Jack is back

Los Angeles Times reporter Jack McEvoy, featured in Michael Connelly's earlier novel The Poet, returns in his latest thriller, The Scarecrow.  When Jack is laid off from the newspaper with only 14 days notice, he decides to go out with a bang with one final high profile story.  What starts out as an investigation into the wrongful arrest of a young gangbanger for the brutal rape of an exotic dancer turns into a case involving the sinister nature of computer technology.

The actual villain in the story is an MIT graduate Wesley Carver known as the Scarecrow.  Wesley overseas security at a top-secret data storage facility in Arizona used by many law firms and businesses.  His below-the-radar existence gives Carver the ability to mine for victims which he has been doing successfully for years. The reader is introduced to the Scarecrow early in the story as the action switches between his secret work at the facility and McEvoy's hunt for the killer during his final days as a reporter.  Helping Jack in his investigation is the FBI agent featured in Connelly's previous book, Rachel Walling.  As Jack and Rachel uncover information about the killer, they realize that they are also among the hunted.

Michael Connelly, a former Los Angeles Times crime reporter, delves into the state of the newspaper industry while telling a thrilling story.  And while not up to the level of his ever popular Harry Bosch series, I found The Scarecrow to be an entertaining summer read.