The Dark Hours
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- Create Date：2021-11-10 10:51:03
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Michael Connelly
- ISBN：0316485640
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Summary
A dangerous killer strikes on New Year's Eve and Detective Renée Ballard and Harry Bosch team up to find justice for an innocent victim in this thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Michael Connelly。
There's chaos in Hollywood on New Year's Eve。 Working her graveyard shift， LAPD Detective Renée Ballard seeks shelter at the end of the countdown to wait out the traditional rain of lead as hundreds of revelers shoot their guns into the air。 As reports start to roll in of shattered windshields and other damage， Ballard is called to a scene where a hardworking auto shop owner has been fatally hit by a bullet in the middle of a crowded street party。
It doesn't take long for Ballard to determine that the deadly bullet could not have fallen from the sky。 Ballard’s investigation leads her to look into another unsolved murder—a case at one time worked by Detective Harry Bosch。
Ballard and Bosch team up once again to find out where the old and new cases intersect。 All the while they must look over their shoulders。 The killer who has stayed undetected for so long knows they are coming after him。
There's chaos in Hollywood on New Year's Eve。 Working her graveyard shift， LAPD Detective Renée Ballard seeks shelter at the end of the countdown to wait out the traditional rain of lead as hundreds of revelers shoot their guns into the air。 As reports start to roll in of shattered windshields and other damage， Ballard is called to a scene where a hardworking auto shop owner has been fatally hit by a bullet in the middle of a crowded street party。
It doesn't take long for Ballard to determine that the deadly bullet could not have fallen from the sky。 Ballard’s investigation leads her to look into another unsolved murder—a case at one time worked by Detective Harry Bosch。
Ballard and Bosch team up once again to find out where the old and new cases intersect。 All the while they must look over their shoulders。 The killer who has stayed undetected for so long knows they are coming after him。
Reviews
Mark taylor
，
At the start of 2021， night shift detective Ballard is sat in a car waiting to hear about the latest attack by two rapists called the midnight men， who generally strike on the holidays。However， while she is waiting about this she gets a report of a man killed while guns are being fired into the air to celebrate the new year。However， the previous year 2020 has been one of the hardest， with the pandemic， a disputed general election， and the BLM protests after the murder of George Floyd， mean that At the start of 2021， night shift detective Ballard is sat in a car waiting to hear about the latest attack by two rapists called the midnight men， who generally strike on the holidays。However， while she is waiting about this she gets a report of a man killed while guns are being fired into the air to celebrate the new year。However， the previous year 2020 has been one of the hardest， with the pandemic， a disputed general election， and the BLM protests after the murder of George Floyd， mean that the moral of the police is at an all-time low。So， when the murder leads back to an old case of Harry Bosch， she neds all his help she can get。This is the first novel by Michael Connelly， that I have read， however with the writer’s style of writing and the narrative of the story I was never at a loss even though this is the 23rd Bosch story and the 4th Ballard one。Which means I can not comment on how this compares to the previous stories but take it as a standalone。While I Have read a few novels that have mentioned the events of 2020/21 in passing this is the first novel that the events of that year have formed an integral part of the story。Which I think really gave the novel a felling of time and had a real effect on the narrative of the story。As for the two main characters of the novel Bosch and Ballard， with each of these characters being in multiple books， it can feel when as a reader who meets them for the first time。The writer does one of two things makes them a caricature of what the want them to be， so it does not hinder the reader if this is the first book they have read。 What I feel Michael Connelly did， is write well developed characters， which when you read a book that is not the first of the series you know the depth of the character and at some point， you think you know that they have changed over time。All this makes The Dark Hours by Michael Connelly a well-rounded novel which I can highly recommend even if this is your first Ballard & Bosch Novel。 。。。more
David C Ward
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More Ballard than Bosch in a straight ahead police procedural。 It’s set in the winter of 2020/21 and does a good job dealing with the pandemic， masking， vax etc。 Two cases: the random murder of an ex gangbanger connects with an old unsolved case worked by Bosch and opens up into a financial scam; and serial rapists who may or may not be targeting their victims as part of a larger crime network。 Also a backstory about politics， sloth and timeserving in the police。 Oh yeah， and sexual harassment。 More Ballard than Bosch in a straight ahead police procedural。 It’s set in the winter of 2020/21 and does a good job dealing with the pandemic， masking， vax etc。 Two cases: the random murder of an ex gangbanger connects with an old unsolved case worked by Bosch and opens up into a financial scam; and serial rapists who may or may not be targeting their victims as part of a larger crime network。 Also a backstory about politics， sloth and timeserving in the police。 Oh yeah， and sexual harassment。 Don’t think the LAPD bosses would like Connelly…。 。。。more
Rachel Bridgeman
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What makes this Harry Bosch novel a must read？Well apart from the fact that Harry Bosch is in it， he gets to walk the beat with another fabulous Connelly creation， Renee Ballard。 A seasoned detective with killer instincts and a ferocious personality， she and Harry are pulled into an investigation which suggests a serial killer is on the loose， at possibly the worst time of year to be looking for one。New Year's Eve is a huge holiday， as well as being a perfect time to hide in plain sight-it has c What makes this Harry Bosch novel a must read？Well apart from the fact that Harry Bosch is in it， he gets to walk the beat with another fabulous Connelly creation， Renee Ballard。 A seasoned detective with killer instincts and a ferocious personality， she and Harry are pulled into an investigation which suggests a serial killer is on the loose， at possibly the worst time of year to be looking for one。New Year's Eve is a huge holiday， as well as being a perfect time to hide in plain sight-it has cultural significance as well to those who take justice seriously， and who want to end a killer year -no pun intended-with as full a slate of captured bad guys as possible。The previously introduced concepts of the creeping awareness of the current pandemic have been skilfully dealt with and are contextualised perfectly。 He-Connelly-doesn't dive into the subject lightly， the effects on policing， the process of being a private， or public detective are not used as plot points hammered home to the reader。Instead， with his usual aplomb， Connelly strides forward into the very strange reality in which we find ourselves， armed with a strong moral compass and 2 protagonists who know how to use it。Following his last novel， the Mickey Haller/Harry Bosch double handler 'The Law Of Innocence'， he teams Harry up with no nonsense Renee， unafraid to dig around in the dirt and expose the roots she finds there， no matter what they were holding up。 Pulling structures down around her ears and getting on the wrong side of the top brass is nothing new to Ballard， but in the context of a pandemic， rising gang violence and the ever present awareness of what the public perception of law givers currently are， both she and Bosch have their work cut out for them。And you， the reader， are more than happy to ride shotgun。The reality， the dust and heat rises off the page， you can smell the oppressive atmosphere and taste the fear in between the lines of this book which contains spot-on social commentary， without ever treading into polemic， whilst delivering a flawless and gripping police procedural novel。 The strength of characters such as these ，who are now firmly entrenched in the cultural arena of investigative fiction， could overwhelm any story they are put in， and， at this stage in the correlating series， it would be so easy to just churn out a yearly novel with a built in audience ready to snap it up。As usual， Connelly delivers， and does not let you down。The only problem I have is when I read a new joint adventure， as it were， is that I want to go back to the beginning and read the stand alone， and cross series books again。And if that is a problem， then I consider myself a very fortunate reader indeed！ 。。。more
Ed Taylor
，
This is the fourth book in the Renee Ballard series and the twenty fifth in the Harry Bosch series， but no prior knowledge of the characters or their past is required to read the story。Connelly is usually a byword for fast-paced police procedurals with great characters and intricate plotting。 Whilst this title certainly holds up in the plotting department， there is a surprising lack of characterisation here。 Anyone who knows Bosch from previous titles will be aware of his family and job history， This is the fourth book in the Renee Ballard series and the twenty fifth in the Harry Bosch series， but no prior knowledge of the characters or their past is required to read the story。Connelly is usually a byword for fast-paced police procedurals with great characters and intricate plotting。 Whilst this title certainly holds up in the plotting department， there is a surprising lack of characterisation here。 Anyone who knows Bosch from previous titles will be aware of his family and job history， while Ballard has been slowly introduced over the past three novels in which she features。 There is a major change to her living situation in this latest instalment， which comes as a surprise。A few recent novels have paid lip service to Covid-19， but Connelly manages to successfully integrate the pandemic into the story， setting the novel firmly in the present day。 The issues faced by US police are also dealt with sympathetically。 However， Ballard's over-arching plot line does seem to be following a very similar trajectory to Bosch's in the earlier novels。Whilst the writing is competent， the whole book is really little more than exposition and reads more like a newspaper report or perhaps a treatment for a film。 Has Connelly been influenced by his involvement in the （admittedly excellent） Bosch series on Amazon Prime， perhaps？ 。。。more
Luanne Ollivier
，
I have been eagerly awaiting the fourth book - The Dark Hours - in Michael Connelly's Ballard and Bosch novels。 And IMO， this is the best one yet！It's New Year's Eve and Renée is again working the night shift - by choice。 By tradition， revelers shoot their guns into the air at midnight in Los Angeles。 Sounds like a recipe for disaster doesn't it？ Uh huh， it results in one of the first homicides of the new year。 Here's the thing - the bullet may be tied to an unsolved case - one worked by Harry B I have been eagerly awaiting the fourth book - The Dark Hours - in Michael Connelly's Ballard and Bosch novels。 And IMO， this is the best one yet！It's New Year's Eve and Renée is again working the night shift - by choice。 By tradition， revelers shoot their guns into the air at midnight in Los Angeles。 Sounds like a recipe for disaster doesn't it？ Uh huh， it results in one of the first homicides of the new year。 Here's the thing - the bullet may be tied to an unsolved case - one worked by Harry Bosch。 Now retired， Bosch has become a mentor and a sometime off the books partner of Renée。 I'm always so happy to see Harry again。 He's like an old war horse that just keeps riding into battle。 His experience， （usually） calm demeanor and drive for answers and justice keep him going。 "Everybody counts or nobody counts" Renée is fearless and has that same drive for justice。 Her determination has not endeared her to her fellow cops。 Connelly has woven current events and happenings and the turbulent state of policing and politics into the narrative。 While others do just the bare minimum， Renée never lets up。 In addition to the New Year's Eve case， she's also trying to find a pair of serial rapists who've been labeled as The Midnight Men。 A lot goes on on the late show。。。。Connelly's crime novels are second to none。 The characters， the settings， the details， the plotting - all of it makes for fantastic reading。 And yes， lots of action。 The dynamic between these two really works。 In the final pages， I thought I saw where the Ballard and Bosch books might be headed in the fifth book， but Connelly throws in an alternative。 I can't wait to see which way things end up。 Highly recommended！ 。。。more
Hazel
，
My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Orion Publishing Group for the electronic copy。I've read a few of this author's books before but haven't come across Ballard and Bosch teaming up together。 I really enjoyed it。 It's well-written， fast-paced， and has really believable dialogue that fits so well with the characters。 This is all set against the background of the pandemic， BLM protests and police de-funding and protests on Capitol Hill。 The police are demoralised and prefer to be reactive （if the My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Orion Publishing Group for the electronic copy。I've read a few of this author's books before but haven't come across Ballard and Bosch teaming up together。 I really enjoyed it。 It's well-written， fast-paced， and has really believable dialogue that fits so well with the characters。 This is all set against the background of the pandemic， BLM protests and police de-funding and protests on Capitol Hill。 The police are demoralised and prefer to be reactive （if they must） rather than proactive。 However， Ballard is the exception; she's conscientious and determined。 Now the night detective， she enjoys her solitude but she's been teamed with Lisa from the sexual crimes unit on this New Year's Eve because they are expecting the Midnight Men to make an appearance - on two holiday nights the two men had raped and terrorised women in the area。 Lisa is resentful she has to be there and Ballard has no time for her。 After midnight when gunshots and firework explosions mingled over Los Angeles Ballard is called to attend a street party shooting - was it just an accident or was he murdered？ With just a bullet casing her only clue she's able to tie the murder to an old case of Harry Bosch - except someone had removed the murder book from storage and she wants to know why。 Ballard and Harry begin investigating together - she is determined to hold onto the case for as long as possible before Homicide get their hands on it but their investigations lead them to other unsolved murders where those murder books have also been removed。 Now she has two cases running as Lisa lets her down and she suspects a department cover-up。 Can she continue in this atmosphere？I really became engrossed in the storylines and the little side stories slipped in to make Ballard and Bosch "human"。Yes， a good read。 。。。more
Brenda
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LAPD Detective Renee Ballard loved working the dark hours， her graveyard shift and on New Year’s Eve she and her partner were parked under a bridge among the homeless people， waiting for the traditional ‘rain of lead’ as guns went off into the night air to celebrate the arrival of a new year。 But not long into the New Year， Ballard received a call of a body found at a street party – when the bullets go up， they must come down – so did the ex-gangster die from one of those random bullets， or was LAPD Detective Renee Ballard loved working the dark hours， her graveyard shift and on New Year’s Eve she and her partner were parked under a bridge among the homeless people， waiting for the traditional ‘rain of lead’ as guns went off into the night air to celebrate the arrival of a new year。 But not long into the New Year， Ballard received a call of a body found at a street party – when the bullets go up， they must come down – so did the ex-gangster die from one of those random bullets， or was he murdered？ Meanwhile a team of two rapists had been brutally attacking women across the city and Ballard was determined to stop them。 With her teamed up with ex-LAPD Detective – now retired – Harry Bosch， because of the ex-gangster case， she picked his brain and used his considerable experience to work on the two cases。 She was being ostracized by her department， even down to her superior， and although she liked working alone， in some situations it was preferable to have a partner。 It was when she’d gone home to sleep after working almost twenty-four hours straight， that danger came closer and Ballard knew she must be near to having the answers she needed。。。 The Dark Hours is the 4th in the Renee Ballard series by Michael Connelly and once again it was an outstanding read！ With plenty of action， lots of twists， the pandemic creating change in every situation， and Ballard crossing the line to get the job done， I thoroughly enjoyed every part of Mr Connelly’s latest title。 I love Renee’s feisty， gutsy passion to get the bad guy at almost any cost， and her interaction with Bosch is proving to be an excellent partnership。 The Dark Hours is another great police procedural from the pen of a master， which I recommend highly。With thanks to Allen & Unwin for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Deborah
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Connelly sets this amidst a backdrop of Covid， a lack of community confidence in the police and subsequent funding。 Morale in the police service has waned and it seems many are just going through the motions。 But not Ballard of course， though even she wavers here。。。 wondering if it's worth all of the internal battles she needs to fight to work with the system。Ballard is front and centre here and I liked that Connelly is progressing her story arc and developing her character。 She's moved from her Connelly sets this amidst a backdrop of Covid， a lack of community confidence in the police and subsequent funding。 Morale in the police service has waned and it seems many are just going through the motions。 But not Ballard of course， though even she wavers here。。。 wondering if it's worth all of the internal battles she needs to fight to work with the system。Ballard is front and centre here and I liked that Connelly is progressing her story arc and developing her character。 She's moved from her tent on the beach to a unit and there's a smidge of romance on offer。 He also balances Bosch's involvement well and he's always got insight and ideas but more of a support than taking the reins himself。This is a really enjoyable book and appreciated that there was no attempt to bring the two cases together in any way; rather we're offered two separate mysteries。 I also liked the twist Connelly gives us with the rape investigation which is something a little different。Read my review here: https://www。debbish。com/books-literat。。。 。。。more
Meggy Chocolate'n'Waffles
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Did I like the book？ Yes Did I enjoy reading it？Yes。 No gory details， a strong and fast pace。 It actually made me feel I was watching a cop tv show， and I love those！Was it an easy read？Yes， you don’t need to have read the previous books in the Ballard or Bosch series to get immersed。 Connelly knows exactly how much information to feed his readers so they feel at ease with the protagonists and root for or against them！What about the characters？Meeting Ballard was a nice surprise。 She’s a dog lov Did I like the book？ Yes Did I enjoy reading it？Yes。 No gory details， a strong and fast pace。 It actually made me feel I was watching a cop tv show， and I love those！Was it an easy read？Yes， you don’t need to have read the previous books in the Ballard or Bosch series to get immersed。 Connelly knows exactly how much information to feed his readers so they feel at ease with the protagonists and root for or against them！What about the characters？Meeting Ballard was a nice surprise。 She’s a dog lover， a nice touch from the author， even though Ballard doesn’t need it。 She doesn’t appear as a strong and hard woman with giant walls around her。 Is she a one-dimension character？ No， she lives a normal life and is swimming in the deep struggle our world is in。 Bosch… I did like him。 See， I tried watching the show and it was a total fail for me， so I was apprehensive about him being in this book but he did bring a little something to the story and his presence around Ballard was brought in an efficient way。 What about the plot？I found Connelly perfectly managed to insert the pandemic， current police issues， and topical crime in a tight and well-achieved plot。 Mostly。 Ballard ends up working two cases， a homicide and multiple rape cases。 Only one of those really caught my interest and attention while the second felt a little sloppy to me。 It was okay， but I would not have been satisfied had it been the only bone to gnaw。 How would I describe it？Fast。 TV-show like （in a good way）。 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 。。。more
Erin Sokol
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3。25⭐️Prefacing with - I am not the typical audience for this author。 This is my first by him！I enjoyed:• read like a law & order SVU episode• incorporates current， real-life events （George Floyd， pandemic）• suspense， build & thrill - pacing was just right！Downfalls:• there wasn’t an excitement to pick it up。。very matter of fact writing style• the dual crimes - i wish it was just one， more intricately solved crime• not reading the other books first - while it could definitely standalone， i didn’ 3。25⭐️Prefacing with - I am not the typical audience for this author。 This is my first by him！I enjoyed:• read like a law & order SVU episode• incorporates current， real-life events （George Floyd， pandemic）• suspense， build & thrill - pacing was just right！Downfalls:• there wasn’t an excitement to pick it up。。very matter of fact writing style• the dual crimes - i wish it was just one， more intricately solved crime• not reading the other books first - while it could definitely standalone， i didn’t know enough about the characters to love it 。。。more
Tracy
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I'm always up for a book that involves Harry， and I really like Renee as well。 I have to say that I read a few series， and Michael Connelly is the only writer I've read who is really dealing with the pandemic in his books。 I was surprised by the inclusion of how hard it was on the police force of a major city， and think that inclusion makes some excellent points。 The mention of the Capital riots as well， had me remembering those days。 I'm always up for a book that involves Harry， and I really like Renee as well。 I have to say that I read a few series， and Michael Connelly is the only writer I've read who is really dealing with the pandemic in his books。 I was surprised by the inclusion of how hard it was on the police force of a major city， and think that inclusion makes some excellent points。 The mention of the Capital riots as well， had me remembering those days。 。。。more
Hanlie
，
Another awesome read by the master that is Michael Connelly！ I love the authentic feel of his books and you can see the detailed research that went into writing his books。 He is definitely one of the top crime writers out there。Renée Ballard is also one of my favourite detectives and it was very interesting to listen to an interview with Michael where he mentioned that all the books with her in it has "dark" or "night" in the title referring to her working the night shift。 She is one tough cooki Another awesome read by the master that is Michael Connelly！ I love the authentic feel of his books and you can see the detailed research that went into writing his books。 He is definitely one of the top crime writers out there。Renée Ballard is also one of my favourite detectives and it was very interesting to listen to an interview with Michael where he mentioned that all the books with her in it has "dark" or "night" in the title referring to her working the night shift。 She is one tough cookie that you don't want to meet after midnight。 Together with Harry Bosch， they make one dynamic duo。 In this story， Renée's got to deal with two different cases。 The one case is that of an ex-gangster who gets shot and killed on New Year's Eve and the other case is the case of the Midnight Gang。 Two men breaking into homes and raping women。 With little or no help from her colleagues and department head， she's left to her own devices。 When 1 of the cases is linked to a case Bosch worked on she approaches him for help and together they try to figure it all out。A highly recommended read！ Thank you to Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion 。。。more
Teri
，
So this is probably the fourth novel I have read that was written during the great COVID-19 pandemic。 At least the fourth that the author includes it as part of the narrative。 Maybe it’s because we are still in the midst of the pandemic that I feel compelled to address this。 Some authors are very heavy handed with it and I just sigh because I read to escape， at least my Fiction books。 Overall， Connelly does not overdo it except the time when Renee asked Harry on two separate occasions at his hou So this is probably the fourth novel I have read that was written during the great COVID-19 pandemic。 At least the fourth that the author includes it as part of the narrative。 Maybe it’s because we are still in the midst of the pandemic that I feel compelled to address this。 Some authors are very heavy handed with it and I just sigh because I read to escape， at least my Fiction books。 Overall， Connelly does not overdo it except the time when Renee asked Harry on two separate occasions at his house， about his preference for masking。 What bothered me about that was just simply lazy writing。 Connelly is a good writer and he always gives a good plot so this is not a critique of his actual plot but just some of the idiosyncrasies of writers and my take on it。 Also， writing with the zeitgeist ， he addresses the police malaise due to the public outcry to defund the police。 I did find this very timely and appreciated his take on the men and women in blues’ side of the things。 Thanks to NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
John Machata
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Another in a long series of disappointments from Mr。 Connelly， who continues to punctuate recent books with police jargon and pedantic analysis instead of letting the story do the talking。
Candy
，
Another great book featuring Renee Ballard and her mentor and friend Harry Bosch。 With Bosch now long retired and older， this series is a great way to keep him involved and readers entertained。 The storyline keeps you turning the page and keep reading。
Elaine Tomasso
，
I would like to thank Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for an advance copy of The Dark Hours， the fourth novel to feature Detective Renée Ballard of LAPD and retired detective Harry Bosch。On New Year’s Eve Ballard is hunting the midnight men， a pair of serial rapists who strike on holidays leaving no clues， when she gets the call to go to a death scene。 Javier Raffa has been struck by a stray bullet， fired during the “rain of lead”， a Los Angeles new year tradition， but when the bullet is li I would like to thank Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for an advance copy of The Dark Hours， the fourth novel to feature Detective Renée Ballard of LAPD and retired detective Harry Bosch。On New Year’s Eve Ballard is hunting the midnight men， a pair of serial rapists who strike on holidays leaving no clues， when she gets the call to go to a death scene。 Javier Raffa has been struck by a stray bullet， fired during the “rain of lead”， a Los Angeles new year tradition， but when the bullet is linked to one of Bosch’s old cases premeditated murder seems a more likely scenario。I thoroughly enjoyed The Dark Hours， which is an absorbing police procedural， mostly in what not to do as Ballard has never seen an instruction she can’t work around or ignore。 The novel is a great mixture of the two cases and Ballard’s travails within the department， with Bosch supporting her every step of the way。I did guess some of the minute men plot， but that didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the twists and turns of the investigation， especially as the solution is so twenty first century。 I like the way Ballard attacks the investigation and the inventive way she moves it forward。 I was hanging on her every action as it’s all or nothing for her。 The murder plot is not so prominent in the novel。 It takes centre stage early on， with Bosch doing the background work and supplying a motive， but is quickly resolved although not without drama。 The answer is shocking but sadly not unbelievable。I think the novel touches the zeitgeist with the motives in the two cases， but it is the general air of malaise that really nails it。 The novel is set in January 2021， so the insurrection gets a mention， but it is the picture of the LAPD that colours the narrative。 The personnel are jaded and worn out after the pandemic and the BLM protests。 Most are unwilling to put in more than the bare minimum and are frightened to put a foot wrong or speak out of turn for fear of dismissal。 Reactive rather than proactive is the author’s verdict on the organisation。 It will come as no surprise that a motivated self starter like Ballard gets no support and faces disciplinary action。 Her answer made me smile。The Dark Hours is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending。 。。。more
Mairead Hearne （swirlandthread。com）
，
The Dark Hours by Michael Connelly will be released November 9th with Orion Publishing and is described as ‘the brand new blockbuster Ballard & Bosch Thriller’。 Michael Connelly is the creator of the phenomenally successful Harry Bosch series of crime novels， as well as being the executive producer of Bosch， an Amazon Studios original based on Harry Bosch。 The Black Echo was published in 1992 introducing the world to LAPD Detective Hieronymus Bosch， with Michael Connelly writing more than 30 nov The Dark Hours by Michael Connelly will be released November 9th with Orion Publishing and is described as ‘the brand new blockbuster Ballard & Bosch Thriller’。 Michael Connelly is the creator of the phenomenally successful Harry Bosch series of crime novels， as well as being the executive producer of Bosch， an Amazon Studios original based on Harry Bosch。 The Black Echo was published in 1992 introducing the world to LAPD Detective Hieronymus Bosch， with Michael Connelly writing more than 30 novels since。Michael Connelly was inspired to write police procedurals/crime fiction after becoming captivated by Raymond Chandler from a young age。 He now writes at a demanding pace at nearly a book a year but what is always very important to him is ensuring the authenticity of his stories and that they should reflect our society at any given time。 Over the past year there have been many changes to the LAPD policing due the pandemic and the many social protests that have taken place in the US。 Michael Connelly felt quite passionate about including these shifts in practice in his novel offering his readers a credible reading experience。The Dark Hours starts off on New Year’s Eve with Detective Renée Ballard allocated the first case of the New Year。 She receives a call to attend a scene where a man was shot dead during the annual celebratory gun-shooting-in-the-air-at-midnight party。 （An insane New Year’s Eve activity in parts of LA apparently！） Initially the investigation points to accidental death but Ballard soon determines that this was no accident…。this was cold-blooded murder。 As she delves deeper into the investigation she makes a connection between this man’s death and a cold case from over ten years ago that had been under the remit of retired LAPD Detective Harry Bosch。 Ballard and Bosch have a previous history together and， right now， Ballard trusts Bosch as the one person who shares her relentless passion for the truth above everything else。Ballard also has to contend with another even more sinister crime when a woman reports a very brutal assault in her own home。 This isn’t the first of these assaults and Ballard has to act fast before there is another victim and before the media picks up on these attacks。 The perpetrators are nicknamed The Midnight Men but who are they and what is their modus operandi？The title The Dark Hours infers many meanings。 Renée Ballard works the night shift， a time that suits her and her lifestyle， but it also refers to the dark hours of our time， the darkness that pervades society。 There were some very dramatic changes in US policing over the last year or so and Michael Connelly made a decision to harness these changes by creating characters and environments that echo a nation’s sentiments。 Ballard is frustrated by defunding， by enforced restrictions placed on her by colleagues。 She plays outside the box， always outside the rules to achieve the desired results but she is being continuously knocked off kilter with moving obstacles and her exasperation is mounting daily。Ballard and Bosch make a great team。 Bosch， now in his seventies， is aging appropriately with each new book and there is plenty of life left in him yet。 Ballard is tough， unafraid to raise the dust and see what’s hiding underneath。 Together they are a skilled and formidable team， working in tandem and connecting the dots。Michael Connelly writes contemporary fiction， very much capturing the zeitgeist of the time。 The Dark Hours feels like a very personal book， one that Connelly felt he needed to write。 The two investigations in The Dark Hours give a platform to the impact societal changes have had on policing and， I expect， there will be many who will agree with Ballard’s views on her workplace and the radical changes she sees around her。The Dark Hours is a compelling police-procedural written by a master of his trade， while also incorporating some very thought-provoking themes。 Current， atmospheric and absorbing The Dark Hours is another sure fire hit for Michael Connelly。 。。。more
Patrick
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Another excellent book by a great author， bringing together Ballard and Bosch， two brilliant， sometimes maverick， detectives， dealing with 2 very different cases simultaneously in a police department affected both by the Covid pandemic and the impact of the death of George Floyd。 The plots twist and turn as Ballard and Bosch pursue their instincts and leads as the book progresses to an excellent climax。
MicheleReader
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It’s New Year’s Eve and LAPD Detective Renée Ballard is working “the late show” shift in Hollywood。 After the normal tradition of people shooting bullets in the air， she is called to a crime scene where a local business owner is found dead in what was made to look like an accident from a falling bullet。 Forensics reveals that the bullet was shot from the same gun as a bullet from a decade old cold case of the now retired Detective Harry Bosch。 In addition， Ballard is part of an investigation int It’s New Year’s Eve and LAPD Detective Renée Ballard is working “the late show” shift in Hollywood。 After the normal tradition of people shooting bullets in the air， she is called to a crime scene where a local business owner is found dead in what was made to look like an accident from a falling bullet。 Forensics reveals that the bullet was shot from the same gun as a bullet from a decade old cold case of the now retired Detective Harry Bosch。 In addition， Ballard is part of an investigation into two rapists called The Midnight Men who have struck several times around the area。 In working her cases， Ballard finds roadblocks at every turn including budget issues as well as some apathy and struggles within her department， a disapproving supervisor and a possible coverup。 Seeking help， she works behind the scenes with Bosch， who has few fans left at the LAPD。 The Dark Hours is the fourth book featuring Ballard， a very appealing character。 She has added a great element to the world of Harry Bosch， who continues to be a talented investigator even though he is no longer on the force。 They make a terrific team。 The cases in this latest installment are as strong as ever。 Author Michael Connelly keeps things timely with real-world events and social issues。 Ballard has recovered from Covid and vaccinations for the general public are about to be rolled out。 Masks are a part of life。 It is all handled well。 If you haven’t read any of the more than 30 books in what is known as the "Bosch Universe，" it’s time to jump onboard。 Starting with the Renée Ballard series would be a good place to begin unless you’re adventurous and want to start from the very beginning。 Try watching the Bosch television series on HBO – it is a perfect companion to the books。 Many thanks to Little， Brown and Company | Hachette Book Group and Novel Suspects Insiders for the opportunity to enjoy The Dark Hours in advance of its November 9， 2021 publication。 Rated 4。5 stars。Review posted on MicheleReader。com。 。。。more
Laura
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I’m liking the Bosch/Ballard partnership more and more。 In this novel， Renee Ballard is juggling a couple of different cases on the graveyard shift that could be more than the gang shooting and rape that they seem。 She pulls in Bosch when she needs help and begins to feel alienated from her colleagues on the force。
Patricia Moren
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This was a fascinating police thriller。 One of a series but written to include the problems with policing in the US， affects of Covid19 and the storming of then Senate in Washington。。 This background made the story seem very real。 Some good characters and the action was non stop all the way through。 Great read。
Ann
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I’ve loved all the Harry （Hieronymus） Bosch books since the first one The Black Echo， and this teaming with Ballard is a perfectly acceptable way to keep him on our pages while being realistic and true to his age and past career。 Like all of Michael Connelly’s book this is a great read， with a brilliant main plot and a shocking revelation as to the source of the murders。 All that said the book will also in future years be a social history book， as it deals with the aftermath and public opinion o I’ve loved all the Harry （Hieronymus） Bosch books since the first one The Black Echo， and this teaming with Ballard is a perfectly acceptable way to keep him on our pages while being realistic and true to his age and past career。 Like all of Michael Connelly’s book this is a great read， with a brilliant main plot and a shocking revelation as to the source of the murders。 All that said the book will also in future years be a social history book， as it deals with the aftermath and public opinion of the police following the George Floyd killing and the coronavirus pandemic and it’s impact on L。A。As usual Connelly grabs you and doesn’t let you go。 An excellent read， all the more enjoyable if you’re a fan of the series so you can get the best from the subplots but equally works as a standalone read。There’s a reason these books are instant bestsellers 。。。more
Debbie
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Another fabulous instalment by the author。 LAPD Detective Renee Ballard is working the New Years Eve shift in Hollywood， seeking shelter away from the chaos。 At midnight， revelers shoot their guns into the air to celebrate but soon after it is found that a shop owner has been fatally hit by a bullet。 Ballard is keen to find out more and she soon determines the death was not an accident。 It also appears to be linked to another unsolved murder case， one worked by Detective Harry Bosch。 As the stor Another fabulous instalment by the author。 LAPD Detective Renee Ballard is working the New Years Eve shift in Hollywood， seeking shelter away from the chaos。 At midnight， revelers shoot their guns into the air to celebrate but soon after it is found that a shop owner has been fatally hit by a bullet。 Ballard is keen to find out more and she soon determines the death was not an accident。 It also appears to be linked to another unsolved murder case， one worked by Detective Harry Bosch。 As the story goes along， we see Ballard embedded in the investigation and a twisted mystery unfolds。I love a good police procedural and this one was fantastic。 It was fast paced and I love the relationship between Ballard and Bosch working together。 A little warning that this one does contain COVID references throughout。 Another fabulous mystery and I can't wait for more by this author。Thanks so much to Allen & Unwin for the gifted advance review copy。 。。。more
The Real Book Spy
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***See this full review， and more， on TheRealBookSpy。com ***#1 New York Times bestselling author Michael Connelly brings back his new hero， LAPD Detective Renee Ballard， and longtime protagionist former detective， Harry Bosh—once again teaming them up as the duo takes on two cases that’ll keep readers reading well into the night。 It’s called “the rain of lead，” and has become a New Year’s Eve tradition in Las Angelas。 Just before midnight， partiers take to the streets and ring in the new year by ***See this full review， and more， on TheRealBookSpy。com ***#1 New York Times bestselling author Michael Connelly brings back his new hero， LAPD Detective Renee Ballard， and longtime protagionist former detective， Harry Bosh—once again teaming them up as the duo takes on two cases that’ll keep readers reading well into the night。 It’s called “the rain of lead，” and has become a New Year’s Eve tradition in Las Angelas。 Just before midnight， partiers take to the streets and ring in the new year by firing their guns into the air。 It’s all harmless until it’s not， and for LAPD detective Renée Ballard， the new year starts off with a case involving an auto shop owner named Javier Raffa who was hit with a stray bullet in the middle of the street。 Still working the graveyard shift （following 2019’s The Night Fire）， Ballard gets the call and arrives at the scene expecting to find that Raffa—who throws a yearly shindig that draws plenty of Las Palmas gang members—was hit with a stray bullet。 But after poking around， Ballard 。 。 。 。Continue reading this review here: https://therealbookspy。com/2021/10/18。。。 。。。more
Adrian Dooley
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Michael Connelly again delivers fantastic read， the third in the Ballard Bosch series， this one is centred on Renee Ballard with Harry Bosch called in for a supporting role。 Ballard still working the dark hours（the night shift） as a punishment， it actually suits her， although she works the small hours with an unmotivated and often absent partner。 When a murder happens on her shift and the murder squad are busy with another case she temporarily runs with it until she has to hand it over。 When she Michael Connelly again delivers fantastic read， the third in the Ballard Bosch series， this one is centred on Renee Ballard with Harry Bosch called in for a supporting role。 Ballard still working the dark hours（the night shift） as a punishment， it actually suits her， although she works the small hours with an unmotivated and often absent partner。 When a murder happens on her shift and the murder squad are busy with another case she temporarily runs with it until she has to hand it over。 When she links it to an unsolved legacy case she calls Harry Bosch in to help her。 She is also working on an unusual double rapist case where two men are breaking into houses around midnight and raping women。 This case is the meat of the book so to speak and quite sinister yet intriguing。 Set during the pandemic with the back drop of the Black Lives Matter movement and general distrust of the police， Connelly delivers an utterly compelling and complex read。 Many plates are being spun by the author but he keeps them all spinning perfectly in this multi story tale。 Ballard， taking centre stage here， is a superb and stubborn character。 A strong and driven woman， she is allowed to shine here as Bosch plays second fiddle to her。 I was all in with this one from first page to last。 The more I read the more I realized the title of the book had many many meanings。 Dark， current， atmospheric and ultimately satisfying， Connelly shows no sign of dropping his standards of putting out some of the best police procedurals/thrillers out there today。 Get your hands on a copy if you can。 Thanks to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley。 。。。more
Annette
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It’s always a treat for me to read the latest Michael Connelly book and The Dark Hours was definitely up there with this author’s other novels in that it was a great read that had me both entertained and enthralled from the very first page。This was another outing for Renee Ballard who works the night shift for the LAPD。 In this book Ballard is investigating two cases， the murder of a retired gang member and a series of rapes perpetrated by a duo dubbed the Midnight Men。 Her partner， Lisa Moore ， It’s always a treat for me to read the latest Michael Connelly book and The Dark Hours was definitely up there with this author’s other novels in that it was a great read that had me both entertained and enthralled from the very first page。This was another outing for Renee Ballard who works the night shift for the LAPD。 In this book Ballard is investigating two cases， the murder of a retired gang member and a series of rapes perpetrated by a duo dubbed the Midnight Men。 Her partner， Lisa Moore ， is not a great help as she wants to spend most of her investigating time on holiday with her boyfriend。 After all it is the festive New Year season！ Renee must work alone and enlists the help of her mentor， retired cop， Harry Bosch as he has a connection to the murder case。The main investigating is done by Ballard and Bosch’s role in this book is much smaller but I still enjoyed the interaction between these two characters as Ballard uses Bosch’s experience to help crack the two cases。This book is bang up to date with the pandemic as well as cuts to police funding hovering in the background of the plot。 This adds to the tension as Ballard feels unsupported within her own department。 With little money or time， Ballard’s Co workers seem intent on looking after themselves and there is not much hope of thorough investigations。 Ballard is keen to solve the rape case but is practically working on her own in a race against time before there are more victims。 As the book progresses she becomes more and more disillusioned。There was some light relief from the serious nature of the crimes when Ballard decides to adopt a new dog。I thoroughly enjoyed this book- Ballard is a great character- and I’m certainly looking forward to more novels featuring her and Harry Bosch。 Michael Connelly’s books are always consistently good and race along at a great pace。 I set aside a weekend to read this one and despite having to undertake a few normal chores during my reading time， I finished The Dark Hours in the allotted period。Definitely a five star read for me。 Thanks to NetGalley and Orion for my review copy。 。。。more
Zoe M
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I am a big fan of Michael Connelly and although some of his books are parts of a series you never have to read the previous books to be submerged into his world。 I have more of his books than any other author。 In general I like his books because he tells it how it is and doesnt waffle about non-important things。 I know I am going to be on the edge of my seat and I wont want to put it down once I start。 This book is no exception。 Great storyline and great cast of characters。 The story starts on N I am a big fan of Michael Connelly and although some of his books are parts of a series you never have to read the previous books to be submerged into his world。 I have more of his books than any other author。 In general I like his books because he tells it how it is and doesnt waffle about non-important things。 I know I am going to be on the edge of my seat and I wont want to put it down once I start。 This book is no exception。 Great storyline and great cast of characters。 The story starts on New Year's Eve 2020 and does mention covid and BLM but its not prominent。 It happened and it keeps the book current。 Brilliant read and can't wait for the next book from Michael Connelly。 。。。more
Mandy White （mandylovestoread）
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As one of my top 3 authors， a new Michael Connelly book is like Christmas come early for me。 His books were some of the first police procedural books that I ever read， thanks to my dad who thought I would like them。 And he was right。 All these years later and Harry Bosch is my all time favourite fictional detective。 There was a happy dance happening when I opened this bookmail in the middle of lockdown in Sydney 2021。 A very big thank you to Allen and Unwin， who understand my obsession with all As one of my top 3 authors， a new Michael Connelly book is like Christmas come early for me。 His books were some of the first police procedural books that I ever read， thanks to my dad who thought I would like them。 And he was right。 All these years later and Harry Bosch is my all time favourite fictional detective。 There was a happy dance happening when I opened this bookmail in the middle of lockdown in Sydney 2021。 A very big thank you to Allen and Unwin， who understand my obsession with all things Michael Connelly。This is the 4th Renee Ballard book and I am liking her more and more each book。 She is one tough cookie， working the Late Show （or graveyard shift） for the LAPD in Hollywood。 She sees the more hidden and darker side of the city and that is the way that she likes it。 This book starts on new years eve 2020 during the pandemic。 It has been a tough year with lockdowns， department politics， Black Lives Matter and the scrutiny of the police force as a whole。 On the job is now more dangerous than it has ever been。 As always with a Connelly book， there is alot going on。 Renee is called to the scene of a homicide early on new years day。 She wants to hold on to the case and gives it everything she has。 When she finds a link to an old case that her friend and mentor， Harry Bosch worked on， the pair team up once again to hunt down the killer。 While she is doing this， she is also working on the Midnight Men case where women are being in attacked in her own home。 A serious page turner， The Dark Hours shows the lesser seen side of the law。 Renee is not one to stick to the rules and probably why she gets on with Harry so well。 They are a team that will never give up and really care about the victims of the crimes。 They question the system and it is not always taken well by the higher ups。It will come as no suprise to anybody that this was a 5 star read for me and will be one of my favourite books of 2021。 Do yourself a favour and pick up a Connelly book， sooner rather than later。The Dark Hours is released November 9th。 。。。more
Kevin Howe
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I have read almost all of Michael Connelly's books and none have ever disappointed me。 Whilst some are， of course， better than others he never delivers anything less than a 4 star for me。 How he keeps up this level of consistency is beyond me。This novel features both Ballard （predominantly） and also Bosch （to a lesser extent）。 Whilst dealing with investigations into murder and rape， this novel also deals with current matters such as Black Lives Matter， Covid-19 and the impact that both have had I have read almost all of Michael Connelly's books and none have ever disappointed me。 Whilst some are， of course， better than others he never delivers anything less than a 4 star for me。 How he keeps up this level of consistency is beyond me。This novel features both Ballard （predominantly） and also Bosch （to a lesser extent）。 Whilst dealing with investigations into murder and rape， this novel also deals with current matters such as Black Lives Matter， Covid-19 and the impact that both have had upon policing in America。Whilst I will always love Bosch， I feel like Ballard is coming into her own now in the series of books and am keen to see where the series goes next。Another great read from Connelly and will delight his volumes of fans。Thanks to Orion Publishing Group and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Patricia Romero
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It’s New Year’s Eve and LAPD Detective Renee Ballard is sitting under an overpass waiting for the traditional rain of bullets at the stroke of midnight。 Paired with another female officer on loan from the Hollywood sex crimes unit。 They are trying to catch a duo of rapists before they strike again。 Only Lisa seems more interested in her boyfriend。At midnight someone is using the noise and confusion to murder a former gang member gone straight。 Called out Renee goes to the scene。 This isn’t a cas It’s New Year’s Eve and LAPD Detective Renee Ballard is sitting under an overpass waiting for the traditional rain of bullets at the stroke of midnight。 Paired with another female officer on loan from the Hollywood sex crimes unit。 They are trying to catch a duo of rapists before they strike again。 Only Lisa seems more interested in her boyfriend。At midnight someone is using the noise and confusion to murder a former gang member gone straight。 Called out Renee goes to the scene。 This isn’t a case of bullets raining down。 This shot came from close up。 And the bullet leads her to one of Bosch’s cases。As they team up to find a killer， the killer is making plans for them。Who doesn’t love Bosch？ And Connelley kept it very real。 With everything from Black Lives Matter to defunding the police and the pandemic as well。 There is a lot of distrust of the police by the community and he gives us all of that。 We get a lot of Ballard and she really won me over in this one。Suspenseful and solid all the way！NetGalley/November 9th， 2021 by Little， Brown， and Company 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Dark Hours
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Dark Hours&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Dark Hours&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0