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Book Review of Desert Star (Renee Ballard, Bk 5) (Harry Bosch, Bk 24)

Desert Star (Renee Ballard, Bk 5) (Harry Bosch, Bk 24)
cathyskye avatar reviewed on + 2277 more book reviews


In Michael Connelly's latest Ballard & Bosch mystery, the new Open-Unsolved Unit is housed in the same building as the records of over 6,000 cold cases-- an area Bosch calls "the Library of Lost Souls", a poetic and sobering name. Desert Star shows us just what type of work it takes from each member of the team to work a cold case in order to bring closure to grieving families.
 
Naturally, the powers-that-be go back on their promises and insist on adding people to her team that Ballard doesn't want as well as deciding what her caseload focus should be. This adds tension to an already fraught situation since Ballard's right-hand man (Bosch) keeps going rogue and doing his own thing. 
 
As always, Connelly provides masterful twists and turns. When all evidence seemed to be pointing squarely at one character early on, I thought to myself, "It can't be that easy!"-- and it wasn't. I knew I could count on Connelly. 

By the end of Desert Star, I was left with one disturbing question: What does the future hold in store for Harry? He is one character whom I want to be immortal... even though I know that he can't be.