Book Review: Lost Light

Reviewed By: Ruth Jordan - RAM

Lost Light     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Michael Connelly
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Police Procedural
Series: Harry Bosch # 9
April 2003, Little Brown, 368 pages/ $ 25.95

When a favorite character in mystery starts down a different path can the series still work? If the character is Harry Bosch and the author is Michael Connelly the answer is yes.

At the end of CITY OF BONES Harry Bosch was turning in his badge. At the beginning of LOST LIGHT he hasn’t changed his mind. Ambivalent about what to do post police Harry has half-heartedly gotten his private ticket just in case and is whole heartedly taking Jazz lessons from a master of the craft. Then comes a phone call. .”Does the Angella Benton case ever haunt you?” The answer is of course yes. Cold cases do that for a cop and Harry will always be a cop.

Harry dusts off his old files and takes another look. What happens afterwards is Connelly at the top of his form. How lucky we are to be along for the ride! Pounding the pavement, establishing the time line, sifting through false leads in a case where many of the players are either dead or unknown, Bosch is about to discover that even by following the money you can mislead and sometimes end up in rather harrowing places. The characters are as always too well written for a one shot guest appearance. There’s a culminating action scene that is amongst the best I’ve ever read. And there’s a surprise at the end for long time readers. Written in the first person with a love of and skill for prose matched by few in our favorite genre I will follow these two men anywhere.

Ruth Jordan - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Ruth Jordan - RAM