The Scarecrow Paperback – 5 Feb. 2015

I have enjoyed all the Harry Bosch stories. This one, however, involves Jack McEvoy, an investigative journalist who had been involved in tracking down the Poet some ten years before the action in this story takes place. McEvoy wrote a best selling book based on the Poet case, but now works for the LA Times, which is struggling and laying off staff. After being given two weeks notice to quit, Jack decides to write one last story and go out with a bang. He discovers far more than he expected as he takes up the case of a sixteen year old wrongly accused of rape and murder. Thanks to the internet searches of the young woman he is mentoring to take over his job, he finds another similar murder, with another innocent man in prison. Suddenly, the story is much bigger, but the murderer becomes aware of Jack's interest and sets out to stop him. Jack calls on an old friend and former lover from the FBI and together they investigate to find and apprehend the killer before he kills them. A recommended read.

The Scarecrow is another very good novel from the pen of Michael Connelly. In one of his previous books, The Poet, Connelly introduced the character of Jack McEvoy a crime journalist who with the help of FBI Agent Rachel Walling attempts to track down a killer that has been under the radar of the FBI for years.Years after this Jack is still working the crime beat however his life takes a downturn when cut backs in the paper industry lead to him been laid off. Despite this Jack wants to leave with a bang. When he takes a call from the relative of a young man charged with murder it triggers his interest. Jack had previously reported the story of the boys arrest and he sees the call and the ladies pleas of her relatives innocence as a chance for him to get an inside story on what made the boy become a killer. However during his investigations Jack sees that things might not be what they seem and turns to Walling to help him......This is a very well written book. It is nice to get a follow up book on McEvoy as his character was a strong one and it is interesting to see the after effects of the Poet case on his life. The story is a little slow at first but does pick up towards the end. As the book is written from both Jack and The Scarecrows point of view which is unusual for Connelly and gives you an insight into both what the killer is thinking and alerts you to when Jack and Rachel are going wrong! On the downside I didn't feel the book had the normally twists and turns of a Connelly book however the last few chapters are still very hard to put down as the dramatic scenes are very, very well written.Overall I found this to be a very good book. It has a good story but it will for me always be in the shadow of the Poet book. I would recommend this book to any crime fans but I would also recommend that The Poet is read first as it will add a lot to the book if you know the history of the two main characters.

As usual with Connelly, its a great story from start to finish.

Only recently received and not read yet but love his books so sure I won't be disappointed with this one.

This novel represents Michael Connelly taking one of his regular breaks from the chronicles of Hieronymus ‘Harry’ Bosch, although there are a few oblique references to him. The principal character this time is Jack McEvoy, who has figured peripherally in a couple of the Bosch novels, and who was the main protagonist of ‘The Poet’.McEvoy is an experienced reporter, and for the last nine years has been chief crime correspondent for the LA Times. By 2010, however, the paper is struggling to keep its head above water, as hard copy sales diminish, and even its internet version finds difficulty competing with its rival titles. It is, therefore, ‘downsizing’, and McEvoy falls victim to an austerity drive. Because of the exploits recounted in ‘The Poet’, he had come to the paper as a celebrated journalist who could command a high salary. Nine years on, that high salary puts him on a list of reporters that the paper chooses to ‘let go’, giving him a fortnight’s notice and, to add insult to injury, he is asked to train up his young (and therefore much cheaper) replacement.Still dazed from his bruising encounter with the newspaper’s HR department, he receives a call from a woman complaining about the way her son has been represented by both the paper and the police. It transpires that he has been arrested for the murder of a young woman whose mutilated body was found in the boot of her car. McEvoy had run a brief story which closely followed a press notice issued by the police. Conscious that there may be some mileage in investigating further, thinking it might make for an interesting final case with the paper, he resolves to look into the case more deeply.Working with his prospective replacement, who emerges as already highly capable, and desperately ambitious, he uncovers some anomalies in the police handling of the case. Having reviewed the available evidence, he comes seriously to question the conclusions that the police have arrived at, and believes that the man in custody may be innocent. He and his new partner also uncover some strong similarities to a previous murder.Like ‘The Poet’, this novel is principally recounted in a first-person narrative from Jack McEvoy, occasionally interspersed with third person authorial narration following the actual murder. He is a computer expert and accomplished hacker, who is able to follow McEvoy’s investigation from afar.This is Connelly being as accomplished as ever: a strong, watertight plot and highly plausible characters. Connelly just seems to get even better as time goes on.

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Typical of Michael Connelly. One hundred miles an hour writing. Page by page, hint by hint I could hardly out the book down. Jack McEvoy, the intrepid reporter back for another story. Only problem is, he has been card at the Times. He has the outline of a book to write. He is being messed around by someone, but who? Then Rachael comes back into his life and saves him.

The bad guy is very smart and his plan is perfect. It brings out an interesting narrative because Jack and Rachel have to be smarter to catch the killer anyone doesn't even know about.

Lecture addictive

il libro è scritto benissimo. Ottimo linguaggio, trama avvincente sino all'ultimo momento. Davvero interessante