Terry McCaleb has a new life on Catalina Island, with a house on the hill and his boat in the marina. New heart, new wife, new baby. Life is good. Yet, when an old colleague (Jaye Winston) comes calling for his skill as a former FBI profiler, McCaleb is immediately smitten by the lure of his past life and a return to the darkness.
The murder under investigation is particularly violent and gruesome. The victim, Edward Gunn, had been implicated in a murder six years earlier, but was never charged by the LAPD and the case was reluctantly dropped. The lead investigator had been Harry Bosch.

Immediately the story conjures up the potential clash of two titans of the justice system chronicled by Connelly and the author skilfully sets the scene for his most tenacious predators …”The cool air of the shark grey dawn…”.

In the courthouse, McCaleb also bumps into journalist Jack McEvoy in a passing nod to another of the author’s stable of well-known characters, but as the big beasts circle each other, it’s clear that’s where the action will be. Bosch makes no bones about his assessment of Gunn as a scumbag and retains a sense of being deprived of the opportunity to sweat the guy (due to Bosch shoving the intervening Lieutenant through his office window and getting himself suspended). But, for fans of the Bosch series, this interlinking of books and characters is fascinating and offers real depth to a pool of work that continues to deepen, though the respective novels can also stand alone. I am continuing to wade through them in published order and in this seventh novel featuring Bosch, the perspective of former agent McCaleb enables the author to really plumb the shadowy world that the two men choose to infiltrate. Still, when McCaleb identifies a tentative connection, or coincidence, potentially linking Bosch to Gunn’s murder, the two men would appear to be on a collision course. Moreover, the implied threat to Bosch’s integrity and reputation risks undermining his current murder prosecution.

The main tenet of the book is pondered by McCaleb. “You don’t go into the darkness without the darkness going into you.” and this is surely the point for the reader. McCaleb and Bosch are both hardened lawmen, perhaps even desensitised by their lengthy exposure to evil, but their mutual hankering for an almost gladiatorial lifestyle should be as much a cause for concern as a relief. Society perhaps needs such ‘soldiers’, but must also continue to demand that ‘ends’ are indeed through justifiable ‘means’.

Michael Connelly is a master of intrigue and this book is certainly thrilling, as it casts a light on two compelling characters that choose to work in the shadows.Another excellent example of why the author is among the best in his chosen genre.

Honestly I feel like I read this story somewhere else before. I just didn't find it that interesting and the story had a ridiculous coincidence in order to make the whole thing work. I always liked the idea that Harry made sure that every murder victim had their day, or tried to give them their day. Everyone counts, or no one counts as this character liked to say. That said, this just felt like a weird segue into the world of Harry Bosch.

"Switchblade" has Harry working cold cases. A young boy was found murdered in LA and it looks like a man that is already in jail for murder may have been the perpetrator. Harry interviews the suspect and does what he can to get the DA to file charges. However, Harry puts a link together and realizes that there is another way to make sure the murdered young man is finally given justice. 

I wonder if the story could have worked more if we had Harry bouncing ideas of of someone. Besides the perpetrator, we just have Harry also interacting with one of the women who works in the office and the DA. It just fell a bit flat in the end. 

This short story collection was not as satisfying to me as the last one I read. I think that's because the first story dragged, the second one was pretty horrifying and very good and then the last story didn't make a lot of sense to me. The ending didn't work for me either.

"Christmas Even" (3.5 stars)-We have Harry investigating a burglary that ended up a homicide. A pawnbroker finds a dead body in his store when he opens it. This leads Harry and his partner, Jerry Edgar trying to figure out what happened. This all takes place the day on Christmas Eve which of course has everyone wanting to smack Harry since they just want to wrap the case up and head home. Throw in some jazz and the story was all over the place I thought. We also get some insight into why Harry likes jazz and look, I can't help it, I don't like jazz music. I have tried. I don't get it and Harry's love of it was always one of the most puzzling things about the character to me. 

"Father's Day" (4.5 stars)-A young boy is found dead in his father's overheated car. Harry's partner Ignacio thinks that no matter what the father is liable for the death. However, once Harry starts digging her realizes that something else went on and we get a dark look at parenting in this one. There's a mention of a character from one of Connelly's other series so that was fun to read, but honestly this one wasn't that hard to figure out. 

"Angle of Investigation (3.5 stars)-Harry is now working cold cases and goes back to one of his first cases where he finds a woman and her dog murdered in her bathtub. The case leads back a surprising person. I just have to call BS though on the resolution in this one. I really think that the story could have been set up a bit better. I also found myself getting annoyed with Harry in this one. He's paired with Kiz in this one and I find myself not missing this character. 

What a great short story by Connelly! I had no idea that he even wrote some stand alone stories starring Harry Bosch. This one was great and we even get some interaction with a character familiar to longstanding readers, Rachel Walling. 

"Blue on Black" is a short story between Connelly's "Nine Dragons" and "The Drop." Harry thinks that a man that they have been following, named Denniger is responsible for two young women who are missing. Harry asks FBI agent Rachel Walling to look at what he has so far in order to help him figure out if Denniger is their man.

I liked how the story came together and the role that Rachel plays with things. Connelly is able to evoke so much emotion in this story with Harry wanting to make sure that the two young men have someone that stands for them. I know a lot of people complained this was too short, but to me I thought it was pitch perfect. It made me want to go back and re-read the Harry Bosch series. 

I reread this one b/c the new season of Bosch incorporates this book and I remembered literally nothing of it from my earlier read.

Now I know why. If this isn't the weakest entry in the Bosch series, it must be close. The ending is so rushed that this feels like barely more than a novella. 

Connelly can do - and has done - so much better. Weak.