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.

CITY OF SECRETS

4 stars out of 5

I've read three other books in this series and looked forward to this, the fourth. But although I admit to staying up later than my regular bedtime to finish this one, it's not my favorite of the bunch. Oh sure, I still love LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan and her crew, but there are just too many characters in too many different places for an aging brain like mine to keep straight. Otherwise, though, it's business as usual - and that usually means plenty of action.

This one begins with the discovery of a body in what seems to have been a car-jacking; the suspicions of Nolan and her partner Al Crawford are aroused, though, when it's discovered that the victim is the founder of a pet supply company that's grown by leaps and bounds and, as a result, about to be scarfed up by an even larger company for a paltry $100 million. 

Top company employees deny any notion of fraud or foul play at the business - one of them even conducted a thorough audit in recent months. And the plot thickens when the murdered man's wife is kidnapped - with zero indication of ransom or other conditions that must be met for her safe return.

After that, things tend to get wild and crazy, with characters coming from all over the map. And while all this is going on, Margaret's infatuation with fellow detective Remy Beaudreau (and his with her) is heating up amid questions about where it should go - if anywhere. More kidnappings and close calls happen all the way up to the end, when most of the situations are resolved (with one biggie left wide open for, I hope, the next installment. I'll be waiting - and meantime, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read a pre-release copy of this one.

City of Secrets by P.J. Tracy (Minotaur Books, August 2024); 298 pp.

THE DEVIL YOU KNOW

4 stars out of 5

This is the third in the series featuring LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan; having read and enjoyed the first two, I was happy to be approved for a pre-release copy of this one. My initial reaction after finishing it is that I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the other two, but the difference is negligible and I'm pretty sure came simply because there's a bit of an overload of characters in this one.

Tapping into technology trends, highly successful actor Evan Hobbes, who has been "outed" as a pedophile in a deep fake video, is found at the bottom of a rockslide in Malibu. Conventional wisdom says an accident or even suicide, given the fake video's damage to his career, but closer investigation reveals that murder goeth before the fall. His agent, Seth Lehman, is shattered by Hobbes's death, but he's too busy fighting with his over-the-top witchy agency boss, Rebecca Wodehouse. All of them, plus a glamorous movie star, were at the posh home of a Disney exec when Hobbes went over the hill, and while everyone, including the exec's wife, seem distraught, Nolan and her competent and very likable partner Al Crawford are pretty sure the killer came from their ranks. Complicating matters is that just about every character is connected to another one (or two, or three) - Lehman, for instance, is the brother of the Disney executive's wife; as for who's sleeping with whom, well, I pretty much lost track after awhile.

Meantime, a side story follows happenings in the life of Nolan's friend Sam Easton (familiar to those who have read previous books), who still suffers from PTSD but is getting his life together and even considering a job with the LAPD. Nolan's case heats up when a second character turns up dead (with an M.O. similar to the Hobbes case). The case sends Nolan and Crawford all over their not-so-little section of California to find pieces that hopefully will come together to make the puzzle whole and makes her yearn for Remy, her own person of interest, who's away to take care of personal business. All in all, a never-a-dull-moment story that ends with a twist. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy. Well done!

The Devil Your Know by P.J. Tracy (St. Martin's Press, January 2023); 304 pp.

UNNATURAL HISTORY

4 stars out of 5

It's hard to believe this is the 38th book in this series, which has been a favorite of mine from the beginning (as far as I know, I've read - and loved - every single one). In this one, psychologist Dr. Alex Delaware and his longtime friend and colleague Los Angeles Police Detective Milo Sturgis are older, wiser and perhaps a titch more cynical, but otherwise it's pretty much same old, same old - just the way I like it.

This begins with the encountering of the hysterical assistant to a wealthy photographer she's just found in bed, quite dead as a result of three bullets. His latest project involved homeless subjects - people he invited into his studio to dress up as their "dream" person. After he photographed them, he fed them, paid them rather handsomely and sent them back to the streets.

As part of the investigation, Alex and Milo must speak to the victim's family, which turns out to be a challenge. Mostly a loner, the dead guy has several half brothers and sisters with whom he has little contact (and even less in common); the father, it seems, is a serial bridegroom who abdicates both the marriages and the offspring, although he freely shares his wealth. Most of the investigation, though, focuses on the seedy side of town. Could it be that one of the subjects in the victim's photo project liked his or her brush with luxury and returned to grab a bigger share?

As always, the expansive description of characters and settings far surpasses the action, but then that's part of the appeal of the books, at least to me. Loyal readers will be happy with it, I think - certainly I am - and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for once again allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

Unnatural History by Jonathan Kellerman (Ballantine Books, February 2023); 320 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 SINISTER

5 stars out of 5

Bruno Johnson is a wanted man. The former LAPD cop, who also spent some time in jail, has been hiding out from the law in a hotel with his pregnant wife, Marie; they're waiting to return to Costa Rica to rejoin the children they rescued from lives of almost unimaginable horror. He's also wrestling with PTSD after delivering his kind of justice to a motorcycle gang during which he was seriously injured - and during which he lost a son he never knew he had.

Marie can't wait to get back to the kids and Bruno's elderly father, who is dying of cancer; Bruno is hot to trot as well, at least until he gets a call from FBI Deputy Director Dan Chulack, who begs him to find his recently kidnapped granddaughter. Despite Marie's protests, Bruno reluctantly agrees - it's an offer from an old friend he can't refuse. It'll just take a day or two, Bruno counters. Then we'll be on our way, he insists. Enter that old "best-laid plans" expression.

In fact, it enters in more ways than one. The second hitch in the gitalong comes with the out-of-the-blue appearance of a woman who claims to be Bruno's long-gone-missing mother; now in a wheelchair, she insists she wants to make up for lost time and accompany him and Marie when they return to Costa Rica and the ailing husband she left in the lurch. That encounter, BTW, led to one of the best lines I've read in a book in quite some time (hint: It's his impression of his mother the first time he sees her).

Problem is, Bruno's search for the kidnapped child and his mother's past indiscretions (some of which landed her in jail) get twisted up, requiring him to head into dangerous gang territory even though he's not fully healed. But he's got help from his big old pal Karl Drago and his uber-capable dog Waldo. I don't remember Drago from the only other book I read in this series, The Heartless, which is the seventh (somehow I must have missed the eighth, in which I'm pretty sure Drago made an appearance). At any rate, he's an impressive character - and if anything, his dog is even more impressive.

For the most part, everything works out in the end - but you'll just have to read it for yourself to find out how. I'll be watching for the next installment - hope I don't miss another one. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy of another one.

The Sinister by David Putnam (Oceanview Publishing, February 2022); 369 pp.

DESOLATION CANYON

4 stars out of 5

This is the second in the series featuring LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan, and it's every bit as good as the first. Maybe even better, because the first introduced me to a character I loved - Sam Easton, a former electrical engineer who has suffered from PTSD because of a deadly attack in Afghanistan when he was in the military. I hoped to see more of him, and in this book, I got my wish.

As this begins, Margaret is dealing with her own kind of PTSD as a result of her brother's death in Afghanistan and the fact that she killed someone in the line of duty. On one of her days off, she meets up with a sometimes-more-than-friend for drinks at the bar of a posh hotel. When the two wander out for a walk around the property's lake, they get a rather nasty surprise: A dead man is floating in it. Turns out he's a very successful lawyer who got rich in the international trade business.

Meanwhile, Sam's good friend Lenny has some issues of his own and asks Sam for help. Lenny, it seems, has picked up a woman and her young daughter who told him she was trying to escape from a religious retreat located in a remote part of the nearby desert. Run by a man called Father Paul, the retreat is quite popular with the rich and sometimes famous who are trying to get in touch with their inner selves. So why on earth would anyone need to run away?

That's a good question that needs a good answer - even more so when it becomes clear that the mother and daughter may still be in danger. And soon, even more questions pile up as the cases Margaret and Sam are involved in begin to merge with potentially dangerous consequences for all the characters. The subsequent investigations and goings-on kept me on the edge of my seat throughout, although I'll admit to having a bit of trouble keeping all the scenarios and characters straight for the first half of the book or so. 

The bottom line? Thoroughly enjoyable and highly recommended (it's not necessary to read the first book, Deep Into the Dark, to get the gist of this one, but since it's always a good idea to start at the beginning (and it's an excellent book as well), I'll suggest that possibility. Now, I'm looking forward to the next installment and thanking the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read a pre-release copy of this one. Nicely done!

Desolation Canyon by P.J. Tracy (Minotaur Books, January 2022); 352 pp.

GATED PREY

5 stars out of 5

Police procedural. Female detective who has background issues that impact her life on and off the job. Likable, soon-to-retire partner who offers sensible advice based on a long and stellar career. A couple of murders that need solving that threaten the lives of the aforesaid detective and her partner. There you have it: this book has checked all the boxes that make a book a real treat for me to read.

As were, I hasten to add, the first two in the series featuring Los Angeles County Sheriff's detective Even Ronin ("Lost Hills" and "Bone Canyon"). No surprise, then, when I had a chance to get a pre-release review copy of this one (thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley), I didn't hesitate to take it. And for the record, it takes more than just the above-mentioned list to get a 5-star review from me; the story also must be well-written and entertaining. All rightee, then, make that two more boxes checked.

Eve, the youngest homicide detective in department history, has made enemies among a number of her co-workers for her actions in the previous books. Her partner, Duncan Pavone, isn't among them; clearly, he's got her back all the way (well, at least until his retirement in a couple of months, after which Eve hopes he'll become a technical adviser on an in-the-works TV series about her life). As the story opens, the pair are working undercover to catch whoever has been robbing residents of a gated community of hoity-toity homeowners in Calabasas. Their plan works but goes sideways fast - resulting in three dead bodies (not to worry - none is Eve or Duncan).

Department honchos want nothing more than to shove the case into a closed folder never to be opened again, but Eve and Duncan aren't so sure that's where it belongs so they vow to follow up on their own. Then, the partners are sent to check on a woman who reported having a late-term miscarriage (standard department procedure for such events). It turns out, though, that it's far from a "standard" event; this one, too, raises far more questions than answers (and, BTW, might be upsetting to squeamish readers). 

Everything gets resolved in the end - with a twist or two - except for a few intriguing issues that no doubt will be carried over to the next-up book. Soon, please?

Gated Prey by Lee Goldberg (Thomas & Mercer, October 2021); 255 pp.

THE HEARTLESS

4 stars out of 5

When a publisher offers me a free book, I rarely look a gift horse in the mouth (the only exception is if it's a romance novel, which I will read only if a shotgun is pointed at my head and maybe not even then). Admittedly, I hesitated a minute or two because this is the seventh in a series of which I've read none, but since I'm always on the lookout for cool characters and plots and the description sounded promising, I decided to take a chance. 

And I enjoyed it. For readers new to the series like me, I'll say this one stands alone well, although I'm sure I'd have enjoyed it more had I started at the beginning (which IMHO is true of any series). The "hero," former Los Angeles County Deputy Bruno Johnson, is just enough of a maverick to tickle my fancy, and the plot is for the most part believable and filled with action - edge-of-seat in places.

As the story begins, Johnson has traded in his law enforcement status for work as a court bailiff, mostly so he can keep more of an eye on his teenage daughter Olivia. In the middle of the trial, he gets a call from Olivia begging for help; with her ne'er-do-well boyfriend - the one Johnson despises - she's in the middle of a confrontation that involves a gun. So Johnson is off to save her day (and perhaps her life). He's successful, but the incident certainly doesn't change his opinion of Olivia's drug-dealing boyfriend.

Meanwhile, back at the local prison, there's a brouhaha that results in the escape of several dangerous criminals including murderer Louis Barkow. As the story progresses, readers (and Johnson) learn that the incident with his daughter was rigged to set the stage for the escape. Now, Johnson is even madder; no way, he insists, is his daughter going to be used as a pawn - and it looks as if that might happen yet again. Enter Johnson's old partner Robby Wick, still on the force and happy to lend his more-than-capable assistance with Johnson's search for the illusive Barkow, who's gone to ground.

Along the way, there's what I suppose is a requisite love interest, but for me, at least, it was nothing more than an unnecessary diversion (as were a handful of typos that should have been caught). As for the love part, I know Johnson has been living alone for several years, but really, he can't - or shouldn't - be quite that stupid. Otherwise, the plot thickens as the search for Barkow intensifies and Olivia's life really does go on the line. But as the saying goes, when the going gets tough, the tough get going - and it's clear Johnson and his partner plan on hanging tough all the way to what is an exciting end. All told, this is a good old-fashioned knock 'em down, drag 'em out story which, for the record, I can see as a TV series or movie, perhaps with a younger version of Denzel Washington in the lead (hint, hint).

The Heartless by David Putnam (Oceanview Publishing, February 2020); 368 pp.

ONE DAY YOU'LL BURN

4 stars out of 5

This one got me fired up right at the start with

the discovery of a once-human crispy critter under a Thai pagoda in Hollywood. Called in on the case are LAPD Detective Marcus Tullius ("Tully") Jarsdel and his partner Morales. An ID is next to impossible (as it will remain for some time after the body cools off), but signs suggest it wasn't your average body dump. Rather, someone deliberately picked both the modus operandi and disposal site. That brings out Tully's professorial side; the son of two gay fathers, he left the halls of academia for the police ranks (to the total and continuing dismay of both his dads).

Meantime, the two partners have been trying unsuccessfully to learn who's behind the killing of several dogs - each of which bit the dust after biting into poisoned meat on their owners' wedding day. As part of the investigation, the single Tully meets Aleesa, one of those who lost a dog a while back (long enough ago for her to have lost her husband as well). She's a bit on the kooky side - but then so is Tully, who's fond of expounding on history and philosophy at the drop of a page or two. Truth is, I found that characteristic enjoyable, educational and fitting with his character, but I'll also say that my sweet husband - who loves police procedurals perhaps more than I do - wouldn't appreciate Tully's lengthy pontifications nearly as much as I did.

At any rate, Tully and Aleesa hit it off from the git-go, adding a bit of romance to the plot. Before long, the over-baked body is identified; seems he was a huxter who once tried to sell jars of "Hollywood Dirt" to Hollywood looky-loos. Later, Tully also finds evidence that ties the victim to an unsolved case under investigation by a different LAPD department, ruffling feathers of those who are less than thrilled to have Tully and Morales digging around.

Tully tries to put his brain to work on a motive that prompted the human pot roast (leading, hopefully, to the killer's apprehension); but the closer he and Morales get to the flame, the greater the chance one or both will get burned. Making matters worse, yet another couple's official coupling day is spoiled by the killing of their precious pet, leading Tully, almost in desperation, to suggest setting up a sting operation. 

It all leads up to a suspenseful, fiery ending that certainly kept me turning pages (well, okay, swiping my Kindle screen) to the very last word. This is the first in a series, and while I didn't totally warm up to Tully (pun intended), his quirkiness and background make me eager to read the next one. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me with an advance copy of this one. 

Dare I say well done?

One Day You'll Burn by Joseph Schneider (Poisoned Pen Press, February 2020); 336 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.

THE WEDDING GUEST

4 stars out of 5

Ah, what could be better than another get-together of two of my favorite characters - police consultant and psychologist Dr. Alex Delaware and his curmudgeonly but lovable cohort Milo Sturgis? In this one, their back-and-forths seemed more frequent and provided greater insights into their characters (and their relationship) than usual - for me, much appreciated. Besides that, Alex's long-time love and guitar-maker Robin landed a more featured role - still another plus.

As the title suggests, this one begins with a wedding guest who didn't appear on the invitation list - not even as a plus one - and who for sure didn't get a great reception. In fact, she turns up dead; murdered with a combination of injected knockout drug and wire garrote reminiscent of a guitar string. No one can come up with an identity, and Milo calls Alex for help with the case. Fairly early on, it is learned that the somewhat unconventional venue used to be a seedy bar known for its equally seedy pole dancers, thus expanding the search beyond the rich and not-so-rich who enjoyed wedding guest-list status.

Despite their denials of anything connected to the victim, the families of the bride and groom - and the bride and groom themselves - remain on the suspect list (some very near the top). That in turn leads Alex and Milo down a number of aisles, most of which don't lead to blissful solutions. Finally, a previous case comes to light that rings bells in harmony, lifting the veil under which the real killer has been hiding.

And that brings me to the part that bothered me just a tiny bit. I can't be specific without spoiling things, but the ending seemed somehow disjointed - as if the usual suspects just weren't cutting it and a new ending was needed to deliver a more effective punch. That said, I enjoyed the book as a whole as always - Alex is in absolutely zero danger of dropping off my Top 10 list of all-time favorite book heroes. Given that this is the 34th in the series (all of which I've read), that's gotta be some kind of record. My undying gratitude goes to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

The Wedding Guest by Jonathan Kellerman (Ballantine Books, February 2019); 384 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.

NIGHT MOVES

4 stars out of 5

Tempted as I am to give this one 5 stars just because psychologist and LAPD consultant Dr. Alex Delaware has long been near the top of my 10 all-time favorite "heroes," I have to be honest and say this one isn't my pick of the 33-book litter. Do not think I didn't enjoy it, though - it's just that the pace seemed a little slower and the number of characters maybe half a dozen too many for my aging brain to keep straight through a rather complex plot that jumps from suspect to suspect and back again. Also a bit of a disappointment is that Alex's main squeeze, Robin, is noticeably missing for almost all the action (even their lovable dog, Blanche, gets more page time).

Still, Alex remains at the top of his game, and his pal and professional colleague, LAPD homicide detective Milo Sturgis, remains just as curmudgeonly. The story begins when a mutilated male body turns up in an odd place - the home of a family of four, none of whom claims to have a clue as to who the dead guy might be. Milo catches the case, and almost immediately he calls on Alex for help. Clearly, the man was murdered elsewhere - so why would he end up in the home of people he doesn't know? Complicating the case are an obnoxious husband, an even more obnoxious wife, a teenage son with a king-size attitude problem, a sister who might be described generously as three bricks shy of a chimney and a next-door neighbor with hermit tendencies.

To be sure, there's more to that neighborhood than meets the eye, but nobody's talking (except perhaps that obnoxious husband, who just can't seem to shut up). The trail leads Alex and Milo to a few other oddball characters in nearby parts of the state and back again, with driving time interspersed with enough musings, psychological insights and banter between the old friends to keep things interesting until all the trails begin to merge.

Bottom line? Another solid book - just not exciting enough that I was willing to miss the final round of Olympics ice dancing to finish the final three chapters. It was, however, the first free-time task I tackled the following morning.

Night Moves by Jonathan Kellerman (Ballantine Books, February 2018); 416 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.

HEARTBREAK HOTEL

5 stars out of 5

Ah, it's great to welcome an old friend to my Kindle again. Actually, make that two old friends; after all these years (and something like 30-plus books), I've come to know both child psychologist Dr. Alex Delaware and Los Angeles Police Department detective Milo Sturgis pretty doggone well. Not nearly as well as they know each other, though; Alex is a fairly frequent consultant to the LAPD, mostly with cases Milo is honchoing - and they're now at the point at which meaningful conversation happens with just a shrug of a shoulder or lift of an eyebrow.

It's Alex who gets the ball rolling here. He gets an out-of-the-blue call from Thalia Mars, who says she's 99 years old and wants a consultation. No, she says, she's not concerned that his work is primarily with patients decades younger. A bit reluctant but intrigued, Alex agrees to meet her at her long-time home, a stand-alone cabin at a luxury hotel complex. She seems totally lucid and more than willing to part with a substantial retainer, but the questions she asks deal more with criminal behavior than her personal life. Promising to provide Alex with more details at the next visit, they agree on a follow-up visit the next morning.

But alas, it never happens. When Alex shows up, he finds an extremely upset housekeeper who found the nonagenerian lying in her bed quite dead. Nothing appears to have been stolen, and at first blush, it appears she may have died of natural causes. But further examination of the body tells another story - murder - and Milo is called in. 

The case goes nowhere fast; the old lady has no apparent heirs nor apparent enemies, and her considerable estate is being left entirely to charity. So who on earth would want to kill a woman who most likely wouldn't make it past another year or two at most? Clues lead all over the map - literally - as well as to long-closed cases and ages-old relationships that may or may not be connected. Finding out the truth, then, will put the investigative skills of Milo and Alex to the test.

Quite honestly, I enjoyed this one even more than the last two or three books. I will say, though, that while this one stands alone, there's not much background explanation on the characters - and I'm sure at least part of my enjoyment comes from being privvy to that. So if you've never read any of the books in this series before, you might want to go back a half-dozen or so to start. Hey, I'll bet you'll make a couple of friends you'll look forward to reading about, too.

Heartbreak Hotel by Jonathan Kellerman (Ballantine Books, February 2017); 368 pp.

MORAL DEFENSE

5 stars out of 5

Wow - two for two! The author's first book featuring defense attorney Samantha Brinkman, Blood Defense, was fantastic. If anything, this one, of which I also received an advance copy courtesy of the publisher, is even more so. If I could give it 6 stars, I would!

This installment, for the record, can stand on its own, but I'm sure I got a bit more out of it by reading the other one first (always my advice when dealing with a series, by the way). "Friends" from the first book return; Samantha, of course, and her longtime friend Michele and hacker-investigator Alex, both of whom work at Sam's law firm. The story begins when Sam is asked to look into the gruesome murder of a father and son and near murder of the mother, who's in the hospital and in a coma, on behalf of their adopted daughter Cassie. She was, it seems, a witness at the murder scene and is understandably traumatized. 

Almost from the beginning, Sam feels a certain kinship with Cassie and signs on to help. But as more details of the murders unravel, Sam runs head-first into a psychological dilemma of tremendous magnitude. Is Cassie telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?

While that case becomes ever more complex, issues from a couple of other cases rear their ugly heads - possibly putting Sam in the crosshairs of some especially nasty people. And in any of the case scenarios, including Cassie's, things could (and most likely will) head south at the slightest turn of events. All the main characters get a goodly amount of face time (perhaps with the exception of Michelle), and we learn of their strong points and peccadilloes. Samantha, in particular, comes from a lurid background and has, probably as a result, what I'll term a quirky side; she's almost as prone to ignoring the law as she is to breaking her neck trying to get her clients acquitted whether or not they're guilty. 

The result is plenty of twists, turns and deadly serious head games that kept me hanging on just about every word. As I neared the end, in fact, anyone attempting to pry my Kindle out of my hands would have felt a wrath greater than that which I bestow on those who unwittingly expect me to speak to them before I've had my first cup of coffee in the morning.

In short, whew! Super book, super series. More, please?

Moral Defense by Marcia Clark (Thomas & Mercer, November 2016); 426 pp.

THE LOVE KILLINGS

5 stars out of 5


This is the second book in the series featuring Detective Matt Jones of the Los Angeles Police Department, and from where I sat (Kindle Fire in hand), it's a winner. Despite the author's note in the introduction that it's best to read the first book first - to which, as a general rule of thumb, I heartily concur - I hadn't done that, but neither did I have any trouble following the action in this one.

And boy, there's plenty of it - and for those who lean toward the squeamish, I'll warn that some of it is rather grisly. Jones is well on his way to full recovery after being shot by a hit man - which I presume happened in Book No. 1 - when he gets tapped to help the FBI with a case just outside Philadelphia. There, he encounters the gruesome murder of an entire family in their home (complete with sexual overtones). The killer is thought to be Dr. George Baylor, a serial killer Jones tried, unsuccessfully, to capture once before (also, I presume, in that first book, which for the record is City of Echoes. 

Jones wants to help, although the across-the-country assignment threatens to take valuable time away from his mission of finding the person who funded the hit that nearly took his own life. But as he delves further into the family's murder, doubts begin to creep in as to whether it's really the work of the not-so-good doctor. Those doubts grow stronger when a second family bites the dust in similar fashion.

The FBI, though, always gets its man, and the powers-that-be are hell-bent on making sure it happens in this case as well. Jones goes head-to-head (and in one case, head-to-bed) with a couple of them as he tries to sort out the details and track down the killer. Along the way, he learns a few things about his personal background that are unsettling, to say the least. All of that means some unexpected plot revelations that will, no doubt, carry over to the next installment (the ending in this one certainly is a killer).

So count me in with those looking forward to hooking up with Jones in the [hopefully near] future - and I thank the author and publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review this one. Great story, great writing and a thoroughly enjoyable reading experience!

The Love Killings by Robert Ellis (Thomas & Mercer, August 2016); 364 pp.

BLOOD DEFENSE

5 stars out of 5

Like many folks, I was glued to the TV set during the infamous police chase and subsequent capture and trial of former NFL star O.J. Simpson, charged with the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and waiter Ronald Goldman. The trial was riveting, and it was especially interesting to me to watch the teams of attorneys on both sides in action. The lead prosecutor was Marcia Clark from the Los Angeles District Attorney's office. She impressed me - maybe in part because I'd never before seen a female prosecutor in such a high-profile, high-stakes trial - and when the glove came off, so to speak, I suppose I even felt more than a little sympathetic (in case there's a living soul out there who doesn't know, O.J. was acquitted). Later, when I found out she'd turned to fiction writing, I told myself that one day I'd give one of her books a try.

But life intervened, the multi-hundred page Harry Potter books hit the stores and my good intentions went by the boards. Apparently, though, somebody up there likes me; out of the blue, the publisher of this book - Clark's most recent and the first in a series featuring rather hard-boiled criminal defense attorney Samantha Brinkman - offered me a copy in exchange for an unbiased review. That was, of course, an offer I couldn't refuse.

And guess what? I'm impressed all over again. I admit to favoring mysteries and thrillers with a legal flavor - every so often I even drag out one of Erle Stanley Gardner's classic Perry Mason books to reread, for goodness sake - but I never fail to cross my fingers when I find one by a new-to-me author. This time, I'd uncrossed them by the end of the first handful of chapters; no worries here - I was hooked.

At the beginning, Samantha's tiny firm (consisting of Sam, her longtime friend Michelle and ex-con and hacker Alex), is hired to defend a veteran LAPD detective who's charged with the murder of two young women - one of whom is a popular TV star. If she's successful (and maybe even if she isn't), it's a case almost guaranteed to grab the media's attention and catapult Sam and her firm to the criminal defense elite. 

As might be expected, though, there's many a slip between the cup and the lip; one particularly noteworthy piece of news, in fact, almost derails the whole case (and certainly makes it harder for Samantha to do her job effectively and objectively). But do it she does - with her usual fools-rush-in overlooking of the "rules" when it suits her purpose - and there are more than a few other twists as the drama shifts from the courtroom to out-of-the-office sleuthing (the latter of which put the lives of Samantha and her crew in danger). 

My favorite parts, though, happened in the courtroom; I've always been intrigued by legal strategy, be it how to "work" the media, craft meaningful opening arguments or pick the best possible jurors during voir dire. There's no shortage of that here, and I loved it; take, for instance, Samantha's instructions to her client not to laugh, smile or frown anywhere near the jury no matter what. "No innocent man on trial for murder laughs," she tells him. "At anything."

In the end, I'm delighted to award this book 5 stars; reading it was time well spent  Not only am I eager to read the next installment of this series, I've already looked into getting my hands on her Rachel Knight books. 

Blood Defense by Marcia Clark (Thomas & Mercer, May 2016); 400 pp.

BREAKDOWN

4 stars out of 5

Lately, I've been caught up in moving to a new home (well, new to me and my husband) and trying to keep on top of reviews of books I've received at no cost from publishers in exchange for reviews. So far, those books have been nothing short of stellar, but I admit it's more than a teeny bit stressful knowing I've got to pay close attention so as to render a review that's both honest and fair.

So it was that I looked forward to the time when I could turn to a favorite author - one I know won't disappoint. I've followed Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware series from the beginning, prompted early on by a love of psychology (my undergraduate degree) and murder mysteries. Many were absolutely outstanding, and those that were a bit less so were enjoyable as well.

This one falls into the latter category. As always, the writing is stellar; but for the first half or so, I wondered when the action would begin. Alex is called in by an elderly psychologist to evaluate Ovid, the five-year-old son of TV actress Zelda Chase (who clearly has mental issues). A few years later, Zelda is committed to a psychiatric facility - and not long after she's released, she turns up dead. Primarily concerned about Zelda's son - whose whereabouts at this point are unknown - Alex turns to his longtime friend, LAPD Lieutenant Milo Sturgis, for help with solving the murder and locating the child.

The tracking-down process, though, is tedious almost to the point of boring.  Both Alex and Milo seem a bit subdued, and Alex's love Robin doesn't contribute much beyond trying to cheer Alex up by running her fingers through his hair.

But then, things started to pick up, and all the details revealed (slowly)  in the first part begin to come together and the suspense builds up. It's not that I didn't enjoy the book - I did - but at the same time it didn't quite have the zing of others in the series. All told, it may not be my favorite in the series - hence the four-star rating - but it's still well worth reading.

Breakdown by Jonathan Kellerman (Ballantine Books, February 2016); 369 pp.