Book 15, in the Harry Bosch series The novel opens with the aging Harry Bosch three years away from mandatory retirement working full time in the cold case squad with a new partner David Chu. In this latest installment Mr. Connelly has his protagonist eventually working two simultaneous investigations. The first, a cold case sex murder that lead to the discovery of a killer who operated in the city for three decades. The second is a politically charged investigation into the death of city councilman Irvin Irving’s son. Harry’s inquiries bring him back to a darker side of the police department when he and the councilman did not always see eye to eye. Mr. Connelly’s prolific mind provides each novel with fresh and entertaining plots, a feat he has managed for decades. His characters have aged with the times and taken on all of the appropriate age related attributes. As Harry nears sixty and fears retirement, we see how he handles cases with more determination and stubbornness… it must be the hormones….Mr. Connelly’s approach to a good mystery is to develop the first plot, gradually introduce the characters and just when things are about to explode he brings in a second plot to magnify and prologue the suspense. Even with the many twists and surprises that are somewhat predictable the drama is engaging and captivating till the very end. This series is one of my favourites and I often wonder what Mr. Connelly has up his sleeve for the future.

Harry Bosch is working in the Open-Unsolved (cold case) unit. He and his new partner Chu get a case from 1989 of rape and murder. The DNA matches a convicted rapist. However, there is a big wrinkle. This means the rapist committed the crime when he was eight years old. How could this be? At the same time they are requested to resolve a suicide/murder of a man falling from the balcony of a hotel. They have been asked for by the man's father, Councillor Irving. Yes, Irving as in Bosch's archenemy. Both cases are police procedural type and Bosch and Chu follow the leads and clues amidst the twists and turns the reader loves. Another great mystery times 2 from Connelly. Bosch is tiptoeing his way through fatherhood with a delightful daughter who wants to be just like Dad, a cop. On the romance front Bosch is trying but for me this fell real short and I say move on. I loved Bosch's interaction and tutoring of Chu. I hope this partner lasts a long time. Can't say I was all too happy with the resolution of one of the cases but sometimes things are not all rosy inside Bosch is set to retire in 2 years. OH NO!

Connelly has Bosch at his best in this one. I would have liked the Kiz connection to be a little more developed, however, no harm done. Connelly has two plots tangled into one which I do not particularily like. Having commented on the Kiz connection I did not like the ending, however a must read, for Connelly fans.