Often when you pick up a book, you don’t know if you’re gonna love it or hate it. Or neither. In the case of The Last Coyote (2007 reprint, 528 pages) Harry Bosch book No.4. I picked it up and had thoughts of putting it down after 3 very slow chapters. Then a plot twist caught me and I didn’t put the book down until I finished it. After being impressed with The Black Echo and The Concrete Blonde, I felt assured that The Last Coyote wouldn’t let me down and it didn’t. It’s just a slow starter.
The plot in The Last Coyote (1995) is personal for Harry. It involves the investigation into his mother’s murder. Early on in the series, we knew about Harry’s mother being a prostitute. Against the advice of others, Harry decides to delve into the 30 year-old cold case and yes, it takes its toll. The last half of the book is gripping with an ending that’s shocking as well. I’m a reader who reads for character and Michael Connelly does such a damn good job with Harry Bosch in fleshing him out. The most puzzling though is why I haven’t read past The Last Coyote? No reason really only that there are over 600 ebooks vying for my attention. I rated The Last Coyote a B+ read. Looking over the reviews, seems Connelly can’t write a bad book even if he tried.
He’s currently writing a series featuring Harry Bosch’s half-brother, Mickey Haller, who’s a lawyer in The Lincoln Lawyer (2008, 432 pages) that I rated a B read and The Brass Verdict (2009, 592 pages) is the latest and unread read by me. I started Connelly with Blood Work and I’ve been a fan ever since then. Anyway, here’s The Last Coyote in the author’s own words (at his website).
