The Black Echo (1992)

Lighting the Pipes

In Michael Connelly's debut novel, readers meet Detective Harry Bosch of the LAPD. Bosch is haunted by several demons from his past, each of which comes out to play in "The Black Echo". First, there's the tragedy of his mother's murder and the childhood wounds of growing up in the system. Then there's his time as "tunnel-rat" in Vietnam as part of the 1st Infantry Division. Finally, his fumble over the so-called "Dollmaker" serial killings: an accidental shooting which saw him cut from the lofty heights of Robbery-Homicide and redeployed within the Department's Hollywood Division. These compelling factors combine with other narrative features in setting the context for our introduction to Connelly's principled protagonist. Here, LTP deep-dives through the first appearance of one of the genre's most celebrated characters.