Harry Bosch in on involuntary leave from the force; his
return pending a psychiatric evaluation. The source of his exile a violent
encounter with his superior officer, Lt Pounds, which resulted in Bosch putting
his head through a glass wall. Now having to deal with stress, detachment, and
rage issues, he finds himself having to convince Carmen Hinojos of his
wellbeing and mind state in order to be reinstated to the force.
But that’s only one half of the story. The other, being what
Bosch occupies his time with.
Being a cop, he lives the life. The job is everything, each
murder matters, each case almost personal regardless of the occupation of the
deceased or their lifestyle. In this instance it’s the 1961 murder of a prostitute
that holds his interest – the murder of his mother.
THE LAST COYOTE takes Bosch down a dark and deeply
confrontational path towards a truth he does anything but shy away from – even as
the bodies pile up, his pursuit for closure of his mother’s murder doesn’t waiver.
Author Michael Connelly does a great job at linking this
cold case with current day suspects as the impact of Bosch’s investigation is
felt across Hollywood (from the newspapers to his fellow officers, to his
mothers’ best friend at her time of death).
The theme is standard police procedural yet Bosch’s
character development goes beyond the norm as the reader is treated to the
inner workings of Bosch – his drive, determination, love life, and sense of
self preservation/destruction, all tied up in the pursuit of justice.
I found it hard to put THE LAST COYOTE down as the
overarching murder mystery is just addictive. There are also a few twists that
really shocked me in one of those rare reader moments; a testament to Connelly’s
continued craft.
Next up TRUNK MUSIC.
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