Oh, Harry Bosch is back! I started Michael Connelly's latest book in the series (#18) - The Black Box - and I tried really, really hard to make it last.....but it was no use.....I finished it in a day. I literally couldn't put it down. Harry is still with the Open-Unsolved Unit of the LAPD. It's the 20th anniversary of the L.A. riots and the Unit has been asked to try and clear some cases from that time period. Harry knows the case he wants to re examine. He worked the streets during that turmoil and was there when Anneke Jespersen's body was found in an alley. The murder of the young journalist was never solved. "In the chaos of the moment, the mission was simple; preserve the evidence, document the scene as well and as fast as possible, and collect the dead. Get in and get out. And do it safely. The real investigation would come later. Maybe." Well, that time is now. With today's capabilities in forensic science, Harry makes a discovery - bullets at the Jespersen scene match other crime scenes - committed after her murder. And Harry is on the trail. "Twenty years later, he got another shot at it. And it was a very long shot at that." What he also has is a new lieutenant - one determined to put Harry in his place. This is Harry at his best, under the gun from superiors, eschewing the politicos, running solo, making connections others don't see and pursuing his cases full out. Justice for the victim is his focus. I have such a vivid mental image of Harry as I read - he is one of my favourite detectives. As always, the plotting was intricate. I enjoyed solving the crime along with Harry as he pieced together his case from tenuous leads, intuition and dogged determination. Connelly has given us the softer side of Harry in the last few books with the addition of his daughter Maddie. While I enjoy Harry having a personal life and storyline, I'm still on the fence about Maddie. But not about the new love interest Hannah - she's got to go. I'm curious as to whether a new female cop introduced in this book will return in future stories. Initially I thought she was just a supporting character, but played a bigger role than I imagined. As always, another great read from Connelly. The downside - we'll have to wait another year for his next book - The Gods of Guilt. "The saying is that law enforcement work is ninety-nine per-cent boredom and one percent adrenaline - screaming high intensity moments of life -and- death consequence." The Black Box? One hundred percent recommended

The Black Box is a smart read, a journey into a seemingly unsolvable cold case that unfolds layer by layer into an ending of gripping suspense. Harry Bosch is one of those characters who is easy to connect with, certainly not a perfect hero but one with flaws like you and I, yet offering much to admire in his drive to uncover the truth and bring closure to families who have been impacted by tragedies. In between the focus on the police case, the reader catches scenes of his home life, and it is clear he is a father who does his best to put his daughter first as much as possible, and I really respect that in a character and the example that this sets. Beyond the first explosive scene, much of the story is spent sifting through the past in trying to solve the case, and therefore it took me some time to feel a strong momentum in the book's pacing. Nevertheless, the author throws in some twists and turns as well as some often hilarious tension with Harry's boss O'Toole, adding some excellent drama to the book. Overall, this is a book that was thoroughly entertaining, and as I was drawn further into the story, I found it harder and harder to put the book down and step back into the real world. I really enjoyed the last few chapters as the truth of a conspiracy is revealed, and the conclusion is well done. Readers who have enjoyed previous books by Michael Connelly should plan on picking up this latest offering, and will no doubt be pleased they did. 4 out of 5 stars. Book has been provided courtesy of the publisher, Hachette Book Group (Little, Brown and Company), for the purposes of this unbiased review.