The Night Fire
Ratings36
Average rating4.2
Harry Bosch and LAPD Detective Renee Ballard come together again on the murder case that obsessed Bosch's mentor, the man who trained him---new from #1 New York Times bestselling author Michael Connelly Back when Harry Bosch was just a rookie homicide detective, he had an inspiring mentor who taught him to take the work personally and light the fire of relentlessness for every case. Now that mentor, J.J. Thompson, is dead, but after his funeral his widow hands Bosch a murder book that Thompson took with him when he left the LAPD 20 years before -- the unsolved killing of a troubled young man in an alley used for drug deals. Bosch brings the murder book to Renée Ballard and asks her to help him find what about the case lit Thompson's fire all those years ago. That will be their starting point. The bond between Bosch and Ballard tightens as they become a formidable investigation team. And they soon arrive at a worrying question: Did Thompson steal the murder book to work the case in retirement, or to make sure it never got solved?
Series
Series
25 primary books29 released books#22 in Harry Bosch
Harry Bosch is a 29-book series with 25 primary works first released in 1992 with contributions by Michael Connelly.
Series
6 primary books#3 in Renée Ballard
Renée Ballard is a 6-book series with 6 primary works first released in 2017 with contributions by Michael Connelly.
Series
39 primary books47 released books#32 in Harry Bosch Universe
Harry Bosch Universe is a 47-book series with 39 primary works first released in 1992 with contributions by Michael Connelly.
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This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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...I'm not sure how much I can be involved.”
“You're dumping this case on me. You changed my radio station and dumped the case on me.”
“No, I want to help and I will help. John Jack mentored me. He taught me the rule, you know?”
“What rule?”
“To take every case personally.”
“What?”
“Take every case personally and you get angry. It builds a fire. It gives you the edge you need to go the distance every time out.”
Ballard thought about that. She understood what he was saying but knew it was a dangerous way to live and work.
“He said ‘every case'?” she asked.
“‘Every case,'” Bosch said.
The Night Fire
Dark Sacred Night
That Moment
How
The Night Fire
I write a lot of 5 Star reviews because I find a lot of good in many disparate titles, but I think with Michael Connelly, there was only one book I didn't find excellent, Fair Warning, and one I put down before I could get into, The Black Ice. While I read all of Fair Warning, and liked the Jack McAvoy character, it was too episodic for me, with the point of view changing too often. The Black Ice was probably just too deep for me, so I'll definitely want to give it another go later. In The Night Fire, there is episodic shuttling back and forth, but only between Bosch and Ballard, who gel perfectly in this tale and others. I think Connelly really hit this one on the head, but again, I've read about ten of his books, and each one seems better than the last. It's rare that a narrative can keep my interest throughout my days and nights of busyness, but Connelly knows how to nab a thread and drive it to the core. The Night fire is a perfect seaming of two great characters. Did it have a few too many F-Bombs? For me, yes, but other than that, I think it scores an A+
