For an audio book to be enjoyable and worth the read there must be two components. First the story must be well written and the plot engaging. Second it must be well read. In Echo Park both components are excellent. Both the dialog and the characterization of Bosch are well maintained throughout the book. It is as good as any of his other books, which I have either read or listened to all of his books.

This book was well worth the wait, it has all of the best of Harry Bosch. This had twists and turns that were completely unexpected and kept you on the edge until the last minute. I love all of Michael Connelly's books and this was just as close to perfect as they come. Harry is a great, flawed character that is so real you believe everything that happens to him and end up wishing for more.

I am almost 2 hours into this book and it is sooo slow and boring. I usually like Michael Connelly, but this one goes nowhere for the first 2 hours, there is no action, just a lot of slow talking. I will continue to listen, I hope that it picks up, but I am tempted to give up. In all fairness, I am only 2 hours into a 10 hour book, so it may pick up, but if you like your books to get right into the action, it does not happen here.

Usually Connelly's novels are a cut above the crime thriller genre, but this one falls terribly short. Yes, the plot is interesting, but the bravado and unrealistic antics of the cop hero really get tiresome. Too much tough talk and weak characterization add up to a flimsy work. The romantic angle, especially the narrator's annoying personification of Bosch's lover, is absolutely dreadful. It's hard to believe that the same author wrote the Lincoln Lawyer. It seems that he is now into the mode of "churning out" titles, and poor ones at that.

There is nobody, and I mean nobody who writes this genre better than Connelly. He doesn't muck up Bosch's life with unrealistic actions or relationships. I thought he was coming too close to it with Walling, but thankfully he let Bosch be who he really is...a flawed man, an honorable yet somewhat unhonorable cop, and a great detective. I was glad it was nearly pure storyline, without the ex-wife and daughter present as well. I don't want to see Connelly take Bosch down the Lucas Davenport route.

The story is one that at the beginning just eats at a mother (me) - a child killed and the killer never found. One could absorb the frustration Bosch had felt throughout the long years of the investigation. The emotional tragedy he felt. It was compelling.

Connelly is the best of anyone at capturing the essence of personalities of the different policemen who deal with Harry. Nakamura was a photograph to me by the time Connelly gets through with him. All the characters are sparingly, yet very effectively drawn. I love that about Connelly.

This is a really, really, really good book. I would have given it 4-1/2 stars because I found the lead-up to the end just a tad overdone and a bit unbelievable maybe (the restroom scene), but I was fascinated with this book the entire time I was listening.

I can't wait to meet Bosch again.

This was right up there with the best Bosch novels. I thouroughly enjoyed it.

This book is good as far as it goes, although I have read it previously and enjoyed listening to the story as much as I remember reading it when it came out. However, as some others have said, the narration leaves much to be desired. My main problem is that the narrator has a very dull, quiet voice for nearly all the female characters; Rachel Walling was a consistently bad example. Also, I sometimes got the impression that the narrator forgot which voice to use for which character: one notable example was towards the end when it was Bosch's words, but in the voice of the previous character to have spoken! I had to stop and work out quite what was going on there…

It was difficult for me to get interested in this one, because the narration was awful!

Kept going down the garden path along with the rest. Diverted and twisted. Great introspection.
Was carried along with a good story and wonderful
narration.

This audiobook was entertaining enough, but nothing to write home about. The plot was catchy (although a tad contrived), but I was not crazy about the narrator, who was a little much with his different voices (although I know it can't be easy). If your a Connolly fan, than probably worth your credit.