A wonderful novel novel by Michael Connelly that has been turned into a catastrophe by Clint Eastwood.
The novel recounts the story of Terrell McCaleb, a 40-something retired FBI agent. McCaleb used to be a specialist of serial murderers, but he retired due to heart troubles, and now spends his days working on his boat, The Following Sea. Eight weeks after the heart-transplant operation that saved his life, a woman shows up and ask him to help her catch her sister's murderer. McCaleb refuses at first, as he no longer is with the FBI, can't take the stress, and, hell, can't even drive a car anymore. But the murdered woman is not just anybody; she's the one who gave him her heart, saving his life. That makes it somewhat hard to refuse
And so McCaleb tackles on the seemingly impossible task of catching the perpetrator of a two months old, apparently random grocery store robbery that left two dead - and as if that was not enough, the detective looking into the murder is an uncooperative bastard with a monstrous ego.
I cannot stress enough how well constructed this novel is. All the investigation hangs on small details leading to other small details, all of which are well crafted, never requiring suspension of disbelief. A masterpiece of a mystery novel.
Hell, I read it all in a single sitting. Read for seven hours straight without even watching for the time
For those who have seen the movie and so are not tempted to read the book, just know that for a start, the murderer isn't even the same.