Summary

LAPD detective Renée Ballard and Harry Bosch team up to hunt the brutal 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. But after the chief of police himself tells her she can write her own ticket within the department, Ballard takes back her badge, leaving “the late show” to rebuild and lead the cold case unit at the elite Robbery-Homicide Division. 

For years, Harry Bosch has been working a case that haunts him – the murder of an entire family by a psychopath who still walks free. Ballard makes Bosch an offer: come volunteer as an investigator in her new Open-Unsolved Unit, and he can pursue his “white whale” with the resources of the LAPD behind him. 

First priority for Ballard is to clear the unsolved rape and murder of a sixteen-year-old girl. The decades-old case is essential to the councilman who supported re-forming the unit and who could shutter it again – the victim was his sister. When Ballard gets a “cold hit” connecting the killing to a similar crime, proving that a serial predator has been at work in the city for years, the political pressure has never been higher. To keep momentum going, she has to pull Bosch off his own investigation, the case that is the consummation of his lifelong mission. 

The two must put aside old resentments and new tension to run to ground not one but two dangerous killers who have operated with brash impunity.

Why I chose to read this book
I absolutely love the dynamic between Bosch and Ballard and was excited to find out there was another installment in the series with both of them partnering up.

Thoughts & Opinions

Going to keep this review extra short. Let me explain; I read it so quickly that I forgot to write my review right away therefore I don’t remember every single detail, however I know that I loved it! Connelly’s intrigues are always interesting and captivating, you can’t go wrong with this author. 

Harry Bosch needs no introduction, he is a fantastic, well-developed character. Ballard, also a fully realized character, joins forces with Bosch in the newly created cold case unit. Bosch is a perfect fit as he excels in these types of investigations. As always, Bosch and Ballard feel very human as they are not perfect but will do anything they can to get justice for their victims. “Everybody counts or nobody counts”.

Connelly has done it again, I’m a fan!

By the way, how excited are you about Ballard having her own television series spinoff? According to Michael Connelly’s Instagram page (@michaelconnellybooks), Maggie Q (fantastic choice!!) will be portraying Ballard. Read more about it here. 

Check out my other mystery book reviews here, which includes another Michael Connelly novel; Angels Flight:

Agent Running In The Field

Angels Flight

Autopsy

Eight Perfect Murders

Finlay Donovan is Killing It

The Sorority Murder

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

Where The Crawdads Sing

White Elephant