I have loved the Bosch series by Michael Connelly and so when he introduced a new character, Renee Ballard, I was a bit hesitant. Why mess with a good thing? But my curiosity got the best of me and soon I read the first one and then the second and then the third and now I am hooked!

In The Late Show we are introduced to Renee Ballard who is stuck on the nightshift in Hollywood. She was a rising star in the LAPD until she filed a sexual harassment suit against her supervisor and so as punishment she was given this beat. The hierarchy expected her to quit, but Renee won’t give them the satisfaction and so she does her job, every night and then passes her cases onto the day shift who will inevtabley solve them and get the credit. That is until she catches two cases where women are victims. The first was the beating of a prostitute left for dead in a parking lot and the second a shooting in a night club which killed a young woman. Disregarding her partners advice and against orders from her superior, Ballard doggedly pursues the evidence until she can bring justice to these two women, who like her, were treated as if they did not matter.

In Dark Sacred Night, Renee Ballard finds a stranger rifling through the old case file drawers in the Hollywood Station. It is Harry Bosch. He explains that he is working the cold case of a young fifteen year old girl who was found brutally murdered in a dumpster and Bosch needed access to the old case files. Explaining that it is against regulations to let him review the files she makes him leave, but her curiosity gets the bettor of her and she pull the files, reads them and finds herself wanting to help Bosch solve this case. Combining forces, Ballard and Bosch begin to trace Daisy’s movements and as they get closer to solving the case the trust between them is tested in ways neither of them could have anticipated.

In The Night Fire Bosch attends the funeral of his mentor, John Thompson. His widow hands Bosh a package containing the murder book of an unsolved killing of an erratic young man some twenty year before. Bosch realizes he needs some help on this case and asks Ballard if she will help him solve the case and figure out why his mentor had held onto it for so long. Ballard agrees but soon realizes that there are some serious deficiencies in the initial investigation. As she and Bosch trade information and follow the evidence they begin to wonder whether Thompson had kept the murder book to  cover it up, or to try and solve it. As they get closer to answering that question and solving the case, Bosch and Ballard’s form an intense bond and a common understanding that justice is worth fighting for no matter the cost.

I highly recommend these books! Although Ballard and Bosch’ relationship is sometimes frosty and prickly, there is some really great chemistry between them. Connelly is dealing with that age old dilemma of how to deal with a character who is growing older and aging out. In this case, Connelly shows us that teaming up with another character is one way to solve that dilemma and as result he can create an even stronger and more satisfying story line. Fast paced and riveting these books will keep you reading long passed your bedtime!

Brenda’s Rating ****(4 out of 5 Stars)

Recommend these books to: Marian, Sharon and Keith

Book Study Worthy? sure

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