I'd long looked forward to reading Michael Connelly because I know a few people who are very enthusiastic fans.
I'd enjoyed The Reversal but I think I would have enjoyed it more if I'd read the other books in the series first because I was not as familiar with the characters.
I was delighted, therefore, to discover the Scarecrow is a almost a stand-alone novel .. a sequel to The Poet, I believe.
I enjoyed Jack McEvoy's relationship with FBI agent Rachel Walling, the information I picked up about the world of computer security (something about which I knew very little), and the little elegy for the dying newspaper business (Jack is a crime reporter at the L.A. Times).
Jack is a prize-winning reporter for the L.A. Times. The newspaper is slowly laying off all of its reporters, and Jack gets a pink slip. He is asked to train his replacement, a "cub" reporter who will take over his crime beat but whose salary will be considerably less.
The same day he learns that he's to leave in two weeks, Jack gets a phone call from the distraught mother of a murder suspect. He'd written about the son in routine news story, but the mother insists that her son is innocent. Jack decides he'll investigate the mother's claims and try to write one last story about crime in Los Angeles. Only thing is, he soon discovers that the kid almost certainly is innocent. And his cub reporter colleague starts to put details together and begins to suspect the murder was actually carried out by a serial killer. Things start to get interesting.
I'd enjoyed The Reversal but I think I would have enjoyed it more if I'd read the other books in the series first because I was not as familiar with the characters.
I was delighted, therefore, to discover the Scarecrow is a almost a stand-alone novel .. a sequel to The Poet, I believe.
I enjoyed Jack McEvoy's relationship with FBI agent Rachel Walling, the information I picked up about the world of computer security (something about which I knew very little), and the little elegy for the dying newspaper business (Jack is a crime reporter at the L.A. Times).
Jack is a prize-winning reporter for the L.A. Times. The newspaper is slowly laying off all of its reporters, and Jack gets a pink slip. He is asked to train his replacement, a "cub" reporter who will take over his crime beat but whose salary will be considerably less.
The same day he learns that he's to leave in two weeks, Jack gets a phone call from the distraught mother of a murder suspect. He'd written about the son in routine news story, but the mother insists that her son is innocent. Jack decides he'll investigate the mother's claims and try to write one last story about crime in Los Angeles. Only thing is, he soon discovers that the kid almost certainly is innocent. And his cub reporter colleague starts to put details together and begins to suspect the murder was actually carried out by a serial killer. Things start to get interesting.
Oh, this is great to know. I've always wondered if I should try Michael Connelly, but it is rather daunting to know where to start. Now I do!
ReplyDelete