The dead man, Billy Meadows, was a fellow Vietnam "tunnel rat" who fought side by side with him in a nightmare underground war that brought them to the depths of hell. Now, Bosch is about to relive the horror of Nam. From a dangerous maze of blind alleys to a daring criminal heist beneath the city to the torturous link that must be uncovered, his survival instincts will once again be tested to their limit.
Joining with an enigmatic and seductive female FBI agent, pitted against enemies inside his own department, Bosch must make the agonizing choice between justice and vengeance, as he tracks down a killer whose true face will shock him.
Impressed? Ace detective Harry Bosch is also on the case in other exciting Michael Connelly crime-fiction novels.
©2004 Michael Connelly; (P)2004 Brilliance Audio
"What a Terrific Book"
I love Connelly's Bosch novels and normally, an author of gets better with age. Having said that, I wasn't expecting this first book in the Bosch series to be as good as the later novels in the series.
This book is probably one of my top 2 or 3 favorites!!
Connelly manages to weave together a very intriguing and complex story!!
I kept saying to myself, "This Story is going to have SOOOOOO many holes", but he masterfully ties up all the loose ends.
The reader does a good job as well.
Highly recommended!!
"Fills in the blanks"
I have read all of the Harry Bosch mysteries over the past few years. While I am not a lifelong Dectective devotee, Harry Bosch is my favorite character and Michael Connelly is my favorite author. Somehow I have managed to read the 13 Bosch books in a random order. This book, The Black Echo, is the first in the series and recounts Harry Bosch's days as a "tunnel rat" during the Vietnam War. It does a good job of filling in the blanks that you only get bits and pieces about in the later works. As a testament to the talented pen of Connelly, much/most of the Bosch character is developed in this first book.
If you haven't read any of the Bosch series, this is a good place to start. If you have read later books, you will still enjoy this one.
moemoe
"Very entertaining!!"
This was a great book...Connelly created Harry with this story and whats amazing is, his first Harry book is as good as his last. There are a couple silly parts, for example, at one time Harry catches 2 detectives following him and he handcuffs them to a tree. Other than that its a great listen. Dick Hill is amazing as the narrator as well.
"Liked It"
This was my first book from the author and I really enjoyed it. I liked the writing style which reminded me of Lee Child (Reacher series). Perfect balance of story telling and character building for my taste. Pretty much every part of the story was relevant, interesting and well told.
I admit that the narrator (Dick Hill) influenced my decision to try this one since he is one of my favorite narrators, but in the end I was glad I did. In fact I am going to grab another one right now.
You won't be disappointed.
"Good Start to the Series"
If you've decided to start the whole series after hearing a few of the latter books, then here you are. A little too 80's cop movie for me (drug dealers, Vietnam, dirty cops...) but worth the time.
Semi retired magazine editor and part time university adjunct instructor who is often distracted by his 10-year-old daughter.
"Glad I tried another Bosch book"
I listened to A Darkness More Than Night a while back and I was not impressed. After I reviewed the book I said I would listen to another with a different narrator. Both the narrator (Dick Hill) and the story made this book an excellent listen. I am used to hearing Hill and his superb narration in Lee Child's Jack Reacher series. His work here too is commendable. More than just the narration, Connelly introduces Bosch as both a likable and roguish police detective whose ways seem more suited to those of a private eye. This story had the right amount of everything; romance, misdirection, tragedy, vindication, bad guys, victims, flawed characters and you name it. I will listen to another Harry Bosch novel, especially if Hill did the narration. This was purchased on an Audible sale and was the best value I received in more than three years. It would have been well worth a credit.
"I didn't see that coming"
great book with great narration, plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing.
"Connelly at his best"
Another good Harry Bosh novel. It is well written and flows. If you are a Harry Bosh fan, you will like this one.
I like Jack Reacher style characters regardless of setting. Put them in outer space, in modern America, in a military setting, on an alien planet... no worries. Book has non moralistic vigilante-justice? Sign me up! (oh, I read urban fantasy, soft and hard sci-fi, trashy vampire and zombie novels too)
"Had to start at the beginning of Bosch"
I wanted to read the Bosch series from the start so I picked this up. It was nicely paced and the characters were believable.
The twist in the story was a bit predictable and the IAD investigation which fills a large part of the storyline is not really explained/justified and I finished the book still unclear as to why Bosch is so "bad" that he needed to be investigated.
I didn't really enjoy the military sub-storyline (it wasn't quite political but had a tinge of politics), and don't understand the antagonist's motivations even though they are spelled out at the end.
The narration is good.
I'll read the next in the series because I suspect Bosch will turn into a very interesting character.
I love books!
"enjoyable listen"
This was my second Michael Connelly and it was enjoyable. It was entertaining which is what you want out of a book. Harry Bosch is fun and Connelly does a good job of keeping the story moving, throwing in some romance, a snappy LA style, and good insight into human nature. I know I'm a bit late discovering this author but 'll methodically work through his stores.