The Late Show

By: Michael Connelly

Narrated by: Katherine Moennig

Length: 6 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

From New York Times best-selling author Michael Connelly, a new thriller introducing a driven young detective trying to prove herself in the LAPD.

Renée Ballard works the night shift in Hollywood, beginning many investigations but finishing none, as each morning she turns her cases over to day shift detectives. A once up-and-coming detective, she's been given this beat as punishment after filing a sexual harassment complaint against a supervisor.

But one night she catches two cases she doesn't want to part with: the brutal beating of a prostitute left for dead in a parking lot and the killing of a young woman in a nightclub shooting. Ballard is determined not to give up at dawn. Against orders and her own partner's wishes, she works both cases by day while maintaining her shift by night. As the cases entwine, they pull her closer to her own demons and the reason she won't give up her job, no matter what the department throws at her.

©2017 Hieronymus, Inc. (P)2017 Hachette Audio

The Late Show Introduces Det Renee Ballard

Great new character for Michael Connolly. Another action filled police drama with intricate twists and turns.
As a great fan of Detective Harry Bosch this was a good read .
Enjoyed the book but I must confess Harry is the best.

Worthy

This was a good distraction while crossing the US on a very full plane. Liked the story, liked the narrator. Give it a shot!

Loved it.

Excellent reading. Well done. Good mystery. I enjoyed it a lot. I recommend it to all fans of the author.

Great new character and Connelly at his time tested best

Renee Ballard is tough as nails and as vulnerable but impregnable as Harry Bosch. A welcome new opening for Connelly fans. Narrator is also great and gets far too little exposure on Ray Donovan.

Great story.

Good character development, loved all the details. Story somewhat predictable. Bad language plus taking the Lord’s name in vain. Sort of detracted from the flow and story.

Horrible Narration

I could hardly finish this book because poor narration made it impossible to distinguish one character from another, which rendered the book boring. I'm surprised Michael Connelly didn't veto releasing this audio version.

Great, great.... great!

Looking forward to many more. Complex, believable and gripping. All character development really well done.

Just not as good as a "Bosch" book

It wasn't terrible, but also definitely not up to the standard of his earlier writing.

Magnificent!

Hopefully the beginning of another great series!
can't wait to see what Renee will do next.

Abridged - Great Story!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I know most people wonder why I would choose to listen to an "abridged" version of the book, but I have always been more of a "plot" person rather than a "character" one. I found this story to be engaging, with plenty of twists and turns along the way (some of which were most uncomfortable). I could not really tell it was abridged until the end (it wrapped up fairly quickly). Still, I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a good mystery that focuses more on plot than characters (although there is plenty of character development in this version).

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes! The plot was always moving forward as the protagonist worked to solve not one, but four cases. There were several twists and turns, some of which I never saw coming. I definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys procedurals and mysteries - Connelly knows his stuff!

What does Katherine Moennig bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I read several reviews that criticized Moennig's narration, but I found it to be just fine. There is one scene in which two characters are speaking on the phone, and I was lost for a moment in that conversation. Other than that, her lack of using different voices for different characters was not a problem for me; I thoroughly enjoyed her performance. That said, narration is all about personal taste, so use the 5 minute sample as a way to test whether this narrator will work for you. Since I am male, and the main protagonist is female, Moennig's narration helped me better relate to the character than if I had simply read it myself.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I probably could, but a book like this is better enjoyed in several settings. This enables you to think about situations, conversations, and clues between listens; this will then help you to enjoy the book all the more. Bottom line, it would work either way.

Any additional comments?

I have read (not listened, but read) several Connelly novels in the past (all Bosch titles), and I have to say this really stacked up well with those readings; I am always impressed with how authentic or real Connelly's books feel (even though I have no experience in this world at all). Basically, I loved this new character and hope there are more books forthcoming.