Book Review: Desert Star

Well, I’m going to keep this review brief, short, and simple. It’s been a year since Ballard left the force. Since then, she was talked into returning and running the new Open-Unsolved Unit by the chief of police. This special unit is comprised of volunteers and Ballard as the only one carrying a badge. Her first goal is to close a decades old rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl. The victim just happens to be the city councilman’s late sister and he is the one that fought to bring back the unit.

Once Ballard establishes the unit and location, she reaches out to her first choice to help in this new unit, Harry Bosch. Harry is still haunted by a case he couldn’t close before he retired, the murder of an entire family. Whose remains were found in a grave in the desert.

Now the two are working together to bring down two murderers that may have been killing all this time. As they run both cases, they even stumble on proof the someone is being held for a different murder they didn’t commit.

This story is a great example of why I’m a huge fan of Michael Connelly. The story ties in, plots, subplots and other side stories that are just as compelling as the main cases. Each one a story on its own. Now, on my scale of 1 to 5, 1 being don’t bother and 5 a real page turner, I must give Desert Star, a solid, 5. This story is one heck of a page turner.