Harry Bosch Chronicles

The world of Bosch is a world of weirdos. That's what keeps you turning pages.

"The Overlook" introduces us to Don Hadley ("Done Badly") -- who invents a terrorist scheme where there isn't one, then fails to admit he has murdered an innocent civilian. We get a homeless drifter who finds Madonna's Hollywood Hills autograph and tries to stalk her. ("I wanted an autograph, for my mom.") When confronted by the police, the drifter asks, "Why does America sell Maps to the Stars, if stalking is illegal?" Bosch has a quick reply: "Why do we have parking lots next to bars, if you can't drink and drive?"

My favorite weirdo is Bosch himself, who seems to make twenty secret calculations before every possible work interaction, and who won't lose sleep over having been exposed to life-threatening cesium. At the end of this book, Bosch shrugs and says, "Some people speculate that a little accidental radiation might ADD years to your life."

I haven't even talked about the link between the words "Allah and Alicia," the mysterious uses of grape juice, the yoga poster that disappears.

With Michael Connelly, I know that basically every scene will have a surprising detail; I know that Connelly will "light up the world" in new and memorable ways. Just as an artist will tend to light up his subject..... I'm giving this book five stars.

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