The Waiting

August 15, 2024
Ren�e Ballard's latest outing with the LAPD's Open-Unsolved Unit begins in the most embarrassing way imaginable before the stakes rise higher and higher. While Ballard is out surfing one morning, someone gets into her car and makes off with her phone, gun, wallet, and badge. Fearing that she'll get tossed off the unit she loves if word gets out, she doesn't report the theft, a decision that considerably complicates her ability to do her job. That's especially awkward because of the cases just over the horizon. Fresh evidence indicates that the Pillowcase Rapist, who murdered his last victim in 2005, may be Superior Court Judge Jonathan Purcell, a man nobody wants to cross. The lifting of Ballard's stuff fits into a larger pattern of thefts from surfing beaches by a pair of lowlifes who were particularly interested in a police badge this time because the guy they worked for had clients who were planning something big and bad. The biggest case of all is landed by Madeline Bosch, the daughter of Ballard's retired mentor Harry Bosch, who uncovers a lead in her very first day as a volunteer on the unit that might just close the most famous unsolved case in the history of Los Angeles by identifying the Black Dahlia killer. Everything will work out fine if Ballard can only hold the emerging details about the Pillowcase Rapist close to her chest, keep her fibs about following established procedures and direct orders from being found out, prevent her boss from tossing Maddie Bosch off the unit when her cold case turns red-hot, and recover her credentials without letting anyone know they're missing. A Hawaiian coda provides the best news of all: This distinguished series has plenty of miles to go. Aloha, and hooray.

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Starred review from September 16, 2024
At the start of Connelly’s unputdownable sixth crime thriller costarring Renée Ballard (after Desert Star), the LAPD detective’s badge and gun are stolen from her car while she’s surfing. In the process of getting them back, she uncovers evidence that an extremist group is planning a terrorist attack in Malibu and enlists her friend Harry Bosch—still recovering from cancer—and the FBI to thwart it. Meanwhile, Ballard handles a number of high-stakes cases as leader of the LAPD’s cold case unit. First, her team of volunteers finds a DNA match that opens the door to solving a string of sexual assaults, dating back 20 years, by the “Pillowcase Rapist.” Then Harry’s daughter, Maddie, a patrol officer, joins Ballard’s team after stumbling on some explosive evidence related to the 1947 Black Dahlia killing, “the most famous unsolved murder in the history of Los Angeles.” As always, Connelly brilliantly renders the ins and outs of these investigations, all while adding layers to Ballard’s backstory—including a moving subplot about her missing mother—and delivering white-hot suspense guaranteed to please his fans. This ranks with Connelly’s best. Agent: Heather Rizzo, Rizzo Literary.

Starred review from September 13, 2024

Ren�e Ballard, who runs the Open-Unsolved Unit for the Los Angeles Police Department, has her badge, gun, and ID stolen from her vehicle while surfing. Her attempts to get them back open a massive can of worms in Connelly's new Ballard & Bosch title (following Desert Star). Other cases that keep Ballard and her team busy include a serial rape case that has a familial link to another suspect and a legendary case that, if solved, would rewrite the history books. To help her sort through all of the bureaucracy and get the facts is Harry Bosch's daughter, Maddie, who volunteers her time while not on patrol. Solving these cases will step on higher-ups' toes, and if she can keep her job and her team intact, it will have lasting ramifications. VERDICT Connelly's name on the cover guarantees a great read; his latest is no exception. The story follows the cases methodically and realistically, and the characters continue to grow. With a TV series on Amazon Prime coming soon starring Maggie Q as Ren�e Ballard, this novel will generate more interest than usual.--Jeff Ayers

Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 21, 2025

Connelly's sixth gripping installment in his Ballard and Bosch series (following Desert Star) picks up with a breakthrough in a decades-old case: a DNA match has linked a recently arrested man to the infamous Pillowcase Rapist, a serial rapist and murderer who terrorized Los Angeles 20 years earlier. As LAPD detective Ren�e Ballard and her team close in on the suspect, they find themselves tangled in a web of secrets, legal obstacles, and personal risks. The tale has an intriguing twist, as Ballard also takes on a recruit: Maddie Bosch, Harry's daughter, a patrol officer who is eager to join the cold case unit. Maddie uncovers a potential lead in a 70-year-old case, which soon intertwines with the team's investigation of the Pillowcase Rapist. Narrators Christine Lakin, Titus Welliver, and Madison Lintz deliver this complex, adrenaline-fueled thriller. As Ballard, Lakin takes an introspective tone that draws listeners into the detective's emotional turmoil. Welliver, who plays Harry Bosch in the popular TV show, employs his gravelly voice to portray the character's trademark gritty determination, while Lintz depicts Maddie's youthful intensity with vivacity. VERDICT This thriller expertly balances multiple storylines to great effect. The audio is a compelling mix of cold cases, personal drama, and intrigue, solidifying Connelly's reputation as one of crime fiction's best voices.--Susan McClellan

Copyright 2025 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.