First, the book is not like the series. The books take place starting in the 1990s, closer to the Vietnam war when the scars and trauma were still visibly present and close to the surface. Although the book is not set in our present day, it holds up, the storyline is fresh and engaging. The characters are there, Bosch, J. Edgar, Lt. Pounds, Chief Irving and of course Eleanor Wish; but they’re all different – in some cases very different. Even though I had watched the series several times, I still didn’t know ‘whodunit’, because as I said, the books were the blueprint but the series was not a faithful adaptation in terms of the crime or characters. In The Black Echo, Bosch’s demons are closer to the surface. He deals with insomnia and nightmares. His anxiety about going back underground in two tunnels plays a minor role in the storyline. So far in the Bosch series, LA/Hollywood is a separate character that is integral to the story. Michael Conley weaves history of the city into all aspects of the storyline. His attention to detail and history helps make the story come alive on the page (or on the screen as the case may be). In the Black Echo Bosch and Eleanor meet and start a relationship. They are law enforcement officers – him LAPD her FBI- that are forced to work together to solve a murder and a bank robbery that are connected. Bosch is being tailed by IAD officers, and their presence is integral and shows some of the external struggle Harry must deal with to do his job. Like I said, the story is similar to the first season of Bosch available on Prime, but there’s a different time frame, different characters and overall really a different conclusion. Both the series and the book are a must for lovers of drama and crime drama.

Recommend?

I do recommend reading the Bosch books if you loved the Prime series and even if you didn’t. The intricacies and different threads that have to be followed to unravel the mystery are expertly tangled then followed.