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A review by lesserjoke
A Darkness More Than Night by Michael Connelly
3.0
Author Michael Connelly's first big crossover project is intriguing in concept, teaming up his usual hero LAPD detective Harry Bosch with retired FBI agent Terry McCaleb from the novel Blood Work. Jack McEvoy, reporter protagonist of The Poet, is here too as a minor figure covering the action. It's an ambitious structure which pays off how the writer has been filling out this setting, but it falls a little flat as events unfold.
There are two separate murder cases at the center of this story. The cop is testifying at the trial for one, where the prosecutors seem to have a strong position but repeatedly warn him that a conviction hinges on his credibility as a witness. In the other, which Terry is brought in to consult on, the evidence points to Bosch himself as the likeliest suspect. I can't decide whether readers are meant to wonder about his guilt at all or not, but I've personally felt no particular tension on that front. And we're given no real mystery or investigation into who might be responsible instead either; with literally no alternatives presented to us, it's fairly obvious that the twin plot threads will actually end up joined, and that the defendant is likely framing Harry for one of his kills.
The police work that follows is thorough yet tedious, presenting a foregone conclusion with minimal excitement or surprise. It's great to see these characters bouncing off one another after originally getting to know them independently, yet the circumstances hardly live up to the moment.
[Content warning for rape, suffocation, gun violence, and gore.]
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There are two separate murder cases at the center of this story. The cop is testifying at the trial for one, where the prosecutors seem to have a strong position but repeatedly warn him that a conviction hinges on his credibility as a witness. In the other, which Terry is brought in to consult on, the evidence points to Bosch himself as the likeliest suspect. I can't decide whether readers are meant to wonder about his guilt at all or not, but I've personally felt no particular tension on that front. And we're given no real mystery or investigation into who might be responsible instead either; with literally no alternatives presented to us, it's fairly obvious that the twin plot threads will actually end up joined, and that the defendant is likely framing Harry for one of his kills.
The police work that follows is thorough yet tedious, presenting a foregone conclusion with minimal excitement or surprise. It's great to see these characters bouncing off one another after originally getting to know them independently, yet the circumstances hardly live up to the moment.
[Content warning for rape, suffocation, gun violence, and gore.]
Find me on Patreon | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter