In this 18th book in the 'Harry Bosch' series, the homicide detective reluctantly agrees to help his half-brother Mickey Haller defend an alleged murderer. The book can be read as a standalone.
*****
Harry Bosch has lost his job as a homicide detective for the LAPD (again) and is at loose ends.
At the same time Harry's half-brother, attorney Mickey Haller (The Lincoln Lawyer), is defending former gang member Da'Quan Foster, who's accused of raping and murdering assistant city manager Lexi Park.
Mickey is convinced his client was set up and asks Harry to look into the case. Harry refuses because the idea of 'crossing' from catching criminals to helping them get off is abhorrent to him. Nevertheless, Harry takes a look at the LAPD's murder book and gets an inkling that Da'Quan might actually be innocent. The clue that intrigues Harry most is Lexi's expensive watch, which is missing.
Meanwhile, two LAPD detectives have an inordinate interest in the Lexi Park case. They spy on Mickey and Harry, stop Mickey for a bogus DUI so they can search his car, and track the half-brothers with GPS devices. Then, when Harry starts to investigate the missing watch, more people are murdered. It's clear that something is rotten in the LAPD.
The book moves along at a steady clip as Harry uncovers one clue after another, and builds to a satisfying climax. Full disclosure: I did get a tad impatient with a couple of sections about LAPD parking lots and gangs surveilling them, but this is a minor quibble.
The secondary characters add interest to the book, including Harry's daughter Maddie - who's preparing for college, Harry's former partner Lucia - who secretly lends him a hand, and an Internal Affairs investigator that Harry has sparks with.
The last part of the book has some juicy courtroom scenes (courtesy of Mickey Haller), which is icing on the cake of a good detective novel. I enjoyed the book and recommend it to mystery lovers - especially fans of Harry Bosch and Mickey Haller.
Rating: 4 stars
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