In The Shadows: The Dark Hours by Michael Connelly

The Dark Hours by Michael Connelly
Orion
Hardback publication 9 November 2021
Crime Fiction

LAPD Detective Renée Ballard and Harry Bosch team up to find justice for an innocent victim in the new thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Michael Connelly

There’s chaos in Hollywood on New Year’s Eve. Working her graveyard shift, LAPD Detective Renée Ballard seeks shelter at the end of the countdown to wait out the traditional rain of lead as hundreds of revelers shoot their guns into the air. As reports start to roll in of shattered windshields and other damage, Ballard is called to a scene where a hardworking auto shop owner has been fatally hit by a bullet in the middle of a crowded street party.

It doesn’t take long for Ballard to determine that the deadly bullet could not have fallen from the sky. Ballard’s investigation leads her to look into another unsolved murder—a case at one time worked by Detective Harry Bosch.

Ballard and Bosch team up once again to find out where the old and new cases intersect. All the while they must look over their shoulders. The killer who has stayed undetected for so long knows they are coming after him

Did I like the book? 

Yes 

Did I enjoy reading it?

Yes. No gory details, a strong and fast pace. It actually made me feel I was watching a cop tv show, and I love those!

Was it an easy read?

Yes, you don’t need to have read the previous books in the Ballard or Bosch series to get immersed. Connelly knows exactly how much information to feed his readers so they feel at ease with the protagonists and root for or against them!

What about the characters?

Meeting Ballard was a nice surprise. She’s a dog lover, a nice touch from the author, even though Ballard doesn’t need it. She doesn’t appear as a strong and hard woman with giant walls around her. Is she a one-dimension character? No, she lives a normal life and is swimming in the deep struggle our world is in. Bosch… I did like him. See, I tried watching the show and it was a total fail for me, so I was apprehensive about him being in this book but he did bring a little something to the story and his presence around Ballard was brought in an efficient way. 

What about the plot?

I found Connelly perfectly managed to insert the pandemic, current police issues, and topical crime in a tight and well-achieved plot. Mostly. Ballard ends up working two cases, a homicide and multiple rape cases. Only one of those really caught my interest and attention while the second felt a little sloppy to me. It was okay, but I would not have been satisfied had it been the only bone to gnaw. 

How would I describe it?

Fast. TV-show like (in a good way). 

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

You can grab your copy here: Amazon / Bookshop

I would like to thank Tracy Fenton at Compulsive Readers for inviting me to kick off this tour and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Advertisement