Nine Dragons

Michael Connelly is one of my favorite authors. I never seem to have enough of the main character, Bosch. I usually re-read most of the books over and over again. Sadly, this is one of those books, I did not like as much. *Spoilers Ahead*

In this book, Nine Dragons, Harry has had enough of his partner, Iggy, and is contemplating if he shd ask for another partner when they are pulled into a case. The case involves a robbery which also resulted in the murder of the man behind the counter, accidentally or so it seems. The clues they notice point them away from the accidental "murder" theory. First, the missing tape that recorded the robbery/murder. This pointed to the murderer having prior knowledge of the shop, the camera, and the tapes. Second, just behind the counter, slightly above it, sat a shelf containing very expensive alcohol which was untouched. Third, there was a gun taped to the under-side of the counter which the victim would have reached for if he was suspicious. He had not. Because the victim was someone who had offered Sanctuary to Harry at a time when it was very dangerous to be a cop and to be outside, Harry feels he has a debt to be repay and takes on the case with full enthu. After some very quick jumps, Harry with the help of another detective from the Asian Crimes Unit, catches the person who they think has committed the crime (murder of the shop-owner). Everybody including Harry, have doubts regarding the criminal. I, too had some doubts if he was indeed the person who killed the shop-owner. In fact, I felt that Harry was botching up the case big-time because he seemed to have taken major leaps from very basic clues. Amidst this, he receives a phone threat. When he checks his phone, he notices that the message sent by his daughter is actually a video clip. She has been kidnapped.

While it is racy and gripping until the kidnapping, somehow after the kidnapping of his daughter, the book does not do justice to either the kidnapping or the rescue. I was left feeling very blaaah. I am not sure if it is because of the movie, Taken, that handles a similar scenario, of a detective father going in search of his kidnapped teenage daughter. The movie was very very good and somehow I feel that the comparison did not work in the book's favor. Also, I think we all had harboured a hope that Eleanor and Harry would get back together at a later date, and so by killing her, the book evokes "You cannot do that. You did?? Oh come on!" reaction. Somehow that the daughter could actually play such a prank on Harry was a major shocker. All in all - I would rate the book 2.8 out of 5. Do you think I am over-reacting? Read the book and let me know :)