The Closers (*****)

ANOTHER HUGE NOTCH IN CONNELLY'S SUCCESS BELT!

After three years off the force, Harry Bosch opens “The Closers” re-instated to the LAPD. His experience has earned him a plum posting with his old partner, Kizmin Rider, to the “Open Unsolved Unit” but the chief has made it clear that Bosch is under probation as the oldest “boot” on the force. Perhaps smarter, more matured, more mellow and definitely more introspective and cautious, Bosch realizes that his future with the force is contingent on staying out of trouble and sticking rigorously to the letter of the law and regimented procedure according to the book. But trouble has a way of seeking out Harry Bosch and getting under his skin.

Bosch is handed his first case, supposedly a slam dunk with new evidence. Rebecca Verloren was murdered 17 years ago. Rebecca’s white mother is hopelessly mired in the past and mourns her death to this day. Her black father, formerly a successful restauranteur, fell into the bottle and vanished into LA’s homeless community. DNA analysis, that didn’t exist at the time of the murder, leads Bosch and Ryder toward Roland Mackey, a tow truck driver with connections to a radical fascist white supremacy group. But Bosch and Rider aren’t satisfied. While the DNA ties Mackey to the murder weapon, there doesn’t seem to be any way to tie Mackey to the murder or to a relationship with the victim. Further investigation into the racial aspect of the case begins to point Bosch into that most treacherous territory of “high jingo” – internal police wrongdoing and cover-ups related to the LA race riots that were happening at the time of Rebecca’s murder.

“The Closers” is considerably less character driven than previous Harry Bosch novels but Bosch’s character is still an important consideration. It’s clear throughout the novel that Bosch wrestles internally with his old demons - the compulsion to lapse back into unorthodoxy, the drive to get the job done at all costs, his inability to deal compassionately with those around him. I will admit, however, that it was probably more clear to me as a confirmed lover of Harry Bosch novels than it would be to a new fan choosing to pick up “The Closers” as a first Harry Bosch entrée. Kiz Rider, by contrast to Bosch, matures and strengthens as an understanding partner and a highly competent female investigator in a primarily male world. She has the ability, the courage and the compassion necessary to let Bosch know about his shortcomings and to hold him firmly in check when it’s necessary. Her innovative, insightful and independent thinking seems unhampered by a much more strict “by the book” approach.

The plot – well, what can one say about Michael Connelly’s mastery of the police procedural that hasn’t already been said? The textbook layout of the clues and the investigation is impeccable and compelling in its intensity. And the twist at the end is worthy of the finest thriller. Five stars, two thumbs up and a bonus of two big toes as well!

Highly recommended.