Desert Star

By: Michael Connelly

Narrated by: Titus Welliver, Christine Lakin, Peter Giles

Length: 9 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

LAPD detective Renée Ballard and Harry Bosch team up to hunt the brutal killer who is Bosch’s “white whale”—a man responsible for the murder of an entire family.

A year has passed since LAPD detective Renée Ballard quit the force in the face of misogyny, demoralization, and endless red tape. But after the chief of police himself tells her she can write her own ticket within the department, Ballard takes back her badge, leaving “the Late Show” to rebuild and lead the cold case unit at the elite Robbery-Homicide Division.

For years, Harry Bosch has been working a case that haunts him—the murder of an entire family by a psychopath who still walks free. Ballard makes Bosch an offer: come volunteer as an investigator in her new Open-Unsolved Unit, and he can pursue his “white whale” with the resources of the LAPD behind him.

First priority for Ballard is to clear the unsolved rape and murder of a sixteen-year-old girl. The decades-old case is essential to the councilman who supported re-forming the unit, and who could shutter it again—the victim was his sister. When Ballard gets a “cold hit” connecting the killing to a similar crime, proving that a serial predator has been at work in the city for years, the political pressure has never been higher. To keep momentum going, she has to pull Bosch off his own investigation, the case that is the consummation of his lifelong mission.

The two must put aside old resentments and new tensions to run to ground not one but two dangerous killers who have operated with brash impunity. In what may be his most gripping and profoundly moving book yet, Michael Connelly shows once again why he has been dubbed “one of the greatest crime writers of all time” (Ryan Steck, Crimereads).

©2022 Michael Connelly (P)2022 Little, Brown & Company

Say it isn’t so Michael…

Once, when Harry was abducted by a street gang while he was simultaneously being pursued by the DA’s Office for possible evidence planting in a separate case, Maddie mistakenly thought he might have hid himself away in disgrace and possibly committed suicide. After he was safely recovered from the gang Harry told Maddie he would never do that to her.

I found it impossible to believe that he could write a goodby letter to Maddie and go through a daily ritual of getting out Fentanyl pills and deciding whether or not to go through with it and then sweeping the pills into a drawer for another day, especially since he was not yet in serious decline. That is so far out of character for Harry as to be beyond belief.

Harry would only consider this “end of watch” approach much further down the road if at all and never by surprising Maddie with a suicide letter for her to find after he took his own life.

Michael, if you feel you must one day be done with Harry, let Jim go out in a way he thinks fitting. Like Tyrone Power, he should be doing what he has believed his mission to be all his career, chasing a killer, making sure everybody counts or nobody counts.


The suicide set up at the opening of Desert Star saddened me and tainted the reading of the novel because I just couldn’t see Harry even considering the suicide path unless and until he was much closer to the end and he had had the talk with Maddie which he reports to Renee at the end of the novel. Some other person sure, but not Harry. Sorry…

Please don’t let Harry die!

I hope that in the next book he gets a bone marrow, transplant and goes into remission. I’m not ready for Harry Bosch to die.

Michael Connelly is THE BEST!!

Awesome, beginning to end…. Never a dull moment, can’t wait for the next one , thank you !!

Desert

I waited a long time for this one and my weight was rewarded I think this was one of the best of the Bosch series probably will be the last but this was absolutely a realistic story

Outstanding!!

Real good read..keeps guessing but focused on the storyline. The intrigue and suspense are on target. Didn't want anything to happen to the main characters especially Harry Bosch...simply outstanding!!

Reading

Loved the book keep up the writing and love the Bosch stories. I have now read all your books.

I can see a Mickey Haller book coming!!

One of the best Michael Connelly books. Hands down. Please listen to this book. Thank you.

Old Nanna

Enjoy all of Connelly’s books, but especially Harry Bosch books. I hope Connelly doesn’t kill Harry off. I want him well. I want Harry and Maddie to team up with Mickey and his daughter to run aa detective/legal service together. They could also include McPherson and Ballard.

The great Harry Bosch!

Connelly has done it again, another classic Bosch story! I only wish it had been 16 hours long instead of 9, loved the narration once again! Surprise ending Bosch fans!

Excellent!

Thank you Michael Connelly for doing it again! Another well written - edge of your seat story in the Bosch/Ballard legacy. Having Titus Welliver narrate added to the listening pleasure!