One of the best examples of today's crime novel is a series by Michael Connelly about a detective Hieronymus (AKA "Harry") Bosch. Harry is a complex and somewhat mysterious character. Throughout the series, he faces some of the same challenges that readers may face. He is often lonely, listening to beloved jazz recordings on his own. His personal life is often a mess. He dates various women, but often relationships do not work out the way he hopes. There is a constant pull between his devotion to his work and the victims of crimes and his own life.
Although each Bosch novel stands on its own, you may enjoy reading the novels in order to get a better sense of Harry's development as a detective, but more importantly as a person. The first novel in the series is The Black Echo. You can find the series order at Mr. Connelly's web site. For those who wish to get a visual sense of what happens in a Bosch crime novel, one can turn to the Bosch series on Amazon Prime.
Other crime novel authors whose books are complex in characters and plot include (1) Laura Lippman, who has written a series about a woman private detective, Tess Monaghan, and a number of stand-alone novels, which take place in Baltimore; and (2) George Pelecanos, whose works provide the reader with a deeper understanding of the often not-seen sides of Washington, D.C.
For those readers who wish to broaden their reading habits, the Mystery Writers of America has prepared a list of the 101 best crime novels of all time. It's a great place to start your crime novel reading habit.
Dealing with Death
Death tends to be avoided at all costs until it inevitably occurs. The Library provides a number of non-fiction titles and resources for both those who are facing the end of life and their families. One recent book - Being Mortal by Atul Gawande - is a powerful work, which combines Dr. Gawande's knowledge of medical practice with compelling stories of individuals with incurable diseases. Gawande suggests that the prevailing medical practice of preserving life at all costs is often contrary to a patient's best interests. His stories show how the dying may choose the wiser course by foregoing certain treatments and ending their days at peace. Warning for sensitive readers: The stories in this book brought me to tears a number of times.
Can't We Talk about Something More Pleasant by Roz Chast is a graphic memoir of what it was like to grow up in Brooklyn as an only child with parents who essentially drove Ms. Chast crazy. The book also portrays the declining health of her mother and father and their eventual deaths. Ms Chast tells a sometimes heart-rending portrayal of her parents' deaths, but, more importantly, she also provides insights on her own grieving process as she moves through stages of denial, anger, and grudging acceptance. Whether her emotional process was typical or not, the reader may gain some understanding of his or her own grief resulting from the loss of a loved-one.
Despite the tendency to avoid, one can take steps to plan ahead for the inevitable. The Library provides a number of print and electronic resources for estate planning and the drafting of wills. Access to the Legal Forms database requires entry of your library card number and password.
