Review: The Dark Sacred Night by Michael Connelly (in audiobook format)

The Dark Sacred Night
by Michael Connelly [Compact Disc Connelly]

Though I’ve never been a hard-core fan of the Harry Bosch series of crime novels by Michael Connelly, I have read a couple of them and recognize that they are extremely well-written. When Connelly started a new series, focused on a young female police investigator, Renee Ballard, in 2017, I immediately became hooked, and knew I would be looking forward to the next Ballard novel. The big question on the minds of most Michael Connelly fans was — how soon would he cross over Bosch and Ballard? After all, Bosch clearly crosses over with another of Connelly’s on-going L.A. series, those focused on seedy lawyer Mickey Haller.

Well, we didn’t have to wait long — The Dark Sacred Night is the second Renee Ballard novel, and it is simultaneously the twenty-first Harry Bosch novel. Bosch’s position in the police heirarchy has changed dramatically over the years, but he’s still with the department. Ballard is still working the Hollywood Division late night shift. When their paths cross and Ballard figures out the old, cold, case that Bosch is working on, she insists that she wants to work it with him. Each of these detectives has primary cases that they’re working, but they team up to do the nitty-gritty research to identify a potential suspect in the murder of a young woman — the daughter of a trouble friend of Bosch’s.
This is another extremely well-written police procedural, and Bosch and Ballard play off of each other very well. I can see them being good investigative partners in years to come. However, I will admit to some disappointment. I really would have liked to have seen Ballard establish herself more on her own bonafides before teaming up with Bosch. It would have been nice to see at least two or three Ballard novels before Harry entered the picture. That quibble notwithstanding, I enjoyed this novel very much — especially the audiobook version that I listened to. It is narrated by two voices — Christine Lakin (who narrated the first Ballard audiobook) does the honors for the chapters focusing on Renee Ballard; actor Titus Welliver narrates the Bosch chapters — very appropriate since he has been portraying Harry Bosch in the television series which is exclusively available on Amazon Prime streaming. He really has become the “voice” of Bosch, and his narration here is tired and gritty, just like the character has become.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Late Show, the first Renee Ballard novel by Michael Connelly.]

[ official The Dark Sacred Night page on the official Michael Connelly web site ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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