⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Renee Ballard, you’re my hero!
⏰ 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫: Renee Ballard is back on the job during the pandemic, wading through COVID, murder, and rapists (oh my). A former gang banger is shot on New Year’s Eve and Ballard rightfully suspects foul play, leading her to consult (TA-da!) Harry Bosch, the original investigator on a related case. Renee is teamed with a sex crimes detective who swims in the shallow “doesn’t give a crap” part of the police pool and winds up taking lead on finding some serial rapists. But Renee is learning yet again that the state of public service today is in shambles, just like our political culture, and she’s not sure she’s willing to fight much longer…
💡𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: This comes darn close to police drama perfection. I’ve read EVERY Connelly book, and yes I’m a fan, so I know that Connelly has extensive police procedure knowledge (how it REALLY goes down) and man, did he nail it during COVID/Protests/2021 – the year of crazy.
As a teacher, weirdly I related to this one – I’m also in a profession where people are leaving in droves and few are lining up to fill the vacancies. Relatively thankless jobs with long hours, pay that isn’t commiserate to experience OR education, and I’ve been pondering the, “WHY AM I DOING THIS?” too Renee. I’m lucky in that I’m at a school I like (hello students reading my review!) but it’s COVID and being high risk and a chronic illness warrior, losing my planning periods regularly to sub due to teacher shortages…. Ugh Renee… we are simpatico when it comes to career fatigue.
I found it so realistic, Renee Ballard’s tenacity and true love for her job – that hook (that keeps me teaching): I AM MAKING A DIFFERENCE. And Ballard no doubt does. She’s a good egg. A rare egg. Love that she is basically morphing into a female Bosch and Bosch is like Stetson cologne – a comfortable classic you recognize. I never tire of Bosch’s appearances, and his mentorship of Renee is perfection.
𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆𝗠𝗮𝗴𝘀.𝗰𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
📚𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Mystery/Police Mystery
😍𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨: Ohhhh definitely in my top 5 Connelly books. All the fans will love it.
🙅♀️ 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨: If you’re burned out on 2021 and can’t read another word about this sucky world.
Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Little, Brown and Co. for my advanced copy in exchange for my always-honest review and for helping me have an end-of-Breakfast-Club-John-Bender-fist-in-the-air moment.
