I’ve been spending a lot of time on the road lately, so I’ve been cruising through my borrowed Michael Connelly audiobook collection with record speed. I finished listening to The Last Coyote, Connelly’s fourth consecutive Harry Bosch novel, about a week ago and finally have time to day to sit down and write up my reaction to it. Unfortunately, I’m finding that instead of liking Bosch more as I get deeper into the series, the opposite is happening: this character really gets on my nerves and I cannot for the life of me understand why I’ve heard such good things about him!
Plot summary (with possible spoilers): As the novel opens, we learn that Harry Bosch is once again in trouble. He’s currently on ISL — Involuntary Stress Leave — from the Hollywood Homicide Division of the LAPD and is attending mandatory counseling sessions with Dr. Carmen Hinojos, whose final evaluation will determine whether or not Bosch can return to duty.
Of course, Bosch isn’t one to follow orders, so despite the fact that he’s not supposed to do anything while on ISL, he decides to conduct his own investigation into his mother’s 30-year-old unsolved murder case. While examining her files, he’s angered by evidence of shoddy police work. It’s clear that no one cared about finding out who murdered a whore, and this just strengthens his resolve to get to the bottom of what happened.
So the rest of the novel chronicles Bosch’s investigation, which leads him to Florida and Vegas before eventually pointing him to the killer right there in the L.A. area. In addition, we learn what caused Bosch to be placed on ISL in the first place, we see Bosch begin an affair with a woman named Jasmine, and, at the very end, we’re left wondering if Bosch will leave the LAPD for good.
My Reaction: There were so many things I didn’t like about this book that I hardly know where to begin talking about them. There’s no way that I can bring up these events in chronological order, so I’m just going to write them down as they occur to me. Hopefully if you’ve read the book you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.
– Bosch is a total asshole, a bully, with very few redeeming qualities at all. Remember how he flat-out refused to acknowledge that putting Pounds’ head through the window was a mistake? He insisted it was “the right thing to do” even though Pounds’ “crime” was just reading a suspect his rights. Why do readers like Bosch?
– More importantly, why do other characters in the book agree to help Bosch? For example, that tech named Hirsch (sorry if this is the wrong spelling, but I listened to the audiobook and never saw the name in print!) in the fingerprint lab that Bosch berated into helping out… why on earth would that he agree? It’s not like Bosch could have made Hirsch’s life hell if he didn’t run the prints, so why’d he do it? Same thing with Dr. Hinojos. Why would did she look at the crime scene photos for him? And the woman at the DMV. And Enos’ mistress in Vegas. All of these characters let Bosch push them around — convenient for the plot, but hardly believable.
– Speaking of things being convenient for the plot, how many lucky coincidences can one guy run into during the course of a single investigation? Bosch just happens to drive by Mattel’s house when there’s a huge fundraiser, which allows him to get in the door and start messing with Mattel’s mind? Bosch just happens to get Jake McKittrick’s address right before the monthly pension checks go out and just happens to arrive at the Florida post office right before McKittrick’s wife picks up the check???? Oh, puh-leeze!!!!
– I hate how every single one of Bosch’s hunches turns out to be correct during the investigation, but then Connelly pulls the ol’ switcheroo at the end and makes the perp someone Bosch never even considered before. Two things. First, even detectives like Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot are completely wrong with their theories from time to time. But not Bosch. He always guesses correctly: about people’s motives, about what they’re next moves are going to be, about how to push their buttons. He’s so infallible that his nickname should be the Pope. Second, now that Connelly has given “surprise” endings in all of his novels, the surprise is expected, making it no longer a surprise. Time to change up the formula there, buddy.
– Why is Bosch portrayed as the only competent cop in the LAPD? Again, very unlikely and very, very annoying.
– I didn’t like the Jasmine relationship at all. I simply couldn’t believe that a woman would invite a strange man into her home for drinks after he lied to her to get inside in the first place. And then to turn it into a weekend fling — and possibly more? I don’t think so. Plus, the interlude with Jasmine was sooo long and boring. It really broke up the pacing of the book.
– You mean to tell me that neither Vaughn nor Mattel thought to tie up Bosch’s hands when they held him captive? Isn’t that the first thing you do when you take a prisoner? Secure him? Oh, that’s right… if the villains had done that, Bosch wouldn’t have been able to grab a billiard ball to help him make an escape. Again, an incident that was convenient for the plot, but not very believable.
– I think it’s ridiculous that Bosch is still a police officer, given all the shit he’s pulled in the last four novels. Maybe it would be plausible if he had a higher-up on his side to protect him, but NOBODY in the department likes him. There’s no way a guy like that would have such a long career.
Whew, I think I’m going to stop here! I guess you can tell that I didn’t like this book, huh? Overall, the plot contrivances, unlikable protagonist, and forced ending really made The Last Coyote a chore to sit through. I give it 4.0 stars out of 10 and do not recommend it at all!