Chasing the Dime

This is a stand alone novel from Connelly as opposed to his Harry Bosch series.

The scenario involves Henry Pierce a computer genius moving into a new apartment and receiving numerous calls from clients of a call girl who previously had this number.

From here Henry is dragged into the Los Angeles world of escort services and Internet web sites.

The story has some merit but the plotting is ridiculous, which is a shame because Connelly is usually so much better than this. He puts out a lot of books so I am presuming this was a bad day, however his editor needs a kick in the backside for letting it go out as is.

In CHASING THE DIME, Connelly has committed one of the cardinal sins of popular fiction-- creating a character who is too dumb to make the right choices. How can a reader sympathize with a character who makes one stupid decision after another? I constantly found myself thinking, "No, don't do that," or "Just leave well enough alone." Hell, even Forrest Gump was able to learn from his experiences. Another major flaw is the main character's motivation-- why jeopardize his career at a critical juncture to find a woman he doesn't even know? Basically what is lacking is adequate psychological depth that would give this novel some real weight.
Other complaints: 1) There are way too many references to "chasing the dime" in the first quarter of the novel, 2) female characters and hit men are not Connelly's strong point, 3) the ending left some unanswered questions, and 4) everyone walks in at just the right moment to bring this novel to a tidy conclusion. A very unsatisfying read.

Somehow a novelist has to convince the reader that the events described in the tale could or did happen. This is extremely important in a mystery/suspense/spy/action book. The writer utterly failed to do that here.
Yuppie genius, Henry Pierce, on the brink of wealth and worldwide fame (dare we hope, a Nobel Prize?), receives some calls for a prostitute named Lilly on his new phone and rather than get his number changed, he races off to find Lilly and "save" her. Bah, humbug. His reason is that his own sister was a runaway, years ago, and was murdered because he failed to help her. This is supposed to be the psychological motive, I suspect. If one can accept that premise, the rest of the book is all right, I suppose, even if it is populated with several of the characters from "Pulp Fiction."
Paranoia, I might add, is too facile in creating suspense. It has been used and abused in too many other works of fiction. Ludlum was/is probably the master of the art. That's why I quit reading Ludlum a few years ago. I couldn't tell one book from another.
Pierce comes to suspect and distrust everyone, his business partner, his ex-live-in, his secretary, etc. It got a little tiresome, and when he finally got to the real villain, I no longer cared very much.
I'll try another Connelly book, but I have misgivings after this one.

I've read all Michael Connelly's work, (I think) and loved all of the characters, Bosch, McCaleb, Haller. I like Henry Pierce too although he's not as hardened as the other Connelly characters because he's not in law enforcement and never has been. He's a more ordinary citizen type that gets sucked in way over his head. It's fascinating. I got it for my Kindle and couldn't put it down.
If you're looking for a Bosch like character then you may be disappointed. If you're looking for a well paced, thoroughly original, exciting thriller with interesting characters and an ending that you will not see coming, then Chasing the Dime is for you. Highly recommended.

Henry Pierce is a wizkid who leads a cutting edge technological company that has just made a discovery that can radically change medicine. But the time he has spent on the project has cost him his relationship. When he gets into his new appartment he discovers that his new telephone number once belonged to Lilly, a prostitute that got her clients via the internet. When he tries to contact her it soon becomes clear that something fishy is going on and he gets sucked deeper and deeper into a web of intrigues and violence that may cost him all that his dear to him including his own life...
I bought this book on the last afternoon of a holiday in Finland, intending to keep it for the flights home, but the next morning I had finished it. The book starts off at an enormous pace, it grips you and does not let you go until you have turned the last page. Wow!

Henry Pierce, a technological wizard, owns a company which is developing a product that could change the face of medicine and earn him millions. After he moves into a new apartment, he plugs in his new phone. Almost immediately he is inundated with calls to a woman named Lilly who evidently works as an escort. Curious, Pierce decides to look into who this mysterious woman is and why she is not answering her calls. While searching for answers, Pierce must enter into a world of increasing danger and soon finds himself under suspicion for murder.
Superlatives after superlatives is how Michael Connelly's book have been described . This book is no exception. The strength of a Connelly book is the characterizations and the plot full of twists. This is a standalone and, in a sense, differs from any other work by this author. A strong recommendation.

I'm a big Connelly fan, and grabbed this book for reading on a long flight.
I almost couldn't finish it...actually, for the first time, I just skimmed major parts of the book.
It started off badly when the main character, the founder and chief scientist of a high tech firm, supposedly plugs the computer on the desk in his office into a phone line to check his email.
Right there it was enough to put off any reasonable reader. In this case, Connelly shows his ignorance and his inability to set the scene for this novel.
It goes on from there to try to convince the reader that this science guy goes off on a wild tangent just days before a scheduled meeting with their venture capital source--it just doesn't work for me. The character isn't nuts enough to do that, but in this book he does.
And the whole chain of events isn't consistent with the character.
It could have been an okay plot, but set with different characters in a different place and time.
Michael must have gotten rushed to market with this loser.
Save your money for his next Harry Bosch mystery.

Michael Connelly's work in authoring `Chasing the Dime' passed a crucial test that any book I pick up must undergo. It either grabs me from page one or it's not very likely I'll ever get to page two. This story does that in a very effective manner. I also found the writer's style to be smooth, free flowing and intriguing. The plot was credible even though some reviewers ballyhooed it. Only someone who has gone through a similar mess in their own lives could understand that such a seemingly far fetch plot is, in fact, possible. `Chasing the Dime' brings forth a darker side of life that is out there and which is just as terrifying as the tale that Connelly spins. Kudos to the author and to this dark and wonderful story.

I have read ALL of Connelly's works except for 2. Connelly is exceptional! There is no doubt in my mind. This was a book that kept you wanting more. Isn't that the point? "A couldn't put it downable" as one critic said. This book flowed nicely and the ending had excellent resolve. I noticed the reference to a Pelecanos book "Hell to Pay" ( I just read it) I loved the reference to "Horton Hears a Who" I thought that was an ingenious idea to use the verbiage of a childrens book as a theme for Pierces' scientific ambition. There are references to Harry Bosch: The Dollmaker and the artist Hieronymous Bosch.(Harry's namesake)

For those of you ready for an exciting and quick read, I highly recommend this. If you like Connelly, you will like this. If you have never read Connelly, I bet you will be hooked after this one.

Note: this is the opinion of a person who thinks Mitchner and Ludlum are too wordy, but Tolkien, Crichton, and Le Carre are NEVER too wordy. King is sometimes but other times riveting.
This interesting start of a story developed several plots, thrashed around a while, and ended surprisingly well. Techno geek hero of near future mostly believable, but a former "hacker" who is afraid of having a fast Internet connection or even leaving a phone line connected to his modem is not. The author did research, but has never LIVED computers or technology and that shows.
Our hero improves too much as he goes along, being almost helpless to start, then finds things the cops can't through ingenious tricks just when he needs to most. (Doesn't see two new keys on his own ring in his pocket until he needs to? I don't buy it.)
Still, after the slow middle 50 percent, I enjoyed the ending much more than I had anticipated. Whodunit surprised me, too.

Chasing the Dime
I'm a big fan of Michael Connelly having read all of his novels. Unfortunately, this one falls very short when compared to his other works.
(..)
There are two main problems with this book caused by the use of two overused literary clichés. First, everything that happens is built around the real culprit knowing exactly what Henry is going to do every step of the way. (Many of us don't even know what we're going to do ourselves half the time.) Second, the plot also uses what I like to call the "Stupid Cop Syndrome". This is where a police detective is so focused in on the hero as being a criminal, that he ignores all logic or common sense in developing the case. (Like Henry nearly being beaten to death.)
Connelly has written a number of very good books, but the last few have not been up to his prior standards. "Chasing the Dime" isn't the worst book around, but there are so many books out there that are so much better.

Connelly continues to exhibit his virtuoso writing skills in "Chasing the Dime." While it is not as well done as his Bosch or McCabe books, the book holds it's own thanks to Connelly's deft use of English language and strong secondary characters.
Henry Pierce is not the brightest hero in the world, although he is certainly a brilliant chemist. Even with the background of his dead sister Isabelle, his involvement in the whereabouts of Lilly Quinlan seem far-fetched. He is definitely a loner, even with his friends. His relatioship with Nicole is certainly understandable as he is totally devoted to his work. His attempts to reconcile are painful, but obvious. The character of Lucy LaPorte (aka Robin) is well developed, yet she seems a little too "golden" by the end. The identity of the culprit is quite a shock and I never suspected this character.
The ending is obviously open-ended, as we never find out who the biggest big shot is behind the setup. So I hope he does a sequel to satisfy this little bit of cliffhangerism!!!
RECOMMENDED. (Void Moon is better, though!)

I read this book in a day and found it to be thrilling with non stop action. I liked the main character, Henry Pierce, who is a scientist on the verge of changing computing systems and the health field forever, with moleculor biology. But his relationship has suffered from his extreme work ethic and at the beginning of the novel he's moved out of his girlfriends and into a new apartment. His new phone number seems to be the same as a call girls and his curiousity takes him on a wild chase. Don't want to give anything away, but I thought the surprises in the plot were great, and the characters were well drawn.

Henry Pierce is a hotshot scientist, focusing on the microscopic world of molecular electronics. His goal is to create a supercomputer the size of a dime (hence the book's title) - and he's about to make a huge breakthrough that will advance the state of the art a long way towards that end.
Pierce is distracted, though, by his personal life. He's just broken up with the woman he loved and moved into a new apartment when he starts getting strange phone calls. Apparently the previous owner of the number was a very popular "escort" with a large client list. A visit to her website reveals that Lilly was a stunningly attractive woman and Henry finds himself more than a little interested in her. He can't help but wonder where she's gone. As he begins to pluck at the knot of her apparent disappearance, a complicated plot - along with Henry's life - begins to unravel.
"Chasing the Dime" is something of a departure for Connelly, taking the reader not just away from the ongoing life of detective Harry Bosch, but also away from the gritty, noir world that most of his work inhabits. The emphasis in this book is less on the physical and more on the mental. Pierce is a brilliant man and he brings his considerable analytical skills as a scientist to bear in figuring out what is happening.
Although "Chasing" may not have the sheer intensity or moral poignancy of the best of Connelly's mysteries, it is still the kind of thriller that keeps your interest piqued, keeps the pages turning, and pays off with a satisfying conclusion.

William Connelly, he of the anti-heroes Harry Bosch and Terry McCaleb, takes another trip into stand-alone novel territory. Like "Void Moon", his past non-series effort, "Chasing the Dime" is worth the read and you'll recognize a lot of the writing talent that make Connelly's series so popular.
A little thin of plot, Chasing the Dime features another troubled hero, Henry Pierce - but this time Connelly showcases the dot com world of stress and success. Detailed descriptions of Pierce's inventions are excellent, and the concept that such a technology might exist one day is exciting. So, too, is the stress and high stakes poker in finding venture capital, which Connelly showcases in a realistic way. But these are secondary to the plot -- Henry's obsession and inability to forget someone he never knew, but who reminds him of his murdered sister.
His new phone number is tied to the website of an exotic escort named Lilly. A little cursory research piques Henry's curiosity about Lilly and he begins to seek out what has happened to her. A twisted path of lies, deceit and danger follows, with Henry being drawn into a trap. Keen insight and an analytical mind keep him on the trail, without the police instincts of Connelly's other heroes.
Connelly does more than just dash off a novel for a change of pace -- he's purchased websites mentioned in the book and made them companion pieces to his novel -- and he left his "Hieonymous Bosch" signature when he mentions the famous painter in passing, and also links the story to the tale of "The Dollmaker"....the villain in "Concrete Blonde".
Connelly is heads and shoulders above most of today's thriller writers, and although this is not as good as his last two novels, it will keep you turning the pages long past the time you meant to keep reading.
Enjoy!

Michael Connelly has put Harry Bosch into retirement (at least for the time being) and has taken a different direction in his latest suspense-filled whodunit. There is a crusty police detective who plays a major role in the story and there are cryptic references to previous story elements from the Bosch novels, but the principal character this time is a scientist-entrepreneur who is the founder of a high-tech startup company trying to develop "molecular computer" technology. His own troubled personal and family history provides the psychological basis for a fascinating, nightmarish, but at times inplausible journey through the darker side of the Internet pornography industry, one that involves murder, betrayal, greed, terror, etc.
Despite certain features of the plot that demand of the reader a certain "willing suspension of disbelief," the book succeeds in drawing in the reader and keeping those pages turning. Once I started *Chasing the Dime* I almost couldn't bear to put it down. Connelly is an adept and skillful writer who displays keen attention to detail in weaving his plot and who is able to keep his readers guessing as to what will happen next right up until the highly cinematic climactic scene. The Hollywood-esque conclusion leads me to believe that Connelly wrote this book with the eventual film rights in mind. Hey, who can blame him?
Overall, it's true that Connelly's most recent books are not quite on a par with his best earlier work (e.g., *The Poet*, *The Concrete Blonde*, etc.), but he is such a terrific writer that anything he publishes continues to be well worth reading.

I’m a big fan of Harry Bosch and I always breathlessly wait for the next return of Michael’s most famous detective. In my period of waiting I picked up this book and couldn’t put it down. Trust me, this is Michael Connelly at his best. Read it!

This review contains spoilers.

Michael Connelly's The Lincoln Lawyer is one of the best mysteries I've every read. And I like the Harry Bosch series, too. But as for this book, I agree with all of the negative comments about the implausible plot, the cardboard characters, and the stupid, irresponsible, compulsively lying protagonist. I will say that it was still a page-turner for me (though I did skip over most of the science/business talk). Michael Connelly can certainly write -- he just didn't think this one through very well.

One little thing really bugged me. Pierce finally catches on to the fact that someone is framing him. He goes to the storage locker that was rented in his name, finds the body and moves it. This was all interesting and suspenseful. I could hardly wait for the payoff -- but it never came. The police never stumbled onto the storage locker and it didn't figure in the ending at all.

My big question is why did the bad guy have to resort to this elaborate plot involving murder? He was a hacker, who had designed the system being used by the good guy's company. Why not just destroy Pierce and his company/credibility electronically. He could even have waited until Goddard had bought in, then gotten rid of Pierce that way.

I liked the police detective in this story. He seemed a little more dimensional and real than any of the other characters. And I loved that he was catching Pierce in his lies and stupidity.

It isn't that there aren't interesting elements in Chasing the Dime-- there are. I wasn't bored, and I finished the book. I don't think that anything can make Connelly less than a strong writer.
That said, the plot Connelly uses in Chasing the Dime really stretches credibility. He chose to anchor the book in an idea about human predictability and planning that seems as convoluted as a game of Mousetrap. My enjoyment of the book was hurt because I just didn't buy it. Didn't buy the main character's actions at the beginning of the book and didn't buy it when the truth was revealed at the end.
While I enjoyed the tip o the hat to the Bosch novels, it could have used more of the Bosch quality.
Connelly novices shouldn't start here (try Black Ice). For Connelly initiates, you'll still find it above average as an airplane book, but that's about it.

Summary:

A wealthy scientist-turned-entrepreneur moves into a new apartment and becomes interested in the identity of the previous owner of his new phone number, who turns out to be an online call girl. He slowly gets sucked into a web of intrigue as it turns out that she's missing, and finally finds himself framed for her murder by corporate enemies.

The Good and the Bad:

A big part of Connelly's appeal involve the police procedurals and the character of Harry Bosch, two key elements that are missing from this novel. It flows fairly well, but the setup turns out to have been predicated on an unlikely ability to predict the main character's actions, and I wasn't buying. The pacing was good, and it was kind of neat to see a rich character apply his resources to the type of problem that Bosch usually faces, but still a weak effort for Connelly.

More and more, Michael Connelly's books seem to involve rather unbelievable plots and to require his characters to do things that are stupid, unbelievable, or just plain out of character. Why Henry Pierce, the protagonist of this new book, doesn't just change his phone number when he starts getting calls for a missing prostitute, is never really clear. Oh sure, Connelly attempts to provide an explanation in the form of a backstory involving his missing, then found dead, sister, but it never really rings true. It just doesn't successfully explain the obsession he has with finding the other girl, in the face of a couple of one-dimensional, paper thin bad guys who beat him up and hang him off the balcony of his twelfth floor apartment, or the impending visit of a financier who might be the savior he's been looking for, for his molecular computing firm. It's hard to believe that the main cop in the investigation puts his sights on Pierce, because, dontcha know, the Good Samaritan often turns out to be the perpetrator (I'm sure this is true, but it can't explain the extended harassment this guy gives Pierce). Then Pierce suddenly puts all the pieces together and suspects his ex-girlfriend must be behind it all (shades of Terry McCaleb suspecting that Harry Bosch is a killer in _A Darkness More Than Night_). It all rings false--something like the "idiot plot" of Roger Ebert, in which characters act in idiotic ways because the plot requires it, not out of believable motivations arising from their characters. Still, it was fast-moving and there is some interesting material about molecular computers and how they may change the world. But, ultimately, it's a real disappointment from a "master" like Connelly.

Michel Connelly writes an thriller with an interesting plot twist and unlikely characters.

Henry Pierce works in a lab which is involved in a technological race to develop the first molecular computer. [There is real research on-going in this field interestingly.] If his company is the first to create such devices, he will become wealthy beyond his wildest dreams.

All of the hours in the lab have taken a toll on his relationship, and he and his girlfriend and fellow co-worker have split up. Henry gives her his home and moves into a condo where he is assigned a new telephone nubmer.

As soon as he plugs in his telephone, he begins to get calls for "Lilly" and from the nature of the calls, it becomes obvious that not only is Lilly involved in the sex trade, but that she has vanished.

Henry is intrigued and begins a quest to find Lilly which leads him through a series of more and more dangerous encounters which keep the reader on the edge of his or her seat.

A great read, with nice plot twists!

I have some quibbles with Chasing the Dime, including but not limited to the uneven characterization of the protagonist: he's naive when the plot demands, then clever when it needs that. The plot, while not terribly ingenious, does a good job of weaving in the fringe science (and I mean that in the most complimentary way) of nanotechnology. Other than choosing the name Goddard for an alpha male entreprenuer, which is the same name for a similar character in a Joseph Finder novel, everything works in this well crafted thriller. It's not a classic, but it is a good read. I'd give it three and half stars if I could.

Not having read the "Bosch" stories, I didn't know what to expect from a Connelly book but Chasing the Dime was a fun and pleasing book to read. The story is centered around the main characters research firm working on nano-technology development. However, he gets lured into chasing a memory from the past that could ruin his future. The story ends up centered more around on-line prostitution, murder and haunting memories than science and what nano-technology holds in store for us (see Prey) but it keeps the story moving and enticing. The story ends with somewhat of a surprise, but not too surprising if you piece it all together.
While Bosch fans might be disappointed, most readers will enjoy Chasing the Dime.

Michael Connely's latest novel "Chasing the Dime" is in some ways a clear departure from his Harry Bosch series, in other ways it continues his journey in spinning a web of noir tales around modern day LA. His latest hero is a naive scientist drawn into an unbelievable nightmare by investigating what happened to the woman whose phone number he inherited. Henry Pierce lives in the sheltered subculture of a high tech start-up, a whiz kid with an unusual past. Part of that past draws him to look for Lilly, the prostitute who must have previously owned his phone number and is still getting calls from numerous men every day. Pierce soon descends into the dark world of internet porn and finds himself not only distracted from his regular pursuits but in grave danger.
Connelly masterfully keeps this book at an unstoppable pace while once again creating a dense atmosphere and believable character setting that will not let you put this one down until the last page is turned.

Besides the Harry Bosch mysteries, I don't think Michael Connelly's been at his top form since "Void Moon". This book is on par with "A Darkness More Than Night" for a so so plot line that never becomes very compelling. It was also the first time I've been aware of the author laying track for a pay off later in the book. To his credit there are some twists that keep you off the trail of who might being doing what to Henry Pierce, but I wasn't overly engaged. The niftiest bit of plotting was to tie Pierce's sister to Connelly's book "The Concrete Blonde" I also felt that some of the characters seemed two demensional at best, the tough talking gumshoe detective, the seedy porno kingpin. It's not a bad a bad book. It's just, I felt, not what Connelly is capable of delivering

What a disappointment! I am a huge Connelley fan, I eagerly anticipate each new book. The last time he deviated from the Bosch or McCaleb genre with Void Moon it was a great stand alone change of pace.
Not so in this case. This book never gets off the dime! The characters are weak and thinly drawn. The dialogue is missing Connelley's usual crisp punch. This is an intriguing premise for a story line and one can only imagine what Connelley could have done with it if he had applied half the effort he puts into a Bosch novel.
If you want a book that takes no effort to read and a story that neatly wraps up in the last few pages, give this a try just don't expect the exquisitely plotted stories we have come to expect from Connelley.

I didn't understand the main character very well. The motivation for his actions was not presented well and he kept doing stupid stuff with no explanation for it. The ending was good and explained a lot .

I read this book after finishing Grisham's Summons (not exactly the same genre, but close) and Lehane's extraordinary Mystic River. This far exceeds Grisham and falls in behind Lehane's novel. As many novels in this genre, it requires a willing suspension of disbelief. The end is a bit too hollywood perhaps and the case comes together in a way that fits all too well. However, I did not figure out until the character did. It was an intriguing mystery and the science was fascinating. Connelly is good writer and I will certainly read more of his non-Harry Bosch novels (to take nothing away from his Harry books, I just haven't the time to start the series now). This is far better than most of the genre stuff that sells. Kudos to Mr. Connelly.

Reviews, phooey! And phooey on this book! I adore the Harry Bosch books and probably should have known better than to pick up a free-standing book (after all, I thought Blood Work was one of the dumbest books I ever read). But I let myself be swayed by what I had read about this book and found it a horrible waste of time- both mine to read it and Connelly's to write it. The main character, Henry Pierce, is not at all believable and his actions are so DUMB that one has to wonder, "What was he thinking?" with every action he takes. The owner of a start-up high tech firm, he becomes obsessed with finding a call girl who formerly had the telephone number he is assigned at his new apartment. He risks his life, his friends and his business to pursue this obsession. In my opinion, the only thing dumber than the story is the amazingly lame ending. And, on a personal note, when I read about the "sent of lavender" and one of the characters asks, "What's going in?", I know the author could not care less about the final editing of his book.

Henry Pierce, scientist supreme, an entrepreneur about to become very rich, is surprised when sitting in his new apartment he begins receiving phone messages and calls from men seeking Lilly, a woman he doesn't know. Having lost a sister to drugs and sexual abuse some years ago, Pierce decides to investigate. The old saying is don't go lifting rocks, snakes and bad things live underneath them. But Henry didn't listen, and soon he's beaten and hung upside down from a twelth floor balcony by bad guys. But that's only the first stroke: Henry's life and that of his company are at stake. He's stepped on a scorpion, and it's big and angry. Henry will have to use all his wiles to survive.

This is a smart and fast-moving thriller. Chasing the Dime is the gold standard. All thrillers should be this good.

This is not much of a review since I read this book several mos. ago, but I recall it as being very well-written, suspenseful, and up to date on computer-inspired mysteries. If you like good writing, use and are interested in the mysteries of computers and love good mysteries with great plots for their own sakes, this is a book you would read quickly and want to re-read--as I rarely do. Liked it so much with its intricacy of plot and knowledge of things computers can do which I didn't know, I gave it to my computer-guru son who probably understood it better, but didn't enjoy it any more than I. A+++ for those who love well-written mysteries with great plots and good characterization.

I usually stray away from the Harry Bosch series because i probably couldnt manage to keep up with it. But i do read his others. I read Void Moon, which i thought was absolutely fantastic, though others thought it was a disapointment. I then read The Poet, which I thought was rather boring and bland. Still recovering from Void Moon and wanting more of the same i picked up Chasing the Dime. This was the most intriguing of the other two.
Chasing the Dime has an awesome and intruiging plot. Connelly displayed Pierce's odd obsession very well. I was draw into it by that. I was drawn into Lily too for a little while until later in the story when Connelly decided not to expand on Lily and let me get to know her more. I began to care less and less as the story progressed. And when the back advertised that Harry would go deep into the underground of the porn industry, I was expecting lots of violence and darkness.
Instead, Connelly introduces me to Lily's escort partner(who's name I cant remember). And thats about it. Not much to rave about. One thing that interested me is when the detective came into the picture and got things up and running. Near the end I couldnt figure out who the bad guy was and it was all mixed up. The grand finale was suprising but not exciting. All in all it was great writing, but a little dissapointing.

Henry Pierce is chasing the dime, trying to beat his company's competitors in a technological crunch. And the race will revolutionize the world as we know it.
But Henry's personal life is taking a dramatic turn. One that could affect everything he's ever worked for.
His girlfriend has thrown him out and he's moving into a new place. As he tries to settle in, his new phone number stirs up old memories and an odd sense of curiosity.
Who is Lilly Quinlan and why do men keep calling the number for her? Henry begins to dig for information on the mysterious woman and finds she's a beautiful escort who seems to have disappeared with only her male customers noticing.
He can't explain his need to find the whereabouts of this woman. Deep down, he feels the connection to his own sister's disappearance as the source.
Every step he takes in his search for Lilly starts to turn full circle. Pretty soon he's at the center of the investigation, being blamed for the murder of a woman he's never met.
His company is on the brink of being destroyed, his hard work about to go down the drain and he's facing a murder rap. But there's one way out being dangled in his face. It could save his life and strip it away everything at the same time.

This book was a gift, so I felt somewhat "obligated" to read it, and it was the first for me by this author. It started out ok, but the incredible stupidity of Henry, the protaganist, kept temtping me to throw the book down and not waste any more of my time. But, to be honest, it was a page-turner, and left me wondering what (stupid thing!) would happen next. In novels, we like to see the hero maybe be a little too smart to be quite believable, but not WAY TOO DUMB to be believable -- as was the case here.

His obsession with chasing down an unknown hooker left me scratching my head, thinking something will be reavealed at some point to make the story credible. But it never happened.

Then when he was laying bloody and broken, nearly beaten to death by two thugs he was warned to avoid, he tells the leader to stay away from the hooker -- who was employed by the thug! So the thug kicks Henry in the side, breaking a few ribs. At that point, I'm screaming "You had that coming, you STUPID IDIOT!"

For me, it spiraled down from there. When he finds the missing hooker's bloody mattress, and tells the landlord to call the cops, I'm thinking what a dumb novel this is. Any normal person, certainly by that point, would have vacated the premises el pronto and never looked back.

As for the writing itself, at times the dialogue was hard to follow because I couldn't tell who was talking. I kept having to back up and re-read. The worst was in the final scene: The wounded cop sees a bad guy, slumped dead over a table, riddled with bullet holes, and he says, "That won't look good." The reply from Henry was, "Don't worry. Ballistics will show [the bullet holes] came from Wentz." Then the cop says, "Hope so. Help me up, I want to walk." At that point I stopped. I must have it backwards. The COP told the CIVILIAN, who admittedly didn't know anything about firearms, that "Ballistics will show . . . " So I backed up and re-read several times. No, I had it right the first time. The ridiculously stupid and incompetent 34 year-old civilian assured the veteran detective that ballistics would show who actually shot the dead guy! Unbelievable! Was this manuscript ever proofread?

The following may be considered "piling on," but why not at this point? I live in the east, so maybe this is normal for California: Henry -- the owner/founder of a multi-million dollar business -- along with key employees, has a long-anticipated meeting with a much needed investor -- and he shows up in BLUE JEANS??? And going back and forth to work, he carries his essentials in a back pack? Around here, schoolkids and hikers use packbacks, not CEOs.

And my final complaint, actually quite common, is using the term "bullets" to describe what are actually "rounds" or "cartridges." Huge difference, and makes the author lack credibility.

When a fictional character does something dumb I usually have one of two reactions. I buy into it and let the story move on or I don't buy into and I keep thinking about the dumb thing instead of the storytelling. It was the latter that held true for me in this book.
The protagonist motivations were just not believeable to me and I just could not get into this world that Connelly created.
And truth be told, I was expecting a Harry Bosche book not a Henry Pierce tale. But that was only because I skimmed (I only read the dust cover after I finish the book) the dust cover and mistakenly confused the two simular names. However, after chapter 3, I realized Detective Bosche was not going to make an appearence in this story.

I enjoyed this one: it is a thriller about nanotechnology (they call it nano, because it is a tech smaller than micro). The book starts wonderfully, with a researcher who just got a new apartment and a new phone: he receives a call for the old owner of the apartment, then more and more calls. I liked that, we all get wrong numbers and weird calls. These phone calls remain at the heart of the story, all mixed up with a big techno deal. Great composition, excellent psychology, intriguing.
It is really well done and fascinating.

It pains me to say this, because I'm a huge Michael Connelly fan, but "Chasing the Dime" just doesn't cut it. There are two major problems. First, the protagonist - a research scientist - makes decisions that are consistently silly and illogical to the max. (Think "The 3 Stooges," or the two idiots in the "Dumb and Dumber" film, for example; unfortunately, this book is not intended to be humorous.) There are a number of turning points where, if he does only what anyone with an IQ over, say, 80, would do, the story is over. Second, this same protagonist is a manipulative, compulsive liar...not exactly an endearing trait for the character the reader is supposed to care about. In short, Connelly has created an unlikable protagonist who stupidly gets himself into one completely preventable crisis after another. Very disappointing novel. Also, very puzzling, considering that Connelly is undoubtedly one of the best mystery writers working today.

Good solid novel by Connelly. When Henry Pierce move to a new apartment and starts to get calls for Lily, who from the nature of the calls is a hooker, he becomes obsessed with finding out why she isn't answering her calls. The trail leads him to the dark and vicious world of pornography where he is out of his depth. He soon finds that there is more to his adventure than he thought and that not only is his business threatened but his life as well. He begins to suspect everyone and doesn't know where to turn.
In the end though a nice twist brings a satisfying conclusion to a real page turner.
One of Connelly's better books. 3/5

This was my first book by this author and it was okay. I just have the feeling that some of his other books may be a lot better. The writing had enough edge to keep me interested and make me want to read on. However, the tech talk slowed it down for me, rather than draw me in more. I just felt it could have been generalized more and it wouldn't have mattered. And it wouldn't have bogged the story down. Although I see Pierce's reasons for his actions as far fetched, as well as the whole conspiracy around the business, I thought it was an okay read. I will try another by this author, but will read reviews first.

I struggled with this book. Henry Pierce who was allegedly a brilliant man made one stupid decision after another. I keep putting it down because I can't bare his idiotic mistakes. They synopsis of one of the previous reviewers was spot on. If you are a Connelly fan as I am, skip this book.

I am a Michael Connelly fan. I have read every book and anxious await the release of the next. I read his books because they are light, but at the same time he does not write like a second-grader (like many popular fiction writers do). That said, this was an immature and actually silly book. I felt like my very young children could have written a more interesting and less silly (I say silly, but at times I was almost embarrassed for the writer that he thought some of the ritual antics of the characters would be amusing) book. It was unbelievable. I hope that this atrocity will not be repeated in the future!!

The behaviors of the protagonist Henry Paige in the first half of the book make no sense IMHO. It's difficult to believe a computer nerd in mid product development would do the stuff Henry does....... But Connelly's writing is still up to snuff.....

Michael Connolly's Chasing the Dime is a gripping, absolutely readable thriller, that, while not perfect, will keep you reading and keep you guessing. Henry Pierce moves to a new apartment and gets a new phone number that apparently belonged to that of a high priced call girl. Harry's efforts to clear up the phone number problem lead to bigger and bigger problems for him. Ultimately when this woman turns up murdered and Harry is a prime suspect. The ending is a bit predictable, but, in a novel like this one, that's OK. Chasing the Dime will keep your interest and keep you reading. Connolly has a terrific talent in giving us flowing, readable prose. Enjoy.

Henry Pierce, rising star in the world's newest profession, molecular computer engineering, gets a new phone number. The number previously belonged to a girl named Lilly who apparently is engaged in the world's oldest profession.
Curiosity and a sense of personal guilt launch Henry on a quest to find this girl. It is a world of shadows and mirrors where things do not often lead to tidy answers. As Pierce descends deeper into the spiraling black hole, his entire universe is threatened.
This book lacks the dark introspection of Connelly's best works, but it reads swift and clean. Pierce is neither saint nor sinner, hero or villain, but the reader cares not only for his survival but the survival of his vision.

Michael Connelly is one my top five favorite authors, but this book was only slightly readable. It is not a Harry Bosch novel and does not live up to my usual expectations of Michael Connelly's writing. It is a suspense story of a nice guy in the wrong place at the wrong time. Someone close to him sets him up and you begin to suspect it about half way through the book. The mystery remains until the end of the book when the bad guy and scheme is revealed. The story flows rather well and doesn't take long to read, but it is not a book that holds your undivided attention. Michael Connelly usually does much better!!

The woman Cassie black had one goal in prison. Now on parole she goes back to the scene of her former crime to set the record straight. Along the way she is sabotaged by those in whom she once had trust. The first reason I really like this book-yes-enough to buy not rent it-is that Connelly portrays here a woman's feelings and strengths so well. She might not be lovable but she's true. Sure he meets all the genre rules, baiting us with questions about all the characters we meet, but it is his portrayal of Cassie that is so excellent. Then, of course, I respect the research that was done. Many times a reader will want to learn from a book, not just about crime but all about technology, or in this case, casino gambling. As far as Ganser's narration, the artist has stated that he liked reading tough female protagonists. He proves his mettle here. tom the bread baker

Devoting most of his time and energy to "chasing the dime", developing his own business, Henry is taken aback when his relationship with his live in girlfriend goes south. After moving into a new apartment, he starts getting calls for a Lilly, someone he is totally unfamiliar with. Connelly sets his intriguing mystery around these strange but alluring phone calls.
Henry's life gets complicated when he becomes a suspect in the murder investigation of Lilly. This is definitely a page turning thriller.

Many here complain they can't understand Pierce's obsession with Lilly and ask why would he risk his career, etc. However, I think that is part of the intrigue in this excellent thriller. Aside from his sister's death, Pierce wants to know more about this computer-sex trade and is drawn into it. He always figures that in a day or so he'll have Lilly's disappearance answered. A tragic flaw so to speak.
The rest of the book is filled with twists/turns and keeps up a great pace.
While the Bosch books are "better", I was getting tired of that character.

Sorry that it has to come to this, but this book was a complete waste of a nice morning.

For the lover of the Harry Bosch series this book comes as a complete disappointment: let me explain why. The Harry Bosch series are thick on plots and rich characters whom are easy to care about and want to learn more about. This book "Chasing the Dime" is about a pimpley face BMW driving geek who spends too much money at Starbucks, looking down his nose at other people. So I ask you, does that sound like Harry Bosch? Or for that matter does it sound like someone you want to know more about?? Not me.

Anyway, the book follows that this guy is trying to implausably follow a hooker who used to have the telephone number he now has. Her customers are calling and this pathetic nerd is trying to search for her: actually stalk her. I ask you why. It doesn't sound interesting and it is a bad plot for the master Micheal Connelly.

But more than anything, I hate when authors become yuppie spokesman for todays consumers. Meaning that the plot descriptions and charactor summaries sound more like commercials and specialty shops than going the distance and giving the reader something more for the imagination.

As far as this book goes I got to page 100 and starting cursing the book. If you want something great to read try, The Black Echo, The Concrete Blonde, and the other Harry Bosch books.

The book started with in interesting plot, but quickly fell apart. The relationship with the ex-girlfriend was not necessary, and the main character's wild scheme to get her to talk could be a scene on Desparate Housewives. The investor portion of the book was quick and weak, being in similar meetings myself daily. Not too much truth to that part. The weak background or development of the key bad guy seems to be a trend in these types of novels where the author gets to a point and says "whoops, I'm bored. Let's end this book in 2 pages." Read this one in about 6 hours, so it's good for a quick dose of adventure in lieu of watching television.

...Chasing the Dollar to write this book. I dragged myself just past the 100-page mark in this 308-page novel before tossing it. I have read all of Michael Connelly's books and have liked every one of them. I can imagine rereading them all when I'm on the nursing home porch. But if you gave me this novel without an author's name, I would never have guessed Michael Connelly.
It is unfortunate that my first Michael Connelly review is negative, so just take my first paragraph as how I really feel about this author. He is one of the great authors in this genre and I advise you to pick up any one of his other books. You'll love it.
If you've already read them all, I would recommend reading more reviews here before buying this book.

This is a departure from the hardboiled world of Harry Bosch and also from the world of believable storylines. Here we have a guy who is so totally driven by his work that his relationship with his girlfriend has disintegrated. He is so focussed on his company that he's brought it to the brink of one of the greatest breakthroughs in history. Yet that focus and drive can be diverted because he gets a few phone calls that were meant for someone else!
Huh!?!
I'm sorry, the premise for this is just a little too out-there for my liking.

This was the most frustrating read. The main character, Henry Pierce, is supposed to be a brilliant scientist, head of his own high-tech company, but he makes the most unthinking decisions and takes the dumbest actions. Where was his brain? Every five minutes I wanted to through this book across the room and shout, "You idiot! Don't you see what you're doing?" Totally unbelievable actions and a motivation that even when explained is a stretch. Of course, this total stupidity is what lands him in the mess that it takes his brilliant mind to get him out of. What's really frustrating is the book is still a page-turner. Not, however, one of Connelly's best efforts.

If the hero of "Chasing the Dime" were just another tough-talking PI, I'd be here complaining about the novel's clichéd plot. So what does best-selling crime writer Connelly do? He lets a world of intrigue, murder, and smut-peddling crash on the head of a lab rat who has no business snooping around alleyways or trading blows with thugs. .... You'll have to ignore your initial response (which will no doubt be of the "Why is this ...person doing this?" variety) and let Connelly warm up. With cleverly established motivations and riveting attention to detail, "Chasing the Dime" rewards your unhealthy curiosity very well by book's end.

Henry Pierce at first seems quite silly, as he gets drawn into another person's drama all because he gets a phone number that belonged to a woman who was an escort. Why are all these people calling? What happened to her? Is Henry THAT curious? Caring? Empathetic? You wonder why he's letting himself get drawn deeper and deeper and into more dangerous territory. An interesting story entwined with computer molecular technology. No kidding!

I read Chasing the Dime in two sittings over the holidays and was totally knocked out by the character(s). The resolution of the story, was outstanding and I really did not know how the protaganist was going to escape blame. Nor did I see the solution coming, the high tech details are outstanding and interesting. I felt totally spun by the resolution, action packed! I love the fact that Michael writes one off's that are very different from the detective series he writes, but also contain a lot of needed detection. It's fun to stretch your storytelling skills, this book and Void Moon are so different from the Bosch novels, yet so vivid when you read them. I hope he keeps writing one off's, but I love the Bosch books too. Am I fan fan, guess so eh?? Michael Connelly is a master of the crime novel![.]

"Chasing the Dime" is SO bad ... a high school student could've written it for homework. Poorly written, cardboard characters, etc., ad nauseum ...
Where's the depth, passion and skill of MC's yesterdays? Why do so many authors who only have "X" amount of good books "in them" continue to write anyway - milking their laurels, while we, literally, pay the price?
Connelly is at the top of my [...] - alongside Grisham, Grafton, Turow, Crais, White, Lescroarte, Buffa, and Parker (with his Sunny Randall series).
At a local book signing, Lescroarte proudly announced he had written his new book in a matter of weeks. Believe me, it showed. Are all the "big names" doing this?
Personally, I'd rather they retire altogether than waste another dime on any of them.

I had been a sucker for Connelly's books - until I got across this one. Does the author have a personal issue (inferiority complex?) with scientists? The hero of the books is supposed to be very intelligent, on a verge of Nobel Price for his work in nanotechnology and molecular computers. Shockingly, the author makes him behave not as a scatter-brained scientist, nor as high IQ owner perhaps too removed from the world of normal mortals. His "hero" is behaving like a village idiot and we are supposed to accept this insult to our intelligence. I am voracious reader, but this book ended in the garbage can before I could overcome of my masochistic tendencies urging me to finish it.

This is easily the best Connolly book written that I have read. That is really saying something, considering it isn't a Harry Bosch novel. This plot and the story are excellent and this book was the hardest to put down of any Connolly book I have read. This was the 9th that I read (Poet, Narrows, Black Ice, Black Echo, Blood Work, The Closers, Last Coyote, Concrete Blonde) and it had the best, most clever ending of any of them. The story was very intriguing, suspenseful, fun, and very well written! Don't let the detractors scare you away, it is a great read!

I have enjoyed all of Michael Connelly's books up to now. What was he thinking! Although it certainly is the author's prerogative to change characters and genre on us, it is very disappointing to get a read like this from Mr. Connelly. The character of Henry Pierce is totally unbelivable and entirely unsympathetic. How could someone so brilliant be so dumb each step of the way other than the last 20 pages. One can't expect one's imagination to run that rampant. I'll certainly give Mr. Connelly another chance - but his margin of error is greatly reduced.

Henry Pierce is starting his life over. After his girlfriend leaves him, Henry moves into a new apartment and with his new apartment comes a new phone number...a number that belonged to someone else. Shortly after his new number is activated Henry begins receiving calls for Lilly, obscene calls from men wanting sex.
Anxious to put a stop to the calls, but curious to find out find out more about Lilly, Henry begins searching for information only to discover the young woman mysteriously disappeared and nobody seems to care.
Henry sets out on a quest to find out the truth about Lilly and the world she lived in, only to discover a world he's never known. A world of sex, escorts, websites, secret identities, and murder.
The deeper Henry becomes involved in this world, the farther he is from escaping it and a wrong decision could cost him his life.
`Chasing The Dime' is one of THE BEST thrillers I have read this year. The plot of a simple wrong number, turns into a terrifying ride of relentless suspense. From page one the reader is held captive in a race against the clock thriller that stuns with every turn of the page. It's fast-pace, gripping plot and creepy underworld setting will keep even the most jaded thriller readers on the edge of their seat.
Michael Connelly is the leading writer of crime fiction, as far as I'm concerned, and his on-going `Harry Bosch' series is about as good as they get. But, when an author strays from writing their successful series, we as reviewers (and fans) become leery if the novel will be any good, well that is not the case with Mr. Connelly...three of his best novels are NOT part of the Bosch series, `The Poet', `Blood Work', and now his newest novel `Chasing The Dime'. Any reader not tempted to stay up all night to finish this novel is much stronger than I am, because I stayed up well into the night to finish it.
`Chasing The Dime' will rocket up the best-seller list's, and prove Michael Connelly a master of the thriller/crime genre.
A MUST read!
Nick Gonnella

This is my 3rd Michael Connelly book. The other two were 4 star books, but this one is not. In this frustrating book the protagonist is supposed to be a soon-to-be-rich genius, but acts and thinks more like a C-average high school freshman. Skip this one unless you are into silly unbelievable plots and really dumb protagonists.

It would unfair to compare any character with the endlessly entertaining Harry Bosch, so I won't do it here. Henry Pierce, Connelly's protagonist in Chasing the Dime," is a worthy protagonist on his own merits. He is a brilliant techno-geek, whose curiosity and paranoia serve to make him his own worst enemy, but the best friend of all of us interested in reading a first class mystery novel. I could not put the book down and found its twists and turns endlessly entertaining, as well as convincing. Connelly has done first work in "Chasing the Dime." Highly recommended.

In an attempt to create drama, I think the author built in too many subplots and story lines. It would have been sufficient to tell the story of industrial espionage and sabotage, and keep the personal dramas to a minimium. If you enjoy the whole shebang, this ought to please you. I enjoyed both the plot and personal dramas, but I can understand people who got lost, lost interest, or gave up. The basic plot is right out of the headlines, and should be of interest and concern to us all.

With Chasing the Dime, Michael Connelly compellingly enters the intense world of high-risk technology start-ups. I found the descriptions of Henry Pierce's involvment in his company and his work in carbon-based nanotechnology fascinating, with remarkable parallels with my own life. I clearly recognized Henry's seemingly unresolvable conflicts. And Michael's description of the molecular technology which was the object of Henry's obsession was realistic enough to me to be credible. The investor chase was icing on the cake.
However, suspension of disbelief is a fragile thing, and in the
case of Chasing the Dime, too often I found myself without explanation for events. One obvious example is Henry, who's technological acuity is top-notch, seems to ignore the existence of search engines. (a Google search for the phone number was the obvious approach from chapter 1...). There are other examples. Furthermore, the issue of why the phone company apparently ignored its policy of waiting before reassigning numbers was never addressed by numerous characters, including the police.
The Google complaint may be nit-picking. But imagine if a character sent a telegram instead of making a phone call or email. That would be no more out of place.
Other actions, seemingly irrational, are explained by Henry's dance with insanity. He is under enourmous stress professionally, socially, psychologically, and legally. A few panicked moves or oversights are expected.
However, the finale is a classic case of "deux ex machina" -- the hand of God comes down and wraps things up in one chapter or less. Although the finish is the hardest part of a novel to do well, Connelly normally scores. Here, he's a bit off-target.
I don't think it's a coincidence that 2002 is the first year MC published more than one novel. I'm convinced one per year is the limit for top-quality work. Chasing the Dime was a really enjoyable and rewarding read, but the flaws were sufficiently obvious that I can't help but conclude it needed a bit more time.

How do you capitalize on your previous job experience? You write about it!
Michael Connelly books have mesmerized readers with his working knowledge
of the California Law Enforcement community. Not even some of his main characters are saved from the evil that lurks there. My thoguht is: If once you delve into his world of characters, and you don't find yourself fully engaged, you might want to check your sanity.

I have read all of Connelly's books and I hope that Chasing The Dime is not the first Michael Connelly book you read. Pick up The Poet to see how Connelly writes when he is interested in his characters. This story feels forced, the characters are shallow and take actions inconsistent with their shallowness. Overall a boring read by a writer who showed so much much talent in his early books. Maybe if he went back to chasing the dime instead of the big bucks he'd regain his tralent.

To begin, I've read about 6 books by Connelly and this was one of the better ones, still my fav is Lincoln Lawyer. I can agree with the fact that it was a little slow in the beginning but overall it was a good book. I remember, when i finished it I went on the store.com to check it out and it only had like 3 stars overall. Come on people!! I thought the action was good, the characters were believable and overall i wouldn't give it less than 4.5 stars.

I've read all of Michael Connelly's previous books. They are excellent. His story lines are extremely engaging; his mastery of detail builds a fine foundation; and his character development is compelling, with plenty of depth and breadth. Sorry to say this one is not up to his usual standards. I almost felt like it was a formulaic response to some procrastinated contract agreement. It isn't terrible. If you need to escape in a book for a few hours, this one will do. It's just nowhere near the quality I'd come to expect from Michael Connelly.

One review gave it 5 stars and said "great plot" my reaction after hitting page 129 is "WHAT PLOT!!" "stupid book" and I'm a fan of his other books, I have read about 8 so far and this is just downright SILLY!!! This book is the equivalent of someone falling in love at a traffic light, might make a great song, but NOT a great novel!

This was the first Michael Connelly book that I read and since then I am a big fan of his books. This is so gripping that I could not put it down. I cared about the main character so much I felt his pain...

I think this is as good as Blood Work, Void Moon, and The Poet are. Of course Harry Bosch series are all good as well. Pick Chasing The Dime to read. You will not regret!

This book is awful.
If you are new to mysteries and have suffered a head injury making your deductive reasoning that of a vegetable, you will love this book.
If you want a good book that has a believable and interesting story line, try any number of Connelly's other books.
This book just felt like he was not really trying to keep you interested. The ending is beyond stupid.

This was the first book that I read by this author, and I thought it was a total flop. The hero is a purported scientific genius, but he repeatedly does very dumb things, such as running around crime scenes touching various objects, and leaving his fingerprints everywhere, guaranteeing that he will be suspected of the crime, which is what happens. This does not help build credibility.
I found the protagonist void of any endearing characteristics. All of his statements to others in the book sound like technical instructions written by someone with a poor grasp of English. The dialog is absolutely lifeless. None of the characters are real or sympathetic. Example: the hero has lived with a woman for three years, they supposedly loved each other, and she is the first to hear that has been terribly beaten by thugs. Yet, she calls the police to aid him, but doesn't bother to visit him in the hospital or show any interest in his condition whatsoever, and is rude to him when he next meets her, with a black and blue face. The impression is that all the characters are merely inserted to support a plot device.
For some reason, the author kept repeating the annoying and meaningless phrase "a long moment" over and over again, and I kept wondering, how did the editors miss it? I agree that this book appears to be just a product put out by someone who is just trying to meet a production quota.

I've long been a a fan of Michael Connelly, but "Chasing the Dime" was so implausible and poorly written that I gave it up after reading about one-third of it. The story is about a successful Silicon Valley entrepreneur who moves into a new apartment and starts getting phone calls for a prostitute on his new phone number. Instead of calling the phone company and requesting a new number, which is what you'd expect a smart guy to do, he begins to investigate who she is. The obsession over the prostitute is so implausible -- he breaks into her house, calls her mother, and investigates the escort service -- that the story never has any edge to it. Don't waste your time or money on this sorry excuse for a thriller.
I sincerely hope that this is a one-time occurence and that Connelly doesn't do a downward spiral like Stuart Woods has done with his Stone Barrington series. I used to automatically buy a Stuart Woods book the minute it went on sale in hardcover; now I'm reluctant to even bother to borrow them from the library.

Michael Connelly has once again proven that he is one of the best authors around. In Chasing the Dime Connelly combines cutting edge science with unbelievable suspense to produce a beautifully written thriller which will keep you reading late into the night. I will not repeat the book description here, but I will say you will be hard pressed to read a better novel this year. Connelly just keeps getting better with each book and I am looking forward to his next edition...

This is not as good as Michael Connelly's other book series, but I enjoyed reading it -- and I'm just grateful that the story improved near the end -- otherwise, I would have had as good an impression.

See book description above.
The best thing about this book was the ending. Everything else was average. The main character, Henry Pierce, was not likeable. Maybe it was because he seemed very naive. His quest to find a missing prostitute made no sense. Why would anybody do what he did (risk his company and his life) to find someone whose phone number he was accidentally issued (or so it seems). Even his past history with his sister didn't seem reason enough. When you can't sympathize with the main character it's hard to really enjoy the story.

The story of the book is completely out of reality, if you have a new phone number and all the calls are for a broad, the only thing you will do is to change that number as soon as you can, it doesn't matter if you had a sibling with the same problem, but if you want to help her and you find the mob I'm sure you will go away. Nonetheless you will have a good time reading it if you don't expect much of the story, maybe you can take this book to the beach and read it there.

Michael Connelly can write, but can he tell a story? To buy into this book, you have to believe that someone could devise a plot to destroy someone based on an errant phone number assignment. The book reminds me of Rising Sun in its attempt to create an maze-like plot, but Connelly can't plot the events logically. Fairly early on, our hero stands at the empty house of a women he doesn't know. He can see in the window that she hasn't been there for days. His response...Let's go inside! He proceeds to steal personal items and refrains from calling the cops. The inner character logic goes downhill from there. Avoid.

What a big piece of crap! Michael Connelly, one of the best crime writers, has all of a sudden lost his touch in CHASING THE DIME. I have to admit that there was rarely any suspense in the book from start to finish.
First of all, I could not bear not one bit of the trashy nudity, especially at the scene where Robin was undressing after revealing some information to Pierce. Aching with boredom, I had asked myself, "Are my eyes suppose to pop out like the way Wild E. Coyote does whenever he notices that another anvil is about to drop on his head?" and "Jesus, Mr.Connelly, what happened to your good quality writing?"
And as far as I'm concerned with Henry Pierce, he's a complete idiot. Throughout the entire investigation of Lily's disappearance, he approaches one thing idiodically after another. In fact, the way Pierce approached it was psychologically implausible. If he received so many annoying phone calls for Lily, then why couldn't he have gotten a new number?
Anyway, CHASING THE DIME is so horrible that it's not worth buying at the cost of a U.S. postage stamp. For all of you MC fans out there, I insist that you do not buy this book in the hardcover edition. This reads as an execrable movie.

This is the best novel yet by Michael Connelly. How life's decisions can change our present circumstances. I just could not put this one down. You will learn about scientific research and technology can create corruption. Thanks Michael for the wild ride.

This was the first book I read from Michael Connelly. That made me purchase about 5 more. That is how much I liked this book. Very well treated, very good ambience, very smart way to keep you turning page after page. Not sure why the guys who rated it with 1 star did so.

However, I then started reading three more, and saw the only film that has been made from a Connelly's book (Blood Work). The film was just OK but not great thing (yet I've seen very good comments about the book). Either it didn't do justice to the book or the book is not good enough too (haven't read it yet).

From the three books I started reading, I am almost done with "City of Bones". Have to confess it didn't catch my attention as "Chasing the Dime" did (which I didn't stop reading until finishing), and got me sort of dissappointeda about 75% of reading it but close to the end it raised my interest again (I am about 2 chapters to close it).

The other two, I am sort of in the first part, and although quite interesting, have not catched my interest either as "Chasing the Dime".

For me, out of the 5 stories I know from Connelly, "Chasing the Dime" has been the most interesting one. Curiously enough, that's the only one where neither Harry Bosh nor Terry McCaleb had any thing to do. Is that why I liked it? Maybe.

Last, but not least. Not sure why so far only "Blood Work" has been made into a film. Film producers are losing opportunity of exploiting Connelly's stories. Although not so great, they're good enough to be worth the investment, I think. Not only that, I've seen other thrillers very badly made despite the books were excellent. Hope this story goes to the big screen (hope some other Connelly's stories, but this particularely is for me, thus far, the best from him).

To put an example: Many John Grisham's stories have been made into a film. Although I like his stories (and films are much better than his books), I think Michael Connelly is better writer.

This book is a terrible disappointment to all of us who enjoyed Connolly's previous stories. Talk about "chasing the dime," Connolly is certainly doing just that with this formulaic, flat, boring, disaster of a novel. The plot is simplistic and who cares about the nerdy premise? The characters are thin and predictable. Take the protagonist, for example, who's a super-wealthy, science-whizzbang, handsome, dashing fellow with whom all of us are familar from junk novels. Guess who the villian is: A) the hero's old pal ( also brilliant but depraved ), B) the hero's office women's issues snot or C) the hero's newest vavoom babe? Don't read this book. It's a waste of time. But if you've already got the book, give it to someone as stupid as the author thinks the rest of us are. Connolly chased my last dime with this one.

What everyone wants from Michael Connelly is another Harry Bosch novel. Connelly, instead, has channelled his talents on Henry Pierce, not Harry Bosch. What everyone wants from Henry Pierce is to focus on getting his patents filed (containing major breakthroughs toward a molecular computer) and to prepare a presentation for a major funding source for his company. Pierce, instead, has suddently shifted course and is consumed with finding out what happened to the prostitute who had the phone number Pierce acquired with his new cell phone. Pierce's co-workers are incredulous; so are we Harry Bosch fans. Connelly taunts us with cameo appearances of other characters from the Bosch series. We root for Pierce to file the patents and stop chasing the prostitute. We root for Connelly to write more about Bosch and stop Chasing the Dime.

"Chasing the Dime" was my introduction to Michael Connelly, and sucked me in immediately. It has been a number of years now since that first read, and in the interim I went looking for other books. The result was a long acquaintanceship and enjoyment of Harry Bosch, and more recently Mickey Haller. Always multi-layered, with interesting cases and characters.

When I read Chasing the Dime, it became one of my favorites. I am an avid reader of Michael's books, and to me, this is one of his best ever. I never expected the negative criticism that I see with this book.

As a writer myself, I understand that everyone isn't going to like every book, but the amount of low reviews really shock me.

John Foxjohn
[...]

Implausibilities and thin motives aside, this is one heck of a good read. It's basically a grab bag of some of the best elements of Crichton' "Disclosure" and Grisham's "The Firm", with a few unpredictable plot twists thrown in for good measure. It's told in linear fashion so as to maintain a constant and ever accelerating momentum. Not a Pulitzer candidate for sure, but great escapism for the beach or a rainy day.

I am a big fan of Michael Connelley's. He usually writes about very bright police officers. I do not know why he wandered so far away from familiar territory, but he has managed to create a character -- Henry Pierce -- who may be a genius, but is also unbelievably stupid. I cannot accept the reasons that he tries to learn about a missing escort simply because he was given her former phone number. He not only puts his life at risk but his entire company and the careers of his associates. I was so disappointed in Henry Pierce that I began to side with those who wanted to arrest him or kill him. That might have been the most satisfying ending. I won't give up on Michael Connelley -- books he wrote since Chasing the Dime were better, including one that moved into the courtroom. However, I will no longer assume that his name on the dustjacket insures a great read.

A friend lent me this book, and I just don't know why. I didn't buy the premise, found the characters unsympathetic, and was waiting for someone to grab the protagonist by the shoulders and tell him to get a grip. This is my first encounter with Michael Connelly. It would have been my last, but after reading some other comments, I think I'll try a book that features Harry Bosch. I'd also encourage other first-time Connelly readers maybe to do the same and avoid this one.

As with most people who have read Connelly's other books, I was really looking forward to his newest. Unfortuneatly, the characters are shallow and uninteresting while the story is so absurd that it made me mad for wasting my time reading it. The ending comes out of nowhere, with no explanation how people ended up in the last scene, and why. Although by then, I couldn't have cared less! What a waste of talent.

As a huge fan of the author, I naively thought he was incapable of producing a "turkey". Wrong ("Oh yeah, big time"-V.P. Cheney). The plot was ridiculous, the protagonist wholly unsympathetic, and the story-as goofy as it was-took forever to get rolling. I'll still be in line to buy the next Harry Bosch novel, but I hope Michael Connelly's editor reads some of these reviews.

While it's been years since I heard the audio version so I vaguely remember it, I want to take the time to tell potential buyers that I enjoyed it immensely. This was my introduction to Michael Connelly. Been a fan every since! Just get it. You will not be disappointed.

My new addiction to Michael Connelly needed to be satisfied and this book did the job. This is not a Harry Bosch novel. Our hero , Henry Pierce , is a chemist whose discovery will change the technological world as we know it. The plot is tight, the characters well drawn and the writing is excellent. It's a page turner that does just that - what else can you ask for. READ AND ENJOY!!

A very well thought out plot with interesting characters. I enjoyed the intrigue and relationships between characters. Typically good Michael Connelly writing style amped up a bit. Highly recommend.

Not the usual tight story line and involvement with the characters. I never liked anyone in this rather implausable tale. No one really caught my interest. Seemed like it was just stuck in Connelly's computer somewhere and got used a a quick payday. Not up to snuff, no pun intended, with the Bosch series. A rather boring internet sketch that never really gets off the ground. Even the supposed action ending left me in the dark and in the dark.

Huge fan of Michael Connelly but not this one. Never bought into Henry Pierce. His chasing his wife, light flirting with Laporte, his obsession with Lilly, just didn't buy it. Quick read, maybe ok at the beach but over all....not his best.

Henry's on the verge of the deal of a lifetime, worth more than the dime taped to his wall. But he's had to move to a new apartment, and boy, did he get the wrong number on his new phone! Michael Connelly has devised a terrific plot, and we're still in SoCal, but Henry is no Harry (Bosch). He's a scientist, not a detective. Although the back story is a poignant one, serving as his motivation for his uncharacteristic curiosity about the previous owner of that phone number, the way he becomes involved in the disappearance of the sexy LA Darling Lilly is, well, just plain dumb. Henry also lacks Bosch's depth and humanity, and though decently written, Dime's strong plot simply cannot carry the day by itself. The character with the most presence is the odious villain little Billy Wentz. Still, a so-so mystery by Connelly is better than the best shot taken by many another, less gifted writer. 3 stars.

Like most of the other reviewers I have read a lot of Connelly. I think he's one of the best of his genre and some of his books have been brilliant. But this was awful. Cardboard characters and an improbable plot. It almost seemed as if he had written this book as a 1970s "made-for-TV" movie.

I've enjoyed all of michael connelly's books, especially the Bosch books and I thought the Poet was fantastic. While I enjoyed reading this book, I too agree, that this is by far not his best book. However, evidenced by this one, even a bad Connelly book is better than most of the thriller fare.

Michael Connelly is one of my favorite authors, but this book wasn't up to his usual standards. The characters were two dimensional and the story just didn't grab me. This book is just not realistic and although it's a quick read, it is not a good read...
I await the next Harry Bosch...

Michael Connelly is as diverse as James Patterson. He has a standard series with a fantastic cast of characters. The series is so good that you can't imagine any other books by the same author measuring up. Then he does it! I was hooked almost immediately and couldn't put the book down to get some work done, thus no dime for me. I started reading Michael Connelly with the Harry Bosch series and though this was a different type of mystery it was as good if not better than the Bosch series. The suspense started in the introduction with the assignment of Henry's new phone number and it's mysterious callers and continued through every page right up to the astonishing end. Who would of guessed?

Now I have read of few of Connelly's book and I think this one is one of his best. Now not to say that is others are dull, far from it. They are all increadably writen and I would recomend them all. This book takes you through the troubles of a new character named Henry Pierce. The plot draws you in and won't let you go till the very end. I found myself restless in class waiting to get out to read what happens next, it is a wonderful page turner. I recomend this not just to Connelly fans but to those who have a love for great novels and those who enjoy to be on the edge of their seat. Who knows it might just draw you into being a Connelly fan who knows. Try it and find out.

With Chasing the Dime, Michael Connelly compellingly enters the intense world of high-risk technology start-ups. I found the descriptions of Henry Pierce's involvment in his company and his work in carbon-based nanotechnology fascinating, with remarkable parallels with my own life. I clearly recognized Henry's seemingly unresolvable conflicts. And Michael's description of the molecular technology which was the object of Henry's obsession was realistic enough to me to be credible. The investor chase was icing on the cake.
However, suspension of disbelief is a fragile thing, and in the
case of Chasing the Dime, too often I found myself without explanation for events. One obvious example is Henry, who's technological acuity is top-notch, seems to ignore the existence of search engines. (a Google search for the phone number was the obvious approach from chapter 1...). There are other examples. Furthermore, the issue of why the phone company apparently ignored its policy of waiting before reassigning numbers was never addressed by numerous characters, including the police.
The Google complaint may be nit-picking. But imagine if a character sent a telegram instead of making a phone call or email. That would be no more out of place.
Other actions, seemingly irrational, are explained by Henry's dance with insanity. He is under enourmous stress professionally, socially, psychologically, and legally. A few panicked moves or oversights are expected.
However, the finale is a classic case of "deux ex machina" -- the hand of God comes down and wraps things up in one chapter or less. Although the finish is the hardest part of a novel to do well, Connelly normally scores. Here, he's a bit off-target.
I don't think it's a coincidence that 2002 is the first year MC published more than one novel. I'm convinced one per year is the limit for top-quality work. Chasing the Dime was a really enjoyable and rewarding read, but the flaws were sufficiently obvious that I can't help but conclude it needed a bit more time.

I almost didn't read this book because of the other reviews but thought I'd give it a chance because Hey, it's Michael Connelly. Although I agree it's not his "Best" work, I do think it's worth the read. I've read much worse that's for sure. Caught me by surprise in several areas.

I bought this book by mistake, thinking it would have the same humor, tension, and grit as a Harry Bosch mystery. Instead I got a book in which the protagonist's actions are not only unmotivated but psychologically implausible, the dialogue wooden, and the plot absolutely unconvincing. It's really impossible to identify with a character who so consistently acts against his own best interests for no aparent reason.
Don't waste your dime.

Michael Connelly is one of my favorite authors, but this book wasn't up to his usual standards. The characters were two dimensional and the story just didn't grab me. This book is just not realistic and although it's a quick read, it is not a good read...
I await the next Harry Bosch...

Michael Connelly is as diverse as James Patterson. He has a standard series with a fantastic cast of characters. The series is so good that you can't imagine any other books by the same author measuring up. Then he does it! I was hooked almost immediately and couldn't put the book down to get some work done, thus no dime for me. I started reading Michael Connelly with the Harry Bosch series and though this was a different type of mystery it was as good if not better than the Bosch series. The suspense started in the introduction with the assignment of Henry's new phone number and it's mysterious callers and continued through every page right up to the astonishing end. Who would of guessed?

Now I have read of few of Connelly's book and I think this one is one of his best. Now not to say that is others are dull, far from it. They are all increadably writen and I would recomend them all. This book takes you through the troubles of a new character named Henry Pierce. The plot draws you in and won't let you go till the very end. I found myself restless in class waiting to get out to read what happens next, it is a wonderful page turner. I recomend this not just to Connelly fans but to those who have a love for great novels and those who enjoy to be on the edge of their seat. Who knows it might just draw you into being a Connelly fan who knows. Try it and find out.

I almost didn't read this book because of the other reviews but thought I'd give it a chance because Hey, it's Michael Connelly. Although I agree it's not his "Best" work, I do think it's worth the read. I've read much worse that's for sure. Caught me by surprise in several areas.

I bought this book by mistake, thinking it would have the same humor, tension, and grit as a Harry Bosch mystery. Instead I got a book in which the protagonist's actions are not only unmotivated but psychologically implausible, the dialogue wooden, and the plot absolutely unconvincing. It's really impossible to identify with a character who so consistently acts against his own best interests for no aparent reason.
Don't waste your dime.

Enjoyed the character Henry Pierce. It was a welcomed change from Harry Bosch, a character I love reading about, but Henry was a fun change. Downside is that Henry's character as well Rennet were limited to one book.

I was distressed to see Connelly has moved from LA to Florida! What's up with that? Chasing the Dime is not up to his former thrillers...it's hokey. First of all, I didn't find the plot line plausible and I didn't like any of the characters, especially the protagonist, Henry. What an unsympathetic, whiny guy! I hope this doesn't mean the end of Harry Bosch. Am also curious as to what's going on in the author's life that he would write such a voyeristic, prurient, ill-contrived, silly book about a guy you just don't care about. I would love to hear from other readers in this column. In the meantime, I'm rereading my Bosch's.

For a smart main character in this book he made some very poor decissions that just were hard for me to accept. The book just didn't have characters I could care about. Not up to Michael's standards.

My grandma was the one who told me about this book. At first I was like, "Whatever, grandma." But I started reading the first page and didn't stop.

I like this because it was twisted enough to keep me hooked. I had the ending figured out really early on, but it didn't ruin anything. They writing style was excellent and the characters were believable.

While the premise is clever, Connelly disappoints his many fans this time around. Thinly developed characters (Henry is laughable - Wentz and Six Eight embarrassingly stereotypical), a gaping hole in the plot (no explanation at all as to how Henry manages to persuade Renner that he's been set up) and too many red herrings left me feeling vaguely cheated and quite dissatisfied. Bring back Harry Bosch, please.
Amazing how the journal reviews differ completely from the opinions of those who actually read the book!

It's difficult to fathom how Connelly's editor(s) let this one pass. It's a totally ridiculous and formulaic book. All I can say is that after reading this drivel, 'Void Moon' doesn't seem so stupid after all.
While it may be nice to write a novel without your most famous character, then do it without referring to him or the other novels. If Connelly wasn't writing a Bosch book, then why the inclusion of Janis Langwiser as a character, much less one who refers to Bosch in this novel? That crap didn't float when Patricia Cornwell did it, and it's no less silly here.
There must have been some contractual obligation to get a book published at the time this came out, because there's certainly no redeeming value to the reader for this one.

"Don't do it, Brian," my wise inner voice counseled me. "Do not buy any Michael Connelly book without Harry Bosch. Remember 'The Poet'? 'Void Moon'? Remember just how bad they were, how you wondered how the enormously gifted writer of the Bosch books could be the same hack turning out such badly written, contrived drek? Don't do it, Brian."
Oops, I did it again. "Chasing The Dime" achieves the almost impossible, making both "The Poet" and "Void Moon" the two BEST non-Bosch books ever written. "Dime" is stupendously bad, combining awkward, clunky writing with an absurd plot and cardboard-flat characters.
Heed well your inner voice.

I really enjoyed this one. Connelly keeps us guessing and shows a solid grasp of technology. The hacker, like many of his characters, drew me in. Connelly's a master at characterization and this story shows it. No disappointments. I thoroughly got into the story and could not put the book down.

I've liked Connelly in the past. He's the closest we can get these days to the likes of Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, or Ross Macdonald. The Bosch series is decent. This book is the worst Connelly I have read by far. The negative reviewers have about covered it. If this was your first Connelly, and you said "never again", try a Harry Bosch. They're a lot better.

Anyone with the smarts that Pierce had in this book would not have been that stupid to sacrifice ..."chasing the dime" for a waste of his "time"..I could only hang in there till ch 25.. story moves quickly its just void of any real substance.. I like Connelly but this is TRASH..It does amaze me how some can rave about tribal..

He really makes you hang on till you've read the entire book. It's dull in a few places but it also makes you want to see how it all comes out. Really liked the end. If you have patients hang on to this one. A good buy. I like all of his books so far and will keep buying them as they come out. Waiting on two of them now. Keep them coming Michael and I'll buy them.

There were a lot of things about this book that I found irritating - the title, the contrived plot, the relationship with his ex-girlfriend, the fact that a computer genius that uses dial-up...stick with the Harry Bosch series.

This from someone who has written some of the best mysteries I have ever read? I have never disliked a main character as much as I did this one. He should have had stupid written on his forehead! Please stay with the police mysteries that you do so well Micheal!

From the start, I was mystified by the poor quality of writing. I am a big fan of Connelly, having read every one of his published works. After being bowled over by "The Fifth Witness" I eagerly grabbed this one, which I had somehow missed. I soon became disappointed with the lame characterisation and untypical prose. All along, I had the feeling that this must have been a once rejected early work. Gradually, clues to this started popping up. In the high-tech world of the novel, nobody seemed to have wi-fi, the technology had a dated feel, there was mention of "last year's anthrax attacks" and so on. Finally, I found on Connelly's web site that it was from 2002. The fact that it has just surfaced should act as a warning about this one. Read at your peril!

Boring, predictable, unbelievable (say people who did not sell yet their first startup usually have no money to burn), artificially constructed, these problems are so annoying that I was not able to finish it.

I liked this one a lot. I like that it is a story that is possible and what an ordinary citizen rather than a cop or detective would have done in this situation. This is the 4th Connelly book I've read, and I have to say that I am a fan now. Looking forward to reading the others.

I like Michael Connelly's other books. This one is very bad. The plot is ridiculous, the characters are one dimensional, and the writing is painful. It is full of filler detail that seems to be there to get the word count up. I gave it one star because there was no way to give it none.

I started this book at Osan Air Base in Korea in August, put it down zillions of times, but finished in Jacksonville, Florida. Harry Pierce does dumb things for no perceptible reason. Connelly must have been half asleep when he wrote this thing. I'll wait for the next one, it can't be as bad as this one.

a broken relationship sets the scene for developing an obsession for establishing the identity and whereabouts of a callgirl whose telephone the main thin character has inherited in his new abode.Not a single character is developed to the extent that any reader would care about what happens to them.This is Connolly's worst book by far and so boring it could not sustain any interest even while trapped on a plane.

Have given this book to several people, They enjoyed it as much as I did. Just the best book.
If you want a good read this is it~ Good til the last page. Will make you search for more by this Author.
Hoping he will write more without the detective....

I don't know how I missed this one! I spent 3-4 months, ending probably 3 months ago, completely immersed in Harry's life, my only complaint is I need Harry's next adventure!
Thank you Michael! ( and please! )

I have read everything else Connelly has written and I was horribly disappointed by this one.
I kept checking the author photo cause the writing was so amatuerish and the plot so ridiculous. I expect so much - but maybe our freind Michael has fallen prey to his own reviews. This book is silly.

I don't know if the story beyond the research of the company is right or just an invention, but the plot itself is addicting. I am not talking about the plot because I will spoil the surprise but...well...read it, it's worth

I wouldn't say this was bad but it was disappointing. It didn't have the Connorly book's usual page turning intensity. It lacked the colorful characterzation one generally finds in the Harry Bosch series. Seems like he wrote this one on his vacation.

I like Michael Connelly's other books. This one is very bad. The plot is ridiculous, the characters are one dimensional, and the writing is painful. It is full of filler detail that seems to be there to get the word count up. I gave it one star because there was no way to give it none.

I started this book at Osan Air Base in Korea in August, put it down zillions of times, but finished in Jacksonville, Florida. Harry Pierce does dumb things for no perceptible reason. Connelly must have been half asleep when he wrote this thing. I'll wait for the next one, it can't be as bad as this one.

a broken relationship sets the scene for developing an obsession for establishing the identity and whereabouts of a callgirl whose telephone the main thin character has inherited in his new abode.Not a single character is developed to the extent that any reader would care about what happens to them.This is Connolly's worst book by far and so boring it could not sustain any interest even while trapped on a plane.

Have given this book to several people, They enjoyed it as much as I did. Just the best book.
If you want a good read this is it~ Good til the last page. Will make you search for more by this Author.
Hoping he will write more without the detective....

I don't know how I missed this one! I spent 3-4 months, ending probably 3 months ago, completely immersed in Harry's life, my only complaint is I need Harry's next adventure!
Thank you Michael! ( and please! )

I have read everything else Connelly has written and I was horribly disappointed by this one.
I kept checking the author photo cause the writing was so amatuerish and the plot so ridiculous. I expect so much - but maybe our freind Michael has fallen prey to his own reviews. This book is silly.

I don't know if the story beyond the research of the company is right or just an invention, but the plot itself is addicting. I am not talking about the plot because I will spoil the surprise but...well...read it, it's worth

I wouldn't say this was bad but it was disappointing. It didn't have the Connorly book's usual page turning intensity. It lacked the colorful characterzation one generally finds in the Harry Bosch series. Seems like he wrote this one on his vacation.

I can't believe Connelly, one of my favorite genre authors, wrote this book. The premise is weak at best, the characters as deep as a dime, I kept thinking it had to get better, but I was reduced to skipping through the last 100 pages just to get through it.

I do so enjoy this writer and all of his books. "Chasing The Dime" by Michael Connelly is another really good story. If you are into page turning mysteries than this is definately the novel for you.

How can anyone keep reading these novels is beyond my understanding. Connelly has two or three stories he tells over, just slightly different characters but the same old violence and hohum story telling.

I'm a BIG fan of Michael Connelley's but was very disappointed in this book -- the plot is so implausible. I didnt' even read it through -just cut to the end to make some sense of it-if that is possible.

I usually love Michael Connelly and was thrilled to see he had another book out. ... It was boring, the characters were [bad], and I didn't care enough to get through 50 pages. I tried skipping ahead but it never got any better. ...

"Don't do it, Brian," my wise inner voice counseled me. "Do not buy any Michael Connelly book without Harry Bosch. Remember 'The Poet'? 'Void Moon'? Remember just how bad they were, how you wondered how the enormously gifted writer of the Bosch books could be the same hack turning out such badly written, contrived drek? Don't do it, Brian."
Oops, I did it again. "Chasing The Dime" achieves the almost impossible, making both "The Poet" and "Void Moon" the two BEST non-Bosch books ever written. "Dime" is stupendously bad, combining awkward, clunky writing with an absurd plot and cardboard-flat characters.
Heed well your inner voice.

Michael Connelly's standalones are always exceptional. CHASING THE DIME is in the same class as THE POET, a must read. The subject is right out of today's headlines, headlines in SCIENCE or NATURE, that is. Connelly's protagonist is in the midst of the nanotechnology revolution and, as usual, the money on the table leads to blood on the floor. And on the bed. And in a storage locker.
This is very close to perfect, with a few key exceptions. The plot turns on two expectations: that an inventor/scientist named Henry can be a crime fiction hero and that he will have a sense of curiosity so hypertrophied that it will lead him to take unconscionable risks at just those points in his life when he has everything--both romantic and financial--to lose. Both of these expectations are a stretch.
The plotting, however, is superb, the subject fascinating, the pacing state-of-the-art. Suspend your disbelief and come along for the ride.

How can anyone keep reading these novels is beyond my understanding. Connelly has two or three stories he tells over, just slightly different characters but the same old violence and hohum story telling.

I'm a BIG fan of Michael Connelley's but was very disappointed in this book -- the plot is so implausible. I didnt' even read it through -just cut to the end to make some sense of it-if that is possible.

I usually love Michael Connelly and was thrilled to see he had another book out. ... It was boring, the characters were [bad], and I didn't care enough to get through 50 pages. I tried skipping ahead but it never got any better. ...