The Narrows: Harry Bosch Series, Book 10

Fine as a stand-alone, better if you have read/listened to Conelly's "The Poet" first.

Connelly's description of the most banal in order to make an otherwise short story long was very disappointing.

The story does not end well. More like a cliffhanger in the movies. We know the killer from the start and how to catch him is the story. Also several arrows at the FBI. Just disappointed me.

I love the narrators of all the Connelly books, and the storyline and Bosch character development are great. There is always a twist at the end usually one that I don't see coming. I am sad that I have finished the series. Need suggestions on a new series to try, I love following the characters and story lines through more than one book. .

Advice: Read The Poet before reading the Narrows. I love reading Connelly's stories, but I get frustrated when references to previous story lines (that I have not read) or occurences are made in stories that I am currently reading. For example I read the Narrows before reading the Poet. It was a spoiler for me. But it helped to review as this is my second listening of this story. The Narrows make more sense after listening to/reading the The Poet. The end of the Poet story did leave some unfinished business. The twisting plot and clues continue to make this an exciting story. The setting is 4 years after the Poet was shot by Rachel. As the publisher's review indicates, the Poet has re-surfaced. He has revenge on his mind and he seems more mad, insane in the Narrows.

The Narrows provide a good opportunity to follow up with Rachel and Backus. While I missed the Jack McEvoy character, the news reporter it was good to have Harry Bosch included in the story. HIs storyline is also intriguing. I am going to have to find the story that explains what happened to marriage, when was his daughter born and what happened to (his ex-wife, former FBI agent) Eleanor's career.

In addition, I also am going to find and listen to the second sequel--The Scarecrow. Maybe all of the characters will be included. I will be curious to find out who will be Rachel's next lover. The continuity among the various stories would be easier to follow if there was available a list of the titles in the order written or order to read. Good series to follow because of the involvement of different law enforcement agencies, money, travel, romance, and good old fashion police work. I am hooked.

I love the Harry Bosch series, and I thought "The Poet" was a great read (listen). But experiencing the sequel to that book felt a bit too much like a superhero vs superhero fight. The best law enforcement officer(s) in the country comes up against the biggest and baddest serial killer of all time - that sort of thing.

With that being said Connelly still manages to catch my attention all through the book. And ultimately, it is in fact quite a good book. Although some way short of a great one. I wish Connelly would tone down Bosch's' adversaries to more of a realistic level at times.

I've read all of the Harry Bosch books in order and feel like I almost know him personally - thanks to the writing skills of Connelly. It's easy to take his books for granted, nothing supper flashy or over the top dramatic, just good solid story telling, excellent character development and just the right attention to detail.

This book is no exception - in fact I can say, without reservation, it's the best in the series so far. The story is told from a few perspectives which makes it even more unique and interesting. A very nice twist. It appears that Connelly is getting more comfortable with Bosch and truly enjoys "being" Harry Bosch. It comes out more clearly in this book than in any other. This ones a gem and I highly recommend it to new comers and series fans alike.

Len Cariou does a pretty good job narrating the last two in the series. I had my doubts when Dick Hill was seemingly replace by Ben (he sets a high bar for any narrator), but he does an admirable job.

Credits well spent.

It was a good read

I've been listening to the the Harry Bosch series in order and have enjoyed the complex plots and character development. I also liked the connections to main characters in other Connelly books. This particular book, however, breaks out toward the bottom of the list. I found the story somewhat predictable and more like a TV pilot than a good Michael Connelly mystery. Harry seemed a bit dumbed down, if not a bit wimpy. Moreover, as a sequel to "The Poet", an excellent book, The Narrows was a let down. FBI Agent Rachel Walling and the villain, the Poet, weren't as captivating as in the original story. Maybe the Poet should have died in the first installment.

I really enjoyed the story, but the narration got on my nerves. The inflection was really off at times, just didn't fit. And there short musical bits at the starts of chapters that really threw me off too.