- Paperback: 496 pages
- Publisher: Orion (Oct 5 1998)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0752816764
- ISBN-13: 978-0752816760
- Product Dimensions: 17.2 x 11.2 x 3.6 cm
- Shipping Weight: 281 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (122 customer reviews)
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Most helpful customer reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Suspend all Belief...,
By
This review is from: Blood Work (Mass Market Paperback)
...and you'll likely enjoy this mystery. The story has an interesting and rather off beat premise, and moves through the pages at a "mostly" brisk and lively pace. But the reader is asked to make too many leaps of faith along the way, feeling just a bit too much like a made-for-TV movie. Terrell McCaleb, the ex-FBI agent with a new heart, moves a little to freely through the LAPD and the FBI in his private and unauthorized investigation of a pair of seemingly unrelated random murders. The love affair with his client is sappy and unnecessary, except for its inevitable role in a formulaic ending. And for the crime-solving genius that McCaleb is made out to be, you think he'd eventually remember to check his voicemail. For the most part, the characters felt hastily developed, relying more on stereotype than on any thoughtful personality development by the author.But on balance, "Blood Work" is an entertaining, but not riveting, mystery. The plot had some clever twists and as mentioned, is built around an unusual theme. The killer was deftly hidden and skillfully revealed, though the climax felt rushed and contrived. In the final analysis, "Blood Work" is a rather ordinary pop thriller/mystery that feels good while it lasts, but won't be much remembered a few days hence.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Believable characters & well crafted twists keep this going,
By
This review is from: Blood Work (Mass Market Paperback)
This is the second Connelly novel I've read...before I read the recent paperback with both Harry Bosch and Terrel McCaleb as characters, I wanted to get acquainted with each in earlier books, and this is the one that introduces McCaleb.You have to like the main character. He has the toughness of a former FBI agent and the tenderness of one whose been saved by an heart transplant...and who discovers that the donor of the heart now keeping him alive was the victim of an unsolved robbery and murder. The step by step investigation and the conflict with the others investigating the same crime carries the story forward. And then come the twists and the red herrings. The author leads the reader first in one direction, and then another. The alert reader will see certain clues, but finds that the total picture is more complicated than it first seems. I did stay ahead of the author much of the way, but then realized that he still pulled several tricks on me. However, he did so honestly and squarely. Connelly is a natural at playing the game with the reader skillfully, without cheating. Yet, he entertains immensely along the way. This can be read easily and casually or slowly and carefully as if solving puzzle. Either way, it's worthwhile. The movie version with Clint Eastwood (who I can't quite picture in the role) is due in August, and though I'm sure it will be an honest effort, I suggest reading the book. There's no way (that I know) that a movie will capture all the thoughts and keep you guessing the way the book does.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Plot-Driven Murder Mystery with an Unusual Premise,
By Donald Mitchell "Jesus Loves You!" (Thanks for Providing My Reviews over 112,000 Helpful Votes Globally) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER) (#1 HALL OF FAME)
This review is from: Blood Work (Mass Market Paperback)
Are plots the center of murder mysteries? Or are the characters the center? I think that highly intelligent authors sometimes get carried away and try to do too much. That's the weakness of Blood Work. But if you don't mind a plot from Mars, you may find that the paths of Mars and Venus eventually intersect on Earth.Blood Work is a novel filled with more imagination than I can ever hope to muster. As a result, the story becomes dizzying in its complications towards the end. What will hold your attention throughout is the riveting portrayal of retired FBI-profiler, Terry McCaleb, as he tries to track down the murderer of the woman whose heart saved McCaleb's life while recovering from the transplant surgery. To me, the most interesting parts of the book relate to what it would be like to receive a heart transplant and to have a chance to do something for the donor's family by sorting out a murderer. That's about as interesting a premise as you can have. I'm sure you'll think about it often after you read the book. On the other hand, I was less than thrilled by the shifts in pace within the book. It starts slow and gently . . . but is moving at breakneck pace near the end. The beginning is too slow, and the end is too fast. It's more contrast than most readers can easily absorb. Michael Connelly also relies a bit too much on his ability to tie an infinite number of facts together into a plot. It's overkill. But I had to be impressed by the imagination that can do that. If you haven't read other stories by Michael Connelly about Terry McCaleb, be sure you start with this one. It will enrich your appreciation of the later stories. If you want to have some extra fun with the book, keep track of the different ways that the book's title fits into the story. You'll be amazed at how many different references are appropriate. I don't recall too many novels that use more than three such references. Connelly moves well beyond such a modest target. Pay attention to the details. They matter!
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