Amazon.com: Customer reviews: The Concrete Blonde (Harry Bosch Series)
Skip to main content
.us
Hello Select your address
All
Select the department you want to search in
Hello, Sign in
Account & Lists
Returns & Orders
Cart
All
Disability Customer Support Best Sellers Amazon Basics Customer Service New Releases Prime Today's Deals Music Books Amazon Home Registry Fashion Kindle Books Gift Cards Toys & Games Sell Automotive Shopper Toolkit Pet Supplies Coupons Computers Home Improvement Pharmacy Beauty & Personal Care Video Games Luxury Stores Smart Home Health & Household Handmade Audible
All-new Fire 7 Kids tablet

  • The Concrete Blonde (Harry Bosch Series)
  • ›
  • Customer reviews

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
7,106 global ratings
5 star
75%
4 star
20%
3 star
4%
2 star
1%
1 star
1%
The Concrete Blonde (Harry Bosch Series)

The Concrete Blonde (Harry Bosch Series)

byMichael Connelly
Write a review
How customer reviews and ratings work

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon
See All Buying Options

Top positive review

All positive reviews›
Pilotcop
5.0 out of 5 starsThis Author knows how to get it right when writing police stories.
Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2019
I am a retired Police Sgt w/ 26 years on the job.
The Concrete Blond seems very well researched with regards to how police operate, and interact with each other.
The Story has a lot of twists. There are a lot of possibilities presented as to who is the killer.
This would be a great movie.
This is the 3rd book in the series. Each one so far is better than the last.
You need to read the first one at least so you will really get what Bosch’s Vietnam Tunnel Rat service did to him and how it helps him on the job now.
As in real life, there are times when the street needs a gunslinger mentality out there. When" you know what”, hits the "Westinghouse", you want people who can stop it. There is real evil in this world, and there is only a “Thin Blue Line” that prevents that evil from entering the lives of everyday people. That thin blue line is the line of Police like Bosch and rank and file men and women who wear the badge every day. It’s not a job. It’s and adventure. Open the cover of this book and go for a ride with Detective Bosch and his homicide crew.
Read more
36 people found this helpful

Top critical review

All critical reviews›
S. Raygor
3.0 out of 5 starsDisappointing
Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2019
Looking at the reviews I can see that I am alone in my disappointment with this Bosch book. It was a fantastic page turner until I was about 85% through it. I just didn't "buy" the person who turned out to be the Follower. It was difficult for me to believe that this man was the psychopath he needed to be in order to commit these murders. I think even the author (or his editor) felt it was weak. That is why he felt the need to "paste" the killer's back story at the end, trying to explain (weakly, I thought) what turned this man into the psychopath. I felt let down by what others saw as an unexpected twist.
Read more
3 people found this helpful

Search
Sort by
Top reviews
Filter by
All reviewers
All stars
Text, image, video
7,106 global ratings | 2,245 global reviews

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

From the United States

Pilotcop
5.0 out of 5 stars This Author knows how to get it right when writing police stories.
Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2019
Verified Purchase
I am a retired Police Sgt w/ 26 years on the job.
The Concrete Blond seems very well researched with regards to how police operate, and interact with each other.
The Story has a lot of twists. There are a lot of possibilities presented as to who is the killer.
This would be a great movie.
This is the 3rd book in the series. Each one so far is better than the last.
You need to read the first one at least so you will really get what Bosch’s Vietnam Tunnel Rat service did to him and how it helps him on the job now.
As in real life, there are times when the street needs a gunslinger mentality out there. When" you know what”, hits the "Westinghouse", you want people who can stop it. There is real evil in this world, and there is only a “Thin Blue Line” that prevents that evil from entering the lives of everyday people. That thin blue line is the line of Police like Bosch and rank and file men and women who wear the badge every day. It’s not a job. It’s and adventure. Open the cover of this book and go for a ride with Detective Bosch and his homicide crew.
36 people found this helpful
Helpful
Report abuse
    Showing 0 comments

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.


Patrick L Boyle
5.0 out of 5 stars Bosch isn't British
Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2018
Verified Purchase
I saw the Young Hornblower series on public TV. That led me to finally read a Hornblower book. I read them all in order and when I finished the last one , I started again at the beginning and read them all again. I've read them all in order three times now.

Then I saw the Sharpe's Rifles series on PBS. I started reading all the Cornwell series and independent novels. I read all the Sharpe novels, many several times. I've read them all.

I seem to see the TV show especially Brtish TV shows and get started on the book series about the Neapolitanic Wars. What was going on?

Now I can relax. Bosch isn't British but i'm totally hooked on these novels. I've only read three so far but I have seen my doom. I will read all of them - probably more than once. Oh well, at least I know where I'll be and what I'll be doing this next year.

My advice to others. Get a good chair. Connelly writes 500 page novels and It's very damn hard to keep from reading them in one sitting. I fall sleep in my reading chair and start reading again when I wake up.
20 people found this helpful
Helpful
Report abuse
    Showing 0 comments

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.


Kat A.
5.0 out of 5 stars Home run !
Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2021
Verified Purchase
This was a wild ride. Connelly hit a home run on this one and ran in perfect stride. I enjoyed the first two books, but felt they needed tighter editing for a crisper story. This book had all that and more. I kept turning pages, loved the pace and I loved the action. Along with trying to find a killer who murdered numerous women, the side story included a courtroom drama where Bosch was accused of murdering the suspect in cold blood. Both storylines were great. As crusty as the Bosch character is, I enjoyed the fact Connelly let us into Bosch’s head and we could see that Bosch is a good guy and cares about justice. There was a love interest and thankfully, it wasn’t overdone.

In my smugness I was certain I knew who the killer was. So certain. However I was wrong. But that’s ok because I was even more surprised by who the killer really was. This book diverges from the TV show, which I also LOVE.

Recommended for crime lovers.
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
Report abuse
    Showing 0 comments

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.


Four eye Tex
5.0 out of 5 stars You must read the Last Coyote as well so commit
Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2022
Verified Purchase
I thought that this was so-so until I immediately began sense. They are really one book that explains a lot about Harry Bosch. I read the three most recent Bosch books which are about 18-20 when he has formally retired from LA police and works for a some force in the Valley because his life is suddenly empty when his daughter goes away to college and he is bored. His need to help people drives his life intensely and you learn why in Blonde in Concrete and The Last Coyote. They are worth reading so you understand his life as an orphan and his feelings that he must find out about a serial killer who kills 9 women and is then killed. The Blonde in Concrete is discovered due to the large LA earthquake in 1992 which cracks the concrete basement in a house. Harry is in the middle of a trial about a man he thought was abusing and attacking a women crying for help in a neighborhood that had been involved with the serial rapist. Harry did not wait for backup, broke down the front door, confronted the man harming the woman who began to scramble looking for something, which Harry believed was a gun. After three warnings, Harry shot and killed the man. He was being charged with homicide in a trial against a famous, very skilled prosecuting attorney when the Blonde inthe Concrete was found and he went to the scene after trial was over for the day because he had been involved in the serial rapist murders and the two similar murders which were different.At least one murder had occurred after the serial rapist was killed and Harry was thought to have killed possibly the man who had killed the other two murders. A rubber cast of the palm of the Blonde in the concrete had several fingerprints which were used to identify her and Harry was able to determine that her background was similar to the other two women who were initially assumed to be killed by the serial rapist. This woman was not and she was not killed by the man Harry had killed either. So you have to read the second book to find out what the first book was about.
The second deals with Harry’s extreme suspension and the time he spends with the police psychiatrist and then Harry’s search to find out what really happened to his mother which leads him into long continuing corruption in the District Attorney’s office and very highest ranking officers in the LA police at the time of her death and the next year and how it affected several now retired and aged men who still remember the mother’s death and that of her pimp who worked for a man who became District Attorney. You will come why Bosch searches fearlessly for the truth regardless of what happens to him or those whom he considers “evil” although he doesn’t use that word. There are many twists and turns with servers heroes and heroines who eventually pay for what they did although what happens to them may not be commensurate. As Bosch ages, he never loses his desire to find the truth and protect innocent parties from harm and possible death. Harry is flawed and human and I cheer him on by reading his books painful pages by painful page. According to my sleep recorder, I talk to him and about him my dreams, perhaps because I always read in bed until I fall asleep. Harry makes me feel better about the world. I was an attorney in LA when the great earthquake occurred and I drove home on the edge of the Rodney King riots hoping that no one would attack a Ford Falcon. I survived and was not harmed by either event.
Helpful
Report abuse
    Showing 0 comments

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.


Franklin the Mouse
5.0 out of 5 stars Apparently, Blondes Don't Have More Fun
Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2015
Verified Purchase
Damn that Michael Connelly. I stayed up reading until 2:30 in the morning because I wanted to finish 'The Concrete Blonde'. In Harry Bosch's third adventure in the series, the detective is standing trial for his actions in killing a serial killer four years earlier. When the police receive a note from the supposedly dead killer, it throws Bosch's world into utter chaos. He's certain that the Dollmaker was the guilty party, but how do they explain the new note with directions to the discovery of another victim buried in concrete?

The story takes place in 1994 Los Angeles when the 1991 Rodney King beating by police and the ensuing 1992 riots are still fresh in the city's minds. Police conduct is being held under a constant microscope. It was a time when plenty of people smoked and driving while drunk didn't seem to be that big a deal. Bosch has been a loner most of his life but, in this story, finds himself in an intimate relationship with a woman whose husband was murdered in the previous Harry Bosch mystery entitled 'The Black Ice'. Struggling with multiple murder suspects, the porno industry, a complex romantic relationship, police politics and a gripping court room drama delivers a hard-to-put-down novel. Also, Mr. Connelly's cynical presentation of the legal system would've made Charles Dickens proud. There were times when I thought some of the situations wouldn't have been so stressful in the story if everyone back then had cell phones like we do today.

It is not necessary to have read the two previous works entitled 'The Black Echo' and 'The Black Ice' but would help you in getting a better understanding of what makes Harry Bosch tick. The ex-reporter turned author does an excellent job of keeping the reader guessing and on the edge of their seats until the very end. Being a recent reader of the Harry Bosch series, I can see why Mr. Connelly's protagonist is so popular.
21 people found this helpful
Helpful
Report abuse
    Showing 0 comments

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.


Russell J. Sanders
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating look at serial killing
Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2020
Verified Purchase
Anyone who has read my reviews knows I’m a huge fan of Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch novels. I have read almost all of them, starting in the early 1990s. I read them out of order, and for whatever reason, I only recently decided to fill in the gaps and read the ones I never got to. Hence this review of Concrete Blonde, the third in the series. Like usual, I absolutely loved the book, but I also was drawn to the fact that the younger Harry is different from the older Harry. The Bosch in this book is a harder-edged cop (perhaps because as we age, we tend to mellow) who takes huge risks. But like the other books, he is lauded for his work in the end. In Concrete Blond, Bosch is in a courtroom being sued for taking a serial killer’s life. The plaintiff, the killer’s wife, wants the court and the jury to believe that her husband was not the notorious killer and that Harry took the life of an unarmed man. The wife’s lawyer is Honey Chandler, a character that has turned up in the TV series Bosch. She is a fascinatingly skillful trial lawyer. But another victim turns up, and Harry must, while fighting this accusation, find out who killed this victim and whether this victim is another victim of the man he shot, a victim of a copycat killer, or, indeed, if the man Bosch shot wasn’t really the killer as his wife alleges in her lawsuit. The whole novel starts out with a twisted premise and the twists and turns continue until the very end. It is a totally thrilling reading experience. A side note: I love the Bosch TV series. I totally buy Titus Welliver as Bosch and think he’s great in the role. But when I read the books, I never picture Welliver. I suppose I have some nebulous vision of who Bosch is, and when I read, that’s who I picture. Crazy! Second side note: Having read Concrete Blond so many years after it was written, I had forgotten what a heavy smoker Bosch was. I knew from later books he was a reformed smoker, but in this book, he is constantly reaching for a cigarette. That behavior is woven nicely into the plot, but you have to wonder if one day Connelly will come up with a plot where Bosch is dealing with emphysema or lung cancer.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
Report abuse
    Showing 0 comments

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.


Ken T
5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Good Multi-Faceted Novel
Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2018
Verified Purchase
One of the best Harry Bosch novels. The book has a lot going on which all ties together very well at the end. The author has given a good deal of thought to this book.
We have Harry on trial for overstepping police procedure regarding a possible serial killer. As the trial goes on, Harry sets about trying to find if there was one or more killers running around committing the same type of crime.

When Harry figures he has the bad guys and crimes figured out, circumstances change more than once.

Harry’s an entertaining main character to begin with. He’s also a bit of an enigma when it comes to his girlfriend; she creates personal problems for him in addition to his professional problems. Harry’s getting hit from all sides with problems and prejudices. He also needs to deal with a nice share of twists provided by Mr. Connelly.

Its an entertaining, well written read from start to finish and wastes no time becoming bogged down with unnecessary fluff.
6 people found this helpful
Helpful
Report abuse
    Showing 0 comments

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.


Bill
5.0 out of 5 stars Good books an a great reference to good Jazz
Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2017
Verified Purchase
I read this a long time ago. It was great then, but it was so much better when I re-read it it order. I got the Bosch bug again watching the series online. I thought that I had all of the books, so I started reading them again from the beginning. The author ties the plotline to real events to provide a real time reference to the plot. The plot is filled with a lot of subtle undercurrents, station politics, department politics, that are thematic and indicative of Bosch's struggle with the establishment and how it operates. If one thing ties all of the Bosch novels together it's the man-on-the-outside struggle against the political powers in the department and LA government. There are others, too, like Jazz. If you've ever been curious about the music Bosch listens to, check it out. I've found tons of it available on Amazon Prime Music.
13 people found this helpful
Helpful
Report abuse
    Showing 0 comments

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.


Barb101
5.0 out of 5 stars Keeps you guessing and guessing and guessing!
Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2022
Verified Purchase
It was very satisfying to finally get the whole “Doll Maker” story out in the open after reading about the aftermath in Black Echo and Black Ice. And you gotta love this guy, this quixotic man tilting at windmills, heart of gold with a brutal past that leaves him calloused, yet compassionate when you’re not expecting it. Just finished #3, getting ready to download #4. Wish I could sleep a few hours first but there are too many books left to read, and I can’t wait to continue.
Helpful
Report abuse
    Showing 0 comments

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.


charles peterson
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best!!!!
Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2018
Verified Purchase
Connelly is easily my favorite author!!! I have read everything since The Lincoln Lawyer and have dipped back to his earlier works as well. The cover and the title of The Concrete Blonde have intrigued me for years, but I had never quite gotten to it until now.

The third in the Bosch series finds Bosch on trial for wrongfully killing The Dollmaker, a serial killler who preyed on prostitutes and porn actresses in Los Angeles. During his trial (four years after the kill), a new victim is discovered that casts doubt on whether Bosch killed the wrong man. From there, the plot twists and turns as the trial continues and a concurrent investigation tries to figure out the truth about The Dollmaker.

To say more would be a spoiler, but I can say that this is one of the very best in an excellent body of work from Michael Connelly--the best crime fiction writer ever.
4 people found this helpful
Helpful
Report abuse
    Showing 0 comments

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.


  • ←Previous page
  • Next page→

Need customer service? Click here
‹ See all details for The Concrete Blonde (Harry Bosch Series)

Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations
›
View or edit your browsing history
After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Back to top
Get to Know Us
  • Careers
  • Blog
  • About Amazon
  • Sustainability
  • Press Center
  • Investor Relations
  • Amazon Devices
  • Amazon Science
Make Money with Us
  • Sell products on Amazon
  • Sell apps on Amazon
  • Become an Affiliate
  • Become a Delivery Driver
  • Start a package delivery business
  • Advertise Your Products
  • Self-Publish with Us
  • Host an Amazon Hub
  • ›See More Ways to Make Money
Amazon Payment Products
  • Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Cards
  • Amazon Store Card
  • Amazon Secured Card
  • Amazon Business Card
  • Shop with Points
  • Credit Card Marketplace
  • Reload Your Balance
  • Amazon Currency Converter
Let Us Help You
  • Amazon and COVID-19
  • Your Account
  • Your Orders
  • Shipping Rates & Policies
  • Amazon Prime
  • Returns & Replacements
  • Manage Your Content and Devices
  • Amazon Assistant
  • Help
EnglishChoose a language for shopping.
United StatesChoose a country/region for shopping.
Amazon Music
Stream millions
of songs
Amazon Advertising
Find, attract, and
engage customers
Amazon Drive
Cloud storage
from Amazon
6pm
Score deals
on fashion brands
AbeBooks
Books, art
& collectibles
ACX
Audiobook Publishing
Made Easy
Alexa
Actionable Analytics
for the Web
 
Sell on Amazon
Start a Selling Account
Amazon Business
Everything For
Your Business
Amazon Fresh
Groceries & More
Right To Your Door
AmazonGlobal
Ship Orders
Internationally
Home Services
Experienced Pros
Happiness Guarantee
Amazon Ignite
Sell your original
Digital Educational
Resources
Amazon Web Services
Scalable Cloud
Computing Services
 
Audible
Listen to Books & Original
Audio Performances
Book Depository
Books With Free
Delivery Worldwide
Box Office Mojo
Find Movie
Box Office Data
ComiXology
Thousands of
Digital Comics
DPReview
Digital
Photography
Fabric
Sewing, Quilting
& Knitting
Goodreads
Book reviews
& recommendations
 
IMDb
Movies, TV
& Celebrities
IMDbPro
Get Info Entertainment
Professionals Need
Kindle Direct Publishing
Indie Digital & Print Publishing
Made Easy
Amazon Photos
Unlimited Photo Storage
Free With Prime
Prime Video Direct
Video Distribution
Made Easy
Shopbop
Designer
Fashion Brands
Amazon Warehouse
Great Deals on
Quality Used Products
 
Whole Foods Market
America’s Healthiest
Grocery Store
Woot!
Deals and
Shenanigans
Zappos
Shoes &
Clothing
Ring
Smart Home
Security Systems
eero WiFi
Stream 4K Video
in Every Room
Blink
Smart Security
for Every Home
Neighbors App
Real-Time Crime
& Safety Alerts
 
    Amazon Subscription Boxes
Top subscription boxes – right to your door
PillPack
Pharmacy Simplified
Amazon Renewed
Like-new products
you can trust
   
  • Conditions of Use
  • Privacy Notice
  • Interest-Based Ads
© 1996-2022, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates