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Another Michael Connelly is always an occasion of rejoicing, and when the protagonist is Harry Bosch, I find my joy is unconfined. This tale begins with Harry Bosch being reminded that he is not happy with being partnered with Ignacio Ferras. The latter, who took a bullet in the course of duty, but is now healed and back on duty, tends to skive off whenever the opportunity arises. On this particular day, however, Ferras' plan is thwarted when their lieutenant gives them the case of a shooting in a liquor store. The old Chinese man, John Li, the proprietor of the shop, has been killed. For Harry, the case has a personal aspect, since he had been involved in a previous investigation when he and Mr Li had established a certain rapport. Harry's problems are soon magnified when Detective David Chu from the Asian Gangs Unit is to begin working with him. Harry is not comfortable working with the man, especially since he soon comes to the conclusion that there is a leak in the Department and he is unable to trust anyone. It soon becomes apparent that Li was making payoffs to someone, presumably a triad. The bagman for the triad is identified as Bo-Jang Chang. Harry picks Chang u[ but is only permitted to hold him, lacking cause, for the weekend. In the meantime, Harry receives a threatening call from someone who sounds Chinese and sees a video of his thirteen year-old daughter, Maddie. She is tied up and obviously terrified. Bosch, naturally enough, drops everything and jets off to Hong Kong, convinced that it is the triad's way of ensuring the release of Chang. Eleanor Wish, Harry's ex-wife, now a professional gambler at a Macau casino, plays a large part in the tale, as does her boyfriend Sun Yee, without whom Harry would be well and truly lost in the unfamiliar surroundings. There's absolutely no denying that Connelly is an extremely talented writer. His plotting is impeccable and his characters totally convincing. The author's depiction of Hong Kong is masterful. If a reader has not been to that intriguing place, he will be charmed by the description of the city, with its descriptions of the festival of the Hungry Ghosts, the Jade Market and the Peak, amongst other things. Mind, there is no description of something that always holds great allure for tourists, namely the shopping. This work leaves several obvious hooks on which the next narrative may be hung (and please, Mr Connelly, don't let too much time elapse before the next book). Don't expect to get through this work without dragging your eyes and imagination through a lot of blood. I wouldn't describe much of the gore as being gratuitous, but if you tend to get queasy when reading about excessive violence, be prepared to skim large amounts of prose. That being said, don't let the bloody prospect put you off reading the tale because it really is a masterpiece.
Reviewed by Denise Pickles, October 2009
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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