Ah Michael Connelly, you’ve done it again!
It has taken me over 20 years, but now I’m finally up-to-speed with Michael Connelly’s new releases, and the latest book which I’ve read was Fair warning released 2020.
The interesting thing about Michael Connelly’s approach to his fictional writing, is that he basis his characters in Los Angeles, and they all occupy the same circle of society e.g., a detective, a defence lawyer, an FBI agent, and a crime reporter- and at one point or another, all these characters have crossed paths. And in Fair warning, this time Michael Connelly has focused his story on Jack McEvoy, the crime reporter, but crime reporter no more. And therefore, why I love Michael Connelly’s books, because as we his fans age, and as the progress of time continues to roll on, so does his fictional characters and the near reality LA world that they live in.
With the transition away from conventional print media, Jack McEvoy now finds himself writing for a digital publication, blowing wide open scams which prey on the innocent Retail consumer…. Yeah, not exactly hard-hitting journalism. Hey? And Jack is more than aware of this, but his unremarkable life is turned upside down, when police detectives show up at his home, making him a person of interest to a murder. And once Jack gets going, digging around, and uncovering hidden clues, Jack finds himself in the middle of a serial killer’s murdering spree. But this unfortunate outcome, reunites him back up with his old flame and former FBI agent Rachel Walling. And together, with the help of the FBI and the full weight of Jack’s digital publication, they solve a mystery where women are left broken and dead in highly suspicious circumstances.
I think, because it’s the first time that I’m reading a Connelly book within 12 months of its release, so the book and the setting in which the characters lived in, felt super real. E.g., the serial killer drove a Tesla, there were references to Donald Trump’s treatment of the media, everyone was using Ride share companies, podcasting emerged as the media of choice, and DNA matching companies (which you hear adverts of all the time) took centre stage. So, you can’t ever say that Michael Connelly isn’t up with the times, but perhaps there was a bit of an overuse or over spotlight placed on our modern present- to the extent that at times it felt like he was writing a spoof of our modern day. And I just wonder, how would this book hold up, 20 years down the track.
But like all Michael Connelly books, the story was fast paced, the jumps between scenes and how the storyline unfolded was all together believable, and although there wasn’t a twist as such, but where we ended up at the end of the book, was not where I thought it was going to head from the beginning. So, it was an unexpected journey, but a riveting one, as usual!
So as Harry Bosch ages, into his twilight years so he’s less likely going to be out there solving murders- the end of Fair warning had set the scene in how Michael Connelly might continue his popular brand of books. That it might be a crime solving duo, made up of Jack McEvoy and Rachel Walling! Which isn’t an altogether bad coupling.
To check out Michael Connelly’s latest hit thriller Fair warning, click HERE to start listening on Audible.
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