The Last Coyote by Michael Connelly - 3 stars

[Joy D]

The Last Coyote by Michael Connelly - 3* - My Review

While on involuntary stress leave (ISL), Harry Bosch starts looking into his mother’s murder, which has remained unsolved for thirty years. As he unravels clues, he finds evidence of a cover-up to protect powerful people. His mother was a prostitute and Harry thinks she didn’t count – in his mind “everybody counts, or nobody counts.” While on ISL, he is expected to see a psychiatrist, who is expected to determine if and when he can return to work.

On the plus side, it kept my interest. The female reporter and psychologist are believable. I was pleased to see women of color in supporting roles. The therapy sessions provide insight into Harry’s mental state and his many issues. Harry is not a particularly likeable guy (the terms “loose cannon” and “jerk” come to mind), so we need this insight to feel sympathy for him.

On the minus side, it has many of the same drawbacks I usually find in detective novels. It contains too many twists and red herrings to keep the reader from figuring it out too early, but these must eventually be explained, and the explanations are often unsatisfying. Cliches abound. The romance is clunky and superfluous.

The audio book is nicely read by Dick Hill. His gravelly baritone fits this type of novel, and his characters’ voices are very well done. I liked it overall, but not sure whether to read any more of these. If anyone has recommendations for a specific book in this series that is over and above the norm, please let me know.