AS NIGHT FALLS, A KILLER COMES TO LIGHT…

On New Year’s Eve at the end of one of the hardest years in history, hundreds of revellers shoot their guns into the air in time-honoured LA tradition. But as the rain of lead comes down, a man is shot dead in the middle of a crowded street party.

Detective Renée Ballard soon connects the bullet to an unsolved cold case last worked by legendary ex-LAPD detective Harry Bosch. As they investigate where the old and new cases connect, a new crime shatters the night shift.

The Midnight Men are a pair of violent predators who stalk the city during the dark hours, and will kill to keep their identities secret.

In a police department shaken to the core by pandemic and protests, both cases have the power to save Ballard’s belief in the job – or take everything from her…

I received a review copy from Orion and was invited to join the blog tour by Tracy Fenton at Compulsive Readers.

A Ballard and Bosch thriller but The Dark Hours is very much the book in which Renée Ballard gets to shine. I can’t immediately think of a scene in the book where Ballard doesn’t feature and she is a formidable force throughout. Bosch fans need not worry as Harry does get plenty of involvement but this is all about Ballard.

Proceedings open on New Years Eve when all the cops are on the streets for a “time-honoured” tradition of LA residents shooting their guns into the air (and I thought we Scot’s were hardcore revellers on Hogmanay). A call comes through for Ballard – a death to attend after the rain of bullets had fallen on the city.

Although Ballard is not working homicide cases and has been seconded to Sex to assist with a case the police are calling The Midnight Men she attends the scene and has suspicions this death may actually be a murder. Although Ballard should be handing over the case to the detectives that work homicides they are too busy with an “all hands onboard” case which has potential to be high profile and damaging for the reputation of LAPD.  Ballard starts to investigate her suspected murder and opens a can of worms.

The murder weapon appears to link to an unsolved murder several years ago, the investigating detective was Harry Bosch.  The pair are reunited and Ballard drafts in Bosch to assist so she can try to track a killer before she is told to hand over the case to the homicide detectives. As she starts asking questions she draws attention to herself, there have been other murders down the years and Ballard’s victim is just the latest person who fell foul of a ruthless collective. But with the department seemingly reluctant to lift the lid on historic murders which may make LAPD look bad she is fighting a losing battle to progress her enquiries.

Ballard’s frustration with the politics of policing is very clear in The Dark Hours. Michael Connelly has made his latest novel very relevant to today’s circumstances.  He is one of the few authors making lockdown and Covid very much part of the ongoing narrative. There are mentions of George Floyd and the January 6th issues in the Americal capital. Ballard has seen the public perception towards the police shifting and it doesn’t help her doing her job. This brings a fascinating new dynamic to a police story which the author exploits to magnificent effect.

I referenced The Midnight Men – a dual team of predators who have been conducting violent sexual assults on women. Ballard is officially working this case but is saddled with a colleague who Ballard feels has lost her drive and empathy. These scenes in the story will be disturbing and Ballard’s determination to see justice served will drive her to making some questionable decisions to see the perpreatrators caught. Is the result more important than following procedure? Ballard thinks so but she will still need to answer for her actions.

The Dark Hours is easily one of my favourite reads this year. The story feels frantic and unrelenting. Ballard is spinning plates and burning the candle both ends and the reader is caught up with her determination to make good and help the victims in all the crimes she has to investigte. But hunting the worst people makes her a target and Ballard will need to be very careful as not all threats are physical, political pressures may also stop her achieving her goals.

I don’t know how Michael Connelly can consistently deliver such compelling stories but I am in awe that the does.

The Dark Hours is published by Orion and is available in Hardback, digital and audiobook copy. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08WPWZ57C/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0