The Overlook – Michael Connelly

Although appreciably shorter than previous installments, Michael Connelly’s latest Harry Bosch novel makes for the usual compelling reading. Originally published as a sixteen-part serial for the New York Times Magazine, and then expanded for publication, The Overlook begins routinely enough, with the murder of Dr. Stanley Kent, a medical physicist with access to cesium, used in both cancer treatment and as a key radioactive component of the so-called “dirty bomb.” Followup investigation finds Kent’s wife, Alicia, naked and hog-tied on the matrimonial bed, and what she ultimately reveals about her captivity sends the FBI’s Homeland Security Unit into immediate action, thereby bringing about Harry’s reunion with his old love interest, Rachel Walling.

The plot contains the twists and turns one expects from Michael Connelly, with a resolution that quite frankly, I did not anticipate, despite some cleverly planted clues. But as always, the real pleasure for me is the characterization of Harry Bosch. Although he is getting older (in this novel he is 56), his instincts continue to serve him well. It is these instincts that bring him into a seemingly perennial opposition to his superiors, but this time out his rebellion takes a slightly less conspicuous form; perhaps he has learned that outright defiance has costs he is no longer willing to bear. Another interesting development is the fact that he has a new, much younger partner, Ignacio Ferras, who, as the novel progresses, becomes increasing nervous about his prospects for career longevity owing to Harry’s unorthodox practices, and at one point declares that their partnership is not working. Needless to say, he changes his opinion by the end of the novel.

The Overlook works effectively on the fears of terrorism that began with the 9/11 attacks, but interestingly enough, while all other law enforcement figures are busy trying to track down the missing cesium, Harry remains true to his calling and to his vision of what it means to be a homicide detective. His credo is a simple one: the investigator has to speak for those who no longer can, and this pursuit of justice in apprehending those responsible for Stanley Kent’s murder never becomes secondary to concerns about terrorist attacks.

Fans of Michael Connelly will not be disappointed in this latest episode in Harry’s life, although they may well lament the fact that their reading pleasure is limited to only 225 pages this time out.