"The Drop", by Michael Connelly

Book 15, in the Harry Bosch series

The novel opens with the aging Harry Bosch three years away from mandatory retirement working full time in the cold case squad with a new partner David Chu. In this latest installment Mr. Connelly has his protagonist eventually working two simultaneous investigations. The first, a cold case sex murder that lead to the discovery of a killer who operated in the city for three decades. The second is a politically charged investigation into the death of city councilman Irvin Irving’s son. Harry’s inquiries bring him back to a darker side of the police department when he and the councilman did not always see eye to eye. 

Mr. Connelly’s prolific mind provides each novel with fresh and entertaining plots, a feat he has managed for decades. His characters have aged with the times and taken on all of the appropriate age related attributes. As Harry nears sixty and fears retirement, we see how he handles cases with more determination and stubbornness… it must be the hormones….Mr. Connelly’s approach to a good mystery is to develop the first plot, gradually introduce the characters and just when things are about to explode he brings in a second plot to magnify and prologue the suspense. Even with the many twists and surprises that are somewhat predictable the drama is engaging and captivating till the very end. 

This series is one of my favourites and I often wonder what Mr. Connelly has up his sleeve for the future.