This is bang up to date with the situation in the USA today. We have Covid, defunding the police and January 2021 insurrection in Washington. Wrap it all up with a return to Ballard and Bosch in Los Angeles and you have a 5* winner from Michael Connelly. Readers will not be disappointed and I highly recommend this well plotted book to fans of the author. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

3+


This might be the book that sways me over to really liking Ballard.
She is tough,and she gets the job done.
She also sees what a mess the LAPD currently is.
This was fast paced with plenty of tension,and believable scenarios... something you don't always get.

My one down side,is that this book,along with covid has made Bosch seem like an old man.
I don't think I'm quite ready for that.

Great read. .

Gritty, dark and corrupt, LA is in the midst of Covid, police defunding, Black Lives Matter Protests, and severe image problems for law enforcement agencies. Morale is low, and many cops are just keeping their heads down. Detective Ballard, recently reassigned from homicide to sex crimes, has been called to a shooting on New Years Eve. She’s hoping this will be the ticket back to a permanent homicide posting. .Through a ballistics match to an old unsolved case, Ballard is reconnected with retired Detective Inspector Harry Bosch.. They soon realize they’ll have to proceed carefully on this case, as it’s pretty certain there is a dirty cop involved.
Ballard is also involved in solving a series of particularly vicious rapes,
Very well written, the pace is fast and furious. The pairing of Bosch and Ballard works well, as they go about their jobs in a unorthodox manner, Highly recommend.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this advance copy, I really appreciate the opportunity to read this latest novel.

Every year like clockwork Michael Connelly come sup with another and sometimes even two, incredible books. How does he do it, how does he keep so fresh and full of ideas so that the new book is as good if not better than its predecessors?

Perhaps it is perhaps he is not afraid to freshen things up and introduce new characters. Renee Ballard is to new to us readers but she is developing as a character in every book and she is beginning to resemble her mentor Harry Bosch more and more in terms of her attitude and doggedness.

Thos is yet another wonderful book and totally topical in its mention son covid and BLM amongst other matters.

I will not provide spoilers but simply say that if you want an impeccably written and researched literary thriller and police procedural then this is for you.

Michael Connelly once again delivers a tightly written, brilliantly plotted thriller with LAPD Detective Renée Ballard ... and a little help from a certain Harry Bosch. A local businessman is shot during New Year Eve's celebrations when tradition dictates that everyone fires bullets into the air. The duo discover that the bullet used links back to a cold case - that Harry worked on. Connelly cleverly weaves the investigation with another one around the Midnight Man, a pair of rapists who seemingly randomly target women and leave zero trace. This is a satisfying pacy read rich in detail, strong characters woven together against a backdrop of the dark web and trying to leave gang life. A pitch perfect in this thriller. Enjoy

It is a while since I read a Michael Connelly book and I was not disappointed with this one. The storyline moves at a pace and it keeps you wanting to read on. Good to see that the author has stuck with a favourite character 'Harry Bosch'. Very enjoyable read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for the advance copy of this book.

Loved it. Am a fan of the author and the series in general, but this one had some interesting character development and seemed to move the whole saga on in an interesting way

Another super thriller by Michael Connelly. Renee Ballard is working the night shift - The Dark Hours - and trying to apprehend a rapist team who attack women in their homes. Alongside this is the murder of a reformed gang member. Faced with a department that doesn't seem to care she will have to take on the system as well as the criminals to get her arrests. With the support of retired detective Harry Bosch she does what she needs to do to try and protect the public. Well paced and plotted. Super writing.

Michael Connelly returns us to Los Angeles and a divided United States undergoing the trauma of the pandemic and the background of a socially and politically turbulent environment, including the Black Lives Matter protests, calls to defund the police, and the horrors of the insurrection. We get a picture of a LAPD that feels underappreciated and a public that views them with suspicion, officers are doing only what absolutely necessary, being reactive rather that proactive, and not looking favourably on those police officers that are genuinely committed to solving crime. Detective Renee Ballard is still doing nights on the late shift, although she is now actually living in a apartment, and having lost her beloved dog, Lola, to bone cancer 8 months ago, she is looking for another dog for companionship, and settles on a rescue dog that is the polar opposite of Lola, Pinto.

New Year's Eve celebrations result in a gun shooting that Ballard becomes aware is murder when she examines the victim, Javier Raffa, once a gang member of Las Palmos, but now a business and family man with children. A lucky break means that the bullet casing is recovered from beneath a car, and it turns out this gun was used in another shooting years ago, the victim was Albert Lee. Coincidentally, the now retired Detective Harry Bosch worked the case. Strangely, the murder book on the cold case is missing, and Ballard assumes Bosch has it. However, this turns out to not to be true as once again the two detectives find themselves working together. Ballard is on another case, the Midnight Men, a tag team of rapists, and there is now another victim, but there are new aspects to the investigation but Detective Lisa Moore, also on the case, is serious lacking any desire to work the case.

Ballard finds herself being let down everywhere, by fellow police officers, the department and others, the only person she can rely on, who remains steadfast and has her back is Harry. Unsurprisingly, she begins to harbour doubts about her future with the LAPD, but this is to have serious repercussions, as her determination to find the truth and seek justice leaves her isolated and in danger. Connelly, as a seasoned crime writer, once again demonstrates why he remains a popular author, providing his trademark details of policing and running investigations, along with a background of American contemporary realities. This is an entertaining and engaging addition to this wonderful crime series, well plotted, full of suspense and tension, whilst covering issues that resonate such as violence against women. Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

A great detective thriller. I got this book from Net Galley to review, coming in mid way through a series but it didn't matter. Pacy plot, twists and turns, I really enjoyed this perfectly crafted crime novel.

Another great book in the Ballard and Bosch series.

The story line and the characters keep you hooked from start to finish. It´s a book you won´t want to put down. Michael Connelly has an amazing gift for producing wonderful and captivating books. This one will not disappoint the many fans of the Harry Bosch novels, and I am sure that many, like myself, will be looking forward to the next Renée Ballard story with great anticipation.

Thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book

Another great story by Michael Connelly. His characters and storylines just get better and I love that Bosch was involved in this story.

What a masterpiece!

Michael Connelly, once again, has not failed to deliver another outstanding novel involving Ballard and Bosch. Cleverly combining cold cases with the present, I simply could not put this one down.

The writing is masterful, the plot is outstanding, you connect with the characters from the get go, Ballard completely in the zone, riding the waves of crime, with Bosch, simply being Bosch and Pinto, Ballard´s new companion being brought into the mix, just made me smile.

My advice.....read it!!

My thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for giving me the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy.