Detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch
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Detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch is a recurring literary character created by Michael Connelly. "Harry", as he is commonly known by his associates, is a veteran police homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. Bosch was named after the 15th century Dutch artist, Hieronymus Bosch.
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[edit] Biography of the character
Bosch's mother was a prostitute in Hollywood, who was murdered in 1961 when Bosch was 11 years old. His father, who he met later in life, was a powerful defense attorney. He spent his youth in various orphanages and youth halls, as well as the occasional foster family. At the time of his mother's murder, Bosch, then living at a youth hall, dove to the bottom of the pool and screamed until he ran out of air and then swam back the surface. This event is referenced during many of the Bosch novels. Bosch later ran away and joined the U.S. Army while he was still in his early teens.
In Vietnam, Bosch was a "tunnel rat" – a specialized soldier whose job it was to venture into tunnels dug by Vietcong soldiers and flush them out. The tunnels were used as barracks, hospitals, and on some occasions, morgues. After returning from Vietnam (going AWOL whilst on leave in Hawaii at age 18) he joined the LAPD and in the books we find him at the rank of Detective III (a position which entails both investigative and supervisory duties and is the LAPD equivalent of Detective Sergeant).
While in the LAPD, Bosch worked in the prestigious Robbery Homicide Division (RHD) for five years, but was drummed out by an Internal Affairs Division investigation involving Bosch's shooting of a suspect who was later linked to nine murders. Following the IAD investigation, Bosch was sent to Hollywood homicide. At one point, Bosch left the LAPD and worked as a private investigator for three years. Upon leaving retirement and returning to the LAPD, Bosch was assigned to RHD's Open-Unsolved Unit, a cold case squad.
During his time in the LAPD covered in the novels, Bosch was in Hollywood homicide and worked with Frankie Sheehan (Bosch's partner in RHD, who was later murdered in Angels Flight) and/or Jerry Edgar and Kizmin 'Kiz' Rider, who were the other members of Bosch's team in Hollywood homicide. In The Closers, Bosch is once again partnered with Rider, while Edgar remains in Hollywood homicide. Not a stranger to being second-guessed, Bosch has been investigated by the LAPD's IAD multiple times, and was always cleared.
In all of the books, Bosch lives in a house on stilts off of Woodrow Wilson Drive in the Hollywood Hills. The money that financed Bosch's home came from a production studio for a TV mini-series in which an actor (the fictional Dan Lacey) portrays Bosch in a case the detective had worked that involved a serial killer; Bosch also worked as a technical advisor on the mini-series. His house was later damaged during an earthquake in The Last Coyote. Following his house being condemned, he had a new one built on the same road, still facing out over the valley.
Bosch has a lively love life; he has had relationships with cops and civilians alike, with usually one love-interest per book. Bosch has a six-year-old daughter, who, as of The Closers, is living with Bosch's ex-wife Eleanor Wish (a former FBI agent, ex-con and subsequently professional poker player, whom Bosch met in The Black Echo and married while on a case in Las Vegas, and who left Bosch in Angels Flight), who currently lives in Hong Kong. He also had a close relationship with FBI agent Rachel Walling that apparently ended in Echo Park.
As to Bosch's physical appearance, he has brown hair that is graying. Also in virtually every Bosch novel, his mustache is referenced as a key part of his appearance. Bosch's eyes are the other key aspect of appearance; they are brown and nearly black, and were mentioned often for this reason in A Darkness More Than Night.
Bosch is always finding himself in conflict with authority, whether with his lieutenant, or a Deputy Chief of Police (specifically the fictional Irvin Irving, who was Bosch's recurring nemesis until Irving's forced retirement at the end of The Closers). In the books, his confrontational side is usually attributed to his strong sense of the right thing to do by the case, coupled with little regard for his career.
The original Bosch was famous for his religious portrayal of earthly sins (mostly debauchery) and their violent consequences. In the books there are parallels suggested between the hell in the paintings and the events of Bosch's life.
[edit] Defining character traits
Some of the more significant traits about Bosch that define the character include:
- Bosch is left-handed (The Black Ice)
- Has a half-brother who is also a defense lawyer (The Black Ice, featured in the Lincoln Lawyer)
- Has a GED (The Closers)
- Once stole his foster father's Chevrolet Corvette; he was caught and sent back to live in a youth hall (The Closers)
- Wears his gun (A Smith & Wesson semi-automatic) on his left hip when he is not expecting a tactical situation, but in instances where he has a chance to plan ahead, he wears his gun in a holster on his right hip, with the butt facing outward (A Darkness More Than Night and The Closers)
- Likes jazz (Referenced in every Harry Bosch novel)
- Is one of the last detectives trained in hypnosis left in the LAPD (The Black Echo)
- Bosch is the only member of his police academy class still working for the LAPD (The Closers)
- Bosch has been working for the LAPD for over 30 years (Multiple)
- In novels in which Bosch is a member of the LAPD the narrative is in the third person voice; in those in which he was separated from the department the narrative is in the first person.
[edit] The "Harry Bosch" novels
- The Black Echo (1992) (Edgar Award, Best First Novel, 1993)
- The Black Ice (1993)
- The Concrete Blonde (1994)
- The Last Coyote (1995)
- Trunk Music (1997)
- Angels Flight (1999)
- A Darkness More Than Night (2001) (Features alternating perspectives following Bosch and one of Connelly's other recurring protagonists, former-FBI agent and criminal profiler Terry McCaleb)
- City Of Bones (2002)
- Lost Light (2003)
- The Narrows (2004)
- The Closers (2005)
- Echo Park (2006)
