Connelly is on my short list of ‘never disappointed in his work’ writers.  His LA-based mysteries involving the brave and true-hearted and now retired Detective Harry Bosch have been favorites of mine for years, and I’ve even enjoyed watching some  of the TV adaptations on Bosch on PrimeTV.  In the last two years, Connelly has introduced us to his vehicle for continuing the annual output of a best seller by bringing LAPD Detective Renee Ballard on board.

Ballard is of mixed race, a surfer, dog lover, and a no-bullshit cop who crosses paths with Harry Bosch a few books back when he’s reviewing a cold case at the station. They click and become informal partners in clearing up cold cases.  In this fine novel, Ballard brings Bosch into an active case when she finds that the bullet casing in her case matches one from an unsolved case that Bosch was aware of.  In typical Connelly fashion, there are two independent story lines in this book, and the back and forth from one to the other keeps the book moving along at high speed.  I gulped this one’s 388 pages down in 48 hours, staying up well past my bedtime to finish it.

No need to share the story line here. If you know Connelly’s work, suffice it to say that he’s maintained his top notch skill through a very long run.  If you haven’t read Connelly, definitely do so.  You can even jump right into the middle of his 36 novels with this one. Enjoy!