Spin control and outright cover-up threaten most of the progress he manages to make in the case. As soon as he reopens and solves the kidnapping and killing behind the murdered lawyer's most recent lawsuit against the LAPD, the department closes ranks to protect certain powerful people while throwing others to the angry public. That's what makes Harry Bosch so appealing. Throughout Angels Flight , Connelly's past life as a newspaper reporter is once again showcased. Telling details pepper the narrative.
Sharp dialogue wastes no time and moves the story along briskly.
Supporting characters are introduced easily and unobtrusively. Connelly's peers in the Mystery Writers of America have recently nominated him for another Edgar Award. He has been up several times in the past and won the Best First Novel award for The Black Echo . This nomination is for last year's Blood Work , currently out in paperback and up for Best Novel of the year. Perhaps this time around the MWA will atone for not picking Connelly's The Concrete Blonde, widely viewed as a modern classic by mystery aficionados, for Best Novel in 1994.