Desert Star
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- Create Date：2022-11-06 08:21:37
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Michael Connelly
- ISBN：B09X295Y68
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Summary
LAPD detective Renée Ballard and Harry Bosch work together to hunt the killer who is Bosch’s “white whale”—a man responsible for the murder of an entire family。
A year has passed since LAPD detective Renée Ballard quit the force in the face of misogyny， demoralization， and endless red tape。 Yet， after the chief of police himself tells her she can write her ticket within the department， Ballard takes back her badge， leaving “the Late Show” to rebuild the cold case unit at the elite Robbery-Homicide Division。
For years， Harry Bosch has been working a case that haunts him but that he hasn’t been able to crack—the murder of an entire family by a psychopath who still walks free。 Ballard makes Bosch an offer: come work with her as a volunteer investigator in the new Open-Unsolved Unit， and he can pursue his “white whale” with the resources of the LAPD behind him。
The two must put aside old resentments to work together again and close in on a dangerous killer。 Propulsive and unstoppable， this new novel demonstrates once again why “Connelly is the real deal” （Marilyn Stasio， New York Times Book Review）。
A year has passed since LAPD detective Renée Ballard quit the force in the face of misogyny， demoralization， and endless red tape。 Yet， after the chief of police himself tells her she can write her ticket within the department， Ballard takes back her badge， leaving “the Late Show” to rebuild the cold case unit at the elite Robbery-Homicide Division。
For years， Harry Bosch has been working a case that haunts him but that he hasn’t been able to crack—the murder of an entire family by a psychopath who still walks free。 Ballard makes Bosch an offer: come work with her as a volunteer investigator in the new Open-Unsolved Unit， and he can pursue his “white whale” with the resources of the LAPD behind him。
The two must put aside old resentments to work together again and close in on a dangerous killer。 Propulsive and unstoppable， this new novel demonstrates once again why “Connelly is the real deal” （Marilyn Stasio， New York Times Book Review）。
Reviews
Cheryl
，
This a good Bosch story and a definite page-turner。 This story had multiple storylines， classic Bosch language， and surprises too。 However， I didn't care for the ending or the direction it took。 This a good Bosch story and a definite page-turner。 This story had multiple storylines， classic Bosch language， and surprises too。 However， I didn't care for the ending or the direction it took。 。。。more
Mary Picken
，
If there’s one class of people Bosch would prefer criminals over， it would have to be politicians。 But when Renee Ballard approaches him with an offer he can’t refuse， he puts that thought to the back of his mind。For Jake Pearlman， a politician， has made it possible for Renee Ballard to restart the LAPD Open Unsolved Unit so that she can investigate the death of his sister。 Sarah Pearlman was just sixteen when she murdered and her killer has never been caught。 And there’s one person that Renee r If there’s one class of people Bosch would prefer criminals over， it would have to be politicians。 But when Renee Ballard approaches him with an offer he can’t refuse， he puts that thought to the back of his mind。For Jake Pearlman， a politician， has made it possible for Renee Ballard to restart the LAPD Open Unsolved Unit so that she can investigate the death of his sister。 Sarah Pearlman was just sixteen when she murdered and her killer has never been caught。 And there’s one person that Renee really wants working alongside her。 Harry Bosch isn’t easy to persuade， but Renee knows that there’s one case that haunts him to this day; the slaying of the Gallagher family that he never managed to resolve。 He’s pretty sure he knows who is responsible; proving it was a whole other matter。Renee promises that he can re-open that case as well as working on the death of the Councilman’s sister is enough to lure Harry back to the cold case table。 There are others in the cold case team too， though Ballard is the only current serving police officer – the others are retired and volunteers and include a genealogist and a former FBI officer。 Some come with baggage that makes Bosch wary， so as ever， he is keeping himself to himself and not sharing much about his progress other than to Renee。Michael Connelly is the master of making police procedurals authentic and in Desert Star that mix of professional detection and political interference is brilliantly achieved。 Connelly draws a convincing set of characters and lets the different styles of interaction between Ballard and Bosch set up their own dynamic within the Cold Case Unit。While Ballard juggles with bureaucracy trying to leverage money for the unit and keep the Councilman happy， Bosch is going his own sweet way， occasionally making sure he’s keeping Ballard happy – a task he doesn’t always achieve。 Nonetheless they are clearly a team who work together on the same wavelength and their detection abilities complement each other very well。 They are， quite simply， a team who know each other well enough to understand what the other is thinking and that’s a huge bonus， even when Bosch tests that relationship to breaking point。The passage of time in cold cases is really helped by the advances in technology and so it proves with the case of Sarah Pearlman。 But this is no academic exercise; very real danger threatens both Ballard and Bosch as they pursue the leads they have uncovered。Desert Star is an emotional read and we find Harry pursuing the Gallagher case with an urgency that feels like the drive of a ferret pursing a rat。 He will make sure he gets his perpetrator irrespective of the cost and eschewing the usual police proprieties。Verdict: A strong， emotional and as ever brilliantly written police procedural that really hits the spot。 Ballard and Bosch are a fantastic team and this is an unmissable contribution to the series。 。。。more
Annette
，
Detectives Harry Bosch and Renee Ballard are back- this time Renee is running an unsolved crimes unit and she recruits retired cop Harry to be a civilian volunteer。 There are two crimes being investigated- the first is the long ago murder of a young teenage girl who also happened to be a present day congressman’s sister。 Congressman Jake Pearlman has resurrected the unit to try and solve the crime which has blighted his life。 The second is the murder of a whole family whose remains were found in Detectives Harry Bosch and Renee Ballard are back- this time Renee is running an unsolved crimes unit and she recruits retired cop Harry to be a civilian volunteer。 There are two crimes being investigated- the first is the long ago murder of a young teenage girl who also happened to be a present day congressman’s sister。 Congressman Jake Pearlman has resurrected the unit to try and solve the crime which has blighted his life。 The second is the murder of a whole family whose remains were found in the desert - one of Harry’s old cases which he was never able to solve。The two strands of the plot fit together well and I was equally invested in both cases。 Harry uses all his detective skills and even manages to get into one or two scrapes along the way despite his advanced years。There is also a personal element to the story and the ending really left some important questions in my mind。 I love Bosch and I hope there will be some more outings for him。The plot is fast moving with a number of suspects identified but it takes the whole book to chase them down and get some closure for the victims’ families。I liked the professional relationship between Ballard and Bosch- it was interesting to see Ballard’s personnel management problems within her unit and also the difficulties Bosch has being a team player， even for someone he respects like Rene。This is definitely a well written and entertaining thriller by an author who knows how to maintain tension and construct a credible and engrossing plot。I recommend “Desert Star” to all Michael Connelly fans and readers who enjoy great thrillers that ensure you don’t put the book down till all is resolved！ Five stars from me。 。。。more
Kenneth King
，
Another great outing for Bosch and Ballard。。。。。。
Bobby
，
The best of the Renee Ballard series thus far， but let’s be honest， this is a Harry Bosch novel。 Ballard is Bosch’s supporting character here， not the other way around， as this offshoot series has tried （and largely failed） to establish。It’s nothing against Ballard as a character。 She’s just…… she’s not Harry Bosch。 She will always take a backseat to him in this world。 It’s not fair to introduce another LAPD detective who butts heads with the brass because we already have an iconic version of th The best of the Renee Ballard series thus far， but let’s be honest， this is a Harry Bosch novel。 Ballard is Bosch’s supporting character here， not the other way around， as this offshoot series has tried （and largely failed） to establish。It’s nothing against Ballard as a character。 She’s just…… she’s not Harry Bosch。 She will always take a backseat to him in this world。 It’s not fair to introduce another LAPD detective who butts heads with the brass because we already have an iconic version of this character。 Especially when you put her on the same page as him， Bosch’s shadow engulfs her。 Connelly does a good job of adapting his police procedural mysteries to the prevalence of DNA in modern work。 DNA solves your cases now， more so than chasing down leads， and good ol door knocking investigation。 To ignore the importance of DNA in a present day police murder investigation is folly and MC finds a good balance between the science and old school police work。Readers who have been reticent toward the Ballard series should be more open to Desert Star。 It’s the closest thing we’ve had to a full on Bosch novel for a few years。 。。。more
Mandy White （mandylovestoread）
，
It is always so hard to write a review of a new Michael Connelly book for me。 I just want to do him the justice that he deserves。 It is no secret that he is a favourite author for me， and I am always excited when a new book is announced and when it arrives， nothing else matters。 As the years go on， my love for these books and characters has not faded。Harry Bosch。 What can I say？ He is my favourite detective， and his aging certainly has me worried every time a new book comes out。 He is still pret It is always so hard to write a review of a new Michael Connelly book for me。 I just want to do him the justice that he deserves。 It is no secret that he is a favourite author for me， and I am always excited when a new book is announced and when it arrives， nothing else matters。 As the years go on， my love for these books and characters has not faded。Harry Bosch。 What can I say？ He is my favourite detective， and his aging certainly has me worried every time a new book comes out。 He is still pretty sharp， although his body is slowing down。 He is starting to show the frustration of this in Desert Star。 As much as he wants to be involved in the action， his body says otherwise。 We pick up his story 12 months after the previous book and see that things didn't exactly go to plan with Renee Ballard。 She approaches him at home and asks him to join her team of volunteers。 She is now heading up the newly re-opened unsolved cases unit with civilians helping her。 She offers him the chance to once again work on the cold case that has haunted him for years， the one that he could never close。 But first， he must help her， and the team find who murdered Sarah Pearlman in the 90's - the sister of an LA counsellor who kick started the reopening of the unit。Getting back to work is exactly what Harry needed。 But if you know Harry， he doesn't like to stick to the rules， or play the political game。 Not much of a team player， Renee has her hands full to keep him on the straight and narrow。 This is the 5th book where the pair have worked together， and they are starting to know each other pretty well。 There is a mutual respect there and they care for each other。 Harry is clearly not himself， so I am thankful that he has Renee there to protect him。I love the direction that these books are going， giving Harry a new burst of life after his decision to quit the force。 His daughter Maddie is growing up and has her own life in the police force and he is immensely proud of her。 We also hear from another Bosch universe favourite which was a nice touch。Michael Connelly， another triumph。 I had some great discussions with fellow members of the Harry Bosch Appreciation Club - Naomi and Mercedes - once we all finished this one。 A massive thank you as always to the team at Allen and Unwin for sending an early copy to this Bosch fan - you made my day when this arrived。Published November 8th。 。。。more
Naomi （aplace_inthesun）
，
About this time every year I get a little excited knowing there's likely to be a new book from Michael Connelly。 This year has not disappointed - we have a new Bosch/Ballard book - Desert Star。Desert Star sees Bosch a little older （it makes me sad） and a little physically slower， but sharp as a tack， and often reflecting on past cases and his life in general。 Bosch gets an unexpected knock on the door from Renee Ballard。 Last we read Bosch and Ballard were striking out privately on their own， bu About this time every year I get a little excited knowing there's likely to be a new book from Michael Connelly。 This year has not disappointed - we have a new Bosch/Ballard book - Desert Star。Desert Star sees Bosch a little older （it makes me sad） and a little physically slower， but sharp as a tack， and often reflecting on past cases and his life in general。 Bosch gets an unexpected knock on the door from Renee Ballard。 Last we read Bosch and Ballard were striking out privately on their own， but a change of plans has Ballard （12 months later） heading up a closed case unit of the LAPD with a group of "volunteers" and part-timers， and she wants Bosch。 The spear-head case for the unit is the death of Sarah Pearlman， the sister of a counsellor in the 90's， and it is him who has propped up the unit， declaring open season on the cold cases。 As in most Bosch/Ballard books there are a couple of other cases running - one that ends up being related to the Pearlman case， and one that has stuck with Harry for years， without any closure。 Desert Star is a real mixture of all the things we love about Bosch and Ballard， both as individuals and as a collective。 Bosch is the elder statesman， a fountain of knowledge and information， and a source of constant frustration and wonderment for Ballard， who is incidently Bosch's boss。 Ballard is a fierce， independent Detective who is getting a foothold in the politics of policing in order to ensure they can continue targeted work on the many files gracing the shelves of the library of lost souls at their new headquarters。 We also see snippets of Bosch's daughter Maddie's life， in terms of her being on the fringe of Bosch's life， given she is now working the streets with LAPD seemingly removed from the shadow of her 'gunslinger' father。 Time stands still for me when I read these books as I pour over the pages， with these familiar characters I know and love， whilst Bosch and Ballard have continued to live on， in very real time。 I'm ever conscious the use by date for Harry and will always plead for just one more。 Great book。 Loved it。 Like I knew I would。 。。。more
Elaine Tomasso
，
I would like to thank Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for an advance copy of Desert Star， the twenty fourth novel to feature Detective Harry Bosch and the fifth to feature Detective Renee Ballard。Ballard recruits Bosch as a volunteer to the revived LAPD Cold Case unit。 He returns on the understanding that he can pursue the Gallagher Family case where a family of four was murdered and buried in the desert。 She agrees if he helps with the unsolved murder of sixteen year old Sarah Pearlman， wh I would like to thank Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for an advance copy of Desert Star， the twenty fourth novel to feature Detective Harry Bosch and the fifth to feature Detective Renee Ballard。Ballard recruits Bosch as a volunteer to the revived LAPD Cold Case unit。 He returns on the understanding that he can pursue the Gallagher Family case where a family of four was murdered and buried in the desert。 She agrees if he helps with the unsolved murder of sixteen year old Sarah Pearlman， who was the sister of the councillor who got the unit set up。I thoroughly enjoyed Desert Star， which is an engrossing read with plenty going on and a mesmerising plot。 It is told from the investigative point of view， so it is the straight out hunt for two killers， but that’s simplifying a complex read。 Complex as in detailed， not as in difficult to follow。I don’t really know how to explain the novel but I will say that I couldn’t put it down。 I like cold case novels as there is something special about revisiting old investigations and finding fresh approaches or leads， because the investigators have something to start with and I always like a good moan， which inevitably happens on review。 In this novel the cases are completely different， Harry investigated the Gallagher Family case and has a prime suspect， it’s just a matter of finding him and proving it。 The Pearlman case is more taxing in that there are few clues until Bosch has a brainwave。The novel is a mixture of procedure， politics and personalities。 The procedure is ever present and a reminder of the professionalism of the department。 Of course Bosch takes a more old school approach， using it when his eye is on the court case， disregarding it when it gets in his way。 I found the politics fascinating， as ever the optics rule and everyone else has to kowtow although Bosch and Ballard have their own views and countermeasures。 It made me laugh。 I really like the setup in this novel。 Ballard is finding management of a team harder work than she thought， while Bosch is the antithesis of a team player。 There is exasperation all round but no one can deny the bond between them。There isn’t much laughter in the novel， but there is the satisfaction of a job well done and some heartbreak at the end。 The news is most unsettling， but typical of the author to throw in a wrench。Desert Star is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending。 。。。more
Jewels
，
As usual in my reviews， I will not rehash the plot - you will simply have to read this for yourself！As a long-time fan of Michael Connelly， I was delighted to receive an ARC of his latest "Bosch and Ballard" novel。 I read it in a single day/evening as I could not put it down！There is， as usual， great chemistry between Bosch and Ballard， and a very well thought out plot。 The author displays his usual extensive knowledge of police procedures and the machinations of the political system， which adds As usual in my reviews， I will not rehash the plot - you will simply have to read this for yourself！As a long-time fan of Michael Connelly， I was delighted to receive an ARC of his latest "Bosch and Ballard" novel。 I read it in a single day/evening as I could not put it down！There is， as usual， great chemistry between Bosch and Ballard， and a very well thought out plot。 The author displays his usual extensive knowledge of police procedures and the machinations of the political system， which adds greatly to the authenticity of his writing。 Without giving anything away， Bosch displays his usual doggedness in pursuing the truth， and the action moves to different locations， including Key West。My only sadness is that in this novel it becomes apparent that Bosch is getting older， but I still hope for many more Bosch novels to come！ （pretty please Mr Connelly！！）My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC。 All opinions my own。 。。。more
Martha Brindley
，
I really enjoy the Harry Bosch series of books and this is an excellent read。 We find Harry working with the cold case unit along with his ex partner Ballard。 Harry is investigating the murder of two children and their parents， a case he previously investigated。 The characters are believable， the plot was compelling right up to the last page。 Fans will love it。 Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC。
Kevin
，
For me， Connelly can do no wrong。Bosch is just one of those characters who I just love and have grown up with and I can't believe he is getting so old。 Here， Bosch is invited into Ballard's cold case review team on the promise he can investigate the death of a family of four which has always haunted him。 However， first he must help Ballard solve the mystery of a local councillor's sister whose case has also gone cold。 This councillor has been prominent in the creation of Ballard's cold case team For me， Connelly can do no wrong。Bosch is just one of those characters who I just love and have grown up with and I can't believe he is getting so old。 Here， Bosch is invited into Ballard's cold case review team on the promise he can investigate the death of a family of four which has always haunted him。 However， first he must help Ballard solve the mystery of a local councillor's sister whose case has also gone cold。 This councillor has been prominent in the creation of Ballard's cold case team and failure to solve the mystery of his sisters death may mean the end of the team。As always with Connelly the pace of the novel was excellent and he moves between both cases with ease giving them both space to develop。 Thanks to Netgalley and Orion for an ARC in exchange for an honest review 。。。more
Ann
，
There’s no I in team and there’s certainly no Bosch in one either！Another brilliant encounter with Bosch and Ballard。 This time Ballard is Harry’s boss as she heads up the newly resurrected Open-Unsolved unit。 The unit’s first focus has to be the murder of the councilman’s sister， but Harry’s main focus is on the Gallagher case， one that got away from him before。As usual Connelly’s engaging writing pulls you in from the first page。 Connelly has kept Bosch real， aged him accordingly and placed hi There’s no I in team and there’s certainly no Bosch in one either！Another brilliant encounter with Bosch and Ballard。 This time Ballard is Harry’s boss as she heads up the newly resurrected Open-Unsolved unit。 The unit’s first focus has to be the murder of the councilman’s sister， but Harry’s main focus is on the Gallagher case， one that got away from him before。As usual Connelly’s engaging writing pulls you in from the first page。 Connelly has kept Bosch real， aged him accordingly and placed him in the modern world where it’s not just the advances in DNA that have changed。 Like Harry I had to Google the new meaning of “Roger That”！ As Bosch’s moto “everybody counts or nobody counts” is put into action sometimes you do the wrong things for the right reasons。 Nice cameo appearance of Mick Haller too。I’ve read all the Bosch books and found some of the scenes towards the end quite emotional。 Keep Bosch real but above all keep him with us。 。。。more
Paromjit
，
There has been significant change in this latest in Michael Connelly's latest Los Angeles based series featuring Detective Renee Ballard with Harry Bosch。 Ballard now finds herself the boss of the resurrected Open Unsolved Unit Cold Cases， within the Robbery and Homicide Division， and all the complexities that go with that position。 She is having to handle the politics， the machinations from within the police hierarchy， and the likes of councilman， Jake Pearlman， who is responsible for championi There has been significant change in this latest in Michael Connelly's latest Los Angeles based series featuring Detective Renee Ballard with Harry Bosch。 Ballard now finds herself the boss of the resurrected Open Unsolved Unit Cold Cases， within the Robbery and Homicide Division， and all the complexities that go with that position。 She is having to handle the politics， the machinations from within the police hierarchy， and the likes of councilman， Jake Pearlman， who is responsible for championing the new unit。 However， its future depends on Ballard and her team of volunteers solving a specific cold case， the brutal murder of Pearlman's 16 year old sister， Sarah， with Ballard having to report regularly to his chief of staff， Nelson Hastings， who has insisted on Ted 'Lou' Rawls joining her team。 The cold case murder book collection is poignantly referred to as the library of lost souls。Ballard has managed to convince Harry Bosch to join the team， making it clear to him that the priority is solving Sarah's murder， but that he will be able to pursue a case that had haunted him through the years， the murder of the entire Gallagher family， including their young son and daughter。 The four bodies of the Gallagher family were discovered buried in the Mojave Desert， a place marked by the desert rose that he visits， willing to do whatever it takes to bring the killer， thought to be Finbar McShane who disappeared， to justice。 Ballard team of volunteers includes ex- FBI Thomas Laffant， Paul Masser， and a genealogy expert， Colleen Hatteras。 Using the latest developments in DNA techniques， they get a break that links Sarah's killer with another cold case， the 2005 murder of 24 year old Laura Wilson。 Cracking the cases bring danger and threats to the existence of the cold case team。It has to be said that whilst Ballard and Bosch have a strong relationship developed over the years with the cases they have worked， Ballard inevitably finds Bosch a difficult character to manage， even on occasions， her ability to trust him is to be tested。 Connelly exercises his trademark in depth attention to the police and legal procedures and details， and this addition to the series culminates in a sombre finale in Key West， Florida， where Bosch finds himself doing the wrong thing for the right reasons， something he eventually opens up about to Ballard。 As always， this is a engrossing and engaging crime addition to a wonderful series， it will appeal to readers of the crime and mystery genre， particularly to fans of the author。 Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC。 。。。more
Jennifer
，
This was the best Renee Ballard book so far。 Couldn’t put it down。
Rebecca Minnock
，
Ballard takes her badge back a year after quitting to reopen the Open Unsolved Unit and brings Bosch out of retirement to work alongside her。 This could be Bosch's chance to finally find out what really happened to the Gallagher family all those years ago。 I have loved all of Connelly's Bosch/Ballard books， and Desert Star does not disappoint。 Ballard takes her badge back a year after quitting to reopen the Open Unsolved Unit and brings Bosch out of retirement to work alongside her。 This could be Bosch's chance to finally find out what really happened to the Gallagher family all those years ago。 I have loved all of Connelly's Bosch/Ballard books， and Desert Star does not disappoint。 。。。more
Nancy
，
Great character development with Renee Ballard who has a new assignment as cold case coordinator。 Bosch is working two cases as a volunteer。 One case has lingered for eight years but there is a breakthough 。
Lora
，
Renee Ballard is now head of the LAPD's Open-Unsolved Unit， charged with working cold cases。 She has convinced retired detective Harry Bosch to join her team。 Bosch is very interested in looking into the murders of the Gallagher family。 It's a case that he worked on when he was still with the force， but wasn't able to get enough evidence to charge Finbar McShane， the man Bosch believed was guilty。 Ballard also wants Bosch to help with the case of Sarah Pearlman， the sister of Councilman Jake Pea Renee Ballard is now head of the LAPD's Open-Unsolved Unit， charged with working cold cases。 She has convinced retired detective Harry Bosch to join her team。 Bosch is very interested in looking into the murders of the Gallagher family。 It's a case that he worked on when he was still with the force， but wasn't able to get enough evidence to charge Finbar McShane， the man Bosch believed was guilty。 Ballard also wants Bosch to help with the case of Sarah Pearlman， the sister of Councilman Jake Pearlman， who was killed in 1994。 Desert Star recounts Ballard's and Bosch's journey as they attempt to solve both of the cases。 。。。more
Tim
，
Another superb mystery-thriller from Connelly featuring LAPD’s Renée Ballard， now running a new closed case unit （after almost leaving the force in the magnificent previous novel， "The Dark Hours"） and a clearly aging Harry Bosch， working as a civilian volunteer。 The office is a new building that houses all the murder books from unsolved cases: “hallowed ground to Bosch。 The library of lost souls。” Although the novel is about two cold cases， there's plenty of foreground action as Bosch closes in Another superb mystery-thriller from Connelly featuring LAPD’s Renée Ballard， now running a new closed case unit （after almost leaving the force in the magnificent previous novel， "The Dark Hours"） and a clearly aging Harry Bosch， working as a civilian volunteer。 The office is a new building that houses all the murder books from unsolved cases: “hallowed ground to Bosch。 The library of lost souls。” Although the novel is about two cold cases， there's plenty of foreground action as Bosch closes in on the cases he's working。As always， Connelly offers a thoughtful， almost poetic meditation on crime and justice， a Sisyphean task: “The dark engine of murder would never run low on fuel。 Not in his lifetime。”Another great book from the contemporary master of the procedural mystery。 。。。more
Sherry
，
SMALL spoiler at the end+++++++++++++++++++++Renee Ballard is now running the open-unsolved unit which has been started back up because a politician wants to find out who murdered his sister。 She recruits Bosch to work with her。 Longtime readers of the series know that Connelly is aging Bosch in "real-time" but it really surprised me that Bosch is now 70！ Loved the collaboration between the two detectives and can't wait for the next book which I think could be a heartbreaker because of things g SMALL spoiler at the end+++++++++++++++++++++Renee Ballard is now running the open-unsolved unit which has been started back up because a politician wants to find out who murdered his sister。 She recruits Bosch to work with her。 Longtime readers of the series know that Connelly is aging Bosch in "real-time" but it really surprised me that Bosch is now 70！ Loved the collaboration between the two detectives and can't wait for the next book which I think could be a heartbreaker because of things going on with Harry。 。。。more
Debbie Pugh
，
Good teamwork with Bosch and Ballard！ Exciting！
Libby Reidy
，
Another great read by Michael Connelly。 Featuring both Renee Ballad and Harry Bosch （with a brief mention of the Lincoln Lawyer）， this book has both detectives investing old unsolved crimes。 I don't know how the author manages to keep his writing fresh and up to date but I am already anxiously awaiting his next book Another great read by Michael Connelly。 Featuring both Renee Ballad and Harry Bosch （with a brief mention of the Lincoln Lawyer）， this book has both detectives investing old unsolved crimes。 I don't know how the author manages to keep his writing fresh and up to date but I am already anxiously awaiting his next book 。。。more
Linden
，
Renee Ballard has been appointed to a new LAPD cold case task force， and has assembled a team of volunteers， including Harry Bosch。 They are focusing on three cases， two involving the assault and murder of young women， and the third the murder of a family， including two children。 Harry is particularly interested in the last one， since he vividly remembers the case。 A politician who helped establish the cold case unit is especially interested in finding out who murdered his 16 year old sister in Renee Ballard has been appointed to a new LAPD cold case task force， and has assembled a team of volunteers， including Harry Bosch。 They are focusing on three cases， two involving the assault and murder of young women， and the third the murder of a family， including two children。 Harry is particularly interested in the last one， since he vividly remembers the case。 A politician who helped establish the cold case unit is especially interested in finding out who murdered his 16 year old sister in the 1990’s。 Could any of the cases be linked？ Or could anyone with ties to politics be involved？ I’ve read all of the Renee Ballard series， but this could be read as a stand-alone。 Amazing characters， a compelling plot， and a satisfying resolution make this a must read—I just couldn’t put it down。 Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for allowing me to review this advance copy。 。。。more
Holly
，
I love the relationship between Renee & Harry。 I love the setting of this book too， it is VERY different from my life。 Fun to experience the urban vibe & fast pace。
Anke
，
As I was very disappointed with the last book I will give this one a miss unless the reviews will be great。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Desert Star
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Desert Star&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Desert Star&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0