Book Review of Lost Light by Michael Connelly

Lost Light by Michael Connelly

As all Harry Bosch books are, this one is strong on justice. There is an undercurrent of vengeance running through it that isn’t obvious until toward the end. I didn’t pick up on any redemption. Regrets and guilt, yes, but not true redemption. This is number nine in the Harry Bosch series. Dated, as it was released in 2003. And I read the paperback, third one this year.

This was a good book. Well written. I did not put it all together too far ahead of time. I like Harry Bosch as a character. I kept picturing Titus Welliver while reading it, thanks to the Prime series. It was also interesting to see how different the timeline is from the series.

With all that said, I do want to rag on the testimonials printed on the covers of the book. Front cover the USA Today said, “Will take your breath away.” It didn’t. Not much happens for the first one-hundred and fifty pages. The first half is interesting, just not thrilling. At no point did I find myself gasping for air. The back cover has a quote from the Chicago Sun Times saying, “The book against which every other title in the series – and those yet to come – will be measured.” No. I’ve read three Bosch books that I can remember, and this would rank third in that list, with Black Echo ranking first.

This book starts right after Bosch has retired from the LAPD. He has his private investigator license, but no real clients. He becomes his own client with a case that has haunted him since he had been briefly assigned to it several years ago, but it was taken away by robbery / homicide and never solved. He can’t get an image of the dead woman out of his mind and feels obligated to open the cold case and pursue it.

There is a variety of characters and situations. The murder of the woman is tied to a robbery of $2 million from a movie set. As Bosch starts the investigation, he meets heavy resistance from the FBI. Layers upon layers are peeled away as Bosch tries to find the murderer and stay out of prison.

I don’t want to ruin the surprise at the end, which has nothing to do with the case, but let’s just say his family situation is very different than the Prime series. It’s interesting how the series decided to move some things around. If you haven’t seen the series, you can email me, and I’ll be happy to explain.

This book has plenty of profanity of all varieties. No on-page sex. Bosch is still hung up on his ex-wife, so that’s the love interest. She’s still alive in the novel, unlike the series where she is killed while Bosch is still a cop. There is violence, but it’s not over-the-top.

Overall, a good read. Typical Bosch from what I’ve read. Interesting settings and situations. Connelly writes well. I’ll put this one just behind Win.

1. The Letter Keeper by Charles Martin
2. Right Behind You by Lisa Gardner
3. Moonlight Awakens by John Matthew Walker
4. Win by Harlen Coben
5. Lost Light by Michael Connelly
6. Murder Board by Brian Shea
7. Anna: A Cliff Ford Mystery by Terry Toler
8. The Man Burned by Winter by Pete Zacharias
9. Born to Die by Lisa Jackson
10. The Tapestry Bag by Isabella Muir
11. The Mechanic by Tom Fowler
12. Into the Flames by Liz Bradford
13. You Are Invited by Sarah A Denzil
14. Girl, Alone by Blake Pierce
15. One Night in Sedona by Carrie Latimer.
16. Coffin Cove by Jackie Elliott

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