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  • The Black Echo: Harry Bosch Series, Book 1

  • By: Michael Connelly
  • Narrated by: Dick Hill
  • Length: 13 hrs and 49 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (1,379 ratings)

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The Black Echo: Harry Bosch Series, Book 1 cover art

The Black Echo: Harry Bosch Series, Book 1

By: Michael Connelly
Narrated by: Dick Hill
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Summary

An LAPD homicide detective must choose between justice and vengeance as he teams up with the FBI in the first novel of the "thrilling" Harry Bosch series (New York Times Book Review).

For maverick LAPD homicide detective Harry Bosch, the body in the drainpipe at Mulholland Dam is more than another anonymous statistic. This one is personal...because the murdered man was a fellow Vietnam "tunnel rat" who had fought side by side with him in a hellish underground war. Now Bosch is about to relive the horror of Nam. From a dangerous maze of blind alleys to a daring criminal heist beneath the city, his survival instincts will once again be tested to their limit. Pitted against enemies inside his own department and forced to make the agonizing choice between justice and vengeance, Bosch goes on the hunt for a killer whose true face will shock him.

Impressed? Ace detective Harry Bosch is also on the case in other exciting Michael Connelly crime-fiction novels.
©1992 by Michael Connelly. (P)1992 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

What listeners say about The Black Echo: Harry Bosch Series, Book 1

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Police procedural as it should be

Very good linear police procedural which is not trying to be anything else. Classic Connelly with enough twists and turns to hold interest. Although I have read most of the the Harry Bosch series over the years, this reminded me that I would enjoy going back for a listen this time. Dick Hill did a god narration job so shall look for him in the rest of the series and other books.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Top notch !

Fantastic read and Dick Hill's narration is on another level . I highly recommend this book .

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fabulous book, great plot...next please!

Loved this, Bosch is a great character & the narrators wonderful deep voice adds a true grit that is so plausible it could be Bosch himself!

Plot & story exceptional as were the twists & turns, starting the second book in a few minutes....

Don’t hesitate get this book!

Steve

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Tremendous!

A great story with twists and turns around every corner. Harry Bosch one of the GOAT fiction detectives.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Back to basics

I read this back in the ‘90’s long before watching the excellent updated tv show. It’s great to go back to the original text albeit on audible and remember the true Bosch. Excellent.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

very captivating book

This book very addictive and will keep you guessing until the end. Highly recommended I am now going to get book 2

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Utterly brilliant

Dick Hill’s narration brings the book to life. Superb characterisation makes for a truly wonderful listen. I’ve bought all the other titles narrated by him on the strength of his performance in this audio book and I wasn’t disappointed. The least said, the better about the late and truly great Burt Reynolds attempt at Angels Flight. I opted for the alternative narration and whilst not in Mr Hill’s league, I guess, I kind of got used to him, like a good friend, was, nevertheless excellent.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Intriguing right to the end.

The plot thickens as the book progresses and I didn't see the end coming. All is not as you think it is until it is revealed in the last chapter - lots of twists and turns to keep you interested. I enjoyed this book and the narrator did a very good job in his own but it would have been better with several different voices. Well worth getting and I will be buying more Harry Bosch books!

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Disappointingly slow classic detective story

Is there anything you would change about this book?

It was very slow paced and I almost gave up half way through. I think it could easily have been edited without losing any of the story.

Any additional comments?

Harry is a detective in Hollywood, out of favour with his colleagues, which usually sets the scene for the character going off and taking the investigation into his own hands. This is what happens, but Harry is being followed by internal affairs and forced to work with the FBI (female officer aka love interest). The actual crime seems to take a back seat to Harry's personal life and I didn't feel it was fully explored. A body is found and it turns out Harry knew the guy whilst serving in Vietnam. This leads him to a witness, which in turn leads to uncovering the reason behind the murder. Unfortunately the novel is really slow, and, without a focus on the crime, I didn't really care what happened or whether Harry ever solved it.

I think part of the issue was that the book isn't great on audio. There are only 9 chapters with some almost 2 hours in length. This meant I ended up having to pause in random places and it made it difficult to pick the story back up. Yes, there were a few breaks in the narrative but as I didn't know when these were coming up, it was tricky to plan my listening.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Technical faults from chapter 6 to end........

Overall OUTSTANDING except for technical quality....... Faults may be from faulty download ...... This is the first time this type of fault has occurred with an AUDIBLE download.

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