Angels Flight

September 2, 2013
Connellyâs novel follows series hero Harry Boschâs investigation into the murder of an African-American defense attorney who made a career of courtroom victories at the expense of the Los Angeles Police Department. This installment in the series is especially dark, and narrator Peter Gilesâs reads in a voice that echoes with the dry croaking of a lifelong smokerâsomething that establishes a noirlike mood from the get-go. The narrator ably matches Boschâs downbeat mood, shifting from anger at having to deal with racism, not just in his city but within the ranks of the LAPD, to weariness, sadness, and frustration at his inability to stop the disintegration of his marriage. Giles sands some of the roughness from his voice and pitches it slightly higher for the bookâs female characters, like the detectiveâs soon-to-be-separated wife and his partner, Kiz Rider. But thereâs still an edge rough enough to remind us weâre not listening to an Agatha Christie cozy. A Grand Central paperback.

A lot of famous performers are earning extra money reading books on audio, but Burt Reynolds is one of the biggest names I've run across. And he's perfect for this excellent, convoluted and disturbing thriller. L.A. detective Harry Bosch is handed a case he really doesn't want: the murder of a well-known lawyer who specialized in suing the police department. Connelly has written a series of novels about Harry Bosch, and what makes them better than a lot of similar novels is Connelly's knack for creating lifelike characters and for writing dialogue that, even on the page, rings true. In this fine audio production, Reynolds makes us almost completely forget we're listening to a made-up story, and if you're still sitting here reading this review instead of rushing out to pick up the audiobook, what's keeping you? D.P. (c) AudioFile, Portland, Maine