When the body of a former army comrade is found in a drainage pipe off Mulholland Drive, first impressions are that it’s a simple drug overdose. He also served as a ‘tunnel rat’ in Vietnam, and it is this part of his background that is at the heart of The Black Echo, a term coined by the tunnelers to describe the fear of going underground on a mission against the Vietcong. Harry’s early life was spent in children’s homes and foster care, and it’s this background that makes him so unique. Hieronymus Bosch was known for his dark, gothic, sin- and guilt-filled paintings. Harry was called after a 15th century Dutch artist by his mother, a prostitute who died a violent death. Of course, the name is a great starting point, and a masterstroke by the author.
It is difficult to establish a character from page one, but Connelly succeeds on every level. It was strange to go back to the very beginning with him, and re-reading the book reminded me how interesting and complicated Harry is. The acclaim he has received is well deserved – I think Harry is up there among the top crime creations of the late-20th and early-21st centuries, alongside the likes of Jack Reacher, Rebus, Inspector Lynley and Lincoln Rhyme. Unlike me, he’s found fame and fortune as a best-selling crime fiction writer. Like me, Connelly is a former news reporter. Over the years, I’ve come to know and love Harry, and to admire his creator, Michael Connelly. Now he’s back thanks to this special re-release from Orion. Double yikes! It came as a mighty shock to realise that LAPD Detective Hieronymus ‘Harry’ Bosch and I have been acquainted for two whole decades. I got a similar sensation when I picked up this copy of The Black Echo, emblazoned with the legend: 20th Anniversary Edition. The kick comes at the end of the song when the DJ says, ‘…And that little number took us back to 1972.’ It’s then you realise that it’s 40 years old. Soon you’re singing along – and you know all the words too.
You’re listening to the radio when a song you’ve not heard for a while comes on. Classics in September - Anyone over a certain age will know what I’m talking about.
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