I am w big fan of Michael Connolly and this new novel with Harry Bosch is excellent. The writing is as good as ever and the pairing with a younger female cop works well. The plot is fast paced and I would overall recommend it.

Dark Sacred Night by Michael Connelly a five-star read that won’t let you go. I have been a long-time fan of this author and a huge fan of the Harry Bosch series but I will admit I haven’t read the last few as they seemed to veer of, I was apprehensive of reading this and I am glad I did as this was a compelling and creepy in the best way possible. It gave me Goosebumps as I sat reading it in the dark in bed. With two masterful detectives this could have been a clash of the egos but they seemed to complement each other in the end and fire off each other. This series has so much going for it and you can see the bones are great, I will say one thing you will learn lessons from this book, number one, always feed your cat. (When you read the story, you will know what I mean). Special mention to Detective Renee Ballard as she is a character who will show you the error of your ways in every sense.

Michael Connelly fans are in for a treat this October as Harry Bosch and Renée Ballard join forces for the very first time to close a cold case and bring the killer of a teenage girl to justice. Bosch and Ballard have real chemistry and make for a really winning combination, ensuring a hugely entertaining, tense and thrilling police procedural.

A great book with lots of twists and cliff hangers, be prepared to be enthralled into this plot and not able to put the book down!

I haven’t read the complete Bosch series prior to this, though enjoying working through them, but the opportunity to read and review Dark Sacred Night was to good to miss. Bosch is working a cold case, sharing his place with the victims mother, alienating his daughter and along the way crosses paths with Detective Renee Ballard which sees Bosch almost play nicely as they assist one another in past and present cases. Up to the usual high Michael Connelly standard but adding the twist of a more comprehensive partnership. With a tad older but still laconic Bosch it was as good a read as any in the series I have read so far and look forward to following this partnership develop.

**4.5 STARS**

Night shift detective Renée Ballard is writing a report in the wee small hours of the morning concerning a woman found dead in the bathtub, when she notices a stranger going through the filing cabinets across the other side of the office. The man appears intent on finding something, and in his eagerness to discover whatever it is he’s looking for, he clearly hasn’t seen Renée watching him! After throwing him out, she discovers that it’s detective Harry Bosch who you used to work out of that very station. Bosch lies about what he was searching for but Renée is onto him and soon finds out what he was really up to, and she wants in on it, so the two of them join forces to investigate the murder some years previously of teenager Daisy Clayton.

In a brilliantly understated introduction, Michael Connelly brings together two seriously good detectives. Ballard still has her own cases to work though, and these run alongside another cold case of Bosch’s - the assassination of a Latino gang leader over a decade ago.

There’s no question that there’s a master storyteller at work here, the cases under examination exhibit just how intense and knowledgeable the police procedural aspect of Connelly’s books are - the pace is relentless, breathtakingly so at times, and the characters are so well defined that it’s not difficult to imagine that you know them personally. I would love to see this partnership continue into the next book and hope that Mr Connelly is thinking along the same lines! Highly recommended.

* Thank you to Netgalley and Orion Publishing for my ARC. I have given an honest unbiased review in exchange *

My thanks to Orion for an ARC of this excellent police procedural via NetGalley.

I read ‘The Late Show’ just prior to this one as it introduces Detective Renee Ballard and sets the stage for this new partnership between Ballard and Connelly’s long running Detective Harry Bosch. Clearly a winning combination.

I loved it. Clearly Connelly has access to police consultants and therefore able to ground his novels in actual procedures giving them an authentic feel. I found it combined methodical investigation with edge-of-the-seat thrills in a good proportion.

I certainly plan on keeping an eye out for future titles in the series as well as going back to read earlier Bosch titles.

Exciting tale with two of this author's characters coming together on a cold case investigation. Cleverly using current cases with the old keep the story barrelling along with plenty of action along the way. All the threads come together in an extended denouement that leaves open further adventures to look forward to!

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this amazing book

this was my first michael connelly book but its not going to be my last

ballard and bosch...their first story together...ballard is a cop who doesnt take any prisoners...so when she is sexually harrassed by a work mate she puts a complaint in...but she get moved to the nightshift...and nothing happens to the would be assailant...bosch well hes an aging cop who has seen it all and done it all...now in semi retirement but still investigates cold cases

these two pair up on a case...and the clues come slow and steady....

have to say i thoroughly enjoyed this book...you had the main story going on through out but then you had minor stories going along side of it...it was so good to read that i just couldnt put the book down,you just didnt know what to expect as you turned the page...one of the best murder mysteries i have read in a while...so much action going on...

and every character was believeable...cant wait to read more from this author

Dark Sacred Night is a crime thriller starring retired Harry Bosch and Detective Renee Ballard.

Renee is working the night shift now after reporting her former boss for sexual harassment.

One night she see Harry searching through filing cabinets in the precinct, after using a bent paper clip to unlock it, he is looking for information related to a cold 9 year old case when a 15 year old girl had been murdered.

After looking into the case herself, Renee offers to team up with Harry to help him with his investigation, so starts a rather unofficial partnership.

The writing is quite fast paced and entertaining with some great characterisation and a good eye for detail. There are several plot lines that all start to come together, making this an enjoyable and absorbing read.



I would like to thank the Author/the Publishers/NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review



#DarkSacredNight #NetGalley

I love Bosch, there is no better character. And because of that I felt like I was on the verge of crying because the book felt like a goodbye....and I'm not ready to let him go!
The premise of the story was classic Bosch and the emerging new Detective of Ballard is a younger female version of Harry so the book has all the usual darkness of the crime, cold case that only they will ever solve but then it bring£ to life the colour of LA, the vibrancy that makes it what it is.
All I can say is great reading and don't leave me Harry!

Michael Connelly has written over 30 crime books and Dark Sacred Night is another excellent addition to his catalogue.

Two characters that have appeared in previous books, Harry Bosch and Renee Ballard, join forces to solve a cold case along with the odd newer crime along the way.

The writing is excellent and the story is fast moving and keeps you engaged throughout.

Highly recommended.

I have been a big Bosch fan for a long time and was very excited by Renee Ballard's recent debut so, when I saw this advertised I thought all my birthdays had come at once. And, oh my! It completely blew all my expectations.
Renee Ballard works the night shift. One night she returns to the station to find a stranger rooting around some old filing cabinets. Disturbed by this intrusion, she investigates him further and is intrigued to find out he is retired detective Harry Bosch who is currently working through old cold cases, one of which has him ferreting out some old paperwork, hence his appearance at the station. This intrigues Ballard so she plays him at his own game of b&e and the two develop a rapport which is cemented when Ballard decides to help him on one of his cold cases that has got a bit under his skin. The death of Daisy Clayton at the tender age of 15 some nine years ago. Her mother currently residing with Bosch as she herself needs a bit of help. Ballard needs something to get her teeth into during the long nights when there isn't much else going on. So, together, the two of them hit the files and start to chase down the leads... Meanwhile the both of them have their own proper cases to investigate so juggling becomes a bit of a fine art.
When I read The Late Show, I did wonder how long it would be before Ballard and Bosch would collaborate. At the time I thought it might have been wishful thinking but I am so happy to have got my wish and I couldn't be happier with what the author delivered up for me. On the face of it, Ballard and Bosch are a bit chalk and cheese but, as you scratch the surface, it becomes obvious that they aren't too far removed from each other and they soon start to rub along well together after the initial, mandatory, sussing each other out.
The cases that they are investigating both together and separately (at times the lines between blurring a bit) kept my attention very nicely throughout and complemented each other well along the way. Definitely kept me on my toes!
As with Ballard's previous and all the Bosch and indeed Haller books, there is grit and guts throughout the story what makes for a very clever and yet real feeling read. The author definitely gets under the skin of both his characters and his settings along the way, as well as spinning a great yarn combining it all together. Punches are definitely not pulled as he pulls the reader totally into the world he has created. A world that I am more than happy to be a part of.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for the opportunity to preview this book in exchange for my honest review.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I should start by saying that I'm not a Michael Connelly fan and so haven't read the previous book in this series. However, I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to preview and so, was very open minded.

It's a good read, but, be aware UK readers, there's tons of American expressions and in my preview copy (Kindle based) many of the words ran into one another, which made it quite difficult to follow.

In summary, this is a competent author, who tells a good detective story. I'm just sorry that it didn't grab and hook me as I'd hoped.

A definite one for Mr Connelly's fans.

Harry Bosch is no longer a detective, but he is working on a cold case, the murder of Daisy Clayton. Detective Ballard has been moved to the night shift at LAPD, she has time on her hands. She finds Bosch looking through murder cards relating to cold cases, with the permission of the chief. Ballard joins Bosch in trying to find the murderer. For lovers of the Harry Bosch series this is a great book. I really enjoyed the respectful relationship between Bosch and Ballard.

My Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review. I used to be a great Michael Connelly fan some years ago, but other authors then took over, so it was a great delight to be sent this book which I loved.. But to dispose of the negatives first, there is a lot of American slang and police jargon. Neither am I conversant with the geography around the Hollywood police area. There was also a fault with this Kindle version. Every few lines words ran into each other, the spacing having been omitted which provided the bonus of a puzzle to be figured out as one read. But I managed to sort it out. There were numerous American expressions which could be unintelligible to the British reader. For example several times vehicles were refered to as parking “in front of a red curb. It was obviously important but not something we have. An American acquaintance suggested that it was a designated parking space for emergency vehicles, which would make sense. But I had to be told. All this aside, as the story progressed I found it difficult to put down when work called.

I understood that this was the second book for a new Michael Connelly character, Renee Ballard, consigned to the night shift because she had “over stepped” the mark in the past by reporting a male officer for unwanted sexual advances. She is certainly a feisty lady. This is the book reintroducing the author’s old character, Harry Bosch, now semi retired from the police service but determined to work cold cases. The result is two cold cases being worked by this pair, who having only just met up, are forming a productive working partnership. Alternate chapters are headed up with their names and each chapter is broken down into several numbered sections which makes it an easy read and contributes to the page turn factor, i e, I’ll just read up to so and so. There is a lot happening in this novel. Besides the two main cold cases being worked, the everyday policing goes on for Detective Renee Ballard with many cases being dealt with involving numerous subsidiary characters. It’s a busy book and you need to be alert to keep track of everyone. But I thoroughly enjoyed it and want to read the first book introducing Renee Ballard. This is obviously the start of a new series for our old friend Harry Bosch.

Dark Sacred Night is an excellent crime thriller starring the great Harry Bosch and now Detective Renee Ballard. Renee is working the late shift as a 'punishment ' after reporting her former boss for sexual harassment, fortunately she finds these shifts suit her.
She comes across Harry when finding him rifling through a filing cabinet in the precinct, he is looking for information pertaining to a 9year old case when a 15 year old drug addicted girl was murdered. Renee offers to team up with Harry to help him with his investigation, so starts a rather unofficial partnership.
The writing is face paced and entertaining with excellent characterisation and an eye for detail. There are various plot lines that all start to weave together but will say no more as I do not wish to give away any spoilers that may distract from the enjoyment of this story.
An exciting and absorbing read, a real page turner
My thanks to net galley and publisher for opportunity to review this book honestly.

As usual in my reviews, I will not reiterate any of the plot or marketing previews - if that's what you're looking for, there are plenty of other reviews out there...

Whilst thrilled to receive an ARC of this book, I was apprehensive - what if this new mix of my old favourite Harry Bosch and Renée Ballard didn't work? I needn't have worried...

The two characters have similarly determined approaches to their cases - like Harry, Renée wants to see things through to the end - and the "partnership" works just fine. I liked the way that Michael Connelly wove different strands together - as well as working on a case together, Ballard and Bosch also pursue other avenues of investigation.

It was good to learn more about Renée - who we've only met in one previous novel - and revisit Harry's life too. I suspect (and hope) that we'll see more novels where Bosch and Ballard work together.

Another highly enjoyable page turner from one of my favourite crime writers. - can't wait for the next!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in return for my honest review.

What can I say it's Michael Connelly. Brilliant author. A great team in Bosch & Ballard together. I loved this book as always a page turner with great characterisation. Five stars.

All the stars and more for my favourite detective Harry Bosch and Renee Ballard teaming up in Dark Sacred Night. Michael Connelly was one of the first "grown up " authors that my Dad got me hooked on when I was a teenager and all these years later he is still going strong. I was so very excited to be approved for an early copy of this book and writing a review for it terrifies me! I hope that I can do this book and the author justice.

When you have a character like Harry Bosch who bends the rules, is stubborn and does things his way how do you team him up? With a female detective working the late show in Hollywood who livestream out of a van at the beach, does things her way and never gives up. Renee Ballard was introduced to readers in The Late Show and to have her working with a fan favourite in Harry Bosch was just brilliant. The banter between these 2 characters who have a very similar work ethic was fun. Michael Connelly is so good at the detail... I love jos he describes LA and Hollywood and makes you feel like you are there with them.

At first Renee is wary of Harry, when she catches him trying to get into an old filing cabinet in the Hollywood Precinct. The pair start to get to know each other and between call out some on the late show she starts to work on her hobby case with Harry - a case that has gotten under his skin and he is determined to solve. The case is a 9 year old cold case of the murder of 15 year old Daisy Clayton. Working together the over long hidden secrets while they continue their everyday work.

In short... I loved this book and feel honoured to be able to share my views on it. I can't wait til the audio releases at the end of October so that I can listen it all over again read by Titus Welliver. Highly recommend this book and anything else that Michael Connelly has written.

A very big thank you to Orion Publishing and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased