Language

The choice of words in “Cielo Azul” by Michael Connelly does not impede the understanding of the story; on the contrary, it adds to its authenticity, and it makes the story more convincing.

Imagery

The author employs imagery – the use of descriptive language in literature – several times in the story with the purpose of making it easier for readers to visualize the places, people, and events in the story. For instance, visual imagery is employed when the crime scene is described:

One of them spotted the body. Nestled among the mountain brush and the beer cans and tequila bottle tossed down by past revelers, the woman was naked, her arms and legs stretched outward in some sort of grotesque display of sex and murder. (p. 21, ll. 18-22)

Imagery is also used when McCaleb’s office is described:

We shook hands and he invited me back, leading me through a warren of wood-paneled hallways and offices until we came to his. It looked like it might have been a janitor’s closet at one time. It was smaller than a solitary confinement cell and had just enough room for a desk and two chairs. (p. 25, ll. 5-9)

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Similes

Seguin uses a simile to compare the girl to a red car (p. 35, ll. 37), which is meant to suggest the reason why he had killed the girl. For him, the girl was just as beautiful and as attractive as a race car, instilling adrenaline and passion in him even if, in fact, the girl probably meant nothing as such.

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References

There is also an interesting reference in the text, the one to the movie “Blood Work”, produced and directed by Clint Eastwood. It is important to know that the film was based on the novel of the same name written by...

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Symbols

Finally, the symbols employed in the story help readers understand more about the characters and their way of thinking. The tie that Bosch wears at the beginning of his trip to the prison probably symbolizes...

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