Has Michael Connelly lost his touch?

That is the question. And the answer is: I think he has! At least, as far as his last novel, The Overlook is concerned. Why do I say that? Well, probably because for the first time ever in a Michael Connelly book I knew almost right from the start who was behind everything and that didn’t quite sit right with my “principles”. I mean what kind of a mystery novel or thriller is this one if you can guess so easily who the mastermind behind the crime is?
I don’t know; maybe it’s just me. Maybe I know Michael Connelly so well by now that I can figure out everything before even reading it. But the thing is that didn’t happen with his previous novel, Echo Park, which makes me consider the possibility that one of my favorite crime writers is finally out of steam. I think it’s time for Detective Bosch to retire if he can’t inspire his maker any more.
Anyway, I will just give you the summary of the story, as is written in the background of the book, and leave it at that:

“In the early hours of the morning, Harry Bosch, is called to a crime scene. A physicist has been murdered in LA, and it seems the killer has no fear of publicity, leaving the body on the Mulholland Overview, a site with stunning views over the city.
But this is no random killing. Before he died, the victim turned over a quantity of a lethal chemical to his killer – and Harry knows he has more than just a single death to worry about.
Alongside the forces of Homeland Security, Harry must solve the murder or face unimaginable consequences…”

Being in the mood I am after reading this short novel (the shortest ever by M.C.) I will also duplicate the comment of Daily Mirror about the book: “Another classic by the best crime writer in America today”. I do wonder if the dear reviewer, whoever he or she is, has actually read the book.

Dear You 11

Here I am writing to you for the first time ever from Nicosia, Cyprus. What do I have to say? Nothing much really. I’m just trying to get back into my beautiful routine; meaning: reading, writing, drinking (not much). So far I’m well into the number one and three parts, and I think I will start writing again soon too. But first of all I have to read again all the short stories I’ve rewritten recently in order to spot any mistakes and thus get my manuscript ready to ship to Greece for yet another rejection by a publisher. Hopefully I’ll be able to do that by Wednesday, by which time, if everything goes well and my muse comes calling back, I will start working on my new novel again.
Now -the other important issue- the weather, is much better than I expected. It’s not as hot for Cyprus standards (currently just 340 C) and the nights remain pleasantly cool.
As for the dilemma I’ve mentioned in my last post I’ve figured that already out since I’ve started reading Michael Connelly’s “The Overlook”.
How about my flights home? Well, they worked quite fine apart from a short delay at Dubai airport, where the authorities for some reason decided to close one of the airstrips and so all the planes had to take off and land at the other one. Dubai is one of the busiest airports in the world and I just wonder what have happened to make them close the strip.
Oh, I’ve almost forgot what happened to me onboard the Cyprus Airways flight. Well, it took me too many tries and a long time to convince the flight attendants that I am a… Cypriot. You see I boarded the plane carrying a big plastic bag full of books in English and because of that they’d never even dare imagine me being a Cypriot. I had to talk to them more than three times in Greek before getting them to finally address me in that language. Well, I guess that’s bound to happen in a country where no-one seems to read.
Ok people, that’s all for today.
Greetings from the land of the sun.