Product Description

Forced out of the Los Angeles Times amid the latest budget cuts, newspaperman Jack McEvoy decides to go out with a bang, using his final days at the paperto write the definitive murder story of his career.

He focuses on Alonzo Winslow, a 16-year-old drug dealer in jail after confessing to a brutal murder. But as he delves into the story, Jack realizes that Winslow's so-called confession is bogus. The kid might actually be innocent.

Jack is soon running with his biggest story since The Poetmade his career years ago. He is tracking a killer who operates completely below police radar--and with perfect knowledge of any move against him. Including Jack's.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16866 in Books
• Published on: 2009-05-26
• Released on: 2009-05-26
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 448 pages

Review
"Terrific....Connelly never stops doling out the suspense as action leads to counteraction....His thriller is an addictive read that, once it grabs you in those first few pages, won't let go of you....High-grade entertainment." (Boston Globe Chuck Leddy )

"The Scarecrow is a dire warning about the dangers of electronic snooping. And it is a page-turning thriller--cleverly plotted, fast-paced and crisply written." (San Francisco Chronicle Bruce DeSilva )

"Connelly is one of the masters of contemporary crime fiction....Connelly's masterful narrative...proceeds in alternate chapters...which adds to this particularly chilling heavy's creepy aspect. It's a terrific device. Connelly always has been frank about his admiration for Raymond Chandler. It's a high bar to set for oneself, but he comes as close to clearing it as any mystery writer of his generation." (Los Angeles Times Tim Rutten )

"Connelly nails the death-of-newspapers theme....Alternating point of view between villain and reporter, Connelly builds tension expertly, using dramatic irony to its fullest, screw-tightening potential. Even confirmed Harry Bosch fans will have to admit that this Harry-less novel is one of Connelly's very best." (Booklist Bill Ott )

"What drives this story are not the vivid action scenes but the more internal clue-reading of his heroes as they piece together the ingenious mystery plots." (Entertainment Weekly Thom Geier )

"With its ingenious story line and the twisted brilliance of the creeps involved, The Scarecrow holds its own with its predecessor [The Poet], which was a breakthrough novel for Connelly." (Washington Post Maureen Corrigan )

"A riveting thriller with a flawed, fully fleshed hero, a nasty serial killer and the expected page-turning tension." (Miami Herald Connie Ogle )

"Connelly has the nerve and timing of a whole SWAT team." (New York Times Marilyn Stasio )

"Connelly masterfully whips the reader back and forth between McEvoy's point of view and the killer's, accelerating the pace as the full threat to McEvoy and Rachel Walling becomes clearer. The Scarecrow is Connelly in top form. And reading it will make it impossible for you to ever again think that when you do something online, no one's watching." (St. Petersburg Times Colette Bancroft )

"There's something so comforting about knowing you're in the hands of a master when you pick up a new book....Connelly has produced one of the most impressive bodies of work in crime fiction, both an in-depth study of the darker side of human nature and an ongoing biography of the city of Los Angeles, told through the guise of sharply plotted, endlessly entertaining mystery novels." (Chicago Sun-Times David J. Montgomery )

About the Author
Michael Connelly is the bestselling author of the Harry Bosch series of novels as well as The Poet, Blood Work, Void Moon, Chasing the Dime, andthe #1 New York Times bestseller The Lincoln Lawyer. He is a former newspaper reporter who has won numerous awards for his journalism and his novels. He spends his time in California and Florida.

Customer Reviews

Another great thriller
I'm a fan of Connelly's previous books, especially the Bosch novels, but was a little wary of picking up with a character after so long but Jack McEvoy slides right back into the narrator's chair and, after a slightly slow start, the story flows easily into another thoroughly enjoyable page-turner.

If you've read one of Connelly's books before you'll know exactly what to expect, well-drawn and motivated characters with an interesting story that once up and running doesn't stop until the clash of the finale. Highly recommended.

I picked up The Scarecrow at a Chapters in Toronto, they must have accidentally put the book out for sale early because the next day they were all gone.

Simply the best!
To my mind Connelly is simply the best in his genre. I never get tired of reading his prose and his plot lines are always tightly knight, beleivable with plenty or thrills and suspense. Whether a stand-alone or one of the Harry Bosch series, Connelly always stays true to form with suspenseful and well-researched stories. His characters are not sterotypes, but real people with flaws and scars. Once again, Michael has written a great read with "The Scarecrow."

Speaking of excellent thriller do look up the indie hit A Tourist In The Yucatan a rough little gem!

Soft start - brilliant mover
Jack McEvoy is a recurring character for Connelly readers. This book starts slow and very depressing as McEvoy gets downsized by the collapsing world of print media. As many folks are facing similar challenges, those similarly affected or fearful of such will probably stop there. Fortunately the pace changes and the story picks up with three dimensional characters both likeable and despicable. Connelly has done good research in creating his newest platform but his editors fail him by using incorrect acronyms in the technology space which will put off tech or legal savvy readers.

Once you get past this, it's a brilliant story well conceived and if you are in the industry in question, you'll probably make associations to real entities that Connelly has interviewed or researched for this novel. McEvoy is again excellent and his friend Rachel is her usual somewhat bipolar FBI self. The villain in question is a nasty piece of work and the reader may find him or herself both hating the character and admiring his skill in manipulating his environment.

Connelly effectively raises again the question of who watches the watchers in a new vein to excellent results.