Harry Bosch, a veteran LAPD homicide detective is back on the force about a brief leave of absence following his last, disastrous case at Echo Park. Now teamed up with a new, rookie partner, Harry is awakened at midnight to check out a body found shot execution style, high above the city in the Hollywood Hills, just a short distance away from the house Madonna once owned.
Enter the FBI
The case seems straightforward, if sad, until Harry learns that the deceased, Dr. Stanley Kent, was a doctor that handled radioactive cessium, used to treat cancer, and that 33 units of the dangerous element are missing. It seems the killers captured Kent's wife and threatened to kill her unless the element was delivered to them. In this post-9/11 age, the immediate thought is towards terrorism. The FBI are called in, including Harry's old flame, Rachel Walling. Soon Harry is in the background, fighting for tidbits of information from the swarm of government agents.
The scare intensifies when the LAPD's Office of Homeland Security receives a tip that a prominent outspoken Arab-American in the area is harboring the killer thiefs. A dragnet is set up, but will they be in time to catch the true killers?
Terrorists or Not?
Somehow everything seems too pat for Harry. Unlike most of his cases, with this one all of the action fits onto just one page of the map book. Could all of the government agents be missing something essential about this case in their eagerness to find the missing cessium?
The Overlook is a good summer read, with lots of fast-paced action and familiar characters. Originally written as a sixteen-part serial for the New York Times Magazine, the short novel (225 pages) does lack a certain depth and plot development. Still, it contains a few plot twists and red herrings and makes for interesting reading. Those new to the Harry Bosch series will probably want to start with one of the earlier books, however, to get a full description of the characters.
About Michael Connelly
Connelly is a University of Florida graduate and former crime reporter for the Los Angeles Times. His 1992 novel, Black Echo, won the Mystery Writers Guild of American Edgar Award for best first novel. Since then he has written over 20 novels. He lives in Florida with his family.
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