bookish_wife16's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
4.0
Audiobook- I enjoyed this suspense story. I felt like I was watching a movie while going over these facts and with the detective work. Great story. Bosch and Ballard are a great team.
dog_eared_bookworm's review against another edition
4.75
I can’t recommend the Renee Ballard series enough! It has made me aware that I apparently like police procedurals/detective mysteries.
Great read overall - Ballard and Bosch are great characters, the narrators did a fantastic job, and the cases are super interesting. Looking forward to the next one!
marcccb's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars
A first by Connelly but it don’t be the last. This was a great detective story with not only one amazing detective, but two.
I’m a huge fan of detective stories and I love reading different ones from different authors. It’s very interesting because no two detectives are the same. Every author creates their own detective with their little flaws and strengths it’s very distinct in the best way possible.
I loved both Bosch and Ballard. They are both great detectives, no question. Each of them in their own different ways. The thing I loved most about this novel was the fact that although they are both trying to discover what happened to young Daisy Clayton many years ago, it doesn’t stop them from working on other cases. I found that very interesting to read because novels like this mostly focus on the one case but this one had other cases going on as well and it flowed very well with the novel and did not take away focus from the main case at all.
I did find the sorry to be a little dragged on and it could’ve been a lot shorter, but that being said, a lot happened in between the story so it somehow made up for it. There were some suspenseful moments at times and they really went well with the novel.
A thriller? Not really. But a mystery for sure. It has such a great ending to it and I would not mind if they team together again and try to crack another case open! Such a great duo!
Many thanks to Hachette Book Group Canada and Little, Brown and Company for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
A first by Connelly but it don’t be the last. This was a great detective story with not only one amazing detective, but two.
I’m a huge fan of detective stories and I love reading different ones from different authors. It’s very interesting because no two detectives are the same. Every author creates their own detective with their little flaws and strengths it’s very distinct in the best way possible.
I loved both Bosch and Ballard. They are both great detectives, no question. Each of them in their own different ways. The thing I loved most about this novel was the fact that although they are both trying to discover what happened to young Daisy Clayton many years ago, it doesn’t stop them from working on other cases. I found that very interesting to read because novels like this mostly focus on the one case but this one had other cases going on as well and it flowed very well with the novel and did not take away focus from the main case at all.
I did find the sorry to be a little dragged on and it could’ve been a lot shorter, but that being said, a lot happened in between the story so it somehow made up for it. There were some suspenseful moments at times and they really went well with the novel.
A thriller? Not really. But a mystery for sure. It has such a great ending to it and I would not mind if they team together again and try to crack another case open! Such a great duo!
Many thanks to Hachette Book Group Canada and Little, Brown and Company for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
jcarsrud's review against another edition
4.0
This was an exciting book featuring Harry Bosch and Renee Ballard. I haven’t read any books with those main characters and this was the first in a series where these two work together to make the streets of LA a better place. I want to go back and read the firsts in their series now!
tehlanna's review against another edition
4.0
You know those books that are like old friends? The Ballard series is an old friend and a new one, all rolled into one. Connelly brings back the gritty writing that I love, presented in a fresh voice in Renee Ballard. Bosch and Ballard team up in this one and the dynamic is great. Ballard feels like a younger, female, slightly cleaner version of Bosch. I love what Connelly did with these two and can’t wait to see more of them together.
abrswf's review against another edition
5.0
Another excellent installment in the Bosch series, with the very interesting Detective Renee Ballard playing an equally major role in the story. Connelly just turns out one great book after another.
acorn192k's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
heathersbike's review against another edition
5.0
I liked the crossover. I'm a bit worried I've actually caught up to Michael and I have no more Bosch to read. That will be sad.
Nope! One more. Yay! Caught up 32 books in. Maybe he'll have time to write the next one while I wait for this one on hold at the library. (:
Nope! One more. Yay! Caught up 32 books in. Maybe he'll have time to write the next one while I wait for this one on hold at the library. (:
tomhill's review
4.0
A typical Bosch novel, which means it's a well plotted page turner. But this one is even better than usual. Having Bosch and Ballard work together reinvigorates the series, I think. I am always impressed not only with the way Connelly builds plot and tension, but with how he balances the idea of the police as the good guys with the very real problems within the criminal justice system. He doesn't shy away from tackling issues like police brutality, wrongful convictions, misogyny and harassment in the workplace. At the very least, he acknowledges them. Often times they become significant themes that carry through multiple books. Dark Sacred Night introduces a concern regarding unwarranted deadly force that was not resolved and will certainly be brought up again in future books in the series. There's always a lot going on in a Bosch novel, both from the perspective of the central mystery (and various subplots), as well as the deeper issues explored. Thoughtful and entertaining.