THE WAITING

5 stars out of 5

From their beginnings in print, I've been a fan of retired Los Angeles Police Department Detective Harry Bosch, with or without his half-brother, "Lincoln Lawyer" Mickey Haller. And since LAPD Detective Renee Ballard joined the cast of characters, I've come to enjoy her as well (after a bit of a rocky start, if I'm being honest). These days, Renee is still on the job, heading up the mostly volunteer department's Open-Unsolved Unit. His glory days as the "star" of a series faded, Harry, now in his 70s and dealing with serious health issues, remains friends (if unofficially) with Ballard, so it's always a treat when he shows up. This book also brings Bosch's daughter, LAPD Patrol Officer Maddie Bosch, into the limelight - as one of those who wants to help with cold cases.

The story begins with Renee, who gets more of a jolt from early morning surfing than from her coffee, has her department badge, gun and ID card stolen from her car while she's out on the water. That presents all sorts of problems in and of itself - she'll take serious heat if she reports the theft. What to do? For Renee, there's only one option: turn to old friend Harry to help her track down her valuables and nab the guy who took them.

That in and of itself proves to be a challenge, and on top of that, Renee continues to search for the mother who long ago abandoned her - now more of an urgent issue because it's possible she was a victim of the devastating fire on Lahaina in the Hawaiian Islands. All that is put on the back burner, however, when Renee learns that a man thought to be the son of the so-called Pillowcase Rapist - who spread his terror at the turn of the century - has been identified.

Given a mostly volunteer staff, Renee is in serious need of more help; it shows up in the form of Harry's daughter, who begs Renee to plead her case with the higher-ups. Renee, afraid that taking her on will upset Harry, isn't so sure; but gradually, Maddie's expertise makes her an indispensable member of the crew. She even manages to uncover evidence that could lead to solving yet another cold case that has been languishing for years.

The twists, turns and connections among all the investigations makes reading a treat, although like Renee, I worry a lot the troubles with Harry. But in the end, that made me even more eager to read the next Renee-Harry story (soon, please)? Meantime, thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to be thoroughly entertained by a pre-release copy of this one.

The Waiting by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown and Co., October 2024); 387 pp.

DESERT STAR

5 stars out of 5

I've long been a fan of now-retired Los Angeles Police Department Detective Harry Bosch, with or without his half-brother, "Lincoln Lawyer" Mickey Haller. Another of the characters frequenting the books is LAPD Detective Renee Ballard; quite honestly, I liked her not so much, but since she became a partner of sorts with Bosch in recent books, I've warmed up a bit. 

Here, she pretty much shares the show with Bosch as she recruits him for the newly formed cold case unit she's heading up - and my interest in her is far more toasty. Despite the animosity between the two former LAPD cops, Bosch took her up on the offer, in large part because an old unsolved case of his - the gruesome murder of a family of four - has bothered him ever since he retired. This new volunteer job offers the possibility of bringing closure. But Ballard has other ideas; she's in charge of the unit, and in part to keep her new unit funded, she's hot to trot on the years-ago rape and murder of a city councilman's sister.

Old and not-so-old tensions between the two raise their ugly heads every once in a while, as do a few misgivings about a couple of other members of the new cold case unit (one of whom is an "insist" from the aforementioned councilman's right-hand man). All of those interactions, plus the exhaustive and sometimes dangerous investigative work that's being on on both murder cases, makes for an intriguing, hard-to-put-down book that held my attention throughout. So did an unforgettable, emotion-inducing ending that left me itching to have the next installment on my Kindle - would you hurry that up, Mr. Connelly, please?

Desert Star by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown and Co., November 2022); 401 pp.

THE DARK HOURS

5 stars out of 5

As an avid reader, it's been interesting to me that authors of many of the books I've read over the past couple of years that are set in the present somehow manage to totally avoid what's going on in the world - most notably, the COVID-19 pandemic. A couple have set the time frame slightly before or slightly after, while others simply avoid the issue and carry on with their stories as if it didn't exist. Now comes a story that hits it - and other political goings-on - square on the nose (or more accurately, on the mask that's covering the nose). If I appreciated nothing else in this book, I'll give kudos for that.

That said, it gets my vote for many other reasons, including an intriguing and attention-holding plot and competent, well-developed characters. That I've come to love them over previous books helps, of course, but overall that doesn't matter much; even if there's an occasional clinker amid the series (to which no author is immune), the characters are strong enough to carry the plot and result in a positive rating. For sure, though, this one's no clinker.

Detective Renee Ballard is assigned to the West Hollywood Police Department's Sexual Assault team; checking out a homeless area under an overpass is where this story begins - as do the references to the vagaries of vaccinations and masking (Renee actually contracted the virus, which knocked her out of action for three weeks; now, she's been vaccinated and is very careful about wearing a mask herself). Most recently, she's been on the trail of a "tag team" of rapists who have struck twice. Here, a man is shot - perhaps accidentally - and it turns out the bullet came from the gun that was used in one of retired Detective Harry Bosch's cases back in 2011 (interestingly, while Harry has some health issues, he says he's not been vaccinated "yet," so Renee wears a mask when they interact in person).

Although Harry's murder book seems to have inexplicably disappeared from the department, he saved enough information for them to hit the ground running with their investigation. And then, Renee gets a call saying that the "Midnight Men" rapists have struck again. Now she's got two cases to worry about, but as the murder investigation with Harry heats up, she gets the order to turn it over to a different unit. Never one to follow the letter of the law (on occasion, she's been known to stomp on it), Renee refuses to let go, although she and Harry try to stay under the radar while they try to find a link between his 2011 case and the current shooting.

Much more than that I can't say without revealing too much, except that it's a thoroughly engrossing adventure that I didn't want to put down until I had to - and even then, I polished it off in two days of spare time. In short, another one well done and highly recommended!

The Dark Hours by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown and Co., November 2021); 401 pp.

THE LAW OF INNOCENCE

 5 stars out of 5

With the end of a mostly shut-in year looming, I've managed to read about 120 books - far exceeding the goal I set at the beginning of the year. All but a few earned high marks - with several coming from authors I'd not even heard of - and that's satisfying and a real treat. Still, I have to say that opening one from a long-established author - one of my favorites - brings a special level of excitement. And when it's really, really good, as this one is, I'm over the top (and, I hasten to add, more than a little sad when I've finished).

This one puts investigation and courtroom drama to the test, and both passed with flying colors. This time, though, it's Lincoln Lawyer Mickey Haller who's his own client; it seems he was pulled over for a license plate violation - after which the officer found a dead body in the trunk. Because of the contentious relationship Mickey had with the victim - and because evidence was found at Mickey's home suggesting the man was killed there - the hot-shot defense attorney suddenly finds himself behind bars and facing a trial that could keep him there for the rest of his life.

Needless to say, Mickey knows he didn't do it, but he's also acutely aware of the so-called law of innocence, to-wit: "For every man not guilty of a crime, there is a man out there who is." To this end, he and his team, which includes characters from previous books including his half-brother Harry Bosch, must figure out who the killer really is - and then prove it beyond a reasonable doubt to a jury.

How that plays out - and the goings-on in the trial itself - are the substance of the book. It's a great story, made even better by references to the onslaught of the Coronavirus and not-so-sneaky references to the lay of the national political land (which, depending on their perspectives, is likely to either delight readers like me or make them grind their teeth). Terrific book - highly recommended!

The Law of Innocence by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown and Co., November 2020); 433 pp.

THE NIGHT FIRE

4.5 stars out of 5


After reading the first two books that brought together retired LAPD detective Harry Bosch and detective Renee Ballard - giving each 5 stars - I was eager to read this one. I loved it as well, albeit not quite as much as the other two. It's hard to put my finger on why, but I think for the most part it was because Bosch just didn't seem to have his whole heart in the game. Granted, he's nearly 70 years old with a couple of health issues, but somehow he lacked his usual enthusiasm for the tasks at hand.

Nonetheless, this is not to be missed if you're a fan of Bosch and Ballard; both get plenty of read time here, as does Bosch's infamous half-brother Mickey Haller (the "Lincoln Lawyer," remember)? Mix them all together, stir them up and you've got a winning recipe for an enjoyable book that holds attention throughout (well, mine, at least). It begins as Bosch attends the funeral of a former LAPD partner and mentor; his widow invites Bosch back to their home, saying her late husband had something she was to give to Bosch. It's a murder book that his old partner had taken home from him when he retired 20 years earlier (had stolen, actually). But looking through it, Bosch can't figure out why the book was so important; so he shares it with Ballard and enlists her help with figuring out what to do next.

Meanwhile, Ballard, who works the midnight shift, lands an official case of her own; a homeless man dies when the street tent in which he's sleeping catches fire. At first, it appears to have been an accident - but further investigation raises a real possibility of murder. So now, she must follow up on that case as part of her job, trying to follow up on Bosch's mystery as time allows (thank goodness she doesn't need much sleep)!

Although the three storylines are well thought out, as always, the main attraction is the interaction between Bosch and Ballard (and Bosch and Haller). All told, this one stands on its own quite well. Bring on the next!

The Night Fire by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown and Co., October 2019); 417 pp.

DARK SACRED NIGHT

5 stars out of 5


After I finished the first book in this series that brings together retired LAPD detective Harry Bosch and current detective Renee Ballard, I knew I wanted to read more. Admittedly, I wasn't all that taken with Ballard in The Late Show, but the aging Harry has never failed to reel me in. It's much the same here; I'm still not an all-out Ballard fan, but by golly, the story is so good that it didn't matter. And, the more I learn about Ballard the more appealing she's becoming (I very much like the way she interacts with Bosch). In fact, by the end of this one I felt more attuned to Ballard than to Bosch.

After her complaint of sexual harassment at her old job fell flat, she was reassigned to the night shift, where she's been for three years now. With her partner on bereavement leave, she's been working solo. One night, Bosch wanders in, claiming to be looking for information on the murder of 15-year-old Daisy Clayton nine years earlier. Intrigued by both the case and Bosch himself, Ballard decides to help and gets permission to look into what's now a cold case - pretty much working in her spare time.

Of course, both Bosch and Ballard are working on other cases, and those stories get interwoven via chapters that shift in perspective from one to the other. Readers also learn more of what has shaped each of their characters, from Ballard's childhood to Bosch's shaky standing with the LAPD.

As the spare-time investigation of Daisy's murder gets under way, it's interesting to watch the evolution of their interactions as Ballard at first takes issue with Bosch's so-what attitude toward bending the rules (unlike her, he's got nothing much to lose). Concurrently, Bosch gains a bit of respect for her position - and in the end, they meet in the middle in a sort of tentative acceptance (and a partnership that, I presume, will continue in future books). There's nothing tentative about my opinion of that: Bring 'em on!

Dark Sacred Night by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown and Co., October 2018); 448 pp.

TWO KINDS OF TRUTH

5 stars out of 5


Harry Bosch isn't getting any younger, and signs that he's even more fed up than usual with his life in general - and the Los Angeles Police Department in particular - are everywhere in this, the latest installment in one of my favorite series. A big part of his discomfort stems from learning that one of his LAPD cases is coming back not only to bring into serious question all his other cases, but to threaten his future as a volunteer who now helps solve cold cases at the San Fernando Police Department.

On the whole, I'd say this one is not my pick of the litter - it falls a little bit short of making my heart go thump-thump. But on the other hand, just when I was feeling just a bit disappointed, along comes Mickey Haller - the "Lincoln Lawyer" of the author's other popular series who's also Harry's half-brother. They've made crossover appearances in other books, but this time, the interaction seemed to last longer and boosted my interest right back to the top of the scale once again.

This one begins as Harry is starting to work on an SFPD cold case of a woman who disappeared 15 years ago, leaving behind an infant. She was never found, and because of the baby, it's assumed she was the victim of foul play. Just then, he gets a visit from LAPD representatives, including his former partner Lucia Soto. As he expects, the news isn't good; Preston Borders, who's been on death row for 30 years, has come up with "evidence" he insists will clear his name and get him released from jail. That evidence also implicates Harry, who handled the case way back then - and it's damning enough that his enemies at the LAPD are determined to reopen the file and investigate.

Meanwhile, back at the SFPD, a new case comes in; father-and-son pharmacists are shot to death in their mall store, with all the characteristics of a mob hit rather than a robbery gone terribly wrong. Immediately, Harry gets deeply involved in this case as well, taking on a role unlike any he's ever played before. As all this is going down, the LAPD investigation that calls Harry's actions on that long-ago case into question starts to heat up, he ups and calls Mickey - who's more than ready to put his sometimes out-of-the-mainstream (and always fun to read about) investigative and courtroom skills to work. But Mickey's methods almost always leave a bit to be desired on the ethics side, and let's just say that adds tension to the already somewhat strained relationship between the two.

In the end, everything comes out in the wash, although not everything ends up spotless. That's just fodder, I'm thinking, for the next go-round. Woo hoo - bring it on!

Two Kinds of Truth by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown and Co., October 2017); 417 pp.

THE CROSSING

4 stars out of 5

The trouble with Harry is that he's agreed to work with his "Lincoln Lawyer" half-brother. I love both characters (Harry Bosch and Mickey Haller ), but if I'm honest, I'd have to say I wasn't as thrilled to see them working together as I thought I'd be. I'm not exactly why, except that while both share center stage as they go about their respective business, some of the shine (for want of a better word) that puts the uniqueness in their personalities just seemed a bit dull around the edges.

The story begins as the Mickster is defending a former gang member who's been charged with the brutal murder of a woman - according to the cops and prosecutor, an open-and-shut case. Haller, though, is convinced his guy has been set up; but to prove it, he needs a better-than-good investigator. Enter Bosch, who retired from the Los Angeles Police Department and in theory is available. Problem is, he doesn't want anything to do with Haller or his blustery, sometimes shady tactics; signing on with the defense would be tantamount to thumbing his nose at his former LAPD family.

Eventually, Haller wears down Bosch's defenses, convincing him to view the job as if he were doing his cop thing by finding the real culprit rather than helping to get a low-life killer out of jail (like beauty, intent apparently is in the eye of the beholder). And as he starts sniffing around, Bosch finds several holes in the investigation that make him think the case may be more open than shut - and his old cop instincts really do start kicking in.

So does the action, which includes a hit-and-run, scantily clad "businesswomen," more murders and the potential for blowback that could put the LAPD in the eye of a hurricane. As he gets deeper into the investigation, Bosch seeks help, and gets it, from a few former colleagues like former partner Lucia Soto even as he butts heads with a few other department cronies who are less than thrilled that he's joined the dark side.

All things considered, this book is very good, but not great. I look at it this way: After more than seven decades of eating, I still get a little antsy when different foods on my plate touch each other; similarly, I prefer that my characters lead separate lives (and books).

The Crossing by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown and Co., November 2015); 401 pp.

THE BURNING ROOM

4 stars out of 5

I really do try to keep track of all the books I want to read, but sometimes one slips through the cracks. Such is the case with this, the 19th in author Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch series. Released in early November of last year, it got lost in my shuffle and I didn't discover it until I saw a reference to it online in connection with the TV series produced by Amazon Studios, wondered how I'd missed it and then discovered, to my delight, that I had it after all.

It's a don't-miss series, IMHO, and this latest installment certainly didn't change my mind. Here, Harry (real first name: Hieronymus) has returned to the Open-Unsolved Unit of the LAPD after a year's absence to recuperate from a serious injury incurred in the line of duty.  He's been partnered with youngish newbie Lucia Soto, expected to show her the ropes before he cashes in and officially retires in a year or so.

Early on, they're assigned a case from several years ago, when the victim of what appeared at the time to be a random shooting - a member of a Mariachi band - finally dies and the bullet that was lodged in his spine is removed. Soon, the investigation takes on political significance as well as a possible connection to a fire during which several children died - and Bosch's new partner just happens to be the sole survivor. Throw in a robbery that occurred within a couple of blocks of the fire and minutes after it started, and suddenly dots appear that may need to be connected.

Needless to say, the investigation hits dead ends, roadblocks and even threatens to derail the careers of Bosch and his partner. But the train ride is an exciting one, and while I won't say this is the best I've read in the series, it was good enough to keep me reading every chance I got until I reached the end. Without going into detail, I'll also say that while the investigations concluded, Harry's situation left little doubt that there'll be a follow-up (and for sure I'll be watching for it).

The Burning Room by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown and Co.,November 2014); 401 pp.