Two cops, two cases, one burning desire for justice.
Harry Bosch is back – and he’s teaming up with Renee Ballard again (the Graveyard Shift detective who first appeared in Connelly’s The Late Shift and first teamed up with Bosch in Dark Sacred Night).
With the death of his mentor, John Jack Thompson, Harry is handed the opportunity to investigate a cold case – something that keeps his skills honed – which was left for him as a parting gift. At the same time, Renee Ballard is investigating the suspicious death of a homeless man, burned beyond recognition. These two cases form the basis for the title.
The Night Fire is a two-fold entity: it’s the case that Ballard is pursuing, due to the timing of its occurrence and, for Bosch, it’s that desire to pursue, capture and prosecute the true criminal in any case, regardless. The ‘night fire’ is that burning passion that keeps you awake at night, long after the case has gone cold. Together and separately, the crime-obsessive outcasts pursue their cases. Contact is maintained, both in person and by phone, until the final resolution of their individual pursuits show their true cross purposes.
Into the mix is a cameo appearance by Harry’s half-brother, the legendary Lincoln Lawyer himself, Mickey Haller, who throws Harry an investigation after clearing another case of his plate. This third case also finds its way into the mix, pitting retired Harry against his old department.
The Night Fireis a structured read, with Ballard and Bosch-focused sections and, ultimately, a conjoined conclusion. It blends itself together like the three disparate cases the pair pursue. One can forgive Connelly for his formulaic, multi-stringed bow which (almost) neatly ties itself up in the end, simply because he’s a master of the art of storytelling. His characters, particularly Harry Bosch, are genuine, likeable people; his plots are not overly complicated; and he has interweaved all his previous novels into a captivating world.
Connelly has advised that his 2020 releases will be Jack McEvoy (The Poet, The Scarecrow) and Mickey Haller novels, giving Harry Bosch a well-deserved break (though I expect we may see Harry in Mickey’s novel). Before they arrive, let your own Night Fire burn and spend time with Bosch and Ballard.
Reviewed by Glen Christie
Distributed by: Allen & Unwin
Released: October 2019
RRP: $32.99
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