Void Moon

This was such a surprise. I didn’t know what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised to find an book I couldn’t put down . Lost a goodly portion of a whole day reading it.

purchased as a gift

Michael Connelly definitely writes stellar books. Such great characters. I couldn't put it down. But at times I got scared and had to put it down!

In one of the author’s first forays outside the Harry Bosch series, he creates a sympathetic character in thirty-something Cassie Black. She has been out of prison for just a year after serving five for her part in targeting high rollers in Las Vegas. She’s been successful in selling high end cars in LA, but something abruptly comes up in her life that makes her see a need to score a large sum of money. As good as she was in her past life of crime, her life is about to become very precarious.Cassie draws upon her network of contacts from years before. It’s not long before a mark in a Las Vegas casino is identified. Even though her planning is extensive, she cannot know that hotel security systems have been stepped up since she was last involved. Suddenly, instead of being the hunter, she becomes the hunted. Now, she will have to use all of her wits to escape this predicament.The story is very interesting and seems realistic up to a point. Never underestimate how ruthless criminals and their ilk can be when money is involved. The plotting did get a little squirrely at the very end.

. . . From Michael Connelly. “Lincoln Lawyers” and everything else in that boiling pot are good, but a change from potboilers is always welcome, and Cassie Black is a real piece of work. The other characters, mostly smarmy, are well and nicely smarmed. Harry Bosch is now Mr. Connelly’s golden-egg-laying goose and with good reason; but these seeming side-ventures are good trips to take (even though “Void Moon” long preceded the lawyer(s) and cop(s) ). Take the ride!

I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did. I kept waiting for Mickey Haller to turn up and put his special twist on the case, or for Harry Bosch to dive in and dig up the truth as only he can. That didn't happen. Instead, we have a one-woman wrecking crew of a hero who seems perfectly capable of taking on the bad guys all by herself, thank you very much. Yes, she's a thief. You'd think that would be pretty off-putting, but Connelly has a way of transforming all too human people into forces of nature we somehow care about. That's what happens here. Her cleverness was definitely the driving force behind the plot, and Connelly puts a great deal of time and effort into painstakingly explaining how she pulls off her various stunts. I can well imagine some readers finding this tedious and saying, "Get on with it." I didn't feel that way at all--I enjoyed the detail, just settled into it, and looked on it as part of her developing character. I don't want to give too much away, so I'll just say that the ending of this book--and it definitely builds to a true crescendo--is wonderfully satisfying. My pet peeve with most mysteries and detective books is that the author seems to run out of juice about ten pages shy of the ending, and just writes to get it over with. Always a mistake. Take heed, authors! Endings count! If the ending is no good, you might as well chuck the whole book. It's like planning a great dinner and then sitting down to discover you overgrilled the steak and no one can cut it. No amount of shopping, prep, ambiance, or great music makes up for that. Connelly is a master of great endings, and though this one didn't go quite the way I expected (or hoped), it was just right. Terrifically entertaining book, with one of the best female heroes in a long time. She's believable and not super-human, which makes her not only more likeable, but also more heroic. She leaves her cape at home and just gets it done.

He didn't write this. If you judge writing by story only, the story is decent B-grade fare, nothing more to see here, may as well move along. Otherwise, dialog and narrative are dry and colorless, devoid of any Connelly nuances. The plot clearly has been carefully outlined beforehand, with i's dotted and t's crossed down to minutiae of detail. Impossible for him to abandon all that is ingrained in him since the beginning. To add insult, a 2017 publish date is advertised with no mention of the fact that it was originally published in 2001, a dishonest sales practice. Connelly owes me ten bucks.

Great book full of twists and turns. I kept me thinking the entire time because there had to be an explanation that tied up the entire adventure.

J’ai apprécié ce livre et ses qualités narratives qui tiennent le lecteur en haleine et émotionnellement en alerte.merci à son auteur

Why do Americans always have to have cute kids in their storiesThis adds nothing to the narrative and detracts from the actionLee Child is far and away better

It is a well thought out thriller , not easy to put down as it grips and I needed to know !!!!!!

I enjoyed the technical aspects and insights into Las Vegas gambling but prefer police procedurals.

great book as all of Conelly's are....!!