Blood Work: Terry McCaleb, Book 1

One of Connelly's best books. Very credible from beginning to end.Hope there are more Terry McCaleb books coming out soon.

When I purchased Blood Work online, I thought I was buying the sequel to Trunk Music. “The Also By Michael Connelly” page in the front matter of Trunk Music listed Connelly’s books by publication date, however, not by which character series they were part of. So, when Blood Work arrived, I was surprised to be reading about former FBI agent Terrell “Terry” McCaleb instead of LAPD detective Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch.Surprised, but not disappointed. Blood Work is a good story in its own right (with an prospective reference to Michael Haller Jr. seven years before The Lincoln Lawyer was published). It follows McCaleb’s investigation into the murder of Gloria Rivers. At first, her murder appeared to be the random act of a convenience store robber. As McCaleb digs into the case at the request of Gloria’s sister Graciela, he uncovers a deeper, more sinister background to the case that hits a little too close to home.Blood Work was not quite the page-turner other Connelly books have been, at least not in my opinion. That only means it took me a weekend to read it instead of a day. Connelly is a great storyteller and has become my favorite crime novelist.I close with a piece of dialogue between McCaleb and his neighbor Buddy Lockridge. It describes perfectly why crime novels and murder mysteries are so popular:[Lockridge:] “Good books are fast reads. You read crime novels?”[McCaleb:] “Why would I want to read made-up stuff when I’ve seen the real stuff and can’t stand it?”Buddy started the car. He had to turn the ignition twice before it kicked over.“It’s a much different world. Everything is ordered, good and bad clearly defined, the bad guy always gets what he deserves, the hero shines, no loose ends. It’s a refreshing antidote to the real world.”“Sounds boring.”“No, it’s reassuring. Where to now?”Reassurance that the good guys beat the bad guys in the end. That’s why I continue reading Michael Connelly. If you’re interested in other books involving Terry McCaleb, check out A Darkness More Than Night and The Narrows. And if you want to read Connelly’s Bosch books in proper order, make sure to check out his website.

I’ve read all of the Bosch, Mickey Haller and Renee Ballard books, but this was my first Terry McCaleb novel. I may re-read A Darkness More Than Night to refresh my memory on this character now that I have this foundation from Blood Work. Mr. Connelly is one of my favorite authors. He tells a fast-paced story and this book read very quickly. I enjoyed getting to know Terry and appreciated all the plot twists as the story unfolded. If you’re a Connelly reader, you’ll want to add this one to your list.

This book is for anyone who loves smart, well planned crime thrillers. The clues are given to the reader at the same time as, or slightly after, McCaleb gets them. We are surprised along the way at what we learn about McCaleb, the FBI, the LAPD, and the other characters. It's brilliant. It is slightly tarnished by some typos, which are unusual in this author's work.

I have a few writers I go to when I've read a couple of unsatisfactory books in a row. And he simply never disappoints. This was probably only a 4/4 1/2 star book of his, but I'm so grateful for his dependable talent that it leaped to 5 star! Our protagonistTerry McCaleb has left the FBI after suffering an on job heart attack, a quickly deteriorating heart function and an heart transplant. He is quietly working on the boat he inherited from his dad, The Following Sea and taking his anti-rejection meds and trying to heal following his life-saving operation .He's contacted after an article in the LA Times.by the woman who has figured from the facts in the artical that he received the organ her sister Gloria had given up after being fatally shot in a convenience store robbery. And he feels the debt and cannot but agree to look into her sister's death. And a great reads follows that set up. With characters you care about, interesting procedural details and a completely satisfactory ending. The plot's not original but it's well done and your attention never flags.

This is my favorite Michael Connelly novel I’ve read so far. Excellently plotted. Rich in character detail. And still unbelievably fast paced. From the ten or so of these books that I’ve read, I’d recommend this as the perfect place to start. The Bosch books that come before are excellent, but slower paced. The Poet, for me, felt a little far-fetched, but Blood Work hits its target dead center.Admittedly, Connelly still struggles slightly with the romance. Maybe its me, but the love scenes in all the books I’ve read by him just don’t work. I can always hear Barry White playing in my head. Sometimes they need to be there, sometimes they don’t. In Blood Work, they make sense, and he doesn’t spend too much time on them, so fine, forgiven. They don’t even come close to being a deal killer and frankly, most people probably won’t even notice anything amiss.Also, there are a few plot elements that may strike a careful reader as too perfect. More than many other crime writers I’ve read, Connelly does a great job making his detectives work hard to find the clues, and makes those discoveries believable. Every now and then, someone will pull a needle out of a haystack that makes you want to be like – really?? – but you just have to move on. Again, most people won’t notice or care.This is an excellent read through and through. Highly recommended.

Reading Michal Connelly books, the first time I felt he went for story convenience over his usual hard rational approach.Nevertheless this book is a very good read. I loved the inner conflicts of a man saved by the very evil he is trying to vanquish.

Thoroughly enjoyed the book, one of Michael Connelly’s best

As you expect from Michael Connelly another brilliant story.

Brilliant read all the way through

So many twists & turns. Keeps you on the edge of yor seat. You won't want to put it down