Book Review: The Black Ice

 

Having read the first book in this series by Michael Connelly, I really wanted to like The Black Ice . But 5 chapters in and I’m looking for any excuse to find something else to do rather than finish the second book featuring LAPD detective Harry Bosch.

I think what’s getting me is the cliché of cop who knows the right thing to do, but the brass upstairs just won’t let him do his job. You’ve probably seen this faux obstacle in just about every cop TV series and film ever produced. According to the cops I know, it just doesn’t work like this. Even if it did, we’ve seen it over and over… ugh.

You’d think authors would be able to come up with enough conflict in a crime story, which by its nature is full of violence and conflict. Why throw in a weasely boss character to trip up the detective, especially since it so often rings hollow, making each crime story sound like every other crime story.

I’m all for conflict, but I just don’t want to read about the same conflict over and over.

I’m not giving up on Michael Connelly, but I think I might go easy on myself and not finish this particular series.