jjares reviewed on 5/6/2020 + 3413 more book reviews

This book is a "3-for" title, meaning that Michael Connelly calls in three of his four protagonists to participate in this story: LAPD Detective Harry Bosch, ex-FBI profiler Terry McCaleb, and reporter Jack McEvoy. Frankly, I've started this story more than once and couldn't get into it. Perhaps it is because is 80 pages before Bosch arrives on the scene.

The plot seems rather common: A movie director is in court, fighting the murder charge of killing a Hollywood starlet. Harry Bosch is the star witness in the trial because he was the arresting officer in the case. However, it doesn't take long for the simple plot to evolve into a psychological thriller.

Terry McCaleb, a retired FBI profiler, is asked by a former colleague to look over the murder book because they are stranded. They ask because Terry excels at finding clues in cases that don't seem to have any clues. Terry delves into the ritualistic killing and finds clues that are unsettling. They bring him to Harry Bosch and Terry has to grapple with his belief that Harry is an honest cop vs. the clues that seem to tie Harry with the murder.

The difficulty I had with this book is when Harry verbally attacks Terry, forcing him to look again at the assumptions he's already shared with the FBI. This is a much more complex case than the reader thought while entering the story. However, in the end, the author pulls off a masterful plot device that is very satisfying.

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