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: #32385 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!

A Serial Killer Stalks His Pursuers

"If, however, a man acts presumptuously toward his neighbor, so as to kill him craftily, you are to take him even from My altar, that he may die." -- Exodus 21:14

Let's face it, kinky serial killers make for good reading. Although the Scarecrow isn't the most interesting serial killer you've ever read about, you'll probably find him to be very entertaining in a high-tech way. That's the good news.

The bad news is that this book is about Jack McEvoy in his last days after being fired from the Los Angeles Times . . . rather than about that fascinating detective, Harry Bosch. If this book had been all about Bosch versus the Scarecrow, it would have been some story.

It did seem very contemporary to focus much of the story on how a top reporter would react to losing his job . . . while having few prospects for what to do next. As newspapers die around us, the days when such books will be written are clearly numbered.

Given that McEvoy is the sleuth in the story, I think the plot would have worked a lot better if the book had revealed less about the Scarecrow until just near the end. Instead, the book's structure alternates narrators so you learn a lot about the Scarecrow from the very beginning. To me, that stole a lot of the potential suspense and danger from the tale.

Naturally, a lot of readers are familiar with McEvoy's role in The Poet. I thought that book worked somewhat better than this one. But if you liked The Poet, you'll probably enjoy The Scarecrow, as well.