Review: A Darkness More Than Night

Terry McCaleb, the ex-FBI agent from Blood Work returns in this stunning novel. McCaleb is now retired and enjoying the quiet life with a wife and new baby girl, while captaining a charter fishing boat on weekends. Sheriffs detective Jaye Winston interrupts his new life with an unsolved murder she is getting nowhere with. McCaleb agrees to give the case a quick look but soon finds himself pulled into the tortured darkness of a killer likely to strike again. This is just the kind of case McCaleb used to thrive on as an FBI profiler. The evidence leads McCaleb to seek out Harry Bosch (from Connellys Police Procedural series) who is linked to the victim, Eddie Gunn. Bosch had unsuccessfully tried to bring Gunn to justice for the murder of a prostitute, and had been keeping tabs on him.

Bosch is busy with his own demons. He is currently involved in the trial of David Storey, a Los Angeles celebrity arrested for the murder of one young woman and thought to be the killer of another; staging both deaths to look like a sex game gone wrong. Bosch is determined to help the prosecution put Storey away for a long time. He is the arresting officer and best witness the Prosecution has. The case rests on his credibility. Storeys defence team is good, and he also has ex-cop Rudy Tafero on his investigative staff. They are pulling witnesses apart like bugs. Also back for a minor role is reporter Jack McEvoy (from The Poet) who is trying to get both stories written.

McCaleb and Bosch collide in this fast-paced novel that truly leads them into A Darkness More Than Night. What a brilliant concept bringing these two characters together and really testing them. The reader is given new insights into Bosch and McCaleb as we see them from each others point of view. Connellys quick dialogue and deep characters bring the reader a sense of being in the story, while at the same time making the reader question everything she thinks she knows about Bosch and McCaleb. This is truly Connelly at his best.

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Jaynie - Australia

Book Review: A Darkness More Than Night