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Orion, 2011. Format: Kindle edition. File size: 1346 KB. Print length: 80 pages. ISBN: 978-1-4091- 4310-9. ASIN: B005I4WBE6.
Product Description: LAPD Detective Harry Bosch tackles a trio of tough cases in an exclusive eBook containing three compelling short stories. In Christmas Even the case of a burglar killed in mid-heist leads Bosch to retrace a link to his past. In Father’s Day, Bosch investigates a young boy’s seemingly accidental death and confronts his own fears as a father. In Angle of Investigation, Bosch delves into one of the first homicides he ever worked back as a uniformed rookie patrolman, a case that was left unsolved for decades.
Together, these gripping stories span Bosch’s controversial career at the LAPD and show the evolution of the haunted, legendary investigator he would become. Utterly unputdownable, they are proof that ‘Connelly is a crime writing genius’ INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY.
My take: Angle of Investigation collects in book format three previously published Harry Bosh short stories. In Christmas Even (originally published in Murder and All That Jazz, 2004) a Russian immigrant, owner of a pawnshop on Hollywood Boulevard that has suffered repeated burglaries, finds out the corpse of a man in his establishment. The dead man is supposed to be the author of those thefts, and Detective Harry Bosch and his partner Jerry Edgar are called in to investigate a case in which things are not always what they seem. As the investigation unfolds, Bosch will run into a saxophone that belonged to an old jazz musician. In Father’s Day (originally published in The Blue Religion, 2008) Bosch and his partner Ignacio Ferras investigate the queer death of a baby boy. Apparently his father, a real estate agent, had left him alone in his car inadvertently while he took care of a major transaction. The child was sleeping and, suffocated by the heat, he would never again wake up. The father seemed desperate. The child in question had serious health problems, that placed a heavy burden on his parents. The investigation will give Bosch the opportunity to reflect on his own relationship with his daughter. Finally Angle of Investigation (originally published in Plots With Guns, 2005). the story that gives its title to the book, opens when Bosch, a Vietnam veteran, is a rookie policeman still in uniform. He’s been barely two days in the force when he and his training partner find the body of a dead woman and her dog, submerged in water inside the bathtub of her house in a residential area. When the detectives arrive to investigate, Bosch and his partner, with nothing else to do, have to leave the case in their hands. Some thirty-three years later, Bosch and his partner Kiz Rider are ensconced in the cold case department and, despite the time elapsed, Bosch decides to re-open this ancient case, which had yet remained unsolved.
By chance I came across this collection of short stories by Michael Connelly featuring Harry Bosch and I couldn’t resist myself. I’m very glad I did it, and I enjoyed them all. They provide a good overview on Harry Bosch’s book series and I’m pretty sure the three stories will delight both new readers, who would like to familiarised with the series, and Michael Connelly diehard aficionados. For just 90 euro cents, one can’t afford to let this opportunity pass by. Connelly is nowadays one of the best crime fiction writers, and this short stories are a good example of his talent. I understand that they can be read in any electronic device, downloading Kindle’s free app. I particularly liked the last story Angle of Investigation, maybe because, in my view, is the one that best reflects the tenacity and perseverance of Bosch when confronted with an investigation, showing his determination to be true to his maxim: ‘Everybody counts or nobody counts’. Bosch picked up this philosophy in the early-1980s from one of his first partners, detective Ray Vaughn, who told Bosch that of all of his investigations, ‘every one of them counted.’ When asked to explain his personal mission in April of 1994, Bosch told psychologist Carmen Hinojos: ‘Everybody counts or nobody counts. That’s it. It means I bust my ass to make a case whether it’s a prostitute or the mayor’s wife. That’s my motto.’ In fact, Bosh himself was the son of a prostitute, Marjorie Phillips Lowe, who was found in an alleyway on Hollywood Boulevard, behind Startime Gifts & Gags, on October 28, 1961, apparently strangled with her own belt, although the autopsy revealed that the cause of her death was a blunt trauma to the back of her head. Her body was found by patrolman Irvin Irving, and her murder was investigated by detectives Jack McKittrick and Claude Eno. A due diligence report was presented on the status of the investigation into the murder of Lowe on November 3, 1962, indicating that the case was considered ‘hopeless’ at the time. In 1989, the case-file on her murder was checked out of the LAPD storage facility by her son, by then a detective with the LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division.. In November 1993, her murder was exploited by civil rights attorney Honey Chandler (who mistakenly cited Lowe’s date-of-death as Halloween night) in a lawsuit for negligent homicide against Bosch to claim that the detective shot and killed Norman Church in misguided retaliation for his mother’s unsolved murder. In April of 1994, Bosch again checked out the case-file from storage, and began retracing the investigation. Then he could determine that Roman was the murderer of his mother. Incidentally, the next book in the series,Two Kinds of Truth, is due to be released on 31 October 2017. Stay tuned.
My rating: A (I loved it)
About the author: Michael Connelly is the bestselling author of thirty-two novels and one work of nonfiction. With over sixty million copies of his books sold worldwide and translated into thirty-nine foreign languages, he is one of the most successful writers working today. A former newspaper reporter who worked the crime beat at the Los Angeles Times and the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, Connelly has won numerous awards for his journalism and his fiction. His very first novel, The Black Echo, won the prestigious Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for Best First Novel in 1992. In 2002, Clint Eastwood directed and starred in the movie adaptation of Connelly’s 1998 novel, Blood Work. In March 2011, the movie adaptation of his #1 bestselling novel, The Lincoln Lawyer, hit theatres worldwide starring Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Haller. His most recent #1 New York Times bestsellers include The Wrong Side Of Goodbye, The Crossing, The Burning Room, The Gods of Guilt, The Black Box, and The Drop. Michael is the executive producer of BOSCH, an Amazon Studios original drama series based on his bestselling character Harry Bosch, starring Titus Welliver and streaming on Amazon Prime. He is also the executive producer of the documentary film, SOUND OF REDEMPTION: The Frank Morgan Story. He spends his time in California and Florida.
Michael Connelly’s Short Stories
- “Nighthawks,” featuring Harry Bosch, published in In Sunlight or In Shadow: Stories Inspired by the Paintings of Edward Hopper (December 2016)
- “Burnt Matches,” featuring Mickey Haller, published in The Highway Kind: Tales of Fast Cars, Desperate Drives and Dark Roads (October 2016)
- “The Crooked Man,” featuring Harry Bosch, published in In The Company of Sherlock Holmes (November 2014)
- “Red Eye,” by Michael Connelly and Dennis Lehane, published in FaceOff (June 2014)
- “Switchblade,” featuring Harry Bosch, published as an eBook only (January 2014)
- “A Fine Mist of Blood,” featuring Harry Bosch, published in Mystery Writers of America Presents Vengeance (April 2012)
- “Blood Washes Off,” featuring Harry Bosch, published in The Rich and the Dead (May 2011)
- “The Perfect Triangle,” featuring Mickey Haller, published in The Dark End Of The Street (May 2010)
- “Blue on Black,” featuring Harry Bosch, published in eBook and audio formats (2016) and published in Hook, Line & Sinister, (April 2010)
- “Short Cut,” published in Half-Minute Horrors, (2009) for kids ages 9-12
- “Father’s Day,” featuring Harry Bosch, published in The Blue Religion, (2008), and The Best American Mystery Stories 2009 (2009), and Angle of Investigation (2011)
- “One Dollar Jackpot,” featuring Harry Bosch, published in Dead Man’s Hand (2007), and Suicide Run (2011)
- “Suicide Run,” featuring Harry Bosch, published in Hollywood and Crime (2007), and Suicide Run (2011)
- “Mulholland Dive,” published in Los Angeles Noir (2007), and A Prisoner of Memory and 24 of the Year’s Finest Crime and Mystery Stories (2008), and The Best American Mystery Stories 2008 (2008), and Mulholland Dive (2012)
- “Angle of Investigation,” featuring Harry Bosch, published in Plots With Guns (2005), and Angle of Investigation (2011)
- “The Safe Man,” published anonymously in The Secret Society of Demolition Writers (2005), and The Safe Man (2012)
- “Cielo Azul,” featuring Harry Bosch, published in Dangerous Women (2005), and Suicide Run (2011)
- “Christmas Even,” featuring Harry Bosch, published in Murder and All That Jazz (2004), and Angle of Investigation (2011)
- “After Midnight,” published in Men From Boys (2003)
- “Cahoots,” published in Measures of Poison (2002), and Mulholland Dive (2012)
- “Two Bagger,” published in Murderers’ Row (2001) and The Best American Mystery Stories 2002, and Mulholland Dive (2012)
Angle of Investigation has been reviewed at Mysteries in Paradise,
Michael Connelly Official Website
Angle of Investigation: tres relatos breves de Harry Bosch, por Michael Connelly
Descripción del producto: El detective Harry Bosch del Departamento de Policía de Los Ángeles (LAPD) aborda un trío de casos difíciles en un libro electrónico exclusivo que contiene tres convincentes relatos breves. En Christmas Even el caso de un ladrón muerto en pleno atraco conduce a Bosch a seguir el rastro de su propio pasado. En Father’s Day, Bosch investiga la muerte aparentemente accidental de un niño y tiene que hacer frente a sus propios miedos como padre. En Angle of Investigation, Bosch ahonda en uno de los primeros homicidios en el que trabajó como policía uniformado novato, un caso que permaneción sin resolver durante décadas.
Juntas, estas emocionantes historias abarcan la polémica carrera de Bosch en el Departamento de Policía de Los Ángeles (LAPD) y muestran la evolución del legendario y obsesionado investigador en el que se convertirá. Tan absorventes que no podrá abandonarlas hasta terminar su lectura, son la prueba de que Connelly es un genio escribiendo novelas negrocriminales. INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY.
Mi opinión: Angle of Investigation recoge en formato de libro tres relatos de Harry Bosh publicados anteriormente. En Christmas Even (originalmente publicado en Murder and All That Jazz, 2004), un inmigrante ruso, dueño de una casa de empeño en Hollywood Boulevard que ha sufrido repetidos robos, descubre el cadáver de un hombre en su establecimiento. Se supone que el hombre muerto es el autor de esos robos, y el Detective Harry Bosch y su compañero Jerry Edgar son llamados para investigar un caso en el que las cosas no son siempre lo que parecen. A medida que la investigación se desarrolla, Bosch se encontrará un saxofón que pertenecía a un viejo músico de jazz. En Father’s Day (originalmente publicado en The Blue Religion, 2008) Bosch y su compañero Ignacio Ferras investigan la extraña muerte de un niño. Al parecer, su padre, un agente inmobiliario, lo había dejado solo en su coche sin darse cuenta mientras se ocupaba de una operación importante. El niño estaba durmiendo y, asfixiado por el calor, jamás volvería a despertar. El padre parecía desesperado. El niño en cuestión tenía graves problemas de salud, lo que suponía una pesada carga para sus padres. La investigación le dará a Bosch la oportunidad de reflexionar sobre su propia relación con su hija. Finalmente Angle of Investigation (originalmente publicado en Plots With Guns, 2005). la historia que da título al libro, comienza cuando Bosch, un veterano del Vietnam, es un policía novato todavía de uniforme. Lleva apenas dos días en la fuerza cuando él y el compañero encargado de instruirle encuentran el cuerpo de una mujer muerta y su perro, sumergidos en agua dentro de la bañera de su casa en una zona residencial. Cuando los detectives llegan a investigar, Bosch y su colega, sin nada más que hacer, tienen que dejar el caso en sus manos. Unos treinta y tres años más tarde, Bosch y su compañero Kiz Rider están instalados en el departamento de “Casos Fríos” (casos pendientes) y, a pesar del tiempo transcurrido, Bosch decide reabrir este antiguo caso, que aún no había sido resuelto.
Por casualidad me encontré con esta colección de relatos de Michael Connelly con Harry Bosch como protagonista y no pude resistirme. Estoy muy contento de haberlo hecho, y disfruté de todos ellos. Proporcionan una buena visión general de la serie de libros de Harry Bosch y estoy bastante seguro de que las tres historias harán las delicias tanto de los nuevos lectores, a quienes les gustaría familiarizarse con la serie, como a los aficionados incondicionales de Michael Connelly. Por sólo 90 céntimos de euro, uno no puede permitirse el lujo de dejar pasar esta oportunidad. Connelly es hoy en día uno de los mejores escritores de novelas negrocriminales, y estos relatos son una buena prueba de su talento. Entiendo que pueden ser leídos en cualquier dispositivo electrónico, descargando la aplicación gratuita de Kindle. Me gustó especialmente la última historia Angle of Investigation, quizás porque, a mi modo de ver, es la que mejor refleja la tenacidad y perseverancia de Bosch cuando se enfrenta a una investigación, mostrando su determinación de ser fiel a su máxima: “Todo el mundo cuenta o nadie cuenta.” Bosch adoptó esta filosofía a principios de los años 80 de uno de sus primeros compañeros, el detective Ray Vaughn, quien le dijo a Bosch que de todas sus investigaciones, “cada uno de ellos contaba.” Cuando se le pidió explicar su misión personal en abril de 1994 , Bosch dijo a la psicóloga Carmen Hinojos: “Todo el mundo cuenta o nadie cuenta. Eso es todo. Significa que me rompo el culo por investigar un caso tanto si se trata de una prostituta como de la mujer del alcalde. Ese es mi lema.” De hecho, el propio Bosh era hijo de una prostituta, Marjorie Phillips Lowe, quien fue hallada en un callejón de Hollywood Boulevard, detrás de Startime Gifts & Gags, el 28 de octubre de 1961, aparentemente estrangulada con su propio cinturón, aunque la autopsia reveló que la causa de su muerte había sido un traumatismo contundente en la parte posterior de su cabeza. Su cuerpo fue encontrado por el patrullero Irvin Irving, y su asesinato fue investigado por los detectives Jack McKittrick y Claude Eno. Se presentó un informe de la debida diligencia sobre el estado de la investigación del asesinato de Lowe el 3 de noviembre de 1962, indicando que el caso fue considerado en ese momento “sin esperanza”. En 1989, el expediente de su asesinato fue retirado de la instalación donde se almacenaba por el Departamento de Policía de Los Ángeles, por su hijo, entonces detective de la División de Robos y Homicidios del Departamento de Policía de Los Ángeles. En noviembre de 1993, su asesinato fue explotado por el abogado de derechos civiles Honey Chandler (quien erróneamente citó la fecha de muerte de Lowe como la noche de Halloween) en una demanda legal por homicido por negligencia contra Bosch para afirmar que el detective disparó y mató a Norman Church en represalia equivocada por el asesinato sin resolver de su madre. En abril de 1994, Bosch volvió a tomar prestado el expediente del almacén y volvió a reconstruir la investigación. Entonces pudo determinar que Roman fue el asesino de su madre. Por cierto, el próximo libro de la serie, Two Kinds of Truth, se publicará el 31 de octubre de 2017. Manténgase en sintonía.
Mi valoración: A (Me encantó)
Sobre el autor: Michael Connelly es un escritor estadounidense nacido el 21 de julio de 1956 en Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Licenciado en Periodismo por la Universidad de Florida en 1980, ejerció en diversos medios de comunicación en las ciudades de Fort Lauderdale y Daytona Beach. Tras ser nominado en 1986 al Pulitzer por una serie de entrevistas a los supervivientes del accidente aéreo del vuelo 191 de Delta Airlines, escrito en colaboración con dos compañeros, se trasladó a California tras aceptar una oferta de trabajo de Los Angeles Times. Connelly es un autor muy conocido de novelas policíacas. Muy popular es su personaje Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch, (llamado así en homenaje al pintor flamenco El Bosco), un detective de la policía de Los Ángeles que aparece en más de una veintena de sus novelas. La novela de Connelly Blood Work (Deuda de sangre, 1998) fue adaptada al cine años después en una producción dirigida y protagonizada por Clint Eastwood. A lo largo de su carrera ha ganado premios tan conocidos como el Premio Internacional de Novela Negra RBA 2012.
Ver el relato Christmas Even en Calibre .38, aquí.
A Crime is Afoot 