Wednesday Whoa - The Night Fire by Michael Connelly

 You can always rely on Michael Connelly to come  through on his writing with Renee Ballard and Harry Bosch.  The Night Fire does not disappoint. 

Bosch is now very independent.   Renee Ballard  is on the "outs", so can run a bit rogue. The two together  are dynamite in research, perseverance, and  investigation. 

Lots of twists and turns  in this book.  Quick paced. Masterful suspense. Cold case that suddenly heats up....

Oh yeah!  Trust me. Start reading  and you won't stop. 

Book Review -Two Kinds of Truth by Michael Connelly

Two Kinds of Truth by Michael Connelly is another winner in his long line of Harry Bosch novels. You just can’t go wrong with this author’s character, plot, and writing. He has just the right twists and turns to lead to a satisfying ending.  Harry has his flaws, but he also cares so much about detective work. He’s retired, but still helping independently part-time. His intensity, thought process, and persistence are what make up a great detective. You want him on your side.

Two pharmacists were murdered in a robbery. Sifting through clues leads Bosch into “the dangerous world of prescription drug abuse.”  Undercover work proves eye opening and dangerous for Harry.

Meanwhile, an old case haunts him – “a killer on death row claims Harry framed him”.

Cover blurb – the Two  cases wind around each other like strands of barbed wire. Along the way, Bosch discovers that there are two kinds of truth: the kind that sets you free and the kind that leaves you buried in darkness.

Two Kinds of Truth is fast paced and true to form. Once again a very satisfying read from Michael Connelly.

Book Review - The Late Show by Michael Connelly

Michael Connelly changes gears from old Harry Bosch. This time in The Late Show he introduces us to young Renee Ballard, a tough detective trying to prove herself. She’s been shoved into the midnight shift due to some office politics – punishment for filing a sexual harassment complaint against a supervisor. It’s frustrating, but she’s working hard to do her job and move on. The book leaps into two cases that will keep her busy. First a prostitute is badly beaten and left for dead – a sign of an evil killer at large. Then a nightclub shooting has all the earmarks of gang activity and a possible cop on the inside. Oh the web tangles and Renee has a lot of work ahead of her.

From the cover blurb – As the investigations entwine, Ballard is forced to face her own demons and confront a danger she could not have imagined. To find justice for these victims who can’t speak for themselves, she must put not only her career but her life on the line.

Renee Ballard is an exciting new character and I look forward to reading more of her in Michael Connelly’s books. The Late Show proves to be a page-turner. Fast paced and riveting – everything you want in a crime drama thriller. 

Book Review - Wrong Side of Goodbye by Michael Connelly

Harry Bosch is Michael Connelly’s lead character in a series of detective books had thirty years in the LAPD. But now he’s out and doing his own private investigating in The Wrong Side of Goodbye. A reclusive billionaire contacts Harry. He’s haunted by a regret and wants Harry to find a child he might have fathered. This was long ago, but there’s a vast fortune at stake.  Is the Mexican girl, now an old woman, still alive? Is she even in the country? Did she have a child? There’s danger ahead for the man, for Harry, and for the possible heir or heirs he’s seeking.

Cover blurb – But as Harry begins to uncover the haunting story – and finds uncanny links to his own past – he knows he cannot rest until he learns the truth.

Meanwhile, Bosch volunteers for a small town police department and tracks a serial rapist – a baffling and dangerous foe. Michael Connelly keeps all of the balls in the air as you hold your breath for Harry. For a retired detective he’s the busiest man in Los Angeles. Fast paced, The Wrong Side of Goodbye, is a darn good read with several  satisfying twists and turns to a crazy ride and  heart pounding ending.

Book Review - The Crossing

Michael Connelly is a reliable author and his Harry Bosch character proves  steady. In  The Crossing, Harry is retired but pulled back into the game and even crosses over to the other side to help the defense. Mickey Haller (The Lincoln Lawyer) needs him to investigate on the down low, but of course that is impossible to maintain. A woman’s been murdered and Haller’s client, a former gang member, has been charged. But the more Harry digs, the more it looks like a set up. Lots of arrows point to an inside the police system problem.

Harry keeps digging and soon finds a trail of murders connected to a watch, a plastic surgeon, and more. Connelly builds suspense and as a reader you will enjoy pulling together the clues. Harry is reluctant and yet he’s bored as a retired officer. He’d rather be in the trenches, reading murder reports, and doing follow-up face to face. This is a very satisfying read that keeps you dodging bullets and rooting for Harry.