Dark Sacred Night

By: Michael Connelly

Narrated by: Christine Lakin, Titus Welliver

Harry Bosch teams up with LAPD detective Renée Ballard to solve the murder of a young girl in the new thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Michael Connelly.
Detective Renée Ballard is working the night beat -- known in LAPD slang as "the late show" -- and returns to Hollywood Station in the early hours to find a stranger rifling through old file cabinets. The intruder is retired detective Harry Bosch, working a cold case that has gotten under his skin.
Ballard can't let him go through department records, but when he leaves, she looks into the case herself and feels a deep tug of empathy and anger. She has never been the kind of cop who leaves the job behind at the end of her shift -- and she wants in.
The murder, unsolved, was of fifteen-year-old Daisy Clayton, a runaway on the streets of Hollywood who was brutally killed, her body left in a dumpster like so much trash. Now Ballard joins forces with Bosch to find out what happened to Daisy, and to finally bring her killer to justice. Along the way, the two detectives forge a fragile trust, but this new partnership is put to the test when the case takes an unexpected and dangerous turn.
Dark Sacred Night for the first time brings together these two powerhouse detectives in a riveting story that unfolds with furious momentum. And it shows once more why "there's no doubt Connelly is a master of crime fiction" (Associated Press).

Critic reviews

"Dark Sacred Night is one of the best and most affecting Bosch novels since Mr. Connelly began the saga in 1992, underscoring the growing and unsettling ambiguity surrounding its central character."—Tom Nolan, Wall Street Journal

"Spectacular...Dark Sacred Night is ingenious, frantically suspenseful, and very, very, bleak."—Maureen Corrigan, Washington Post

"Michael Connelly is superhuman...His hallmark has been his precise, faultless plotting...Connelly has always been especially good when it comes to truly creepy killers-he was once a crime reporter-and his denouement here is thrilling."—Charles Finch, USA Today

"It was only last year that Connelly introduced Ballard, a fierce and fascinating new protagonist who instantly emerged as a reader favorite. Bosch, meanwhile, is a grizzled veteran by now; Dark Sacred Night marks the 21st novel to center on him. But fans always finish eager to come back for more."—David Canfield, Entertainment Weekly

"LAPD Det. Renée Ballard, first seen in 2017's The Late Show, makes a welcome return in this outstanding, complex police procedural...Bosch and Ballard, both outsiders with complicated pasts, form a perfect partnership in this high spot of Edgar-winner Connelly's long and distinguished career."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Det. Renée Ballard is a formidable character, an insightful and tenacious investigator with an unusual background and a sturdy personality to carry a series...Connelly has achieved success as one of the top mystery writers by continuing to keep his storytelling fresh. In The Late Show, he delivers an exciting police procedural with a unique character."—Oline Cogdill, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

"Michael Connelly has earned his place in the pantheon of great crime fiction writers by creating characters people care about and are eager to come back to. In Dark Sacred Night, he brings together two of his best...Here's hoping we don't have to wait long for another Ballard and Bosch novel."—Paul Saltzman, Chicago Sun-Times

"This one needs no introduction...Expect all the dark, brooding LA neo-noir you've come to appreciate from Connelly's superlative procedurals."—CrimeReads

"Superb...Once again, Connelly delivers an exciting police procedural, only this time with two unique characters."—Oline Cogdill, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

"Harry Bosch has had plenty of partners, but he might have met his match...Both face complicated challenges to their personal ethics, challenges born not out of greed or fear but of their burning desire to make things right. Through it all, they challenge each other. Ballard brings a fresh perspective, and Bosch brings all the things so many readers love about him."—Colette Bancroft, Tampa Bay Times

Could not even finish it. Bored to death.

I usually love the Bocsh series. However, this book lacks a plot that sucks you in and keeps you awake.

Awesome!!!!

loved it, want more. Great narrators can't wait for next book. I have enjoyed all your books...

What a Team!

What a fantastic followup to Two Kinds of Truth,along w/ an exceptional beginning to a series... Coinciding story lines working together and separately... Ballard and Bosch are gonna be the new big thing;). Moves quickly while being thoughtful and introspective... Typically great mystery, and the narration is simply superb...

Keeping with the times....

Same great characters and story line, but with some current US political comments slipped in. Fiction has been my way to escape politics from time to time, hopefully that escape will not be wrecked as this series continues. Although very subtle, I was disappointed to find politics here.

Two narrators made sense

I have to disagree with those who were upset by the two narrators. Half the book is told from Bosch’s point of view and the other half from Ballard’s. It makes sense that the two perspectives have different voices.

The book was fine and Connelly rarely disappoints. I do wish he’d write another Mickey Haller!