Book Review: "Dark Sacred Night" by Michael Connelly

Sometimes when an author who has written many books in a series introduces a new character, I worry that the effect may be kind of like when sitcoms of the past introduced a new, young character (e.g., Cousin Oliver in "The Brady Bunch"), and it essentially ruins the series.

When Michael Connelly introduced LAPD Detective Renée Ballard in last year's The Late Show (see my review), my fears were proven unfounded, because Ballard was such a complex, flawed, fascinating character (much like Harry Bosch), which made her the perfect addition to the world he had created. Still, I wondered whether Connelly would switch off between protagonists, ease back on the Bosch novels, or do something altogether different.

In his latest novel, Dark Sacred Night, Connelly pairs Bosch and Ballard together, although he lets them deal with their own challenges as well. The results are as electrifying as you'd imagine they'd be, and Connelly once again proves that, 31 books in, he is one of the most dynamic crime writers out there.

Ballard is working the night shift, otherwise known as the "late show," still struggling to be an outspoken female detective in a department that doesn't prize those who make ripples, particularly women. One night she finds a stranger rifling through old files—it turns out that stranger is retired detective Harry Bosch, who is looking for information that might finally help him crack a cold case he's working on in his spare time.

The more Ballard hears about the case, in which then-15-year-old Daisy Clayton, a runaway who wandered the streets of Hollywood, was found dead, her body bleached so as to not give up any clues, the more Ballard wants to see if she can help Bosch uncover the truth after so many years. The two share leads and theories, and chase many possibilities in search of Daisy's killer, although it seems unlikely after all this time that they'll be able to find closure.

Meanwhile, each has their own cases to deal with, and when the going gets tough (and dangerous), these outsiders discover that they can count on each other when they needed it most. But can Ballard look the other way when Bosch bends the rules so hard they break a bit?

This book was really a rollercoaster ride. Connelly took a little time to set things up, and then the plot takes off. There's a little bit of downtime, and then the momentum kicks into high gear. You wonder whether each case that Ballard or Bosch works on is somehow going to be the one that causes trouble, and you wonder whether they'll be able to solve Daisy's murder. But most importantly, you wonder how well these two forces will work together, given their independent streaks as well as their overall badass nature.

While it was great to have Ballard and Bosch together, and I hope that happens again, reading Dark Sacred Night reminded me just how terrific these characters are on their own, and once again demonstrated Connelly's talent for suspense, action, and character development. I lost track of the Bosch series a few years ago, but I definitely have to get back into it as I wait for Connelly's next book.

There are tons of crime writers out there, but Connelly is the real deal, and one of the best currently writing. You can read Dark Sacred Night even if you've never read any of his books—and I bet you'll be hooked!!