The Burning Room

By: Michael Connelly

Narrated by: Titus Welliver

A special signed limited edition of the new thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Michael Connelly follows Detective Harry Bosch and his new partner as they investigate a recent murder where the trigger was pulled nine years earlier.

In the LAPD's Open-Unsolved Unit, not many murder victims die almost a decade after the crime. So when a man succumbs to complications from being shot by a stray bullet nine years earlier, Bosch catches a case in which the body is still fresh, but all other evidence is virtually nonexistent.

Now Bosch and rookie Detective Lucia Soto, are tasked with solving what turns out to be a highly charged, politically sensitive case. Beginning with the bullet that's been lodged for years in the victim's spine, they must pull new leads from years-old information, which soon reveal that this shooting may have been anything but random.

In this gripping new novel, Michael Connelly shows once again why Harry Bosch is "one of the greats of crime fiction" (New York Daily News).

Critic reviews

"This is the finest crime series written by an American....There are few fictional characters we know so well; Harry is an old friend now."—Patrick Anderson, Washington Post

"Bosch has become one of the most popular and enduring figures in American crime fiction."—Kevin Nance, Chicago Tribune

"The Black Echo introduced Connelly as the heir apparent to Raymond Chandler and also helped usher in a new approach to the police procedural. Now, twenty years later, Connelly is still writing about Harry Bosch, continuing to discover new layers to this now iconic character with increasingly complex and believable plots....Connelly makes him a fresh and original character each outing."—Oline H. Cogdill, Miami Herald

"Bosch has become Mr. Connelly's most durable, well-entrenched creation."—Janet Maslin, New York Times

"Connelly proves again that neither he nor Bosch has lost his touch."—Christian DuChateau, CNN

"Harry Bosch is as formidable as he ever was."—Sherryl Connelly, New York Daily News

"Connelly's writing is like the best flavor of ice cream: reliably delicious every time."—Jeff Ayers, Associated Press

I like Welliver as Narrator

Don't listen to the critiques that Titus Welliver is not a good narrator. He plays Harry Bosch on the TV show, BUT is also a seasoned narrator of about a dozen books.

I regard to the book itself, it was fine. The rating system only allows for whole stars and I would have given a 3.5 for overall. It wasn't the best Bosch. I'm a little confused where his new supervisors came from. They almost seem like the new 'Pounds" or Irvin. Is that lazy writing? Maybe. I'm a biased fan of the series so I let it slide. If you picked this book off the shelf having never read a Bosch, would you love it? Hard to say.

Another good solid Harry Bosch tale

Two cold cases, a new partner, and Harry getting it done in spite of the rules. What more could yu want?

Outstanding! Perfectly paced!

What did you love best about The Burning Room?

Great complex mysteries that kept the story moving. Nothing felt contrived.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes. While there isn't a tremendous amount of "action" the plot points rolled out at a nice pace and I'd describe the book as "unpausable".

Which scene was your favorite?

No spoilers.

Any additional comments?

Even if you are accustomed to Dick Hill or Len Carriou, give Titus Welliver a chance. He does deliver.

Love Bosch but it's still cynical

I skipped all the books in the middle and read The Wrong Side of Goodbye right after The Black Echo. Now I have gone back and read the later middle books. They are all bittersweet and a bit cynical. Maybe that's the author's way of saying that there are far more victims to any murder than just the dead guy. And a piece of the investigator dies each time too.

There is also always more than one meaning to the title. It is always enlightening to discover the not-so-obvious meanings, but they also add to the cynicism of the stories.

Despite all that, the stories are complicated with many well-developed characters that make them realistic.

This story is not as deep as it first appears, but then maybe life is like that. There are two or three cases going on here, and both Bosch and his new partner Lucky Lucy do good work. We do wonder what happened to end the partnership of Chu and Bosch, though. It seems Chu is still around, so explanation please!

Titus Welliver has a nice voice, good for a detective story, but he does not narrate well. His delivery is sleepy, and his character distinction nonexistent.

All in all, the Bosch series is professional and interesting, but I don't think I would ever revisit any of the books. I like my endings happy and my bad guys punished.

Not up to standard

This was ok. But not up to the standards set by the previous Bosch books. Disappointing. Predictable. Slow moving. Good reader.