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Mar 27, 2018PimaLib_ChristineR rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Like other readers I noticed the similarity between Ballard and Bosch immediately. It feels somewhat like Connelly stripped down Bosch to his essence and then added in new hobbies and homes and called it a new character. Despite that... I still greatly enjoy Connelly's writing. He's said that his Bosch novels are supposed to happen in real time and he doesn't know how many more he can get out before Harry should finally retire for real, so I take Ballard as a happy replacement. I also think that there are things here that are different because Ballard is female. Ballard is working "The Late Show" because she brought a suit against a superior officer, and her partner of five years failed to back her up even though he knew the truth. Connelly does a good job of showing the "good ol' boy" attitude of many officers, without bringing into question the integrity they bring to the job. In fact, Ballard's confrontation of her ex-partner and the aftermath bring a huge dose of pathos to the novel, that could otherwise be a strict procedural. And that's Connelly's real gift is bringing a level of understanding to his characters that never paints them as black and white. A series I look forward to continuing.