Keith chose my book because I couldn’t decide what to read next. He picked Michael Connelly’s ECHO PARK. I think he liked the cover. I suppose it does look kind of scary.

Harry Bosch, an L.A. police detective back from retirement, becomes involved, at the request of the DA, in the case of a confessed serial killer, Raynard Waits. According to Waits, he is responsible for the death of Marie Gesto, who went missing 13 years ago. Bosch had investigated this case, and it is still unsolved. No body was ever found.

Waits has made a deal with the DA: he’ll confess in exchange for life in prison rather than death. The DA wants Bosch to hear the confession and decide whether it’s authentic.

Enter, of course, Bosch’s old girlfriend, an FBI investigator. She isn’t integral to the story, but she does assist Bosch when he’s supposed to be staying home. She also criticizes him for doing what she’s helping him do.

Bosch can’t authenticate Waits’ confession until Waits can lead him to the body. It’s at that point, on their way to the body, that this story gets thrilling. Now Bosch (and the reader) start putting pieces together and coming up with possible scenarios, with a surprise that didn’t occur to him.

This book is apparently one of a series about the crime-fighting Harry Bosch. I haven’t read the other books in the series but have read another Connelly book, THE SCARECROW, a standalone thriller and a gift. The books are unalike. ECHO PARK is more realistic than SCARECROW. I would also say ECHO PARK was less thrilling, but that’s not really true; ECHO PARK just took a longer time getting to it.

Some readers will really enjoy this. Even those who aren’t thrilled about it will admit that it is well thought out and well written. My problem with it is the subject matter. It’s been done over and over, and that cheapens it.