trailhound's Full Review: Michael Connelly - Blood Work
Former FBI agent Terry Mc Caleb is a lucky man. When a virus nearly destroyed his heart while he was in the prime of life, a heart transplant offered him hope. However, his rare blood type made the wait for a donor stretch on for two years. Fortunately for Terry, and unfortunately for the donor, a horrific crime cost the life of someone who would end up donating her heart to Terry.
While Terry is recuperating from heart replacement surgery and spending time tinkering with his house boat, he is shocked to be contacted by Graciela Rivers, the sister of Gloria Torres, who was the person who donated the transplanted heart. It turns out that the crime that cost Gloria her life had never been solved, and Graciela thought that the talented former FBI agent would be interested in investigating. After all, from Graciela's perspective, it was the least he could do for the victim.
Although Mc Caleb's health is tenuous, he is charmed by Graciela's quest for justice and soft-spoken demeanor. Mc Caleb soon jumps into the case by contacting the police who are supposedly investigating the death of Graciela. Although he is given the cold shoulder (what local policeman wants a former FBI agent poking around?) Mc Caleb has other contacts around southern California who will supply him with evidence in Graciela's shooting death at a convenience store.
Blood Work quickly becomes a gripping story as Mc Caleb digs into the details of the crime that, inadvertently, saved his life. The main character is shown ruthlessly pursuing every fine detail of the case, and questioning the thoroughness of the investigation done so far. The fact that Mc Caleb is jeopardizing his lease on life by subjecting himself to stress adds an interesting flavor to the plot.
Author Michael Connelly also adds in some other interesting characters. There's Buddy Lockridge, a washed-up hippy who is Mc Caleb's neighbor on the waterfront and drives him around (since Mc Caleb isn't supposed to drive). Buddy keeps poking his nose into the case but is continually rebuffed by Mc Caleb, yet he offers some keen insights into the murder case. I also liked Graciela, although her role in the plot could have been a bit more high-profile. Eventually Connelly intertwines this story with others in his series, although the well-known Harry Bosch character is only mentioned in passing.
The plot of Blood Work takes the reader on quite a ride. The more that is revealed about the crime Mc Caleb is trying to solve, the more complex the story becomes. Seemingly guilty suspects are cleared of all wrong doing while innocent bystanders become prime targets. The author also delves into the world of transplanted organs a bit, and makes you wonder what people would do to 'move up on the list' of donor recipients.
Most of Michael Connelly's books (more than 20 now) revolve around the Harry Bosch character. However, I much as I like those books, his police procedural novels focused on other characters are also excellent reads. If you like mysteries and crime-solving type novels, Blood Work is highly recommended. It's one of Connelly's earlier books (1998) and is just as well-written and thought out as anything he has written lately. 5 stars.
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