Desert Star

Michael Connelly is hands down one of my favorite authors. I've read all of his books and can't recommend them enough.
His latest is Desert Star. It's the fifth book that pairs up Harry Bosch and Renée Ballard. (And is the 36th to feature Harry!) Connelly has kept things moving forward in his series, with his protagonists aging and lives changing. Harry is now retired, but is the proverbial war-horse. With Renée heading up the the newly revived LAPD Open-Unsolved Unit, Harry has a chance to volunteer and clear the 'white whale' case of his career at last. "Everybody counts or nobody counts."

I was so eager to see where Harry's life was now. Long time readers, there's an opening chapter that will have you already cringing. Enough show more said.

There are literally thousands of unsolved cases to tackle. The one Harry wants cleared is the murder of an entire family of four. The one they need to solve to keep the unit open is the death of a politico's sister many years ago. The methodology of working on decades old cases is fascinating. New techniques can be used on old evidence. DNA is prominent in investigations. But it still needs someone who can put the pieces together, ask the right questions and follow the right clues. And that's Harry Bosch. But, he's not a rule follower and continues to work things in his own fashion, ruffling feathers along the way.

I devoured Desert Star, immediately caught up again in Connelly's writing and plotting. Both are outstanding. Connelly knows what he's writing. The dialogue, interactions, investigation and more have the ring of authenticity.

An easy five stars.

And I'll leave you to ponder this.... is it ever okay to do the wrong thing for the right reason? show less

In Michael Connelly's latest Ballard & Bosch mystery, the new Open-Unsolved Unit is housed in the same building as the records of over 6,000 cold cases-- an area Bosch calls "the Library of Lost Souls", a poetic and sobering name. Desert Star shows us just what type of work it takes from each member of the team to work a cold case in order to bring closure to grieving families.

Naturally, the powers-that-be go back on their promises and insist on adding people to her team that Ballard doesn't want as well as deciding what her caseload focus should be. This adds tension to an already fraught situation since Ballard's right-hand man (Bosch) keeps going rogue and doing his own thing.

As always, Connelly provides masterful twists and show more turns. When all evidence seemed to be pointing squarely at one character early on, I thought to myself, "It can't be that easy!"-- and it wasn't. I knew I could count on Connelly.

By the end of Desert Star, I was left with one disturbing question: What does the future hold in store for Harry? He is one character whom I want to be immortal... even though I know that he can't be. show less

Hieronymus ‘Harry’ Bosch has spent most of his life investigating crime in Los Angeles, both as a detective for LAP and thereafter in a private capacity. Now nearing, or maybe slightly beyond, the age of seventy, he may be a bit slower physically, but his determination for justice remains undimmed. Towards the end of the Dark Hours, the previous novel in this sequence, Bosch had panned to go into partnership as private investigators with his considerably younger sometime colleague, Detective Renee Ballard, who had become so disaffected with the many failings of LAPD. At the end of that novel, however, she had been enticed to remain on the force, and had been installed as head of a new cold case unit, which has been established by show more the department at the behest of a prominent local politician.

In this capacity, Ballard has recruited Bosch to help out as a volunteer, along with a handful of colleagues, most of whom are also retired from careers in different aspects of law enforcement. Ballard has identified one case as a priority as it involves the murder several years before of the sister of the politician who ad campaigned for the establishment of the Unit. Bosch is assigned various tasks, but is also keen to work on an other case that Ballard has drawn from the archives. This was the murder of a whole family which Bosch had investigated while still on the force. When he learns that new DNA evidence may have been uncovered he is keen to pursue the lead,

Connelly lets the narrative unfold with his customary dexterity. Before becoming a novelist he worked as a journalist, covering the crime beat. The skills he acquired in that career are evident in his novels, where the story is offered with great clarity and directness. I try to encourage members of my own team, which among other things deals with ministerial correspondence to follow the drafter’s ABC; accuracy, brevity and clarity, and it is clear that Connelly abides by the same rule.

Bosch is a well-crafted character. He has now featured in nearly thirty novels, during which he has aged in real time, which lends great verisimilitude to the stories. His motto is that, ‘Everyone counts, or nobody counts’, and this drives his keenness to investigate every crime that he can. Ballard is hewn from similar stock, and has clearly been influenced by Bosch during their few encounters in previous cases.

This si another very sound, and very welcome, addition to the Bosch canon. show less

Harry is pushing 70 now and from his exposure to radiation in "The Overlook" he has developed leukemia and so it is no wonder that at the start of Desert Star Harry is comtemplating his own swift demise, he has all the pills he might need lined up in a row, in front of him.....but a ringing doorbell and an offer from Renee Ballard sees Harry (at least temporarily) out chasing the historical bad guys.....the ones that got away. Every detective will have a list of the unsolved, cases that will always haunt them, cases that they were never able to solve and bring some form of peace to the families. The Gallagher family mum, dad and two children were brutally murdered and buried somewhere in the desert, Harry tells Renee that if he comes show more back to work the unsolved cases then he must have some personal time to find the killer of this family.....bringing some lasting peace not only to them but to one old tired ex detective.. In return Harry agrees to help Renee find a serial killer who operates years apart, and is much closer than either realize

I have always loved the writing of Michael Connelly and in particular the wonderful character that is Harry Bosch. His precarious house overlooking the city of angels, his love of jazz (always has me searching spotify :) and the relationship he enjoys with daughter Maddie. I enjoy the way Connelly stops and makes me think when he periodically reveals the philosopher in Harry....."He knew that almost everybody believed in something, holding a hope that there wasn't just an empty void at the end"......"Bosch turned off the screen and sat there thinking about how the truth was always manipulated by those in power"......
A wonderful story with a great antihero, he may be old but he still has the heart of a lion and hopefully his health will improve to bring a few remaining adventures to his adoring fans! show less

Retired detective and confirmed cynic Harry Bosch once again teams up with Renée Ballard, who is now the head of LAPD's Open-Unsolved Unit. Renée knocks on Harry's door and convinces him to work on cold cases as a volunteer. She lures him with the promise that he will have an opportunity to take a fresh look at the gruesome murder of the Gallaghers, a mother, father, and two children who were executed and buried in the California desert in 2013. Another horrific case involves sixteen-year-old Sarah Pearlman, the sister of City Councilman Jake Pearlman, who was stabbed and strangled in her home in 1994.

Bosch is no longer in top shape physically, but he is still an insightful, tenacious, and skilled investigator. Furthermore, Harry's show more knowledge of forensics and the criminal mind—as well as his decades of experience in the field—are invaluable assets. On the other hand, Renée is annoyed when Harry pursues leads on his own instead of working collaboratively with her team. Bosch leaves the office during the day without permission, and defies protocol by copying case files and taking them home. Soon, Harry lands in more hot water. He interviews a female witness in the Gallagher case who is offended by his insinuations, and he recklessly pursues suspects without backup.

Michael Connelly's "Desert Star" is crisply written, suspenseful, and absorbing. Seventy-year-old Bosch is an iconic, old-school cop who does not suffer fools gladly and is willing to do whatever it takes to nab a killer. The author educates us on the latest techniques in DNA technology and explains how genetics and genealogy are used to locate elusive felons. As an administrator, Renée has a less juicy role in this novel than Harry. She keeps the men and women in her unit focused on their assigned tasks, brainstorms with Bosch, spends some time in the field, and navigates bureaucratic obstacles. Meanwhile, Harry goes the extra mile to bring violent criminals to justice. Connelly jolts us with a startling revelation in the final pages that makes us wonder where this series is headed. show less

Retired detective and confirmed cynic Harry Bosch once again teams up with Renée Ballard, who is now the head of LAPD's Open-Unsolved Unit. Renée knocks on Harry's door and convinces him to work on cold cases as a volunteer. She lures him with the promise that he will have an opportunity to take a fresh look at the gruesome murder of the Gallaghers, a mother, father, and two children who were executed and buried in the California desert in 2013. Another horrific case involves sixteen-year-old Sarah Pearlman, the sister of City Councilman Jake Pearlman, who was stabbed and strangled in her home in 1994.

Bosch is no longer in top shape physically, but he is still an insightful, tenacious, and skilled investigator. Furthermore, Harry's show more knowledge of forensics and the criminal mind—as well as his decades of experience in the field—are invaluable assets. On the other hand, Renée is annoyed when Harry pursues leads on his own instead of working collaboratively with her team. Bosch leaves the office during the day without permission, and defies protocol by copying case files and taking them home. Soon, Harry lands in more hot water. He interviews a female witness in the Gallagher case who is offended by his insinuations, and he recklessly pursues suspects without backup.

Michael Connelly's "Desert Star" is crisply written, suspenseful, and absorbing. Seventy-year-old Bosch is an iconic, old-school cop who does not suffer fools gladly and is willing to do whatever it takes to nab a killer. The author educates us on the latest techniques in DNA technology and explains how genetics and genealogy are used to locate elusive felons. As an administrator, Renée has a less juicy role in this novel than Harry. She keeps the men and women in her unit focused on their assigned tasks, brainstorms with Bosch, spends some time in the field, and navigates bureaucratic obstacles. Meanwhile, Harry goes the extra mile to bring violent criminals to justice. Connelly jolts us with a startling revelation in the final pages that makes us wonder where this series is headed. show less

Like several of the recent Bosch books, this seemed like two novellas cobbled together to make a novel. They're good novellas, but it would be nice to have a plot that would actually make it a novel.