Desert Star: The Brand New Blockbuster Ballard & Bosch Thriller

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New York Times bestselling author Michael Connelly delivers another winner with his latest tag-team effort between longtime hero Harry Bosch and fan-favorite Renee Ballard, who work together when two cold cases suddenly heat up—offering Bosch a chance to finally take down a killer he’s been chasing for years.

The title “Desert Star” comes from a flower “undaunted by heat and cold” that Bosch compares to Ballard. But this flower’s penchant for being “relentless and resilient against . . . everything that wants to stop them” applies to them both. Bosch gets older, and you feel it, see it and experience it quite honestly through his movements/attitudes. In this episode Bosch is again partnered with Renée Ballard who drafts him into her newly reconstituted Open-Unsolved Unit as a volunteer investigator. This gives Bosch the opportunity to dig out an old case he investigated but didn’t close, that of a family of four who were ruthlessly killed and buried in the desert. But first he has to assist Ballard in chasing down leads on the murder of her sponsoring politician’s sister, who was murdered in the 90’s. Harry really wants to get on with his own investigation but understanding Ballard’s need to deliver a ‘win’ he reluctantly sets his pet case aside – for the time being at least. The plot has all the trademark precision Connelly always brings to his story telling, with every step feeling logical and ‘right’. But it’s a bumpy road all the same, with new leads hard to come by and a reliance on DNA technology and genealogy to give them at least something to work with.Now twelve months later Ballard has changed her mind after considering the personal offer she received from the chief of police, who offers her the opportunity choose any role she wants in the LA police department. That decision has led her to resurrect the same Open-Unsolved unit that Bosch used to be an integral part of. In addition, Ballard has reached out to Bosch and made him an unrefusable offer to join her team as a volunteer investigator. I think Connelly is the greatest detective fiction writer out there right now. It’s the consistency; I’ve never been disappointed with one of his books. You’d think when he releases books at such a rate that there’d be a drop in quality - but his levels never dip. The crimes often reflect our changing world, and he’ll usually find a fresh twist.

Harry and Renee pull into a real estate office, and Harry remembers that it used to be a jewelry store and he was involved in a case where two brothers were murdered there by "bent cops". That was The Crossing. There are many things I love about Connelly’s writing, but the key to what always gets me, are his characters – the way he matures them.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.

The whole book has a tired feel to it. MC might be interested only in the TV series, but he should know that there are some book lovers who don't watch TV and OTT (like me!). Connelly also continues to build on Ballard’s and Bosch’s unique working-relationship. Although still a bit rough in the personalities, their common bonds that bind them – being outsiders, extremely stubborn, and refusing to obey structured rules and policies – is what makes the partnership really work for me. Even with the contrasting differences in their ages and points in life, Ballard is a close reflection of what Harry was earlier in his career – rebellious, angry, and inflexible. However, Harry is a generation older than her, gained wisdom through his tough experiences, and become more of a mentor for other detectives. I especially like that Harry is training and influencing Renee Ballard because he sees a lot of himself in her. By mellowing out later in life (as well as being physically challenged), Harry’s able to help develop the next generation of law enforcement. I love seeing him pay it forward. 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.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. 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.” Harry gets the chance to do just that when his former partner, Detective Renée Ballard, offers him a volunteer position in her new Open-Unsolved Unit (cold case squad). 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. Michael Connelly decided to become a writer after discovering the books of Raymond Chandler while attending the University of Florida. Once he decided on this direction he chose a major in journalism and a minor in creative writing — a curriculum in which one of his teachers was novelist Harry Crews.

I love the direction that these books are going, giving Harry a new burst of life after his decision to quit the force. His daughter Maddie is growing up and has her own life in the police force and he is immensely proud of her. We also hear from another Bosch universe favourite which was a nice touch. I was put off in the beginning, when Renee has been talking to Bosch in her office, introduces him to their colleagues and THEN, belatedly realizes that he has shaved off his moustache! The squad is being sponsored by Los Angeles Councilman Jake Pearlman, who hopes the cold case detectives will solve the rape and murder of his 16-year-old sister Sarah in 1994. Renée entices Bosch to join the cold case squad by promising he can investigate the Gallagher homicides, but she expects Harry to look into Sarah's rape and murder as well.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. Adding a little more depth and interest to things is the continued inclusion of Renee Ballard who acts as a voice of reason, sounding board and loyal believer with enough faith in him to put up with Bosch’s tendency to go off-piste. Dwyer Murphy (“An Honest Living”) will be among the authors at the Miami Book Fair, miamibookfair.com. Murphy and Jason Rekulak (“Hidden Pictures”) will be in conversation with Gio Gutierrez, curator of The Booze and Books Club, an experiential social group for readers, at 4 p.m. Nov. 20 at the Miami Dade College / Wolfson Campus, 300 NE Second Ave., Miami, Building 8, Third Floor, Room 8302. Michael Connelly’s continues the partnership of Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch and Renee’ Ballard, two of our favorite law enforcement officers. It has been a year since their last outing, “The Dark Hours” which ended with detective Ballard quitting the police force in an act of rebellion against the old boy’s political network and blatant sexism. Kudos, Mr. Connelly, for another stellar piece. Keep them coming, as I know many who love this series in all its forms.