Harry Bosch novels, like the 'Bosch' television show, are half mystery and half competence porn. If you like either, you're in the right place.

Detective Harry Bosch is a hero straight out of a Raymond Chandler novel: noble, flawed, capable, and with an unerring sense of justice. And, just as with any good noir-inspired detective, he's forced to work within a fallible system, deal with broken people, and struggle to maintain his integrity. However, his boss is terrific; his partners are reliable; his police department's technical staff is top-notch; and, as a general rule, most of the people he works with are trying to do the right thing. This is such a refreshing change from the "one detective up against a bunch of idiots" trope one often finds in detective fiction.

Viewers of the television series will recognize the plot as the second season's A story, though many changes have been made to adapt the novel to television. So, why read a mystery when you already know whodunit? Because the pleasure is in the reading itself. It's fun to spend time with these characters. Connelly knows how to keep the tension high, and you'll find yourself skipping other forms of entertainment to spend time in his world.

Oh, one other thing: in many multivolume book series, readers must start at the beginning if they want to get stay oriented. With Connelly's novels, one needn't bother. I mean, sure: read 'em if you want to. But Connelly is good at subtly bringing new readers up to speed without boring readers of previous entries.

Bottom line: 'Trunk Music' is an excellent novel by a master craftsman. If you're at all interested in this genre, I think you'll love it.

Like I said, Connelly can't really write, but he sure can bring the story. I was totally rooting for Bosch by the end.