Black Echo: A Book Review

This is the first in a series of book reviews I'll be offering on my blog. Lately i've been devouring paperbacks like it was my job. It actually just seems like that, since I'm doing most of my reading at work.
Anyway, i kicked off this effort with the MALTESE FALCON. Well, I got about 3 pages in before I gave that up. The book had been recommended by an adult friend who likes to spread his books around. He was disappointed that I wasn't enraptured with this book, which is his favorite, so he gave me a more contemporary book in Michael Connelly's BLACK ECHO.
I first heard of Connelly from a recommendation by Stephen King. Besides that, all i knew was that he wrote crime fiction.
Well, let me tell you that Connelly does much more than that. James Patterson writes crime fiction, and i mean that in a very degrading way. Connelly writes realistic yarns that offer engaging characters, captivating stories and dialogue that sounds like someone could actually say it.
For me, the best part of BLACK ECHO was the pacing of the story, which isn't breakneck speed. THe resulting flow allows you to enjoy the development of what you're reading. This allowed me to appreciate what a vivid world Connelly creates for his protagonist, Harry Bosch, who serves as the star for a whole host of other stories i plan on reading.
Ultimately, what i like about the series of events that unfolds is how it doesn't merely proceed like dominoes. Pages aren't solely used to push the mystery along, but are used for character development. I don't mean that in some sort of Literary class way, but in terms of the fact you're able to care about characters or better understand them.
Part of this relationship with the characters stems from the lines they spew, which are reminiscent of THE WIRE (a show he was approached to work on, but couldn't). This is the greatest compliment i can bestow a writer, since THE WIRE set the bar in terms of witty banter, mindless dribble and contentious arguments. It's not just about phony bologna cliches or plot-forwarding nonsense.
The inner monologue of our hero is also well drawn out, as it offer an accurate picture of the muddled realities of one's train of thought. Even our best detective isn't reasoning things out in a straight line, but rather much like the story, it ebbs and flows with clarity and confusion.
Speaking of the actual story, it is an enjoyable ride that is not characterized by continuous action, but is punctuated with pages that will satisfy anyone's appetite for development.
There are twists and there are turns, orchestrated in a manner that keep you on the edge of your seat but never lose you in the process.
Read this book and enjoy it. I did.