Book review : The Burning Room by Michael Connolly. If you’re a Bosch fan (and I mean Harry not electrical appliances) you’ll understand what I mean when I say that reading The Burning Room was like slipping into a nice cosy onesie- comfortable, familiar, and thoroughly enjoyable!

kindle £6.99 HB £9

In this, the 19th Harry Bosch book Connelly writes a tight plot with a huge sentimental nod to Bosch cases past catching the essence of Harry Bosch as he’s evolved – 

In many ways (for me anyway) The Burning Room is reminiscent of John Harvey’s final Charlie Resnick book Darkness Darkness – Relax though I don’t think this is the final Harry Bosch book!

View from Mulholland Drive

The Burning Room shows Harry at his best – training a young detective, covering her back, taking decisions and actions for the greater good with scant regard for the restrictions of protocol.  

Driving Mulholland

When a man, injured in a shooting 10 years previously, dies a a direct result of his injuries the previously unsolved case becomes a murder investigation led by Harry and his new partner heroine detective Lucia Soto.  Quickly they pick up the cold case files and are flung into an investigation that leads them into the corruption and deceit of politics in the wealthy Mulholland Drive area of LA .

Michael Connelly

 Meanwhile Lucia reveals that she wants to investigate an arson attack (from which she herself escaped) which resulted in the deaths of nine young children and their teacher.  This leads her and Harry into another investigation where Harry’s veteran skills and contacts are imperative.

The Burning Room is compulsive reading.  Tight storylines, believable characters and authentic insight into cold case policing made me fly through this book.  I love the sense of place Connelly establishes through Harry's eyes as he surveys Mulholland Drive and other areas of LA.

If you like Richard Montanari, John Harvey, Stuart MacBride I think you’ll love this!