The Scarecrow

By: Michael Connelly

Narrated by: Peter Giles

Length: 11 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

Forced out of the Los Angeles Times amid the latest budget cuts, newspaperman Jack McEvoy decides to go out with a bang, using his final days at the paper to write the definitive murder story of his career. He focuses on Alonzo Winslow, a 16-year-old drug dealer in jail after confessing to a brutal murder. But as he delves into the story, Jack realizes that Winslow's so-called confession is bogus. The kid might actually be innocent.

Jack is soon running with his biggest story since The Poetmade his career years ago. He is tracking a killer who operates completely below police radar - and with perfect knowledge of any move against him. Including Jack's.

©2009 Michael Connelly (P)2009 Hachette

Critic reviews

"Narrator Peter Giles delivers the crisp and compelling copy with a deadpan tone and a pace that advances like Patton through Italy. Scenes involving the stalking of McEvoy and Walling raise hairs at the back of the listener's neck. Great characters and a satisfying ending cement Connelly's place as one of the best crime novelists working today." (AudioFile)

Gripping Story

loved this book! I am picky, I am in law enforcement so sometimes this type of fiction is hokey and unreadable for me, but this story keeps you on the edge of your seat til the very end. Great listen!

Good Book but....

I enjoyed this latest novel by Connelly, and rate it about 3.5. Good story with some decent twists and turns; bringing some old characters back from his previous novels. It is however a notch or so below some of his previous works, i.e. the Lincoln Lawyer, some of the Bosch novels, and even the Poet. I thought the narrator did an above average job and I did get through the book quite quickly. Connelly apparently has a fascination with technology as evidenced by both this book and one of his previous efforts "Chasing the Dime" which I find only interesting to a point. Luckily, the Scarecrow used the technology angle more sparingly than Chasing the Dime as that book was by far my least favorite of Connelly's efforts. Worth a listen but as I have stated before, check out some of the books listed above if you like this book as I felt they were superior in both plot line and character development...

Top Notch Thriller

Michael Connelly does it again with another terrific plot, interesting characters, and a satisfying read. LA Times reporter Jack McEvoy and FBI Agent Rachel Walling track down data collection services where "scarecrows' guard server farms of personal data. Excellent narration by Peter Giles. Highly recommend.

Don't check behind the screen

I looked forward to this book as I am a big fan of Michael Connelly, and the reader - Scott Brick. The tale was woven in typical Connelly style with plot turns and edge of your seat suspense. I lost some sleep listening into the night to get to a point where I thought I could put it down for a few hours.

Then ... the disappointing ending. I didn't think it was up to his standards; it was too limp wristed. I will continue to read Connelly but I hope his next effort maintains excitement all the way to the end.

Worthwhile read, but not up to Connelly's standard

First, let me say I'm a big Michael Connelly fan. I've read all of his books, and consider him as the best thriller/mystery writer in the business right now. Having said that, I was a bit disappointed in the The Scarecrow. Maybe it was the dual storyline: decline of the newspaper busines, and serial killers on the loose. At some point, I became more interested in the newspaper side of it than the hunt for the Scarecrow. That's a cardinal sin for a thriller writer.

Also, the author should have consulted some real experts in the hosting business and web technology, as there were several errors on the technical side that were a bit distracting.

However, its still a worthwhile read, and better than most of the genre today.

Well worth the read.

this was a good book that was interesting and full of suspense. worth the read/listen. Glad to see Jack McEvoy back in action.

not his best

My most serious criticism of the genre is when characters who ought to know better do really stupid stuff. Would you go out looking for a sadistic serial killer who can recognize you when you have never seen him? Why, "no". Would an FBI profiler and a crime reporter who almost got killed once before by a serial killer do this? Well, maybe in this book.

No

Avoid Jack McEvoy and save yourself hours you'll never get back, and minor build up of tension, then disappointment. Two thumbs up for Bosch and Haller, tho.

Excellent Thriller A++++

I hated for this one to end although I wanted to see the bad guy to get what he deserved. Before I listened I read some reviews and one said that the action stopped half way through the book. I kept waiting, but never figured out where that reader thought it stopped. Anyhow, I loved this story and think Michael Connelly writes the best thrillers...this one was just perfect.

Another excellent book by Connelly

Riveting! Peter Giles does an excellent job of bringing Connelly’s characters to life. Bravo to a great team for making this great book an amazing listen.