Author: |
Michael Connolly |
Title: |
The Burning Room |
Published: |
2014 |
Genre/Sub-Genre: |
Police Procedural |
Plot summary: |
Harry Bosch is assigned to investigate the homicide of a man who died
ten years after he was shot. Patiently, Harry traces the weapon used in the
murder and connects it to a businessman and possibly a politician. Harry is
working with a new partner, a young detective with agendas of her own. Harry
helps her to investigate the crime of which she was a victim as a child and
links it to another crime which happened on the same day. Although they solve
the various crimes to their own satisfaction, it all leads nowhere. And
Harry gets himself into hot water through his own actions… |
Overall: |
It is rather sedate and focused as on police procedure, with few
episodes of tension. I’d call it engrossing rather than gripping but it is
always interesting to watch Harry Bosch grapple with an inept system and moronic
if somewhat stereotyped supervisors. |
Plotting: |
A slow patient plot - a pleasure to follow as Harry and Lucia use
their skills and contacts to unravel the three cases. Two of the cases
interconnect but the third is separate. The violence, by the standard of
American crime fiction, is restrained. A thinking person’s novel, not one for
those after thrills and spills. |
Characterisation: |
Harry as always is convincingly portrayed as a man with his own moral
code but one not afraid to break the law when necessary, not afraid to
confront authority and not afraid to manipulate the system and others when
required, while maintaining his inner commitment to universal justice. The portrayal
of Lucia as an energetic young detective of imagination, flair, courage and
stickability is likewise convincing. Both mavericks to the system but true to
a wider yardstick of truth and justice. |
Dialogue: |
Again, it’s subdued. |
Setting and Description: |
Convincing portrayal of Los Angeles and surrounds. Curiously, he never
mentions smog. |
Readability: |
Very readable, got me hooked. |
Sub-plots: |
The sub-plots between Bosch and Lucia and between Bosch and his
daughter were a bonus. |
Read another by same author? |
Definitely. |