The Overlook

Written by Michael Connelly

Narrated by Michael Brandon

When a physicist is murdered in LA it seems the killer has no fear of publicity, leaving the body on The Mulholland overlook, a site with a stunning view over the city. And when it's discovered that the victim turned over a quantity of a lethal chemical to his killer before he died, Harry knows he has more than just a single death to worry about.

Alongside the forces of Homeland Security, Harry realises he must solve the murder or face unimaginable consequences.

Read by Michael Brandon

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hachette UK Audio
• Release date: Jun 12, 2008
• ISBN: 9781409101970

Michael Connelly

Michael Connelly is an American author of detective novels and other crime fiction, notably those featuring LAPD Detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch and criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller. His books have been translated into 36 languages and have won many awards. He lives with his family in Florida.

Reviews for The Overlook

[lbswiener · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Overlook is another well written and researched book involving Harry Bosch and a difficult murder involving some stolen caesium, a radioactive element and extremely dangerous. The story takes the reader on a search for the killer or killers of a man who was murdered point blank at an overlook. It is an almost impossible murder to solve. From the beginning until the conclusion of the book the reader is held captivated by the story. This book received four stars and is highly recommended for a good murder solving story.

[naggedman · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Not a bad plot and in general the writing is ok, but the book has strange weaknesses. First, our hero has depth while other main characters are barely sketched in, when at least one of them should be deeper. Second, the author seems to run out of steam at the end; no real denouement, with at least one silly loose end. The author seems to realise this, adding an weird dialogue between writer and his character, for no good reason and with no apparent value. Disappointing.

[niaomiya · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Michael Connelly is a great writer. His Harry Bosch series is consistently entertaining, and "The Overlook" is no exception.Dr. Stanley Kent is murdered. Bosch is called out to investigate. As Bosch delves deeper into Kent's life, he finds strange contradictions and suspects that this is not just a simple murder investigation. When his former lover and FBI agent Rachel Walling is assigned to the case, Bosch knows there's a lot more going on than he's being told.I loved that I did not see the twist coming. Didn't see it at all. Also what I really like about Connelly's writing is that, although there is the typical conflict between FBI and local police, the dynamics are not exaggerated or made to seem tiresomely stereotypical, as happens all too often in many novels.I was thoroughly entertained by this book, and it was a quick read.

[susandennis-139327 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have loved every single book of Michael Connelly's. Some have made it to my top 10 lists so I was shocked to read this one. It is a dud. In nearly every way. The plot is paper thin, the telling is slow and laborious and uninteresting and even my favorite character turned into a snoozer. I'm sure glad I didn't pick up this one for my first read of his stuff!

[emscape · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was a quick one! Harry's on a new team again, and getting involved with the FBI again, but this time the theme is terrorism and national security. A man with access to radioactive materials used in the treatment of cancer is forced to bring said material to The Overlook and hand it over to some bad guys who had his wife hostage. The man is murdered and the materials are missing. The FBI's first priority is finding the cesium before it's used in a dirty bomb or something, but Harry just wants to solve the murder.As usual, his methods are unorthodox and he doesn't play well with others, much to the chagrin of his new partner Ignacio, whom he refuses to call Iggy. Harry spends a lot of time in this book trying to school Ignacio on how the law enforcement community works, and comes off rather asshole-ish, even though he's right. The whole case is solved within 24 hours, which accounts for the brevity of the book, but also it seems like Connelly might be getting bored with this character and is running out of satisfying plot lines again. It was nice to have Rachel Walling involved, but she didn't contribute much to the investigation except as a sometime foil and someone with whom Harry has an 'in' at the FBI. This one was just 'ok'.

[vashonjim · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

good, not great. still a page-turner though.

[brakketh-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Just a quick snack of a book. Different but the same for Bosch.

[eyejaybee · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Veteran Homicide Detective, Hieronymus ‘Harry’ Bosch, finds himself enmeshed in the war against terror in this novel. Unable to sleep, he is wide awake at home when a call comes through from LAPD’s Homicide Division, directing him to attend the scene of a murder on the Mulholland Overlook, which affords a glorious view (especially spectacular at night) across the whole city. Arriving there, Bosch finds the aftermath of what seems to have been a professional assassination. The victim is a medical physicist who has been killed by a close-range shot to the back of his head.While reviewing the scene and garnering whatever clues might be available, Bosch is approached by two FBI Special Agents, one of whom is Rachel Walling. Bosch and Walling have a lot of history, having worked on various investigations before, and had briefly been lovers. It emerges that the victim’s name had been flagged as being of interest to the FBI. After the usual Mexican stand-off between Bosch and anyone from any other law enforcement organisation, Walling explains that through his work, the victim had had access to various chemicals which might be of interest to a terrorist group that wanted to make (or at least be considered to represent a plausible risk of having made) a ‘dirty bomb’. Once his name had been put forward as the possible identity of the victim, the Bureau had become involved.Bosch and Walling go to check out the victim’s house where they discover that his wife had been the victim of a serious assault earlier that evening. Two masked assailants had entered the house, stripped her, and then bound her to her bed. They had then taken photographs which they emailed to her husband to ensure his cooperation. Further investigation shows that, shortly after receiving that email, he had gone to one of the hospitals where he supported radiation therapy work, and had removed a sizeable supply of caesium pellets in a quantity which could cause considerable mayhem in the wrong hands.As always, Connelly’s writing is immensely gripping, and he offers the reader a powerful blend of sharp dialogue, watertight plotting and immensely plausible characters. In this novel there is also a deftly-nuanced political subplot, with complicated trade-offs between the various law enforcement bodies, further complicated by deep power plays within LAPD itself. This book is up there with Connelly’s best work – I am impressed at how he manages to sustain the quality of this series, of which this is the fourteenth instalment.

[ecw0647 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another fine audiobook featuring Harry Bosch. I really like them in spite of disliking the main character. He's arrogant and can be a real SOB, almost impossible to work with. As an example, he refuses to call his partner Iggy, even though asked often to do so by Ignasio, who much prefers Iggy. Now why would you not call someone by the name they prefer?This one is relatively short involving the theft of Cesium, ostensibly by terrorists to create a dirty bomb. The FBI and the LAPD's terrorism squad all get mixed up, but, as usual, only Bosch can see the truth.

[lauren2013_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Overlook
3.5 Stars

Detective Harry Bosch is newly assigned to the elite Robbery-Homicide division when he is called in to what initially appears to be a routine case - a man has been found shot to death in the Hollywood Hills. Things soon take a disturbing turn when it is revealed that the victim had access to radioactive materials and that the motive may be terror related. As Bosch and FBI agent Rachel Walling race against time to locate the killers and the missing Cesium, they will have to trust their instincts and each other to uncover the truth.

Unlike several of the other books in the series, this installment is shorter and tighter both in terms of pacing and plotting as Connelly gets to the point very quickly without much of the internal musings and angst that define his main character. There are also numerous twists and turns to keep the reader guessing although some are more obvious than others.

Harry's interactions with the FBI in general, and Rachel Walling in particular, is very realistic. The animosity between local law enforcement and the bureau is not unheard of, and it is always interesting to see the lengths to which Harry will go in order to stay involved in a case and attain justice for the victim.

The ultimate explanation of the crime is not surprising as there are hints early on that things are not as they seem. Nevertheless, the final action scenes are exciting, and the resolution is apropos.

The inclusion of Rachel Walling is another highlight of the story. Writing female characters and romance are not Connelly's forte, but he is on the right path with the intriguing dynamics between Harry and Rachel. On the one hand, they are a good fit for one another on a personal level, but the recklessness that she sees in Harry's professional life constitutes an obstacle to any future relationship. It will be interesting to see where Connelly takes this.

All in all, an entertaining story even if it is somewhat predictable. Looking forward to reading The Lincoln Lawyer next and getting some insights into Harry's younger sibling.

[csdaley-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A little predictable but still enjoyed it.

[runner56_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Harry Bosch is called to the scene of a murder on the "Overlook" a high location in LA which offers stunning views of the city of angels. It soon becomes apparent that renowned physicist Dr. Stanley Kent was shot twice in the back of the head, all the marks of a professional killing. Very quickly the FBI are involved in the form of Bosch's on/off lover Rachel Walling. It would appear that not only is this a murder scene but a hazardous radioactive element "cesium" remains unaccounted for presumably stolen when the physicist was executed. What at first was thought to be a simple homicide has evolved into a serious security issue and both the FBI and the LAPD must rush to contain an emerging national emergency. If there is one thing that angers Bosch it is having to share an investigation with other government agencies. As a maverick investigator he views with suspicion the actions of others and questions why not only the FBI but Homeland Security should "muscle" in on his turf!As a long time admirer of the writings of Michael Connelly I must admit to be disappointed in this the 13th outing of our irascible hero Harry Bosch. He is much more comfortable (and so is the reader) when he is examining incidents peculiar to LA. Once the FBI and Homeland Security takes charge of this possible major chemical contamination, Harry is always playing catch up. Nevertheless, and almost unbelievably, it is Harry who from a single piece of evidence is able to resolve the matter by simply acting on his own intuition. What is the significance of Dr. Kent's wife? Why has a small yet potentially dangerous amount of the chemical been stolen? Is there an ulterior motive behind the theft?This is a relatively short novel and even though I never felt comfortable with the storyline Connelly's writing, descriptions and his knowledge of this diverse colourful city always makes for enjoyable reading. There are some great secondary characters; Harry's new partner Ignacio (Iggy) Ferras who Harry refuses to call by his preferred name..."See you there, Ignacio Bosch said. Harry, Ferras said, I told you. Call me Iggy. Everybody does" Then there is the comical figure of Captain Don Hadley, affectionately know to his fellow cops as Captain Done Badly, who sees himself as a type of John Wayne figurehead.."The rest of you warriors mount up! We're going in." And lets not forget those wonderful descriptions...."Past the dam the city spread out in a blanket of a million lights, which shimmered in the cool evening air like floating dreams."........"The gray had not yet chased all of the brown out of his hair but it was getting close to victory."....."We are all circling the drain, he thought. Some are closer to the black hole than others; some will see it coming and some will have no clue when the undertow grabs them and pulls them down into the darkness forever."....

[davewilde-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is one of the shorter Bosch novels, weighing in at only 240 pages, about half the length of many of the other Bosch books such as the 442- page Echo Park novel. In this book, Bosch is partnered with the young, green Ignacio Ferras, although that partnership is in name only and throughout this book, his real partnership is with Rachel Walling, the FBI profiler who he had dated six months earlier. All of the action in this book takes place chronologically within a day and it is a fast-pace to it more so than other Bosch novels. The title comes from the spot where the murder victim is found, an overlook on Mulholland Drive, the ribbon of highway that twists and turns above the city lights. Bosch is called to the scene and, almost immediately, Rachel Walling and the FBI move in on the case. It seems that the victim, Stanley Kent, is a doctor involved in the use of radioactive cesium in cancer treatment and there are concerns that an international terrorist group is after the radioactive materials. Much of the book focuses on the antagonism and conflict between Bosch and members of the FBI. There is a lot of action here and a lot of rushing between crime scenes. Although the final conspiracy analysis is a little far-fetched, it remains a great read. All in all, another fine book from Mr. Connelly.

[gypsysmom_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love the way Len Cariou does the voice for Harry Bosch but I have to say that he can't do women's voices very well. Since Harry was essentially teamed up with FBI agent Rachel Walling for this case there were quite a few times he had to voice a woman. However, if you can get over that this is a fast-moving tale that involves murder, terrorism and fine detection.Harry has just started in a new job with the Robbery Homicide Division of the LAPD. He has a new partner, Ignacio, who is quite young and not as eager to bend the rules as Harry but he comes through when it counts. Harry receives a late night call that there has been a murder on the Overlook in the Hollywood Hills which looks like it might be gang related. Harry gets to the Overlook before his partner and is brought up to speed. A man who is probably Dr. Kent, a radiation physicist who works with many area hospitals calculating doses for radiation treatment of cancer, has been shot twice in the back of his head. His name rings bells in the FBI and agent Rachel Walling arrives at the crime scene soon after Harry. She had met Dr. Kent and his wife a number of months before in order to advise them on security. Rachel and Harry go to the victim's house and find his wife, Alicia, tied up and unconscious in the master bedroom. The FBI are convinced that this crime was committed by terrorists to get a quantity of radioactive cesium to be used in a dirty bomb. Harry is determined to treat the case as a homicide and he figures if he can find the killer he will find the cesium. He is certainly in the minority but he continues to solve the case his way.

[jadedog13 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Very quick read. Typical story of a homicide detective solving a murder with a terrorist twist.

[kenzen-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A wild ride.

[beearedee · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Review first seen on my blog!

My review: This book series is different for me than other ones I am currently reading. I do not read this series in order. I’ve read random books like the 3rd, 6th, 10th, 11th, 15th, and now this one (14th in the series.) I go about this series in a different way. I can’t judge his character development because I’ve seen him in three different jobs with four different partners and completely different ages. I just around with him and I’m fine with that, but it does make it hard to know what I’m getting into when I start one of these books. I was not expecting what I got with this book but I highly enjoyed this one.

The Overlook is different from any other Harry Bosch book (I’d expect a book like this in the Alex Cross series.) “[Harry Bosch] was used to chasing killers motivated by greed or lust or any of the seven deadly sins. Religious extremism wasn’t often on the list.” This quote from the book perfectly explains why this book was so different from most of his. Bosch has had a few books that I’ve read that had to involve the feds, but this one was different than all of those. It was nice to get a different type of story.

The execution style murder sets the scene right away making the readers wonder if it was a terrorist attack or something different. I was completely taken aback by how this book formed and ended. I was ready to give it three stars at one point and then I found out who the killer was and I very quickly bumped it up to four stars. I read a lot of books where I am surprised by the killer, but this one was especially surprising.

As I mentioned, the FBI showed up in this book and I’ve noticed that every Bosch book that involves the feds has an emotion that I physically feel while reading: distrust. I can just feel Bosch’s anger and distrust for the FBI and it makes the book that much more gripping. I love seeing if he’ll go along with them or fight them the whole book. I like seeing how he sticks with the FBI and the investigation even if they try to push him out. When I got done reading this book, I found a Q&A with Connelly in the back. I love Q&A’s so obviously I was very excited o see it. There was a question that caught my attention:

Question: “A recurring theme in your novels is the lack of trust between the FBI and the LAPD. Is this a realistic assessment of these two organizations? “

Connelly: “On some levels there is no doubt that there is a lack of trust and I am not sure there should be. They are two huge organizations that deal with sensitive, sometimes life-and-death investigations. I don’t think in some of these situations it would be very smart for one organization to share vital or dangerous information with the other when it could be disseminated through thousands of people you don’t even know?”

For a while, I wasn’t sure if this distrust was just in fictional books or why they even wrote it in a way that makes it seem like hatred between the two organizations. After seeing this answer and really thinking about, it really makes sense and I think I’m going to enjoy seeing these two departments and others like it when they are joined together on a case.

Since the FBI showed up, it’s obvious that Rachel Walling is going to show up right along with them and be an important character in the book. I love when Rachel is in the books. She has been in two Harry Bosch novels that I’ve read and two Jack McEvoy novels. I really really hope she continues to be in more. She’s an important FBI agent that puts works ahead of everything else. She’s independent and basically just a really awesome badass.

Harry also has a new partner (although I don’t know why because I didn’t read the book before this one, so I was a little confused by this but oh well.) His new partner is Ignacio Ferras, a rookie cop looking to get some tips from the veteran. Harry has problems with his new partner at first and one of my favourite things in the book is when he finally treats him like a partner. I probably squealed a little and looked like an idiot but whatever.

Memorable quote: I don’t have a memorable quote; I just really enjoyed when Harry treated Ignacio like a partner. I hope he sticks along with him for a little while.

Things I got from this book: LAPD and FBI don’t get along, even in real life! I still totally ship Harry and Rachel even if they don’t like each other. Even though Harry is getting older, he’s still awesome.

[davevanl_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Extremely smooth read with a solidly plotted well paced story. Interesting manner in which Connelly twists characters from good guy to bad guy and back again (maybe). For some reason I read this book picturing Gene Hackman as Harry Bosch. Who knows...

[judithdcollins · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

a short book and not as good as his others in the Bosh Series. This was his first case since he left the LAPD's Open Unsolved Unit for the prestigious Homicide Special squad. Harry was called out to investigate a murder which involved national security. A doctor with access to a dangerous radioactive substance is found murdered in the trunk of his car. Retracing his steps, Harry learns that a large quantity of radioactive cesium was stolen shortly before the doctor's death. With the cesium in unknown hands, Harry fears the murder could be part of a terrorist plot to poison a major American city. Soon, Bosch is in a race against time, not only against the culprits, but also against the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI (in the form of Harry's one-time lover Rachel Walling), who are convinced that this case is too important for the likes of the LAPD.

[jepeters333 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A body has been found on the overlook near Mulholland Drive. The victim, identified as Dr. Stanley Kent, has two bullet holes in the back of his head from what looks like an execution-style shooting. LAPD detective Harry Bosch is called out to investigate. It is the case he has been waiting for, his first since being recruited to the city's Homicide Special Squad. As soon as Bosch begins retracing Dr. Kent's steps, contradictions emerge. While Kent doesn't seem to have had ties to organized crime, he did have access to dangerous radioactive substances from just about every hospital in Los Angeles County. What begins as a routine homicide investigation opens up before Bosch into something much larger and more dangerous - and much more urgent. Breaking in a new rookie partner and chasing his first fresh case in years, Bosch is soon in conflict not just with the LAPD brass but also with FBI hotshots who are convinced that the case is to important for the likes of the LAPD. Harry's onetime lover Rachel Walling is among the federal agents frantically working the case, making Bosch's job all the more complicated. Guarding one slim advantage, he relentlessly follows his own instincts, hoping they are still true enough to solve the crime - and to save all of Los Angeles from a deadly hazard.

[skinglist · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another quick one day - or really several hour - read.Although I know this was written as a series of pieces for the Times and later integrated into the series, I wish we had more back story on Bosch's move to Homicide Special and his new partner. Overall, a good read with lots of twists. I love how Bosch and Walling wok together

[glennis.leblanc · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is one of the thinnest Bosch books but that doesn't stop it from being a good read. Someone who handles radioactive materials for a living is killed and the feds jump right in on the case. Harry focuses on the murder while the feds hunt the radioactive materials. The usual friction comes up and it is complicated by the fact that Harry is working with someone he knows from the FBI. This is a nice tight quick read. Excellent storytelling as usual.

[askum_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I am really enjoying this series about Bosch. Can't wait to read another.

[tabascofromgudreads · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Connelly is a Master. Another really gripping police procedural, as tight and realistic as a documentary if it wasn't for some of Harry Bosch's over the top behaviours. He is there to keep us all entertained, after all. These are the kind of really great, plot-driven books that I love to read. No BS, only good, super solid story, very credible and thrilling, extremely well-researched, and you actually learn something while reading it. As always, one of the trademark skills of Connelly is his ability of creating real, palpable tension in the dialogues, especially thanks to the hyper-confrontational personality of Bosch.

[nilbett · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I love Michael Connellys simple and effective story style. It's straight to the point and the case develops to a fine finish. Well written.

[livrecache · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Connelly is one of the authors I turn to when I don't want to think to hard. His plotting is good, his characters are consistent. Not cosy murder mysteries, but while away the time stuff.

[jbemrose_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Detectives Harry Bosch and Ignacio Ferras was call to an execution-style shooting of Dr. Stanley Kent at the Overlook near Mulhalland Drive. Bosch had to work with FBI Special Agent Rachel Walling to find Cesium that is dangerous radioactive substance that hospital to treat cancer or dirty bomb. The more Bosch works the murder the FBI wanted to find the cesium and try to push Bosch out of the case.

[emigre_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fast-paced thriller about a murder with nuclear crisis implications. Amazing twist at the end, classic Connelly.

[kimmy0ne · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

a great read

[debavp · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I didn't realize how much I've missed Harry! This story picks up a while after the ending of Echo Park and Connelly explains that lag, quite reasonably, in a brief Q & A at the end of the edition, as well as providing a bonus chapter at the end that answers a few questions and leaves the door open for a few others. Harry seems to be mellowing a bit, and I think he quite likes the role of mentor, though he would never say that out loud . A brief throwback to Bosch's Vietnam days was handled remarkably well. In fact, I was wondering why no mention had been made up to that point and then there it was in the next chapter. I'm curious to see where the seemingly mellower Bosch will go next!