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Summary and Reviews of The Closers by Michael Connelly

The Closers by Michael Connelly

The Closers

by Michael Connelly
  • Critics' Consensus:
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  • First Published:
  • May 16, 2005, 416 pages
  • Paperback:
  • Feb 2006, 464 pages
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About This Book

Book Summary

Detective Harry Bosch is back with the LAPD with the sole mission of closing unsolved cases. The murder of a 16 year old girl in 1988 is his first file. A DNA match makes the case very much alive again, and it turns out to be anything but cold. The ripples from this death have destroyed at least two other lives, and everywhere he probes, Bosch finds hot grief, hot rage, and a bottomless well of betrayal and malice.

Winner of the 2006 BookBrowse Diamond Award for Most Popular Book of 2005.

In Los Angeles in 1988, a sixteen-year-old girl disappeared from her home and was later found dead of a gunshot wound to the chest. The death appeared at first to be a suicide - but some of the evidence contradicted that scenario, and detectives came to believe this was in fact a murder. Despite a by-the-book investigation, no one was ever charged.

Now Detective Harry Bosch is back with the LAPD with the sole mission of closing unsolved cases, and this girl's death is the first he's given. A DNA match makes the case very much alive again, and it turns out to be anything but cold. The ripples from this death have destroyed at least two other lives, and everywhere he probes, Bosch finds hot grief, hot rage, and a bottomless well of betrayal and malice.

And it's not just the girl's family and friends whose lives Bosch is stirring up afresh. With each new development, Harry Bosch finds increasing resistance from within the police force itself. Old enemies are close at hand. Even as he pushes relentlessly to find the truth, Bosch has to wonder if this assignment was intended to be his last. Digging up the past may heal old wounds-or it may expose new, searing ones.

From the mind of the man GQ has called "the best mystery writer in the world," The Closers is a masterpiece of thriller writing that is as sharp and immediate as the greatest fiction.

Also available as a Time Warner AudioBook, eBook and Large Print Edition.

1

Within the practice and protocol of the Los Angeles Police Department a two-six call is the one that draws the most immediate response while striking the most fear behind the bulletproof vest. For it is a call that often has a career riding on it. The designation is derived from the combination of the Code 2 radio call out, meaning "respond as soon as possible," and the sixth floor of Parker Center, from which the chief of police commands the department. A two-six is a forthwith from the chief's office, and any officer who knows and enjoys his position in the department will not delay.

Detective Harry Bosch spent over twenty-five years with the department in his first tour and never once received a forthwith from the chief of ...

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
  1. Welcome Back Roy: In Michael Connelly's novel, The Closers, Harry Bosch rejoins the ranks of the LAPD after three years in retirement. Harry has a hard time suppressing his excitement at being back. At one point, he says to his partner, Kizmin Rider, "The point is I need the gun. I need the badge. Otherwise I'm out of balance. I need all of this." Why do you think Harry needs to be a cop?
     
  2. The Oldest Living Boot: The new chief of police welcomes Harry back but at the same time he warns him that he is on probation. Harry can't screw up or he'll be out. Later, Harry has a run in with an old adversary, Deputy Chief ...
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    BookBrowse Awards
    2006

Reviews

Media Reviews

The Chicago Sun-Tribune - Gary Wisby
The return of Harry Bosch is good for his beloved City of the Angels and great for readers. And bad, really bad, for the bad guys. Because rusty as he is after a three-year hiatus -- he needs to be brought up to speed on a few crime-tech advances -- Harry remains relentless. This is the guy who had Hold Fast tattooed on his knuckles when he was a 16-year-old runaway.

The Miami-Herald - Connie Ogle
Bosch must take a hard look at the ''ripples'' -- the repercussions that devastate crime victims' families and friends -- as well as come to terms with how his devotion to police work has shaped his life. In addition to being a fascinating mystery, The Closers is a profoundly moving story about the importance of finding and recommitting yourself to a purpose, no matter who or what you are.

The New York Times - Janet Maslin
...a sharp, straightforward police procedural.....Mr. Connelly continues to make his doomy, secretive Los Angeles a living, breathing character in his stories.

Booklist - Bill Ott
Starred Review. Hard-boiled fans don't like traditional commitment much (it makes us itchy), but Bosch turns us into believers. Give Connelly credit for having the courage to tinker with one of the richest characters in the genre.

Library Journal - Jeff Ayers
Fans and newcomers alike will love seeing Bosch back in uniform, stirring up trouble.

Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Connelly comes as close as anyone to being today's Dostoyevsky of crime literature, and this is one of his finest novels to date, a likely candidate not only for book award nominations but for major bestsellerdom.

Reader Reviews

AlfaGradu8

Excellent
I enjoy all of the Bosch novels, and this one was no exception... A must read for those who are addicted to Bosch and his antics.

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Read-Alikes

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