ECHO PARK (A HARRY BOSCH NOVEL BOOK 12) [2006] By Michael ConnellyMy Review Five Stars*****I finished reading ECHO PARK last night, and in the final analysis would have to say that this twelfth installment of Connelly's Bosch novels is among my very favorites. I read it for the first time years ago, or more accurately enjoyed the Unabridged Audio Book because I traveled extensively throughout the early 2000's. I thought it was outstanding then, and I was impressed even more the second time around because I took the time to savor what was truly a sensational reading experience.It was only after I had read THE WRONG SIDE OF GOODBYE [2016] did it occur to me that it would be really interesting to go back and read Connelly's Bosch series of books in chronological order. I could enjoy Connelly's gradual development of his fictional character Harry Bosch and simultaneously run across several of the novels I may not have been able to rent in unabridged books on tape during my traveling years. That said, it was both a good and a bad idea in retrospect. Good, because I was able to read many excellent novels from a true master story teller like Connelly that had escaped me before. Bad, because delving into the genesis of Harry Bosch and his character's arc over the course of a successive number of story lines led me to a disturbing revelation. I discovered that I despised most everything about Harry Bosch, and in fact, a few of the books left me still livid after I read the last page. It is for this reason that I can't read one Bosch book right after another, it is too exasperating to share that much time with the lead character of Harry Bosch.ECHO PARK is one of my favorites out of the first dozen Bosch books. Among the earlier novels I would consider CONCRETE BLOND as an especially enjoyable read. My all time favorite is A DARKNESS MORE THAN NIGHT (which I have re-read a couple of times over the years and then purchased when the title came up in the chronological order reading list). We learn it in that Harry was profiled by FBI Profiler Terry McCaleb and determined to fit the criteria of what was classified as a "MO AV" (Mission Oriented Avenging Angel). This provides readers with psychological insight into what makes Harry tick so to speak. It is accurate to say that "the shoe fits", but it doesn't expand upon the tunnel vision that Harry applies to any case that he is pursuing. He finds it impossible to keep from judging the motivations of everyone around him, and to reflect that he could aptly be labelled a self-righteous hypocrite is being kind. He is a lone wolf, a reckless renegade, a shameless user of women, opportunistic at every turn, and would sacrifice anything and everyone to achieve his own personal concept of justice in any given criminal case. Harry will doggedly follow all leads, display the tenacity of a parasitic tick, and close a case by any means and at virtually any cost to friend, lover, or foe. Last year I re-read THE POET, a standalone Connelly masterpiece and followed it up with the sequel THE NARROWS. Ironically it provides the back story on Rachel Walling and her working and romantic interlude with Bosch. It certainly underscored the fact that Harry is an unsympathetic character at best, and despicable at worst.The novel I am reviewing ECHO PARK shares a common thread with the novels mentioned above, namely that the plot line includes the hunt for a ruthless serial predator. Obviously ECHO PARK is not just about a serial murderer, but rather an intricately plotted hard boiled police procedural with enough turns and twists to make the reader dizzy, yet grounded and sated by the end of the story. Connelly is without question one of the most successful authors of crime fiction who is writing today. He has earned that distinction by a succession of chillingly complex cop thrillers that never fail to please his audience and myriad fans.I would certainly recommend this book to any reader out there who enjoys crime fiction and in particular outstanding police procedurals. The serial killer component was simply a plus since I am a devotee of serial killer thrillers. Connelly is pretty much in a class of his own. ECHO PARK was a gripping story that kept the reader riveted until the last page. There will be no spoilers here, despite the fact that this novel was published almost a decade and a half ago. That said, the ending was quite revealing in that it clearly demonstrated the duplicity and the ruthless self-righteousness of Connelly's iconic anti-hero Harry Bosch. A sympathetically portrayed Rachel Walling gets a glimpse of the true Harry, the man behind the mask. She is (appropriately) horrified ("And, well, Harry, I guess this is the dog you chose to feed. I hope you're happy with it. And I hope it fits in perfectly well with the way of the true detective")