The Reversal Reviews
“The Reversal, Connelly’s new novel, might be his best: a crackling-good read, smart and emotionally satisfying. It manages to condense decades of time and reams of information into a compelling narrative that adeptly explores various elements of L.A.’s own version of what passes as a criminal justice system.”
— Jonathan Shapiro, Los Angeles Times
“Alternating between Haller’s first-person narration and the third-person narrative following Bosch, Connelly weaves a tale that solidifies his reputation as the master of the modern crime thriller. His latest constantly surprises and has keen character insight.”
— Jeff Ayers, Library Journal
“Reading this book is like watching a master craftsman, slowly and carefully, brick by brick, build something that holds together exquisitely, form and function in perfect alignment.”
— Bill Ott, Booklist, ** Starred Review
“Plot, nuance, characters, dialogue— as usual, Connelly delivers it all, and brilliantly.”
— BookPage
“The Pope is Catholic, a bear does in the woods, and the new Michael Connelly is a great read. The Reversal is a procedural thriller you want to savor slowly just to lengthen the time before you have to start waiting for the next Michael Connelly novel.”
— Richard Lanoie, TheMysterySite.com
“At Murder By The Book, the arrival of a new Michael Connelly is an event. He’s that rare author whose quality never diminishes, whether he’s producing a book a year or two, regardless of the protagonist. But having read all of his works, I have to say he excels most with the novels that combine police procedural and courtroom thriller: The Concrete Blonde, The Brass Verdict, and now The Reversal. My highest recommendation!”
— David Thompson, Murder By The Book
“I thought it was FANTASTIC and have already told my customers to look forward to it in October. I just couldn’t put it down. Michael just gets better and better. His plots and relationships between the main characters take a step up each book.”
— Barbara Horgan, Shearer’s Bookshop, NSW, Australia
“Both a police procedural and a legal thriller, this is a masterful mystery. I was loathe to put the book down, but also hated to see it end.”
— Maggie Mason, Deadly Pleasures magazine
“Sparks inevitably fly when the equally stubborn Haller and Bosch must work toward a common goal.”
— Publishers Weekly
“It has a beautiful flow that really captures the moment….The story progression is fantastic and the pacing near flawless….My introduction to Michael Connelly was highly successful. I enjoyed the plot, loved the characters, and found the style excellent. For those that like Law and Order type entertainment, this is a great choice. Connelly has officially been added to my list of authors to follow.”
— Melissa Willis, ChristianManifesto.com
“It’s this willingness to take chances within the framework of his series characters that has always let Connelly transcend genre stereotypes, and it is what makes this novel so compelling.”
— Michael Carlson, Irresistible Targets
“The Reversal, a searing novel that is easily one of the year’s best, works well as a legal thriller, a police procedural and an intimate tale about the vagaries of family. …Connelly has been writing about Bosch since his 1992 Edgar-winning The Black Echo, yet he still finds new depths to his constantly evolving character. With Mickey now in the mix, Connelly continues to show why he is one of the best – and most consistent – living crime writers.”
— Oline Cogdill, Sun Sentinel
“Connelly is one of the best contemporary writers of crime fiction, and in The Reversal he’s at the top of his form. …The Reversal is an irresistible read to the very end.”
— Colette Bancroft, St. Pete Times Book Editor
“The Reversal’s last forty pages run on pure adrenaline as the unthinkable happens. Family matters and old scars resurface to the smell of cordite. Connelly’s prose is pumped with premium with a high mileage performance from this master of modern LA noir. For great courtroom suspense, put your reading in reverse.”
— JC Patterson, Madison County Herald
“Mr. Connelly, a former journalist, is a master of mixing realistic details of police work and courtroom procedure with the private feelings and personal lives of his protagonists, and of building suspense even as he evokes the somber poetry inherent in battling the dark side.”
— Tom Nolan, Wall Street Journal
“This is one of Connelly’s most suspenseful and engrossing legal thrillers in years.”
— Eleanor Bukowsky, MostlyFiction.com
“By using Haller and Bosch together again, Connelly continues to push the boundaries of crime fiction, redefining the narrative in ways that excite and entertain his growing legion of fans. The Reversal is a great read for long-time fans and a perfect starting point for those who are ready for an introduction to the world of Harry Bosch.”
— SpineTingler Magazine
“The conclusion is stunning, yet realistic. Connelly, a former award-winning journalist, deftly captures the courtroom atmosphere as well as life on the turbulent streets of Los Angeles.Connelly smoothly combines the best of two literary genres, adroitly mixing the intriguing elements of a legal thriller with the insights and step-by step methodology of the police procedural. It’s easily one of the year’s best crime novels.”
— Ray Walsh, Curious Book Shop
“But the serious strengths of “The Reversal” become apparent after the principals are in place. Mr. Connelly likes to explicate the workings of the judicial process, especially for the benefit of people “who venture naïvely into the justice system” and “leave the courthouse wondering what just happened.” He can illustrate the basics of criminal investigation better than most. And he makes suspenseful use of simple but diabolical complications for the prosecution. …Mr. Connelly doesn’t really write about winners and losers. He writes true-to-life fiction about true crime. What makes his crime stories ring most true is that they’re never really over.”
— Janet Maslin, New York Times
“A fast-paced courtroom drama with investigations on the side, it’s a daring tour-de-force in the way it plays the protagonists against their situation.”
— Beth Kanell, Kindgom Books
“What are the odds of an author, after publishing 20 novels, producing two stunning back-to-back books? In the world of contemporary noirish crime fiction, there’s only one writer who can pull that sort of darkness out of a hat: Michael Connelly.”
— Larry Orenstein, The Globe and Mail (Canada)
“Michael Connelly’s books about these guys, separately or together, are always rewarding, and this one — with its cast-iron plot and vivid figures — is among his best.”
— Adam Woog, Seattle Times
“The package is wrapped up in Connelly’s prose, which is so smooth that it looks easy. Only after the book has accelerated through its unexpected climax and the characters are winding down in preparation to fight another day does it become clear that the work’s success is no accident, but the product of a master fully in command of his craft.”
— Robin Vidimos, Denver Post
“In The Reversal parental guilt and the quest for good father daughter relationships are combined with the trial of a man for the murder of a child. Based on all of his past books we expect a first rate story from Connelly and this time, like all the others, the man delivers. He knows his way around a police investigation and he knows h is way around a courtroom. This knowledge makes his stories believable while his writing skills make them come alive. You can never expect Connelly to play by the rules of logic. Life is illogical and so are Connelly’s stories. Just when you think you know exactly where he is headed he flips on his blinker and makes a U turn. That is what makes him such an exciting writer and one we love to read.”
— Jackie Cooper, Huffington Post
“Connelly’s background as a police reporter gives his books the powerful verisimilitude that few possess and balancing police and legal shenanigans as in The Reversal makes for wonderfully involving reading, particularly with the doublewhammy of a killer who may be released and a political machine pulling strings. When so many crime novelists seem all too ready to repeat themselves it’s great news that Connelly rejects such easy options.”
— Barry Forshaw, Express.co.uk
“What makes Connelly the master of his craft is that he is constantly reinventing himself and his characters, expanding their worlds without sacrificing their humanity.”
— Jason Pinter, TheDailyBeast.com
“This is superior entertainment from a master of the genre. ”
— Irish Independent
“As always, Connelly’s dialogue is crisp, incisive and realistic. The plotting, as ever, is immaculate and the supporting characters are well-drawn. The Reversal proves that this author can consistently produce intelligent, readable and engrossing thrillers.”
— Martin Spice, Malyasia Star
“another of Connelly’s brilliant Los Angeles crime novels. It’s always good to see Bosch back in action—and even better reading Connelly’s new work.”
— Les Roberts, Cleveland Plain Dealer
“It is a work of genius with a shattering climax that shows Connelly is indeed The Man.”
— Alex Gordon, Peterborough Evening Telegraph (UK)
“It makes the novel more complex than genre fiction usually allows, and we end up destabilised. This, though, is quite an achievement for a piece of accessible popular fiction – and a salutary reminder of why we need to go on reading Michael Connelly.”
— Barry Forshaw, Independent (UK)
“The Reversal is arguably Connelly’s finest novel yet. It demonstrates the author’s smoothness of writing and his confidence in depicting both courtroom drama and police procedures.”
— Anthony Rainone, JanuaryMagazine.com
The Reversal made the following Best Of lists:
— Globe and Mail’s Favorite Crime Fiction of 2010
— January Magazine’s Best Books of 2010: Crime Fiction
— Sun Sentinel’s Best Mysteries of 2010
