The Concrete Blonde (Harry Bosch Series #3)

by Michael Connelly

Overview

Edgar Award-winner Michael Connelly brings back Detective Harry Bosch in a breathtaking breakthrough novel, a supercharged thriller that thrusts us into a blistering courtroom battle and a desperate search for a killer who should already be dead. Harry Bosch is sure that the man he killed was the sadistic serial murderer known as the Dollmaker, and that the killing was justified. Even if the dead man's widow wins her civil suit, it's the city of Los Angeles that will pay. Harry has already been exonerated in an internal investigation. The trial - and Harry's certainty that he shot the right man - are torn apart when a corpse is discovered beneath the concrete floor of a building that burned during the L.A. riots. It's the body of a woman, and all indications are that this is another of the Dollmaker's victims. But the autopsy report is unequivocal: this woman was killed after Harry shot the man he believes was the Dollmaker. Into the L.A. night Harry takes his investigation. By day the trial continues excruciatingly, with the prosecuting attorney focusing on Bosch's violent past and portraying him as a vigilante murderer protected by his badge. By night he reinvestigates the infamous Dollmaker case, frantically trying to understand where he went wrong - and what he can do to keep this murderer from carrying out his threats to make Harry his next victim.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316153836
Publisher:	Little, Brown and Company
Publication date:	06/01/1994
Series:	Harry Bosch Series
Pages:	392
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Michael Connelly is a former journalist and author of the bestselling series of Harry Bosch novels and the bestselling novels Chasing the Dime, The Poet, Blood Work, and Void Moon. Connelly has won numerous awards for his journalism and novels, including an Edgar Award. He lives in Florida.

Hometown:

Sarasota, Florida

Date of Birth:

July 21, 1956

Place of Birth:

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Education:

B.A. in Journalism, University of Florida, 1980

Website:

http://www.michaelconnelly.com

Table of Contents

What People are Saying About This

Nelson DeMille

"A stylist blend of grit and elegance."

Linda Barnes

"You're in the hands of a pro with Michael Connelly. Relax and enjoy the rollercoaster ride...we care about Bosch, not because he's macho or sensitive, because he's real."

Reginald Hill

"A splendid read. There are plenty of writers around who can do a great trial, or a gripping serial killer hunt, or an insider's view of L.A. law, or a moving love story, but the skill to wrap them all together in a single book whose multifariousness never clogs is all too rare."

Editorial Reviews

In this fiendishly plotted combination of courtroom drama and police procedural, Connelly's LAPD detective Hieronymous ``Harry'' Bosch, introduced in the Edgar-winning The Black Echo , is up against the law as well as his superiors. The widow of Norman Church, a serial killer identified as the Dollmaker, whom Bosch shot to death four years earlier, is suing Bosch on the grounds that he violated her husband's civil rights. Strong but not conclusive evidence linked Church to the serial murders and the case was closed, although Bosch was demoted for not following proper procedures. Here, just before the trial targeting Bosch as a reckless cowboy who shot the wrong man gets underway, the body of perhaps another Dollmaker victim is unearthed from the concrete floor of a burnt-out pool hall. Is the real Dollmaker still alive, or is a copycat killer on the loose? Connelly deftly parcels out clues and possibilities while juggling subtle and detailed courtroom scenes with no-nonsense police investigations that turn up new evidence about the original case. A Pulitzer Prize-winning crime reporter for the Los Angeles Times , he adroitly laces the plot with twists and turns based on details drawn from Bosch's previous adventures. The results of this care show on every page, all to the reader's benefit. (June)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Homicide detective Harry Bosch is fighting for his professional reputation in civil court. He is charged with killing an allegedly innocent man known as "The Dollmaker." The Dollmaker, however, was a serial murderer who strangled his victims and made them up to look like dolls. Suddenly, a new murder comes to light, with all the trappings of the Dollmaker's style. Bosch has to clear his name and find the copycat killer before he strikes again. Slick plot twists, fast action, and fine suspense mark this excellent thriller and courtroom drama. Characterizations by reader Dick Hill are imaginative and authentic, and the recording benefits from subtle special effects that lend realism. This is a good, solid story that translates exceedingly well to audio. Strongly recommended for all mystery and suspense collections.-Susan B. Lamphier, Somerville P.L., Mass.

Library Journal

"Crackling authenticity"

Los Angeles Times Book Review

"Michael Connelly is a splendid storyteller...a gritty, gripping thriller."

San Diego Tribune

"Crackling authenticity"—Los Angeles Times Book Review

"Turbo-charged...a darkly gripping tale."—Kirkus Reviews

"Michael Connelly is a splendid storyteller...a gritty, gripping thriller."—San Diego Tribune

From the Publisher