They say that I'm the kind of man who always speaks his mind: DESERT STAR.

Desert Star by Michael Connelly
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Harry Bosch and Renee Ballard agreed to go private together, but she backed out on him to take a gig in Robbery Homicide working cold cases. Bosch feels hurt, but when Ballard invites him to join the squad as a volunteer, he reluctantly agrees so he can work his "white whale" case: the Gallagher family, four members who were murdered and dumped in the desert in 2013. Bosch is convinced he knows who did it, but he's never been able to prove it. But first, Bosch and Ballard have to play politics and work on the cold case of Sarah Pearlman, the younger sister of Jake Pearlman, the councilman who helped stand the cold case unit back up.

This is a somber yet excellent entry in the Bosch and Ballard series. We see Ballard dealing with the politics and stress that comes with being the boss of the cold case unit--including handling Bosch, a lone wolf for life. Bosch is in a bad place and also determined to solve the Gallagher case, no matter what. The cold cases Connelly presents are all intricate and detailed (as always) with his usual research and police authenticity.

We are seeing Ballard mature as she attempts to branch out in her career, learning to work with different team members, politicians, and more. We also get to see a bit more of Maddie, Bosch's daughter. As always, Bosch is my favorite, no matter how grumpy or stubborn he may appear, and I'll love him forever. I'll be so lost when his role in Connelly's books ends.

This book certainly was a bit sad in places, but I loved the mysteries and the relationship between Ballard and Bosch. It's a great read, though I suggest at least reading the previous Bosch/Ballard books to understand how they interact (they're so good!). 4.5 stars.

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