Desert Star: The Brand New Blockbuster Ballard & Bosch Thriller

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Foreshadowing: There's bits of foreshadowing of the ending. Harry says he shaved his mustache because "it was turning white" even though Renee knows it had been white for some time. Other characters make comments about how he isn't looking well. Colleen the supposed psychic observes a "dark aura" around Bosch, something he mentions at the end when telling Renee the truth about his terminal cancer. This turns out to be the case, and even more notably, points to a serial killer. These revelations yield fresh clues, and Harry and Renée's continuing inquiries hone in on a surprising murderer. Stars: Michael Connelly always keeps readers current on law enforcement technology. In this one, I learned that there are palm prints in the forensic data bases. The data is limited, but it’s a thing. 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. Ehhh. Renee didn’t read like herself at all. She’s in essence a boss in this one, and honestly at times not a good one. She seems to need Harry involved with everything and I was like have you met him? One even wonders why she was so gung-ho on having him included. We get to know some of the other volunteers in the unit and I can’t say too much about any of them except for two of the characters because they were essential to the plot. One of them (Hatteras) got on my nerves. I wanted more personal detail from Renee, where was she living, how was this new unit seen by her former lieutenant, and partner from the last book. She was like persona non grata with the last book and the whole thing just got skipped over.

Of course, when it comes to cold cases, there's no better man than Harry Bosch, he of the 'Everybody counts or nobody counts' mantra. Ballard has had these very words printed above the door in the unit, which she points out to Harry when she's showing him around. Because of course, Ballard needs him in the unit, as she knows his skills as an investigator. He's there voluntarily, but Harry is driven by a desire for justice, not financial gain. He's also haunted by what the calls the 'library of lost souls' - row after row of files containing unsolved murder cases. I am sorry, Mike Connelly fans. This review is going to be harsh. In my defense, I too am a fan of Michael Connelly. (notice the present tense?) In this 24th book in the 'Harry Bosch' series, Detective Bosch and his sometimes partner Detective Renée Ballard look into cold cases. The book would be best enjoyed by readers familiar with the series. Ballard and Bosch will be forced to face new tensions, old resentments, and personal secrets that will drive Bosch to behave in ways that she never would have expected from him in the pursuit of two psycho killers that could create incredible political fallout and destroy both of their law enforcement careers. Ballard tells Bosch that part of the price of working on the Gallagher case is investigating the Sarah Perlman case. Sarah Pearlman was a 16-year-old girl murdered in her home in 1994. Her brother, Jake Pearlman, is now a Los Angeles city councilman, and Jake is responsible for the Open-Unsolved unit being reopened in the first place. Renee tells Harry that he has to put the Pearlman case ahead of his own.Renee has returned to the LAPD, and been given the lead to head up a cold case unit primarily staffed with volunteers. A local politician has been instrumental in getting funding for the unit. He has a personal reason, wanting the cold case of his sister to finally be solved. Renee taps Harry to work in the unit. He’s got his own agenda, wanting to be able to finally solve his personal white whale, the unsolved case of a murdered family of four. Desert Star is a 2022 novel by Michael Connelly. It is the fifth novel to feature Connelly's newest protagonist, LAPD detective Renee Ballard, and the 24th to feature his oldest protagonist, retired LAPD detective Harry Bosch. There have been cases that Bosch has continued to work on, but none of them have haunted him as much as the brutal murders of the Gallagher family members – dad, mom, and two children – which has turned into his personal “white whale” hunt for justice. Earlier in his career, Bosch was sure he had the killer caught and while building his case, the suspect fled into hiding. Harry was never ever able to get enough evidence to charge and chase after the man he is positive committed the murders. No, that’s why I’m here. The tenth floor agreed: one sworn officer—me—and the rest of the unit composed of reserves and volunteers and contract players. I didn’t come up with the idea. Other departments have been using the same model for a few years and they’re clearing cases. It’s a good model. In fact, it was your work for San Fernando that made me think of it.” Renée Ballard stood on the front step. Bosch had not seen her in almost a year. She looked thinner than he remembered. He could see where her blazer had bunched over her sidearm on her hip.

About this time every year I get a little excited knowing there's likely to be a new book from Michael Connelly. This year has not disappointed - we have a new Bosch/Ballard book - Desert Star.Renée Ballard and Harry Bosch are reunited in this story when Renée asks Harry to join her in the newly reformed cold case unit where she is in charge. If Harry will join he can work a cold case that has been his white whale and have LAPD resources. A nice bone to toss his way since he is retired. I'm glad I've been with Harry Bosch the whole way through this mystery thriller series, (I think there's been 24 in all) and he's my favourite investigator in crime fiction and it's always a pleasure to catch up with him. The ending in this is particularly moving, and I won't say more than that. Ballard has taken on the task of re-opening the cold case team, using volunteers. Her first ask is Harry and the first talk is finding out who murdered a councilmans sister. Harry, who always marching to his own drum, has his own white whale of a case, that of a whole family murdered. Both Ballard and Bosch are rule breakers, using what they can to solve cases, giving justice to the murdered and their families. Retired Los Angeles police detective Harry Bosch, now seventy-years-old, likes to listen to jazz, schmooze with his police detective daughter, and mull over haunting cold cases, like the brutal murder of the Gallagher family. Bosch studies the murder books associated with Sarah Pearlman and suggests that, with modern technology, the palm print of Sarah's killer may yield DNA.

Last I heard, the Open-Unsolved Unit was canceled. Disbanded because it wasn’t as important as putting uniforms on the street.”And as I sit here pondering this review I wonder if this book would carry the same emotion for a reader just starting out, reading this one without reading all the others first. Without knowing Bosch this book might come off as shadow that continues to darken to the very end. Remember the New Guy?: One might think that the Gallagher Family case, Bosch's "white whale", would have mentioned a merit in The Burning Room, especially since Bosch's forcible retirement at the end of that book meant that he wasn't going to close it. And so you want me on this…squad, or whatever you’re calling it. I can’t be a reserve. I wouldn’t pass the physical. Run a mile in under six minutes? Forget it.” I need to show results. Show them how wrong they were to disband the unit. The Gallagher case is going to take some work—six books to review, no DNA or fingerprint evidence that is known. It’s a shoe-leather case, and I’m fine with that, but I need to clear some cases to justify the unit and keep it going so you can work a six-book case. Will that be a problem?”