This review is for Michael Connelly's novel 'The Overlook'. You may wonder why I start with something so obvious but having read some of the other reviews people have left on Amazon about this book I think there may have been a computer programme error somewhere as some of the reviews refer to other books in the Harry Bosch series and not this one. This is a terrific novel and it is quite different from the earlier Harry Bosch stories in the series. This one is very plot driven and much more focused on the crime and its potential consequences. Harry has been transferred from the Open-Unsolved unit to the Homicide Special unit of the Robbery-Homicide Division of the Los Angeles Police Department. It is now 5-6 months following the events that occurred in Echo Park (the previous book in the series) and Harry has been allocated a new partner and this is their first case. The plot follows Harry as he tries to solve a murder of a scientist while being stonewalled and hindered by the FBI and the LAPD Office of Homeland Security who feel that more important matters are at stake than solving the murder. Why? Because the murder victim was carrying some capsules of a radioisotope called Cesium, a radioactive material that could be used by terrorists to harm potentially thousands of people if they were to be exposed to it.
I read this novel in two sittings as I found it totally engrossing. The pace of the story is unrelenting. This is partly because all the action takes place within a twelve hour period, partly because unlike previous Bosch stories, there is little time for reflection or any 'back stories' (although there are a couple) and partly because you are drawn into the race to find the Cesium capsules before they fall into the wrong hands, if they hadn't already - while at the same time, Harry is doggedly trying to focus on solving the murder.
If you have read any of the earlier books in the Bosch series (this is number 13) you may, like me, find the change of focus and pace refreshing; if you haven't read any of the previous books you will not be disadvantaged by reading this one as a 'stand-alone' novel. It is a gripping story that makes one think about where priorities should lie - solving a murder or focusing on stopping any potential acts of terrorism before they occur. In short, this is a totally engrossing crime thriller that takes you down lots of blind alleys before encountering an unexpected twist just before its climax.
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Ed Baines
One of the best crime writers of his generation.
Reviewed in Spain on 17 February 2024
