The Scarecrow
by Michael Connelly
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Book Reviews of The Scarecrow
Book Review: A Chase for a Story
Summary: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Laura Johnson for Reader Views (7/09)
Michael Connelly is no stranger to the murder mystery genre. He is a #1 BestSelling Author that has written more than a dozen selections that chronicle the life of a reporter trying to get the story. In Connelly's latest installment, "The Scarecrow," he once again follows the path that has given him great success. Jack McEvoy, a cop beat writer for the LA Times, has been told that he will lose his job due to dwindling revenue and will need to train his replacement. McEvoy takes the news in stride and decides to leave the office in style, by discovering a story that could possibly earn him a Pulitzer.
McEvoy comes across the trail of a 16-year-old boy that has seemingly confessed to a heinous crime, yet there is more to the story after a closer look. McEvoy then teams up with Rachel Walling, a character from a former Connelly novel, and the two take off on a wild chase to find out the true story of the serial murders and just who the Scarecrow is. The book provides intrique, mystery, and enough action to keep you on the edge of your seat for what path McEvoy and Walling will take next. The reader knows early on in the book who the Scarecrow is, but will find himself fighting for the characters to figure it out, and deal out the justice that needs to occur. The ending was not what I expected and I have to wonder if there is more to come with this story.
"The Scarecrow" contains characters that have appeared in previous selections by Connelly, but the reader does not need to have read those to enjoy this one. I highly recommend this selection by Michael Connelly for anyone that is looking for a great who-done-it thriller story.
Book Review: Connelly can write an excellent book. He just didn't do it here.
Summary: 3 Stars
First Sentence: Carver paced in the control room, watching over the front forty.
Jack McEvoy, the reporter from "The Poet" is now working for the LA Times. At least for now: he just received his pink slip.
He receives a call from an older black woman claiming the piece he wrote about her son/grandson having killed a woman and leaving her in the trunk of her car was false; her Alonzo is innocent. Following up with the woman and the boy's attorney, McEvoy begins to believe she's right, particularly when he finds there have been similar killings.
Jack decides this is going to be his last, big story for the paper. Someone else decides it's going to be his last story--ever.
There is no question Connelly can write an excellent book. He just didn't do it here.
There were huge coincidences; some deliberate, some, I think, not. The plot was predictable in the extreme and lacked real suspense or tension. The character development was negligible and the characters stereotypical. There were no surprises. The relationship between Jack and the FBI agent didn't sizzle; it was unconvincing. Because the villain was written in first person, there was no surprise there either and very little tension.
The best part of the book was looking at the working of a large, metropolitan newspaper in these tough economic times.
I was very disappointed and know Connelly can do better. I hope he proves it in his next upcoming Harry Bosch book.
THE SCARCROW (Unl Inv-Jack McEvoy-Western US-Cont) - G+
Connelly, Michael - 2nd Jack McEvoy
LittleBrown, 2009, US Hardcover - ISBN: 9780316166300
Book Review: Michael Connelly Delivers... Again
Summary: 5 Stars
There is one thing that is for certain about Michael Connelly, he continues to be one of the - if not the - finest American writers of mystery/thrillers in the field today. In The Scarecrow, his 21st novel, he writes a very human story about the dangers of technology. The book, which has several scary moments, is made even more so by the fact that the technology described is not only available, but real. Focusing on the amount of information available, and how it can be used for nefarious activity, Connelly's story centers on serial killers that are just as twisted and evil as any, but use technology to move about under the radar.
This was the 5th book to feature Rachel Walling and the 4th with Jack McEvoy. After first meeting in the excellent Connelly novel, The Poet, McEvoy calls on Walling, a Special Agent with the FBI, to assist him with the information he has unearthed as he works on his last story for the Los Angeles Times. The chemistry between the two is something that they are both aware of. There is not an appearance from Connelly mainstay Harry Bosch in this book, but there is conversation about Harry; though he is never named.
Connelly continues to show his writing prowess. He can write a book with any character and make it fun and enjoyable. The Scarecrow is yet another great novel by Connelly. It is a 5-star read by this consistent and talented author.
For those new to Connelly, the Walling appearances are: The Poet, The Narrows, Echo Park, the Overlook, and The Scarecrow.
McEvoy appearances include: The Poet, A Darkness More than Night, The Brass Verdict, and The Scarecrow. He stars in The Poet and The Scarecrow.
Book Review: Enjoyable Enough, but not the Great Novel I was Hoping For
Summary: 3 Stars
One of Michael Connelly's best novels is THE POET and I was excited to hear that Connelly was planning on reuniting the two major characters of that novel for THE SCARECROW. While the resulting novel is reasonably entertaining, it was not the great read I was expecting.
The first third of this novel is easily the best part. Jack McEvoy, the reporter hero of THE POET, is downsized from his job at The Los Angeles Times, and decides to take revenge on his employer by writing the definitive murder story of his career. From the beginning, Connelly does a great job of explaining how big city newspapers operate, and how they're struggling to stay in business during the internet age. McEvoy's relationships with his superiors and his ambitious replacement are well done, and Connelly is surprisingly cutting in his descriptions of how newspapers are putting their bottom lines above good reporting.
Unfortunately, after a strong start, THE SCARECROW devolves into a standard serial killer story. McEvoy eventually reteams with FBI Agent Rachel Walling of THE POET, and the result is a rather flat series of action scenes and conversations. This book is also weakened by the fact that the killer's identity is revealed from the very beginning. As a result, there is no real mystery in this book at all, which dampens the suspense level dramatically.
A so-so Connelly is better than most crime novels out there, so THE SCARECROW is still worth your time. But if you've never read Connelly before, my advice is to first try THE POET, BLOOD WORK, THE LINCOLN LAWYER, or one of the early Harry Bosch novels like THE CONCRETE BLONDE. These earlier novels are far superior to this effort.
Book Review: This isn't Kansas
Summary: 5 Stars
The newspaper business has been affected more than any other by the new digital age. Newspaper circulation, advertising inches, and editorial staffing are all down. Great newspapers like the Los Angeles Times go through rounds of cuts as their corporate owners struggle to survive.
This new information infrastructure does not content itself to wrecking great metropolitan newspapers, it invades the core of other professions, law and finance in particular, by becoming the watchdog for their great secrets.
Who watches the watchers?
Jack McEvoy, underachieving reporter for the L.A. Times is caught in the digital crunch. Assigned to train his pretty young replacement, McEvoy decides to go out with a bang, to find the big story and write it before his tenure is his profession comes to an end. He has only two weeks, and yet opportunity has knocked. McEvoy begins to investigate the homicide of a leggy exotic dancer and the young gang-banger charged in her gruesome death.
Soon McEvoy, who we last saw in Michael Connelly's The Poet is in big trouble and he turns to his long lost love FBI agent Rachel Walling to pull his chesnuts from the fire. But every Michael Connelly novel offers deeply complex plots in which the obvious is only a teaser of what lies within.
This novel, perhaps Michael Connelly's best work ever, will not disappoint. From the sentimental goodbye to print journalism to digital terrorism at its apex Connelly commands our attention and respect as America's greatest mystery writer.