premier Audible Live event on Facebook will be a chat with best-selling author Michael Connelly. On November 3 at 7pm (ET), you'll be able to ask him questions about Nine Dragons, Harry Bosch, his favorite audiobooks, and more! RSVP Today

©2009 Michael Connelly (P)2009 Hachette

Critic reviews

"Terrific....Connelly never stops doling out the suspense as action leads to counteraction....His thriller is an addictive read that, once it grabs you in those first few pages, won't let go of you....High-grade entertainment." (Boston Globe)

Another Good Bosch Tale

I can’t believe people don’t like this book. If you’re a Connelly fan, i don’t see any way you don’t dig this story. It’s great — on par with Connelly’s other works, especially the books coming right before this one. And the narrator is awesome. I’ve read review after review trying to disparage the guy. What gives dude? Len Cariou is awesome. Look, he’s not Titus but who is? Don’t buy into the hate. This book is legit and should be read. Highly recommended.

love Bosch 💘

I'm hooked on all MC's books. Especially the harry bosch series but plan to hear all.

One of Michael Connelly’s Best!

A twisty, complicated story with a surprise at the end.

Good background story of Bosch’s daughter & ex-wife. Powerful.

Riveting

My husband and I were very taken with this story—the attention to detail and the depth and breadth of knowledge of the author. It clipped along at a fast pace. Just when we thought it was going in one direction, it would curve and take a different path.

Narration matters--not anyone will do

For a Connelly book, I consider this effort fine, but not as rich or developed as some of his other installments. The ending’s twist, although somewhat expected did not disappoint.

My thoughts today are about the narration. I was braced for a couple of token “good” Chinese characters to counter the Triad activity and basis for the story. What I didn’t prepare for was the white people doing ethnic accents issue.

There’s no mistaking the gap between respecting and playing ethnic characters beyond one’s experience, in this case Chinese gangsters, and emulating (metaphoric) caricatures, i.e., Amos & Andy or Mickey Rooney’s Mr. Yunioshi in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Today, most folks recognize what is too much, what’s over the top. Finding that space of respectful cultural recognition is where difficulties emerge.

And, please know, I have enjoyed and respected Len Cariou’s talents in musical theater and in his tv and film work over the years. But his Chinese accents were uncomfortable, irksome, and most times, just bad. In short, the situation of non-ethnic interpreters of ethnic dialect(s) is overtly problematic for which apologies and sensitivities after the fact do not suffice.

There’s a very simple fix to this dilemma. Hire Asians or Latinos or Afro Latinos or African Americans or Indigenous people as narrators when major or multiple characters are respectively ethnic. In Connelly’s books, there tends to be one predominantly represented ethnic or racial group in each story, such as Chinese characters in Nine Dragons or a Latino protagonist in the Mickey Haller series.

Why? We, POCs, are trained from the time we utter our first words to code switch, in fact it is expected that we communicate in the vernacular and dialect of the dominant norm else we risk being accused of being non-professional and incompetent, or we endanger our livelihoods (even outside show biz). There are many fine voice talent options among men and women of color who have rich, resonant, expressive delivery styles, are talented in voice characterizations, and whose accents are natural, unforced, and accurate. And, POCs are more likely to be able to discern how to nuance a given accent, or when one is actually necessary. My recommendation today is that decision-makers consider reprioritizing accordingly when casting audiobook narrators.

Fast paced but average

(Harry Bosch #14, Harry Bosch Universe #20)

9 Dragons is an incredibly suspenseful book! It starts out like your average police mystery novel—and then the action ramps up fast! While this wasn't one of my favorites, I still found it hard to stop reading and eventually move to the audiobook.

There was a recklessness about Harry that I hadn't seen before and it had some devastating consequences. The whole story was pretty good, but I was disappointed by how the end was written and how we were told about exactly what happened. That didn't work for me since I'd rather be "shown" instead of "told".

Other characters in the series take part or are mentioned, so it's key to read this in order, as usual. Mickey Haller had a small, but excellent role to play.

Okay but not up to Bosch standards

I never got into this one. I was really eager to start it and the story was interesting but something was gone from the old Harry Bosch. He actually gets along with his boss in this book which is the first time I believe. THe Chinese dialogue by the narrator was not very good. That I believe was the main problem I had with the book. Since it is Connelly and Bosch I would recommend it, but to me it was not the usual Connelly "couldn't put down" quality.

Book 3 stars, narrator minus 1!

The story was just OK for me, a real stretch in places. If you are a fan of Connelly's Harry Bosch character, I am sure you will enjoy this book. It definitely had a couple of good plot twists. But Len Cariou is just awful as Bosch. At times, actually most of the time he narrates as if the listener is a complete idiot. His attempt at female voices was so bad I actually skipped over that section so I wouldn't have to listen to it.

WOW!

I have read all of M. Connelly's books. This one gives you an intricate and nicely developed who-done-it plot with realistic emotional intensity. Guilt, remorse, redemption-it was gut wrenching for me. I listened to J. Kellerman's "Evidence" last week. It was horrid and I used to be a big Alex Delaware fan. Connelly now surpasses Kellerman in all areas including psycological aspects of the novel. By the way, I am a clinical psychogist-40 years including forensics and police consultation. Connelly is my favorite.

Awesome, even with Harry's attitude.

Reading the other reviews here, people either really like or dislike this book. There isn't much in between.

Personally, I loved it and read it in one day, even if I did have to stay up till almost 3am. I just couldn't put it down.

I agree with others here that didn't like Harry's Do It My Way NOW attitude with no explanation. It got to be a bit much at times. On the other hand as someone who's lost a child, I could understand his attitude. I may not agree with his methods, but understand what he was feeling and why he acted the way he did.

I figured out part of the ending in the first quarter of the book. There were so many twists and turns that it didn't take anything away or lessen the impact.

I think this might be Connelly's best book yet.