The Reversal

Harry Bosch, Book 16 (Mickey Haller, Book 3)

By: Michael Connelly

Narrated by: Peter Giles

Length: 11 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

Longtime defense attorney Mickey Haller is recruited to change stripes and prosecute the high-profile retrial of a brutal child murder. After 24 years in prison, convicted killer Jason Jessup has been exonerated by new DNA evidence. Haller is convinced Jessup is guilty, and he takes the case on the condition that he gets to choose his investigator, LAPD Detective Harry Bosch.

Together, Bosch and Haller set off on a case fraught with political and personal danger. Opposing them is Jessup, now out on bail, a defense attorney who excels at manipulating the media, and a runaway eyewitness reluctant to testify after so many years.

With the odds and the evidence against them, Bosch and Haller must nail a sadistic killer once and for all. If Bosch is sure of anything, it is that Jason Jessup plans to kill again.

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

©2010 Michael Connelly (P)2010 Hachette Audio

Strangely Unsatisfying Ending BUT Recommended

Okay, it's a spell binder. I had total trouble turning it off. Normally I listen at the gym. This one I snuck into a Sunday afternoon. The characters work well together (although I wondered occasionaly about the tension between the half brothers. It seemed to intrude without useful purpose). Regardless, the plotting is swift, strong, and oozes energy. Clever how Connelly melds this ensemble with twin protagonists. From a very personal standpoint, I'd wished for another ending. But... but... it still works with effortless power. I recommend this experience. It was enjoyable.

Bosch 5, Haller 3, Narrator 2

The title of this review pretty much sums it up. I love Harry Bosch and he never disappoints. The new angle on Harry as a full time father of a teenaged girl is just one more great insight into the life of the genre's most fascinating character, and I can't wait for more of this. (I hope it takes Maddie a long time to grow up and out of Harry's life.) Haller's part was OK, but seemed to be more full of courtroom/legal cliches then most of Connelly's books; I think MC does police procedural better than legal thriller. He just knows it better. The only problem I had with the book was the narrator. After the all-around excellence of Dick Hill's voicings and the gruff brilliance that Len Cariou brought to Bosch, Peter GIles just didn't have it. I hope this isn't a new trend in the Bosch series. Bring back Hill or Cariou and let Giles handle John Grisham. If you love Bosch, you will like this book, but if you're new to the series, this isn't the one to start with; and if you're new to Connelly, start with The Poet, then read 3 or 4 Bosch books to understand his character (The Last Coyote, The Concrete Blond, Trunk Music and Angels Flight) and then go to The Narrows. By then, you'll be hooked.

Connelly Rocks

I listened to all of the books by Michael Connelly. I cannot get enough of them. This is one of his great courtroom dramas with a interesting twist at the end. I only wish that Dick Hill was reading this one.

Connelly was good before the show...

This is the Connelly I like. The one before the show. Since the show he has become terrible.

Solid read by Giles.

The Reversal

Any additional comments?

I’ve been a fan of the Harry Bosch character for many years, since his introduction in The Black Echo in 2008. When Connelly made the decision to create stories around another character, Mickey Haller, I was disappointed. I was so loyal to and a fan of the sad-sack-drinks-too-much-go-to-detective that I rebelled. I wouldn’t listen to anything about this new guy. I then read The Lincoln Lawyer, featuring Mickey. I still preferred Harry, but Haller was okay. In this his novel, The Reversal, Harry and Mickey work together to bring down a killer, released on his own recognizance for a re-trial, after spending a decade in jail for the murder of a child. Thus is the crux of The Reversal. There are a few thousand reviews, so I can’t add much, other than to say I enjoyed the listen. It’s police procedural crossed with court room drama crossed with cold-case mystery.

It took me a while to get used to the narration by Peter Giles, although I’ve listened to his readings before. He has a very low, somewhat gravely voice. But, eventually, the cadence went well with the story.

A good listen, recommended.

The Best of The Best

Michael Connelly is an extremely talented story teller and has written a bunch of great books, but this is his greatest sucess so far. Enough said.

Riviting and nail-bitting

This is a double whammy because you get Bosch and Haller in the same book. Bosch, of course, going off on his own and taking the investigation in hand, to the irritation of everyone else with whom he is supposed to work. You get the first touches of family members meeting each other, and getting to know each other and Harry's problems with a new situation. Harry's always been a loner and for the first time there is someone permanently in his life, in his house, and he wants it that way. Now he is facing that world expanding to take in more people. I think it is in "Lost Light" where he discovered the future beyond just him.
The case is fascinating, of course. I was on the edge of my seat while listening. Argh! It kept me on pins and needles, good pins and needles, but yikes, what is that creep up to!

I wish Harry and the Hallers would go back to Seattle and each buy a piece of glass.

Good book...Great narrator

This was a very good book and Connelly did a great job bringing Mickey and Harry together. I'm not sure how much I like Mick working for the prosecution though. What makes Mickey so interesting is his struggle between doing what's morally right and winning a case. Since he's working for the prosecutor we don't see that in this one. Also, in the books with Mick and Harry together, Connelly kind of makes Bosch out to be a crusty old badger and Harry wasn't that way in the Harry Bosch titles. With all of that said, still a very good book.

Narrator Peter Giles was excellent as well. He really does a good job and sounds what I think Mickey Haller would sound like. I don understand the knock on Giles. Some say bring back Dick Hill or Len Cariou but those 2 guys did Bosch. You can't have those guys doing Mickey Haller.

Brothers

Loved the book. After the wild ride of 9 Dragons, I needed to settle down.
I like the way the story was told from both Harry's and Mikey's point of view.

Lou Cariou did not narrate this one, and that was the only setback for me (-one Star). I like it when a story is told by the same narrator especially if they are good.

Connelly meets and exceeds high standards

Connelly once again meets and exceeds high standards for the detective/thriller genre of novels. In this book, he marries two of his strongest characters, the attorney from the "Lincoln Lawyer" and, of course, Harry Bosch, who is Connelly's most prominent protagonist. If you are familiar with Connelly, I need not say more. And if you are not, you must introduce yourself to his work. He provides the right balance of detail and brevity in the foundation for legal and law enforcement procedures to keep the reader focused on the action. He is always an excellent read as well as an excellent "listen" if you can not sit to enjoy reading the book yourself.