Waiting on Wednesday – The Waiting by Michael Connelly

On March 13, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Murder Mystery, Waiting on Wednesday10 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. For this latest Waiting on Wednesday, I check out one of my most anticipated crime fiction reads of 2024 with The Waiting by Michael Connelly.

The Waiting Cover

Amazon

Over the last few years, I have become a pretty major fan of acclaimed crime fiction author Michael Connelly, whose books usually end up being amongst my favourite reads each year. Known for his ability to create iconic characters and elaborate narratives across the crime fiction subgenres, Connelly dominated the genre for decades, for a very good reason. I have had a wonderful time with some of his most recent books including, the Jack McEvoy novel Fair Warning (one of my favourite books of 2020) and the Mickey Haller books, The Law of Innocence and Resurrection Walk (one of my favourite books of 2023). However, some of his best recent work has been centred around his key female protagonist, Renée Ballard.

A tough, intelligent detective in the LAPD introduced in the 2017 novel, The Late Show, Ballard has been featured in several books which combine intriguing cases with a powerful focus on the protagonist’s battles with sexism and opposition from the LAPD top brass. Her more recent novels have seen Ballard team up with Connelly’s iconic protagonist, Harry Bosch, and the two prove to be an intriguing pair, especially in excellent books like Dark Sacred Night, The Night Fire (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2019), The Dark Hours (one of my favourite books of 2021) and Desert Star (one of my favourite books of 2022). Each of these Ballard focused novels have been pretty exceptional, and I have been excited to see what was next for this compelling protagonist in the future. Luckily, we will be getting another addition to this series in November 2024 when Connelly releases his new book, The Waiting.

Set to primarily follow Ballard as she continues her work in the LAPD’s Open-Unsolved Unit, The Waiting has an intriguing plot behind it as the protagonist investigates several compelling cases. It also features a double hit of Bosch, as Conelly features both Harry and his daughter Maddie in this cool book. I’m actually really looking forward to seeing Maddie Bosch as the focus of one of Conelly’s novels, especially considering how she is featured in the Bosch: Legacy television series.

All three cases highlighted below in the plot synopsis sound very exciting, and I look forward to getting an elaborate cold case investigation, which should make for some great reading when combined with the present-day issues. Throw in the unique partnership between Ballard and Harry Bosch, as well as the mentor role Ballard will form with Maddie, and this should be a pretty powerful and character-focused book. I have no doubt that I am going to absolutely love The Waiting when it comes out, and this will probably be one of my favourite novels of the year. An exceptional sounding upcoming book from one of the very best crime fiction authors!

Plot Synopsis:

LAPD Detective Renée Ballard tracks a terrifying serial rapist whose trail has gone cold, with the help of the newest volunteer to the Open-Unsolved Unit: Patrol Officer Maddie Bosch, Harry’s daughter.

Renée Ballard and the LAPD’s Open-Unsolved Unit get a hot shot DNA connection between a recently arrested man and a serial rapist and murderer who went quiet twenty years ago. The arrested man is only twenty-three, so the genetic link must be familial. It is his father who was the Pillowcase Rapist, responsible for a five-year reign of terror in the city of angels. But when Ballard and her team move in on their suspect, they encounter a baffling web of secrets and legal hurdles.

Meanwhile, Ballard’s badge, gun, and ID are stolen—a theft she can’t report without giving her enemies in the department the ammunition they need to end her career as a detective. She works the burglary alone, but her solo mission leads her into greater danger than she anticipates. She has no choice but to go outside the department for help, and that leads her to the door of Harry Bosch.

Finally, Ballard takes on a new volunteer to the cold case unit. Bosch’s daughter Maddie wants to supplement her work as a patrol officer on the night beat by investigating cases with Ballard. But Renée soon learns that Maddie has an ulterior motive for getting access to the city’s library of lost souls.

Desert Star by Michael Connelly

On November 8, 2022April 19, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn Five-Star Books, Murder Mystery10 Comments

Publisher: Allen & Unwin Australia (Trade Paperback – 8 November 2022)

Series: Ballard and Bosch – Book Four

Length: 393 pages

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Amazon

Legendary crime fiction author, Michael Connelly, returns with another impressive and deeply enjoyable read that once again brings together two of his best protagonists for a compelling investigation, with Desert Star.

Connelly is an author who needs very little introduction, having spent the last 30 years dominating the crime fiction world. His various outstanding works often cover several diverse subgenres of crime fiction, and his unique and captivating protagonists all exist in one shared universe, primarily set around Los Angeles. Ever since I started properly reading crime fiction a few years ago, Connelly has been an author I have particularly enjoyed each year, and I have had a wonderful time reading several of his most recent books. This includes the fantastic Mickey Haller legal thriller, The Law of Innocence, and the intense Jack McEvoy journalistic investigative read, Fair Warning (one of my favourite novels of 2020). However, some of my favourite Connelly books have been the more classic police investigation novels, all of which have been part of the Ballard and Bosch subseries.

The Ballard and Bosch books are an intriguing set of recent novels that bring together Connelly’s two main police protagonists into one investigative team. These two protagonists are female detective Renée Ballard and Connelly’s original protagonist, Harry Bosch, who has long retired from the LAPD but is still in the detective game. These two form a fantastic team, and it is always fun to see their interesting mentor/mentee relationship as they investigate a series of cases. There have so far been three Ballard and Bosch books, and I have had a wonderful time with each of them, including Dark Sacred Night, The Night Fire (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2019) and The Dark Hours (one of my favourite books of 2021). Due to how awesome these last three books have been, I was quite excited to see that Connelly had a new one coming out in 2022, and that book, Desert Star, was one of my most anticipated reads for the second half of 2022.

Desert Star is set a year after the events of The Dark Hours, which saw Renée Ballard quit the LAPD after encountering sexism, corruption, and obstacles to solving her cases. Lured back after being offered a dream job, Ballard now finds herself leading an elite cold cases unit which hopes to find justice for the many unsolved murders throughout Los Angeles. While Ballard has already pulled together an effective team, there is still one person she needs to complete it: Harry Bosch.

While angry at Ballard following their last encounter, Bosch is lured back as a volunteer investigator after Ballard offers him help on the one cold case that has haunted him for years, the slaying of the Gallagher family. Years ago, the entire family of four was found brutally killed, their bodies buried in the desert, and Bosch has never forgotten them or the fact that he was unable to find the man he knows killed them. In return for access to the resources of Ballard’s unit, Bosch agrees to help Ballard solve her own cold case.

To keep their unit alive and well funded, Ballard needs to solve the rape and murder of a councilman’s sister years ago. There are few avenues for a further investigation, and Ballard hopes that Bosch’s unique views may be the key to solving it. However, after a chance clue connects their case to another brutal murder, Ballard and Bosch find themselves taking their investigation in some very dangerous directions. At the same time, Bosch’s obsession with finding the Gallagher family’s killer grows even more, as he finds himself determined to catch him before it’s too late. Can Ballard and Bosch solve their crimes, or will tragedy strike right at the heart of their partnership?

This was another outstanding crime fiction read from Connelly that combines a cool series of murder mystery cases with some intense character work to create and excellent story. Desert Star gets off to a quick start, bringing back the two main protagonists and showing what changes have gone through their lives in the last year, as well as introducing the new cold case unit. The reader is swiftly then brought across the two central murder cases that the protagonists are investigating. The initial focus is on the murder of councilman’s sister, which has political connotations for the cold case unit, but Bosch also spends a large amount of time examining his personal case. After some interesting breaks in the main case, Ballard and Bosch find themselves stuck looking far closer to home than they imagined, when clues point to a serial killer with connections to the very politician who created their unit. There are some great twists and turns towards the centre of the book as they come close to their revelations, and the identity of this killer is pretty clever, with several interesting clues in the lead-up to the big confrontation. At the same time, Bosch starts closing in on the main suspect in his case after revisiting witnesses from his initial investigation. This leads him down a long, dark road as he contemplates what he’s willing to risk to get justice. Everything leads up to a heart-pounding finale, which will leave readers on the edge of their seat as you honestly have no idea how far Connelly is going to take everything. Desert Star ends on a particularly satisfying note, and it will be interesting to see where Connelly’s narratives go next, as he has left several intriguing storylines open.

This was a pretty addictive and fast-paced read, and it really doesn’t take long to get drawn into the two intriguing cases. I loved the focus on cold case investigation in this book, which is a classic Connelly story element, and the author presents some excellent mystery elements. I had a lot of fun with both cases, one because it was a seemingly unsolvable case with huge political issues behind it, the other because of one protagonist’s intense obsession with cracking it. Connelly does a good job splitting focus between the two cases, which is made easier with the use of two perspective characters, Ballard and Bosch. Both have very different views of the investigations, and the split in perspectives helps to ratchet up the tension in several scenes extremely well. Connelly goes for a pretty fast pace in Desert Star, and you really find yourself powering through the narrative, especially once you get caught up in the excellent investigation arcs. I loved how both cases turned out, and Connelly puts in some great build-up for both of their powerful conclusions. Like most of the books in this shared crime universe, Desert Star can be easily read as a standalone novel, and no prior knowledge of either character is really required to enjoy it. However, this latest Ballard and Bosch book is coming off a lot of emotional build-up and character development from the previous entries, so you’ll appreciate Desert Star more if you’ve checked them out first. Connelly also throws in a ton of references to some previous novels, mainly some of Bosch’s older adventures, which established fans will really appreciate. I loved Desert Star’s amazing story and how it was presented, as will all die-hard Connelly readers.

As always with a Connelly read, there is a noticeable and impressive focus on the central characters, with the author diving deep into his two point-of-view protagonists, Renée Ballard and Harry Bosch. Both characters have a ton of history behind them at this point in Connelly’s joint universe, both as a team and as established, independent protagonists of their own novels. As such, Connelly takes a little less time introducing them in Desert Star than he would previously, and instead starts highlighting their current issues and concerns, as well as re-establishing the teamwork between them. While there is a little friction at the start of the book, mainly due to the fallout of The Dark Hours, Ballard and Bosch mostly get their investigative teamwork groove back and become an effective unit. While Bosch does take on the mentor role in this book, it isn’t as prevalent as it has been previously, mainly because Ballard is now in control of her own unit and is the boss. This forces her to supervise and try to control Bosch, with limited success, and this impacts their previous established dynamic. At the same time, Ballard also relies on Bosch’s unpredictability and dislike of the rules to solve their more difficult, politically associated case, so that creates some odd friction and reliance that I rather enjoyed.

Most of the best character work in Desert Star revolved around old favourite protagonist Harry Bosch. Bosch, who Connelly has aged up naturally over the last 30 years, is retired from the police, but he comes back to help Ballard with her case, and I loved seeing his maverick attitude reassert itself here. However, he is primarily concerned with his own cold case, and swiftly reignites his obsession with finding the man responsible for the murder of a family. This obsession soon starts to overwhelm him, and while he helps Ballard, he risks a lot to find his target while there is still time. Connelly paints a powerful picture of Bosch in this book, and there are some big reveals about him that have been a long time coming. While I won’t go into too much detail here, this is one of the more powerful and compelling Bosch narratives in a while, and Connelly does an outstanding job building up some tension around his storylines here. Ballard also gets some interesting development in this book, and it was great to see her as a leader in this book, especially after spending so many years as the LAPD’s unwanted pariah for her attempts to report a superior for sexual harassment. However, Ballard also encounters the darker side of leadership as she is forced to play politics and encounters various attempts to cover up the whole truth for expediency and self-gain. This forces her to make some tough choices, and she becomes a bit more like her mentor, Bosch, with every case. All this excellent character work really adds some impressive impact to Desert Star’s narrative, and this was one of the more significant novels for both of this amazing and iconic Connelly protagonists.

Michael Connelly continues to dominate the crime fiction scene with another epic and captivating read, Desert Star. Bringing back two outstanding protagonists for a joint investigation, Desert Star contains a compelling and clever investigation into two fascinating murders. Featuring a great story, some exciting pacing, and the amazing use of two complex protagonists, Desert Star was another exceptional read from Connelly that I had an awesome time reading. I can’t wait to see what Connelly writes next, and no doubt it will tie into the powerful moments raised in this incredible book.

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Waiting on Wednesday – Desert Star by Michael Connelly

On April 28, 2022September 6, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn Murder Mystery, Waiting on Wednesday5 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. In this latest Waiting on Wednesday I take a look at the next epic book from the master of crime fiction, Michael Connelly, Desert Star.

Amazon Book Depository

Over the last few years, I have started to really become much more of a crime fiction reader after years of primarily focusing on other genres. During this time, I have had the pleasure of reading excellent series from several great and impressive crime fiction authors, however one of my absolute favourites is legendary author Michael Connelly, who has been one of the leading figures of this genre since his debut back in 1992. Despite becoming a fan of Connelly much later than most readers, I have really enjoyed his recent work which features an intriguing range of murder mysteries and thrillers set inside one combined crime fiction universe. While I have had the pleasure of reading novels from his Jack McEvoy (Fair Warning) and Mickey Haller (The Law of Innocence) sub-series, the books I have read the most are the Ballard and Bosch novels.

Starting in 2018 with Dark Sacred Night, the Ballard and Bosch books brought together one of Connelly’s newest protagonists, Renee Ballard, with his most iconic and heavily featured character, Harry Bosch. This fun team up worked really well, and I loved seeing the fantastic mentor/mentee relationship that formed between the cynical and damaged female detective and the retired, veteran investigator still trying to stay in the game. Connelly followed this initial novel with two brilliant books, The Night Fire (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2019) and The Dark Hours (one of my favourite books of 2021), both of which utilised the combination of characters extremely well.

It looks like this fun will continue later this year as Connelly is producing another Ballard and Bosch book with Desert Star. This awesome upcoming novel, which is currently set for release in November 2022, contains an incredible sounding story that will see these two impressive characters team up for another complex case.

Synopsis:

LAPD detective Renée Ballard and Harry Bosch work together to hunt the killer who is Bosch’s “white whale”—a man responsible for the murder of an entire family.

A year has passed since LAPD detective Renée Ballard quit the force in the face of misogyny, demoralization, and endless red tape. Yet, after the chief of police himself tells her she can write her ticket within the department, Ballard takes back her badge, leaving “the Late Show” to rebuild the cold case unit at the elite Robbery-Homicide Division.

For years, Harry Bosch has been working a case that haunts him but that he hasn’t been able to crack—the murder of an entire family by a psychopath who still walks free. Ballard makes Bosch an offer: come work with her as a volunteer investigator in the new Open-Unsolved Unit, and he can pursue his “white whale” with the resources of the LAPD behind him.

The two must put aside old resentments to work together again and close in on a dangerous killer.

I really like the sound of Desert Star and think it is going to end up being a particularly awesome and memorable entry in this extended universe. There are several interesting storyline elements already hinted at in the above synopsis that have grabbed my attention. I am very intrigued to see the fallout from the previous book where Ballard quit the LAPD, and it will be pretty cool to see her return to the force and start up her own investigative unit. At the same time, we get some compelling investigative elements as Bosch attempts to catch a killer he has been pursuing for years, and no doubt there will be some other connected cases that Ballard is working on. Some of these storylines have been hinted at before in some of the previous books, and I look forward to seeing how they are resolved, as well as the impact that they have on the main two characters.

Another part of the book that I am quite keen on seeing is the continued partnership between Ballard and Bosch, as well as the overall impressive character development of this sub series. Both characters have gone through a lot in their last few books, and I am curious to see how some of their storylines continue here. Ballard’s brush with sexism, corruption and harassment in the LAPD, will no doubt be continued, and it will be fascinating to see how her recent decisions will impact that. It will also be great to see Bosch finally get a chance to solve a case that has been bugging him for years, and I’m sure there will be some follow up to the family and health focused storylines that have been hinted at in some of the prior books. I am also a little curious to see how much Bosch is utilised in Desert Star, considering he was partially sidelined in the previous novel. Based on how much he is featured in the synopsis above, I would assume he’ll once again be used as a point-of-view character here, and it will be interesting to see his take on all the relevant events. I have a feeling there is going to be some major, passing of the torch moments in Desert Star and I cannot wait to see how everything turns out.

Look, based on how much I have loved Connelly’s latest books I was already extremely confident that I was going to love Desert Star, even before I knew all the details about it. However, now that I’ve seen the plot synopsis above, I reckon this is going to be an incredible read. Not only does the central mystery element sound really cool, but it seems like this one is going to present some major changes for the main two protagonists. I cannot wait to see how this awesome novel unfolds and I foresee Desert Star receiving a five-star rating from me.

The Dark Hours by Michael Connelly

On November 15, 2021April 19, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn Five-Star Books, Murder Mystery18 Comments

Publisher: Allen & Unwin (Trade Paperback – 9 November 2021)

Series: Ballard & Bosch – Book Three

Length: 391 pages

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Amazon

The master of crime fiction, bestselling author Michael Connelly, returns with another outstanding Ballard and Bosch novel, The Dark Hours, which sets his iconic protagonists on another intense and captivating case.

Connelly is one of those authors who needs very little introduction, having written an amazing number of crime fiction novels throughout his exceptional career. I have really been getting into Connelly’s work lately, especially after reading his 2020 releases, Fair Warning and The Law of Everything. However, my favourite Connelly novels have probably been the Ballard and Bosch sub-series, which follows the team of two of Connelly’s great protagonists. This includes Renée Ballard, who debuted as the lead character of The Late Show, and Harry Bosch, Connelly’s long-running protagonist who has appeared in nearly every one of Connelly’s books since The Black Echo. These two protagonists first teamed up in Dark Sacred Night in 2018, and then again in The Night Fire, one of the best books and audiobooks of 2019. I have deeply enjoyed these two characters, and I was very excited when I saw that Connelly was featuring them again in his latest novel, The Dark Hours, which was one of my most anticipated releases for 2021. The Dark Hours is the 36^th overall novel in Connelly’s overarching crime fiction universe and proved to be another exciting and clever read.

As the clock ticks down the last seconds of 2020, the citizens of Los Angeles celebrate New Year’s Eve in their typical chaotic way, with hundreds of celebrators firing guns up into the air, with a rain of bullets coming down shortly after. Sheltering under a bridge, LAPD detective Renée Ballard is staking out the nearby neighbourhood in hopes of catching a team of rapists terrorising women during the holidays. However, she instead finds herself called to the scene of a party where an auto shop owner has been fatally hit in the head with a bullet.

Initially assuming that the death was an accident brought on by the lateral bullets fired in celebration, Ballard soon discovers that the shooting occurred at point-blank range, indicating that someone used the revels to disguise their up-close murder. Starting her investigation, Ballard soon discovers that the same gun was used in an unsolved murder case which had been investigated by her friend and mentor, retired LAPD detective Harry Bosch.

Working with Bosch, Ballard soon finds herself on the trail of a dangerous killer who may have killed many times before and is at the centre of a deadly conspiracy. Determined to catch this killer before the case is taken away from her, Ballard is willing to break any rule to catch her suspect, no matter the danger to herself or her career. At the same time, Ballard becomes obsessed with catching the team of rapists destroying lives in her city, but finds herself fighting against a demoralised and uncaring police department, more concerned with maintaining their image than police work. Can Ballard and Bosch solve these latest crimes before it is too late, or will the predators they stalk land another fatal strike?

This was another incredible book from Connelly that contains a clever and captivating murder mystery that I deeply enjoyed. The Dark Hours has a fantastic story to it, that not only takes the reader on an intense and particularly dark couple of cases but which also explores the state of policing in 2021. A brilliant and powerful read, this was an excellent Connelly novel that gets a full five-star rating from me.

Connelly came up with an exceptional crime fiction narrative for The Dark Hours, which I powered through in a few days. This latest story, told exclusively from the perspective of Ballard, follows the character as she investigates several horrific crimes. There are two central cases in this book; the first involves a murder of a mechanic, which sees Ballard connect with her old friend Harry Bosch, who previously worked a connected cold case; and the other is a series of rapes throughout LA, made distinctive by the presences of a two-man team. These two cases are both pretty compelling and unique in their own way, with Ballard getting quite obsessed with both of them. The murder case has several outlying threads that see Ballard and Bosch chase down gang connections, dirty cops, and a wide-ranging conspiracy of dentists, all of which results in a tight and powerful investigation story with some substantial dangers to Ballard. The rape case is a dark and disturbing counterpart to this murder, and Connelly ensures that the full horror of this particular type of crime is on full display. Both of these cases come together extremely well as the story progresses, and I really appreciated how some of the emotions and consequences stirred up in one case led to the characters doing some rash and dangerous things in the other. Throw in some major professional drama around Ballard, and you have an intense and powerful narrative that really sticks in the mind. I loved some of the cool and dark twists associated with these intriguing storylines, and Connelly certainly has the ability to create some major and memorable moments. The Dark Hours also does a good job of continuing some of the storylines from the previous novels, particularly around Ballard’s many issues as a member of the LAPD, and it sets up some future plot points that will no doubt make for an awesome novel or two in the years to come.

One of the most interesting things about The Dark Hours is Connelly’s compelling and in-depth examination of the LAPD in early 2021, following COVID and the protests of 2020. Connelly paints a detailed and intriguing picture of the LAPD as a dispirited and defunded organisation which has withdrawn from proactive police work and is instead more concerned with avoiding bad publicity and controversy. The police characters featured within this novel are notably unmotivated and aggrieved, with many more concerned with their own lives than protecting people. This is a rather grim but seemingly realistic view of the LAPD, and I really appreciated the fact that Connelly attempted to explore what life as a police officer is like in these controversial times. The author makes sure to try and show both sides of the debate around policing, made easier by his protagonist’s status as LAPD outsiders, and it was fascinating and moving to see the police perspective. The apathy of the LAPD comes into play in the story in multiple ways, and it was an exceptional and memorable inclusion to The Dark Hours. In addition, Connelly spends a lot of time exploring early 2021 Los Angeles, with multiple references to masks, vaccines, unemployment and all the other aspects of COVID-19 that we have come to know and love. While most people are probably quite sick (ha!) about seeing all the COVID stuff wherever you go, even into book-land, those authors wishing to display modern life need to include it, and I felt that Connelly did a great job showing it from an LA perspective. Throw in some commentary on other key events of early 2021, and The Dark Hours turns into quite a contemporary novel with some extremely intriguing opinions and insights.

Another aspect of The Dark Hours that I enjoyed was the fantastic use of characters featured within it. In particular, it was rather interesting to see which protagonists got the most focus throughout the novel. When I first started reading this novel, I assumed that, like the previous Ballard and Bosch books, the story would be a split perspective narrative featuring the two main characters. Instead, the entire story ended up being told exclusively from Ballard’s point-of-view, with Bosch featured as a supporting character. While some long-term Bosch fans might feel a little let down, I personally did not mind this as Ballard has been a really fascinating and relatable protagonist in her last few novels. Ballard has always been an outcast in the LAPD, following her attempt to report her previous supervisor for sexual harassment, and this sense of being an outsider has only intensified throughout her more recent novels. This all comes to a boil in The Dark Hours, as Ballard is continually stymied by the new attitude of the LAPD, and is constantly undermined by ineffective, dispirited and politically minded colleagues and superiors. This eventually forces her to adopt a more Bosch-like mentality and she goes outside the lines multiple times to try and bring her culprits to justice. I rather liked this more reckless side of Ballard, and it ends up resulting in some major changes to her personality and potential law enforcement future. It was also very fascinating to see Ballard’s opinions on the recent issues affecting policing, and even she finds herself quite angry with some of the accusations levelled against her and the LAPD, despite harbouring her own negative opinions. Throw in an interesting new relationship and a fun new puppy friend, and this ended up being a particularly good Ballard story. I look forward to seeing more of Ballard in the future, and I really think that Connelly is setting her up as his primary police character for the future.

While most of the focus is on Ballard, Bosch still has a significant role in The Dark Hours, serving as the main supporting character and Ballard’s unofficial partner. While it was a little odd not to see Bosch’s perspective on the two main investigations, he was a great wingman to the protagonist and I liked how Connelly was able to work Bosch’s veteran mindset into Ballard’s way of thinking. It was fun to see him serve the joint role of being Ballard’s voice of reason while also subtly encouraging her to do some more rebellious moves. I really enjoyed seeing more of Bosch in the book, and it will be interesting to see what Connelly does with him in the future. Considering that Bosch is currently a much older, out-of-work detective currently battling leukaemia, you have to imagine that Connelly is planning to retire him permanently some point soon, and I am curious to see how or when that happens, no doubt occurring in heartbreaking fashion.

Overall, The Dark Hours is another exceptional novel from Michael Connelly, who continues to showcase why he is one of the best and most consistent authors of crime fiction in the world today. This latest novel serves as an excellent continuation of the Ballard and Bosch subseries, and it is always so much fun to travel back into Connelly’s expanded and intriguing crime fiction universe. The Dark Hours has an outstanding and compelling narrative that follows the authors dogged protagonist as she investigates several major and disturbing crimes. I was pretty much hooked the moment I picked this book up and it is a must-read for all crime fiction fans.

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