The Last Coyote Review

Title:  The Last Coyote
Series:  Harry Bosch #4
Author:  Michael Connelly
Publisher:  Little, Brown and Company
Release Date:  April 29, 2003
Buy Link:  Amazon

My Rating: 4 Raw, Gritty ♥'s

Synopsis:

Harry Bosch's life is on the edge. His earthquake-damaged home has been condemned. His girlfriend has left him. He's drinking too much. And after attacking his commanding officer, he's even had to turn in his L.A.P.D. detective's badge. Now, suspended indefinitely pending a psychiatric evaluation, he's spending his time investigating an unsolved crime from 1961: the brutal slaying of a prostitute who happened to be his own mother.

Even after three decades, Harry's questions generate heat among L.A.'s top politicos. And as the truth begins to emerge, it becomes more and more apparent that someone wants to keep it buried. Someone very powerful...very cunning...and very deadly.

Edgar Award-winning author Michael Connelly has created a dark, fast-paced suspense thriller that cuts to the core of Harry Bosch's character. Once you start it, there's no turning back.

Review:

Harry Bosch has been suspended and stripped of his LAPD Badge, his official vehicle, and life as he knows it.  He’s lost his home, his girlfriend, and his self-control.  In department mandated counseling sessions, Harry is forced to examine his actions, express his feelings, and bare his soul about past and present events – something he is not comfortable doing.  But unless he can convince the psychologist that he’s not a threat to himself and others, he can kiss his badge and life good-bye.  Some might say this story moves too slow in the first half, but I find the complex inter-workings of Harry’s mind fascinating and didn’t have an issue with it.  Through counseling sessions and Harry’s “off-the-record” investigation into a 1961 unsolved murder, readers learn a lot more about what makes Harry tick including his past and the life that contributed to the damaged man he is now. 

As the story plays out, the action and investigation gain momentum as Harry has spooked some old ghosts, rattled some cages, riled some important people, and generally stirred up trouble leaving bodies in his wake.  Through a series of twists and turns, Harry rages full speed ahead plowing through every obstacle and red herring tossed in his path while defying orders to cease his investigation.  He’s bet it all on this one case – let the chips fall where they may.  I enjoyed following the leads along with Harry, studying each suspect while trying to get to the truth.  I didn’t see the shocking truth of it all until the very end.  What a heart-breaker.

 The Last Coyote left me with an uneasy feeling of having accidentally peeked through a window straight into Harry’s soul.  I almost feel the need to apologize to him for having been privy to his inner most thoughts, secrets, and regrets.  Stunning job of characterization by this author!  Raw, gritty, intense, and as always entertaining, this is another Must Read in the Harry Bosch series! 

My Rating:  4 Gritty ♥'s . . . And that's the truth!

Cross My Heart . . . xxx

Sandra