REVIEW: The Drop by Michael Connelly

Links : Amazon US, Amazon UK, Book Depository, Book Depository UK

For someone like me, who reads everything Michael Connelly writes – even buying short story collections because there is a 10 page Harry Bosch included, a new Harry Bosch novel is something to be anticipated and savoured and of course pre-ordered! So, is it any good? Well I blitzed through The Drop in two days, which must be some kind of a record even for me. I know his novels tend to be easy to read, but this was one I didn’t want to put down.

Is it without flaws? Well no, in the first half of the book, we have again Harry cutting out his partner and establishing himself as a lone wolf. In such a well advanced series, this strikes as a little bit tiresome rather than being as fresh as early in the series when setting him out as a maverick was, at times, essential. Also, the book consists of (to me at least) two completely independent storylines not as portrayed on the dust jacket: “two cases (which) circle around each other like complex strands of DNA”. Both storylines are interesting in their own right and could potentially have been separated out and explored in more detail. The presence of arch-nemesis of Irvin Irving does help though as you can never be sure quite what he has up his sleeve, and Harry always has to watch his back.

The title of course is a play on Harry’s impending retirement, even as he hopes for an extension under the LAPD’s Deferred Retirement Option Plan as well as one of the two cases he is investigating concerning a jumper from Chateau Marmont. I also like the further exposition of Harry’s relationship with his daughter, Maddie, and this offers potential for a future spinoff when Harry eventually hangs up his badge.

So maybe not quite Connelly at his best but still a home run if not a grand slam on this occasion. Definitely worth reading and I’m sure it will sell by the truck load.

I’d love to hear what others (and C.T.) think of this one as I haven’t read any other reviews yet.

For everyone in the USA be sure to check out his website for his iphone/ipad app and www.scribd.com for an excerpt of the first nine chapters to keep you going until publication date.