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The Black Box (Harry Bosch #18)

by Michael Connelly (Goodreads Author)

3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 · rating details · 7,898 ratings · 1,243 reviews

In a case that spans 20 years, Harry Bosch links the bullet from a recent crime to a file from 1992, the killing of a young female photographer during the L.A. riots. Harry originally investigated the murder, but it was then handed off to the Riot Crimes Task Force and never solved. Now Bosch’s ballistics match indicates that her death was not random violence, but somethin...more

Hardcover, 403 pages

Published November 26th 2012 by Orion (first published November 1st 2012)

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Jan 16, 2013 Michael rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, mystery, los-angeles, california, police-procedural

Good but not great. L.A. Detective Harry Bosch is working on the cold case squad and takes a personal interest in the murder of a Danish journalist 20 years ago during the riots following the Rodney King case. He was called to the scene at the time but the chaos and caseload prevented the police from serious efforts on the case. Piece by piece Harry’s puzzle solving slowly begins to pay off, like when airplane crash investigators turn up the “black box” of recordings of indicators associated wit...more

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Dec 30, 2012 Jane Stewart rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-mystery-with-a-little-suspens, 5-star-other

Another excellent book in the series. The only negative was one question not answered at the end.

The negative:
On the second to last page Connelly wrote “She would not tell Bosch why she ...” did something. That bothered me. It was important. I hope he answers it in the next book. But I have to wait a year? I believe the author said he was late finishing this book. Maybe that’s why he left it unexplained.

The positive:
One of the things he does so well is: When Harry first starts a case, I’m thinki...more

14 likes · like · see review

Nov 27, 2012 Ami rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: harry-bosch-series, 4-stars-and-more-but-less-than-4-5

4.25 stars
This book opened with a scene back in 1992 -- where Los Angeles became a place of riot after the verdict of Rodney King's case. Back then, still a Homicide Detective at Hollywood Division with Jerry Edgar, Harry Bosch was called into a crime scene in an alley, where a white female body was found. A foreign journalist by the name of Anneke Jespersen. Bosch found a bullet as well, a nine-millimeter Remington, which he assumed came from the gun that killed her. But it was a city under fir...more 4.25 stars
This book opened with a scene back in 1992 -- where Los Angeles became a place of riot after the verdict of Rodney King's case. Back then, still a Homicide Detective at Hollywood Division with Jerry Edgar, Harry Bosch was called into a crime scene in an alley, where a white female body was found. A foreign journalist by the name of Anneke Jespersen. Bosch found a bullet as well, a nine-millimeter Remington, which he assumed came from the gun that killed her. But it was a city under fire, Bosch was called to another crime scene, the case then given to Riot Crimes Task Force, and it was never solved.

Now, part of Open-Unsolved Unit, on his first year under DROP (Deferred Retirement Option Plan) contract, Bosch decided to take the Anneke's case (dubbed Snow White) again, to walk the gun, and to find out what really happened twenty years ago. Only Bosch found out that the case was more personal than just a reporter getting killed during a riot ...

--------------------------

Harry Bosch. Twenty years later. And it is still GOOD!!

My history with Harry Bosch has spanned over a decade (My first taste of this series was back in 2002 -- I remember because I bought the first six books in 2 omnibus, and at that time book 8th was just released) and every single time I get my hand on his story, I feel the same excitement as I did ten years ago. Bosch, for me, is simply one of the personal literary detectives. He wasn't perfect: he had flaws (one of them being that of prodigal detective, he easily made enemies left and right -- in this book, he butt-headed again with his boss and the person upstairs), he still learned how to be a good father for his (now) sixteen year old daughter. But Bosch had that determination that never waver, a sense of justice. I admired him for it.

The case itself took life in a way that I couldn't even predicted. First, I thought it was related to some sort of war crimes, because Anneke was a Danish freelance reporter that cover war stories. Even until half-part, I still had no idea where the crime case would take me. When it was revealed (view spoiler), I felt sad for Anneke and her brother, who has waited for twenty years to find out what has happened to his sister. It was truly well-written plot -- by the pen of Michael Connelly.

Aside from the case, I enjoyed reading about Bosch's personal life -- most notably with his daughter, Maddie. I loved that Maddie made that birthday dinner for Bosch. I'm not sure about parenting ways of teaching teenagers about guns; how shooting simulation could be an idea of a father-daughter activity, but this is a different culture than my own, so I couldn't really judge. I wasn't really sure about Bosch's love life, though, seemed that he couldn't really retained a personal relationship *smile*. On another note, I did wish Bosch could be slightly kinder to his younger partner -- but maybe Bosch was always better as a lone-wolf type of detective, anyway.

Here, Bosch hinted that his DROP contract was for five years and with this book, he still had another four years coming. Could I really hope that meant that there would be at least four more books of Bosch? Though of course, I would always get the new Bosch, no matter how many books it will be...(less)

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Jan 13, 2013 BamaGal rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: suspense-thriller, library

Harry Bosch is probably one of my two all time favorite series characters. (Jack Reacher is the other). Harry hasn't stayed static in the nearly 20 years we've been together. He's grown older, he's grown as a detective, and he's grown as a character.

Harry is still working the Cold Cases for LAPD after leaving Homicide. He catches a case that he ironically worked himself in 1992 during the LA riots. A Danish war reporter has been murdered in an alleyway. With so much killing, shooting and looting...more

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May 21, 2013 Steve rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I moved up quickly and enjoyed this latest Bosch. I liked the present/ 20 year old murder.
An Excellent Bosch.

I am number 552 on the library wait list with one copy available.
I've written this note before and I love some of the dorky responses to my joke-
at 3 weeks per hold, or 17 readers per year, it will take around 35 years to
get to my turn.

Yo se yo se...... the library will get more copies, not every one takes 3 weeks,
some requesters die before they get their hold copy, I know, I know.
Stev...more

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Jan 15, 2013 June Ahern rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am a loyal Michael Connelly fan because he is an excellent writer - mostly - I'm a big Harry Bosch fan because I've grown to know him and find him believable. Connelly's latest box was one of my Christmas presents and I couldn't wait to get right into it. I'm sorry to say, although it was mostly well written, I didn't find it as thrilling or interesting as the author's past books.

The Black Box is about Harry Bosch, an older but still a grump maverick cop, who is working a 20 years cold case o...more

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Nov 28, 2012 Joanne rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-mystery-thriller

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Harry Bosch gets crotchety when he can’t solve a murder. If anything gets in his way he becomes stubborn, more determined and relentless. But after the acquittal of three policemen for the beating of Rodney King and the riots that followed, Bosch, under the protection of the US Army National Guard, is forced to abandon the crime scene he’s investigating. Fires are smouldering nearby, looters are shooting shop owners, shop owners are shooting looters, opportunists are shooting whoever and the pol...more

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Mar 04, 2013 Kaje Harper rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

4.5 stars. Harry Bosch is one of my favorite fictional detectives. The books are realistic in the police procedural aspect, but Harry is often bucking department politics and sneaking around the limitations. He has aged through the series, and is now close to retirement, which I like better than some forever-young heroes. His combination of dedication to his job, realism and drive for justice make him sympathetic, but he's nicely imperfect in both work and his personal relationships. This series...more

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Feb 14, 2013 Craig Pittman rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In this book Harry Bosch, LAPD homicide detective, solves a murder from 20 years ago, linking it to the Los Angeles riots that once tore his city apart. Meanwhile he reaches forward to the future by bonding with his daughter, who's thinking she might want to be a cop someday too.

The 1992 date is significant for a couple of reasons. For one, the first Michael Connelly novel about Bosch was published that year. For another, Connelly -- then a reporter for the Los Angeles Times -- actually covered...more

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Jan 29, 2013 Raven rated it 4 of 5 stars

It never ceases to amaze me how Michael Connelly achieves such a constant level of excellence with his writing in relation to the excellent Hieronymous (aka Harry) Bosch series. Let’s bear in mind that this is the 18th outing for Harry and it’s exactly twenty years since this stalwart of American detective fiction made his debut in ‘The Black Echo’, and yet Connelly unceasingly produces the most readable and stylistically perfect thrillers time after time, in marked difference to other authors o...more

It never ceases to amaze me how Michael Connelly achieves such a constant level of excellence with his writing in relation to the excellent Hieronymous (aka Harry) Bosch series. Let’s bear in mind that this is the 18th outing for Harry and it’s exactly twenty years since this stalwart of American detective fiction made his debut in ‘The Black Echo’, and yet Connelly unceasingly produces the most readable and stylistically perfect thrillers time after time, in marked difference to other authors of long running crime series who can only dream of this consistency. And I’m extremely pleased to say that ‘The Black Box’continues Connelly’s rich tradition…

The book opens with the LA Riots of 1992, sparked by the acquittal of four white police officers, cleared of the assault on Rodney King. As the violence escalates Bosch and his counterparts find themselves rushed from crime scene to crime scene under the protection of the National Guard, unable to devote time to each murder victim- the majority of whom end up as files in the Open Unsolved Unit where Bosch is now based. Bosch is haunted by one particular murder, that of a female Danish photo-journalist, Anneke Jesperson, shot at point blank range in an alley during one of those fateful nights, and re-opens the investigation into her death. Working on the assumption that every case has a ‘black box’- a key piece of evidence that will provide insight into a case- Bosch goes on the trail of the missing murder weapon and ends up embroiled in a far greater conspiracy and, of course, danger.

Once again Bosch is presented as a moral and focused police officer, evidenced by his interaction with Jesperson’s family and former colleagues and despite a totally bogus accusation on his professional behaviour by his immediate boss and the Professional Standards Bureau, Bosch displays his deep-seated tenacity that this case will be solved whatever the cost. Once again, Bosch is presented as a harbinger of morality, where the rights of the victim are at the forefront and the quest for justice paramount. On a personal level, there is a very nice examination of Bosch’s tentative relationship with his daughter Maddie and a real sense of them getting used to one another and this relationship strengthening over the course of the book. The plot is smooth and convincing and spirals outwards satisfactorily as Connelly introduces a conspiracy amongst military personnel linked to his original investigation and, despite the rather ‘Hollywood’ action thriller denouement, I enjoyed the way it played out thanks to the pacing and the compelling character of Bosch that outweighs the slight flaw in the ending.

Yet again Connelly has hit the ground running with another solid and engrossing addition to the Bosch canon, and this will be sure to please die-hard fans or those lucky enough to be picking up their first Bosch thriller. Definitely a page turner and an excellent read.

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Dec 26, 2012 Fred Forbes rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sometimes you just want to settle in with an old friend and get lost in his world for awhile and it is easy to do with Harry Bosch. The plotting, at least with regards to solving the mystery is clever and full of "where does he go from here and how does he get the information" points that make this series so enjoyable. I agree with some of the other reviewers that there is more of a TV script like quality to this one, and I found the principal perp's ability to pull together what was happening b...more

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Mar 18, 2013 Al added it · review of another edition

May 1992, and after four LAPD officers were acquitted after the savage beating of Rodney King, Los Angeles is ablaze. As looting and burning take over the city, law and order are swept away in a tidal wave of violence. But under threat of their lives, homicide detectives like Harry Bosch are still stubbornly trying to do their job. With no effective police presence on the streets, murder just got a whole lot easier - and investigating them got a whole lot harder. Escorted by national guard soldi

...more

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May 31, 2013 Roger rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

At one place in this book the main protagonist, Harry Bosch, has to wade through mud and, at times, reading it felt a little like that as well. I have read a few Michael Connelly books and, in my opinion, this is not up to his usual standard.

Mr Connelly's books usually take a little while to get going but this one was well past 300 pages before anything much happened. There is the usual row with his boss, who seems a total idiot; a bit of byplay around his relationship with his latest lady frien...more

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May 03, 2013 Jamie Barnes rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Michael Connelly is one of my favorite authors for many reasons, among them his ability to put you into the life of a policeman/detective's daily routine, to include the stresses caused by office relationships, internal politics, and the clumsiness of the justice system. More importantly, Connelly develops a haunting sense of evil and dread in his books. He does this partly through description of evildoers' environments as well as vivid descriptions o how their victims died. You hope he gets the...more

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Apr 22, 2013 Walter Danley rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Any adult mystery/thriller fan

Recommended to Walter by: I've been a fan of Connelly for years

I've been hooked on Connelly's Harry Bosch for years, and in this, his most recent novel, Michael Connelly's story telling talent is his finest yet.

The plot opens twenty years earlier, Bosch, then a young homicide detective with Los Angeles PD during the Watts Riots, investigates a back alley murder victim. A proper investigation is not possible due to the number of homicides during the three day uprising. Harry and his partner are called away from the scene to another body. Bosch is greatly tr...more

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Apr 12, 2013 Karen Hall rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've read a lot of Connelly's other Harry Bosch books and, for the most part, have liked them all. This one, I think, is better than many of the others, and gives us another look into the operational rules and regulations of the LAPD, its power heirarchy and politics, and the lessons of learning to get along--for those with titles and those without. Harry, now a member of the Open/Unsolved unit, is looking at a twenty-year-old case involving the murder of a young woman, foreign journalist Anneke...more

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Apr 11, 2013 Mom rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Harry Bosch is one of my favorite series characters and I wish Michael Connelly could write as fast as I can read. I hate it when I read the latest book and know that I am out of luck until the next one is published. In this novel, a character at the very end refuses to explain her actions so I assume that she will be a continuing character and I will find out next novel. The action starts 20 years ago when Harry and his partner catch a murder during the riots in LA. Because of the chaos, it goe...more

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Apr 11, 2013 Robin rated it 4 of 5 stars

The latest Harry Bosch story sees him unravelling a cold case he was involved with 20 years ago, when a young Danish journalist was shot during the LA riots. Owing to the general anarchy of that moment, Bosch, who attended the crime scene in an alley, was unable to investigate properly. Returning to the mystery after two decades seems an impossible task, but Connelly convincingly shows our hero slowly piecing together a longstanding cover-up. Bosch is a good guy to spend time with. He's not as a...more

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Mar 26, 2013 tiddle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Connelly is much better focusing on case work rather than personal relationship stuff. I cringe when I read Nine Dragons, what with all the BS, turning the middle-age Bosch (detective/father/husband) into some action hero with gun fight in some supposedly faraway land in Hong Kong. Connelly was banking on the hope that no one who reads that book would know better about Hong Kong where open gunfight never happens.

BUT, this is not a review for Nine Dragons. Bosch is working twenty-year-old cold c...more

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Mar 19, 2013 Linda Munro rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When one thinks of a black box, they usually think of the recording device in an aircraft that help investigators learn what was occurring moments prior to the crash. In police work, detecting in the days prior to electronic devices being installed in their vehicles and easy access to information, detectives had to rely on notes. Some created their own black boxes, small recipe type boxes where notes and leads could be written on cards and looked upon during the course of an investigation. These...more

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Mar 16, 2013 Nancy Brisson rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoy a good detective story every now and then and Michael Connelly is one of the authors that I trust to tell a good story. I recently listened to his new book The Black Box on audio tape. I enjoy audio tapes sometimes because I can clean house and be entertained at the same time.

This book features Connelly’s favorite detective, Harry Bosch, who is a type of detective we appreciate. He is an honest cop who would never, ever consider doing anything against his moral code. He is passionate abo...more I enjoy a good detective story every now and then and Michael Connelly is one of the authors that I trust to tell a good story. I recently listened to his new book The Black Box on audio tape. I enjoy audio tapes sometimes because I can clean house and be entertained at the same time.

This book features Connelly’s favorite detective, Harry Bosch, who is a type of detective we appreciate. He is an honest cop who would never, ever consider doing anything against his moral code. He is passionate about justice and he will go against his superiors when they try to rein him in for reasons that are about their own advancement and which have nothing whatsoever to do with solving cases or finding justice for innocent victims of crime.

In this particular case, a bullet pops up in a current case; a bullet from a gun that takes Harry back to an old cold case. This case involved the death of a foreign, female journalist in an alley in Los Angeles. Her death was discovered during the riots that followed the beating of Rodney King. The woman’s presence in this particular alley at this particular time made no sense. She was a war correspondent and photographer and had been reporting on the first Gulf War, Desert Storm. Because of the chaos of those days the case had already gone cold by the time anyone would have been free to make the case a priority. But Harry never forgot the case. It bothered him because this journalist did not deserve her fate and the facts did not fit (a red flag for Harry).

When this gun that was used to kill Anneke Jesperson pops up again, Harry decides to “follow the gun”. He already has access to what is on the computer, but Anneke was shot before the days when all information was computerized. Harry asks for and is supplied with the “black box” (named after the ones on planes) that holds 3x5 cards with facts collected from the year of the riots. As he pursues the killer/s we get glimpses of the police procedures that apply to this case.

If Harry just had to pursue Anneke Jesperson’s killers he would have quite enough problems to deal with, but he is also being hounded by his ambitious new boss who wants to see him sidelined because, Harry, in his zeal to get to the bottom of a crime, is not always willing to follow every rule that comes down from above; especially if the rules make his investigation more difficult. Harry finds himself being investigated internally for misspending department funds and other bogus claims made by his superior so he must stay nimble and work around obstacles without getting cut loose from the force.

I don’t think you will guess who committed this heinous act, or why, until very late in the book, if at all. The trail is so convoluted that only someone with Harry’s talents could unravel it. So do that laundry and wash those dishes and follow along with Harry as he “follows the gun”.
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Feb 26, 2013 Joyce rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio, crime, mystery, sense-of-place

I love this series. Harry Bosch is the perfect companion for my husband and me on a long car trip. His investigations keep us riveted and the time flies by. But, honestly, Connelly needs a series narrator--I can't believe he doesn't have one! I don't love Len Cariou, but he's the best reader of a sorry bunch, and far better than McConnohie here. Luckily, Connelly is a good enough storyteller that I can put up with the narrator--and Chris can put up with a few agonized screams when McC blows a sc...more

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Feb 24, 2013 Lizabeth S. Tucker rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-adventure

L.A. Detective Harry Bosch was always haunted by the murder of a female reporter during the Los Angeles riots. Now he has an opportunity to work that cold case 20 years later. If he isn't blocked by others on both sides of the law.

I've never read a Bosch mystery before although I had been aware of the series. Although I am one of those people who usually reads in order, due to time constraints, I couldn't this time. This is the 18th book in the series. It is a selection of the Sony Readers Book...more

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Feb 22, 2013 Holly rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I haven't read a straight up crime novel in awhile, so I was happy that this was one of the books that was chosen for the SONY VIP book discussion. I enjoyed this book and the pleasure of meeting the author in LA was fabulous! The author gave us insight into the back story and progression of Harry Bosch, for those of us, myself included, who had never read any of the previous works in this series. This book is wonderful as a stand alone novel, but I am so intrigued by what makes Harry the detect...more

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Feb 17, 2013 Cary Griffith rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoy crime fiction. This latest Harry Bosch novel by Michael Connelly was good, but not his best. Compare the start of Black Box with the beginning of the latest Sandford Prey novel.

"They made him wait. The explanation was that Coleman was at chow and pulling him out would create a problem because after the interview they would have to reinsert him into the second meal block, where he might have enemies unknown to the guard staff. Someone could make a move against him and the guards wouldn't...more

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Jan 27, 2013 Sidna Bookout rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

WOW!!!! Connelly does it again! I've read all of his books and this has to be one of my all-time favorites!

The black box in the title refers to the black boxes that record what happens on airplanes so that after a crash or some other disaster, investigators can piece together what went wrong. Detective Harry Bosch uses the term to describe what happens when all the evidence in a murder case begins to come together.

In this book Harry is working Open Unsolved Cases and investigates the murder of a...more WOW!!!! Connelly does it again! I've read all of his books and this has to be one of my all-time favorites!

The black box in the title refers to the black boxes that record what happens on airplanes so that after a crash or some other disaster, investigators can piece together what went wrong. Detective Harry Bosch uses the term to describe what happens when all the evidence in a murder case begins to come together.

In this book Harry is working Open Unsolved Cases and investigates the murder of a Danish free-lance journalist/photographer who was murdered in LA during the riots 20 years ago. It happens that Harry was a rookie foot cop during the riots and he was one of the officers called when her body was discovered in an alley during the riots. He has just started gathering evidence when he is called to the scene of another murder. In the aftermath of all the violence during the riots, investigation of her murder is assigned to someone else and the case is never solved. Harry is determined to solve it this time.

Some of Harry's cases have taken us into the really seamy side of life. This one is a more typical murder investigation, but I enjoyed reading it more than some of the more graphic ones. I found it hard to put down.

We get a good view of Harry's personal life, which I also enjoyed. His 16-year-old daughter is living with him since her mother was killed a few books ago and he is in a year-long relationship (which is long-term for Harry) with a woman we met in the last book. It's refreshing to read a book where every woman Harry meets is not trying to seduce him. However, Connelley gives clues that this relationship may be coming to an end and we can see who will be hopping into bed with him in the next book.

Connelly does a great job of adding authenticity to the details. In one of the chapters about Harry and his daughter, she is reading a book for school titled "The Fault in Our Stars," which blew my mind because my 16-year-old granddaughter gave me a copy of the same book for Christmas and told me it was her favorite book. If I were making up a book for a high school student to read, I would probably chose an oldie like "To Kill a Mockingbird."

Connelly keeps having Harry think about retirement, in fact, he did retire in one book. Currently Harry's daughter is thinking about being a cop. I have a feeling that we will be reading a series about her adventures soon.

If you like Connelly or mysteries in general, don't miss this one!
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Jan 16, 2013 Jacqueline Corcoran rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I like Harry Bosch's placement in Cold Crimes, where he can investigate the past and its connection to the present. Michael Connelly tied back a murder of a female journalist to the L.A. riots, which gives historical interest. The case unfolds, clue by clue, with its intriguing backdrop of the riots and Desert Storm. Bosch's developing relationship with a woman who, like him, knows the dark side, leads to an Internal Affairs Investigation. That particular subplot involves Connelly's main theme,...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Warren-Newport Public Library rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action, thriller

Harry Bosch is an amazing character that is featured in Michael Connelly’s latest, The Black Box. Once again we find Harry in the middle of police politics and a cold case.

In a case that spans 20 years, Harry Bosch links the bullet from a recent crime to a file from 1992, the killing of a young female photographer during the L.A. riots. Harry originally investigated the murder, but it was then handed off to the Riot Crimes Task Force and never solved. Now Bosch’s ballistics match indicates that...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Jay Connor rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Black Box

I am a real Michael Connelly fan. He has three strong series, but my favorite is the one kicked off with his first book, 1992’s The Black Echo with Harry Bosch.

The title use of “black” in these installments is no chance. Connelly is the best practitioner of LA noir in business today. (Especially since Walter Mosley moved east). Putting Bosch in a cold case environment seems perfectly in tune with the sadness of a long neglected life being avenged in a city where disposability is an...more

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Jan 03, 2013 April Loebick rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Michael Connelly’s latest novel, The Black Box, does not disappoint. It is a classic Harry Bosch novel, but Connelly doesn’t get stuck in the same ol’ character rut that a lot of authors do when they’ve had such a long-term relationship with a series. Over the past twenty years, Bosch has aged and adapted to new situations. Somethings never change, of course. He still like his jazz music and he’s still the gruff investigator who doesn’t give up. But over the years change has happened. He’s becom...more Michael Connelly’s latest novel, The Black Box, does not disappoint. It is a classic Harry Bosch novel, but Connelly doesn’t get stuck in the same ol’ character rut that a lot of authors do when they’ve had such a long-term relationship with a series. Over the past twenty years, Bosch has aged and adapted to new situations. Somethings never change, of course. He still like his jazz music and he’s still the gruff investigator who doesn’t give up. But over the years change has happened. He’s become a father, which quickly escalated into being a single dad, he’s quit smoking, and he can actually move on from past relationships.

Of course there are some norms that appear. Harry still has an issue with bureaucratic authority, he still toes the line on appropriate police behavior—but hey, isn’t that why we love him? If he suddenly became placid and worked a desk job, readers would lose interest quickly.

The Black Box centers around a case involving Anneke Jespersen, a Danish war correspondent who was killed execution style during the 1992 L.A. Race Riots. Harry originally catches the case, but must leave it to others due to the turmoil in the city. Fast forward to 2012—the twentieth anniversary of the riots. The Open-Unsolved has been given a directive to focus on the murders from 1992 that were left unsolved. Harry, of course, takes the still-open Jespersen case.

This book involves murder, gang violence, conspiracies, rape, race, and, of course, an internal affairs (now labeled the Professional Standards Bureau) investigation. But there’s nothing too graphic for the faint at heart. Everything is woven together masterfully.

My only complaint is the nice pretty bow that topped the ending. I won’t go into any detail, because I don’t want to spoil it for anyone. But at the end, when the murder is solved there’s an “Oh by the way, this is why this happened” sort of moment that seemed a bit lackluster.
Over-all, The Black Box is a fun, engaging, and at times thoughtful story.

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About Michael Connelly

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads' database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Michael Connelly decided to become a writer after discovering the books of Raymond Chandler while attending the University of Florida. Once he decided on this direction he chose a major in journalism and a minor in creative writing — a curriculum in which one of his teache...more Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads' database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Michael Connelly decided to become a writer after discovering the books of Raymond Chandler while attending the University of Florida. Once he decided on this direction he chose a major in journalism and a minor in creative writing — a curriculum in which one of his teachers was novelist Harry Crews.
After graduating in 1980, Connelly worked at newspapers in Daytona Beach and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, primarily specializing in the crime beat. In Fort Lauderdale he wrote about police and crime during the height of the murder and violence wave that rolled over South Florida during the so-called cocaine wars. In 1986, he and two other reporters spent several months interviewing survivors of a major airline crash. They wrote a magazine story on the crash and the survivors which was later short-listed for the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing. The magazine story also moved Connelly into the upper levels of journalism, landing him a job as a crime reporter for the Los Angeles Times, one of the largest papers in the country, and bringing him to the city of which his literary hero, Chandler, had written.
After three years on the crime beat in L.A., Connelly began writing his first novel to feature LAPD Detective Hieronymus Bosch. The novel, The Black Echo, based in part on a true crime that had occurred in Los Angeles, was published in 1992 and won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel by the Mystery Writers of America. Connelly has followed that up with 18 more novels.
Connelly's books have been translated in 35 languages and have won the Edgar Award, Anthony Award, Macavity Award, Los Angeles Times Best Mystery/Thriller Award, Shamus Award, Dilys Award, Nero Award, Barry Award, Audie Award, Ridley Award, Maltese Falcon Award (Japan), .38 Caliber Award (France), Grand Prix Award (France), and Premio Bancarella Award (Italy).
Michael was the President of the Mystery Writers of America organization in 2003 and 2004. In addition to his literary work, Michael was one of the creators, writers, and consulting producers of Level 9, a TV show about a task force fighting cyber crime, that ran on UPN in the Fall of 2000.
Michael lives with his family in Florida.

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Books by Michael Connelly

The Brass Verdict (Harry Bosch, #14; Mickey Haller, #2)

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The Black Box (Harry Bosch #18)

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