The+Closers+by+Michael+Connelly

="The Closers" Discussion Page = = Jobs: (9/25/09) = A) Sam - bring the food B) Krista - write summary of the book (in class) C) Kelsey - Write questions for the discussion D) Katie - Summary of meeting.

Krista- summary of the book: The book, __The Closers__ by Michael Connelly, so far, has many interesting facts. In the beginning, Harry Bosch is known to have been called back to his job location after a three year retirement. He was assigned as an Open-Unsolved detective, where he solves opened cases from years before that had not been solved. The case he was assigned, or the one we know most about, is the case of Becky Verloren. This case is about a girl who was found dead about a week after she was murdered, or went mssing. His partner and him read the case files and go out to eat when they find that the evidence, the gun and journal the girl kept, were not in the storage place. They went to eat, and discussed notes. After this, they both went to the parole officer to ask for files on the suspect, Roland Mackey. They got photo copies of the criminal records and the descriptions of them. They looked them over and then went to interview Detective Garcia. They interviewed him, but got no luck. They were leaving when the chapter ended.

Kelsey- questions for the discussion: 1) If you were in Bosch's position when Irving threatened him, how would you have reacted? Answer: We liked the way he handled it. We would have done the same, but we would have controlled our anger better.

2) If you were called to take back your old job back, but in a lower rank, like Bosch's job, would you take it? Answer: Yes, because it is still a job, and it pays. Even if it is a lower rank, he can always move up later on.

3) What is you opinion of the case about the girl? Do you think it was a homicide or suicide? What information backs up your opinion? Answer : Sam: It was hard to tell, there needs to be more evidence for a homicide. Krista: I think it was a homicide,becuase i think it was covered up badly. Katie: I think it was a suicide, I think all of the guilt was building up inside and she couldn't take it anymore. Kelsey: I think it was a homicide because of the evidence pointing towards Mackey and that there was hard facts pointing to the suicide, other than the abortion.

4) Do you think Mackey committed the crime? What is your information to back it up? If you don't think it was Mackey, who do you think it was? Answer: Sam&Krista: We don't think it was Mackey, because even though there was evidence concluding that it was him, we strongly think that he would do that. The crime was too out of the blue, so we think that it was someone connected to Mackey. Katie&Kelsey: We think Mackey did commit the crime, because all of the clues lead to him. Like his backgrounds, his blood was on the gun, and there was a robbery of a gun a few blocks from his house.

5) If you were on this case, whom would you go first, the parents of the girl, or Garcia? Why? Answer: Sam: I would go to the parents first, because they know the girl the best, and they know her personal life. Krista: I would go to Garcia to get all the facts, then make sure its all legitament from the parents. Katie: I would go to the parents, because they know her the best and could answer any suspecious questions. Kelsey: I would go to Garcia because even though her facts weren't very helpful, they would tie the facts together that the parents would give.

Katie- On Friday Sam brought the drinks, Kelsey brought the questions, and Krista and I listened intently to what everyone had to say. We all pitched in to answer the questions that Kelsey wrote. Her questions were; well thought out, nicely stated, and creative. They really made us think critically about some parts in the book that otherwise we would have skimmed over. Sam brought oreos, munchkins, and mini juice boxes. Krista's job for this week was to write a summary of the nine chapters we read. When we got into class, we quickly ate then moved on to reading and answering the questions. We finished pretty fast, so I helped Kelsey type up the questions on the wiki spaces, while Sam helped Krista write the summary. Our group does very well together, and we help each other out when we need it. For next week, Kelsey is writing the summary of the meeting, Sam is writing the summary of the book, Krista is writing the questions, and I will be bringing in the food.

= Jobs: (10/2/09) = A) Katie- bring the food B) Sam - write summary of the book (in class) C) Krista - Write questions for the discussion D) Kelsey - Summary of meeting.

Questions-
 * 1) Do you agree with Bosch questioning Becky's boyfriend? Why?
 * 2) Sam- I think it was important to talk to him because Becky and him had close contact until her death.
 * 3) Kelsey and Krista- I also think it was a good idea because it cleared a lot of questions and made new ones.
 * 4) Katie- The parents didn't know much so it was a good idea to ask him questions.
 * 5) Why do you think they didn't question Mackey yet?
 * 6) Kelsey- There wasn't enough information to question him yet. They also wanted to see his actions in case they led to any suspicion.
 * 7) Sam and Krista- they wanted to watch a little longer to grow more suspicion.
 * 8) Katie- they didn't know much about him so they needed to wait until they did.
 * 9) What evidence could Bosch and Rider find in the letters given to the family after Becky's death?
 * 10) Kelsey- They wanted to see what Green and Garcia didn't cover.
 * 11) Katie- Becky was probably blackmailed and Bosch could pick up on the kind of writing someone sent.
 * 12) Me- I agree with Katie because the people could use words like "they" and "sorry this had to happen" and stuff like that. Also there could be more information about MTL.
 * 13) Do you think Bosch and Rider were right that there had to be more than one person involved in the murder? Who do you think the people are and why?
 * 14) Kelsey and Sam- They both think the gang could have done the crime.
 * 15) Kelsey- I think the boyfriend's dad set something up.
 * 16) Katie and Krista- I dont think the dad would go to that level of cruelty just to have them not be together.
 * 17) Did you like the interviewing style that Bosch and Rider used? If not, what could you have done better? If so, what did you like the best?
 * 18) Kelsey and Sam- i think what they did was good, especially to the boyfriend, they got a lot of information out of him.
 * 19) Katie and Krista- i liked what they did, they got a lot of information to use

Kelsey (summary of the meeting)- For the book club meeting, Katie brought the food, Krista brought the questions, and Sam and I listened while we think of what we need to write for our summaries. We started out eating Katie’s amazing cookies (she made them herself :D). After eating, Krista took out her questions and we had in depth conversations about them. We disagreed in some of the questions, which took the discussion to the next level.There were many sides to the story and we all had our own opinions, we covered this I our discussion. An example of this is, ‘Who killed the girl?’, ‘What is your proof?’, ‘Do you have any predictions?’. Even though these weren’t the questions written down, we branched from Krista’s to make our own. After this, Krista started typing up her questions on the Wiki and Sam and I started to type up our summaries. After we finished this quickly, we started typing everything up, but we were still in discussion about the book.

Samantha (summery of the book)- After the vague interview with Garcia, Bosch and Rider head to Becky's high school to interview her old friend. She gives them some information about Becky's former boyfriend, Dan, and learned about her other friend Grace Tanaka. They then went to find Roland Mackey, the main suspect. They didn't question him for they didn't have enough proof and weren't 100% sure of the accusation. They just observed him and his actions for a bit. They then went to question the parents and discovered that the parents were split up and the husband was homeless. They talked to the mother and learned more about her relationship with Dan. They also found letters and some evidence left behind. Bosch becomes suspicious and decides to question Danny Kotchof. They find out his information, and because he lives far away in Hawaii, they can only contact him through phone. They talk to Danny and question him about their relationship. Danny gets extremely angered and the emotion causes Bosch's suspicion to rise. They looked further into the interviews and analyzed them.

Jobs: 10/16/09 Kelsey: food Sam: questions Katie: summary of book Krista: summary of meeting

Sam- questions for discussion: 1) Why do you think none of the Becky's friends recognized Mackey? Kelsey; Maybe it is possible that he had nothing to do with it. Krista: Agrees with Kelsey Katie; Agrees but says he didn't commit the crime. 2) Do you think this proves his innocence? Katie; Yes, he's innocent, but he could be guilty and very sly/strategic. Kelsey; He's guilty and covered up the scene well. Krista; Agrees, There was no evidence and the scene was deceiving. 3) Is Irving related to their current investigation at all? Krista; He made it so they got that case purposely. Kelsey; He's keeping some important information from them. Katie; Agrees, says he's being a jerk. 4) How would you compare the father's reaction to the mother's? Krista; The mother's reaction is slightly odd but more normal. Kelsey; The father moved-on and tried to get forward in his life, the mother stayed on the subject. Katie; Father didn't know how to face it. 5) Do you think posting the article helped the crime case? Combined answer; It helps find out more information, gains more help, and brings Mackey to more attention.

Katie ( summary of chapters. 19-27): This book is intriguing, descriptive, and uses vivd vocabulary to describe a mystery left unsolved for Mr. Bosch. Although he retired a mere three years ago, he is back on the scene to discover what happened to Becky Verloren. In these nine chapters he questions Macky and now has come to think that he, in-fact, was the murderer. The chapter starts out with Bosch calling the dispatch center where he found a crime on William Burkhart that he had never noticed before. He found out that the crime Mr. Burkhart had committed was a hate crime violation. He was was charged with this crime in 1988, which is the same year as the murder of Rebecca Verloren. Bosch was starting to put the pieces together and found out that Burkhart and Macky were roommates. Burkhart was identified as one of the tormentors of Sam Weiss. By chapter 27 Bosch no longer thought that Macky was the one to pull the trigger, but he did think Macky was the one to provide the gun. This case brought on a lot of mixed emotions. Whether it was the death of Ronnie Green, the termination of Becky's baby a few weeks before she was taken, the separation of Muriel and Robert, or the overall grief of the community who after 17 years, still is not over the death of their beloved Becky. Personally i think it was Becky's boyfriend, Dan. I believe this to be true because before Becky died, she had an abortion. So i think to get back at his girlfriend for killing his baby, he killed her. He then framed Macky because of Macky's past convictions. Then when they started to question him, he got heated and aggravated. This book is heart wrenching and keeps you on your feet. It uses fore shadowing to draw you in and is a real page turner.

Krista- the meeting on Friday was great. Kelsey brought the food, Sam brought the questions, and Katie made the summary of the book. First everyone ate and conversed about the summery of the book. Then, we all talked about the questions and agreed and disagreed about what we all said. Everyone participated in a equal way. We gave our own opinions and disagreed with others to start up other questions and thoughts.

=**Jobs: (10/16/09) **= A) Katie- 5 questions B) Sam - summary of meeting C) Krista - bring the food D) Kelsey - Summary of book

Katie: Questions: 1) Do you think Frank Simmons had anything to do with the murder? Kelsey and Sam: I think he wasn't apart of the murder, but new about it. Krista and Katie: i think he didn't have anything to do with the physical murder, but could have helped with the plan. 2) Why do you think Bosch was showing his tattoos so much to Macky? All: To make him seem like he was on Mackey's side or point of viww to have a conversation with him. 3) Why does Bosch want Macky to read the newspaper from the truck so bad? Sam and Krista: To get a reaction about it. Katie: To see who he would call next, like Billy, to get more information. Kelsey: I think it was to see what conversation he would bring up and his reaction. His reaction will point what he does next and this can give them more information. 4) What is the significance of Macky saying "i knew that gun". Sam and Krista: That the DNA connected with the gun, it mean that he knew about the murder. Katie: He's starting to realize that people are starting to realize what happen, that he knows who did it. Kelsey: This means that he's not necessarily the murderer, but is tied to the murder. 5) Do you think the abductor was under her bed all day, or snuck in at night? Kelsey, Katie, and Krista: I think he was there all day because it is easy to sneak in during the day with garage door open and no one checks under the bed before they go to bed. Sam: i think he was there all day because it was sneaky and logical.

Kelsey Summary of book: In the beginning chapters, Bocsh, Rider, and the others are getting reading to visit Mackey. Bosch dressed up as Frank Simmons to set the tone of the type of guy he is trying to be when he meets Mackey. They end up pretending Bocsh needs a tow and calls Mackey's tow service. While Mackey and Bocsh talk in the truck about his points of view to get a better understanding of his character, they are under surveillance by Bocsh's co-workers. With Bocsh is the article of the murder they put in the paper with a picture of the girl. To Mackey it sparks no memories accept one thing; he new the gun. From the earlier chapters, the blood on the gun matches Mackey's DNA, thats why he is under surveillance. They didn't get much information accept after Mackey and Bocsh were talking, Mackey called a woman to read the article to him and the called Billy. The rest of the night Mackey and Billy were under suspicion of murder and we under surveillance. Around midnight, while Bosch and Rider were following Mackey in a car, Mackey makes a quick U-turn after making a call. Bocsh and Rider follow him under an intersection to find Mackey almost dead next to his tow truck. The marks on him and the truck show that he was hit by a car twice and once hit the truck. When Bosch was talking to him, his last words were "sworth", they came to the conclusion that this was a clue to the killer. After this Billy Burkhart and Belinda Messier ( the woman on the phone with him) we held for questioning, but then let go because they had nothing on them to keep them there. After this Bosch went home and re-examined the pictures from The Book. He realized a difference between the picture before the interview and the one after the murder was that the sheets under the bed we wrinkled, this means that the killer could have snuck under the bed during the day under the bed. Bosch checked for fingerprints and DNA samples... they might have their killer.

=**Jobs: (10/23/09) **= A) Sam - bring the food B) Krista - write summary of the book (in class) C) Kelsey - Write questions for the discussion D) Katie - Summary of meeting.

Summary of the book!!! <3: Michael Connelly is a fantastic author. The ending to __The Closers__ was an unexpected, creative twist. There was shock, unexpected evidence, and the truth came out. There were more murders, that helped give evidence to Bosch and Rider. No one in our group saw this coming. The mother saw the killer in the car and just watched. She didn't do anything or say anything. The father killed the murderer with a sharp spoon. Rider stopped the person who was calling Becky after her boyfriend who moved had stopped calling, from killing himself. There was no way of putting down the book once you got half way through. Book Club Questions: Summary of meeting: Our group definitely saved the best for last. Kelsey did the questions, Sam brought the food, and Krista wrote the summary of the chapters. The last chapters were heart-wrenching and intense. Kelsey's questions made you think and contemplate what really happened and made you realize all the little twists and clues along the way. Sam brought in malamars that we all devoured within 10 minutes.Krista wrote the summary in detail and stayed on focus of the main parts. This book was really good, and our whole group really enjoyed it. We all participated and did what we were supposed to every week by the deadline. We worked together and bounced off ideas about the book as a group. We can't wait for next marking period for another book club. (:
 * 1) When you found out who murdered Rebecca, what was your reaction?
 * 2) Kelsey: It was totally unexpected, my mouth dropped. Katie: It was intense, you didn’t expect it to be him. Krista: I was so shocked and had an omg reaction. Sam: I was surprised, but now that I look back I can see how he'd connect. I had some suspicion from the school.
 * 3) Did you expect Robert Verloren to be the murderer of the murderer of his daughter? What evidence, or foreshadowing pointed to your result?
 * 4) Krista: I didn’t expect it, but thought it was a little over the top. Katie: I thought he would because he had so much hatred of the man killing him. Kelsey: I thought it was intense, but shocking. In a way I expected it because when Bosch went to find him in the soup kitchen, and he wasn’t there because he got fired. Sam: I did not suspect Robert at all.
 * 5) For what reason do you think Rider stopped the murderer from killing himself?
 * 6) Krista Kelsey Katie & Sam: They wanted him to pay and suffer, suicide is the easy way out.
 * 7) If you were the mother of the murder victim, in the Verloren’s case, would you have reacted differently than her when you saw the murderer of your daughter?
 * 8) Krista Kelsey Katie & Sam: I would have called the police as soon as the incident happened, not just stand there.
 * 9) What was the reason of the man killing Rebecca? Do you think he was telling the truth?
 * 10) He was in love and was extremely mad that she had an abortion. Also, she pretended that it was her boyfriends baby, Dan was more to Becky the murderer was. We think he was telling the truth because you cannot fake that emotion.