The news in January that Michael Connelly had been chosen as an MWA Grand Master should come as no surprise to anyone who’s read his LA-set crime novels over the past 30 years. Few in the history of mystery writing so embody the phrase ‘body of work that is significant and of consistent high quality’ that underpins this pinnacle prize.

With Connelly’s elevation to Grand Master status, along with hit streaming dramas ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’ and ‘Bosch: Legacy’ showcasing his iconic characters and superb storylines to screen audiences, it’s a fine time to go back and revisit Connelly’s 1992 debut, The Black Echo, which first introduced Detective Hieronymus ‘Harry’ Bosch.

When Bosch is called out to investigate a body found in a drainage tunnel off Mulholland Drive, he recognises the victim as a fellow ‘tunnel rat’ from his Vietnam days. Driven to bring his fallen comrade’s killer to justice, Bosch embarks on a dangerous hunt through a city that may be full of even more hidden dangers than the South-East Asian jungle. From the very beginning, crime journalist turned crime writer Connelly showed his storytelling chops, crafting an intriguing hero and a gritty sense of Los Angeles to go with a fascinating crime story. Everybody counts or nobody counts. A modern classic.

Reviewed by Craig Sisterson

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