The Burning Room by Michael Connelly

 


There are, as of this writing, nine books in this series after The Burning Room, which is the seventeenth volume. The most recent entry was published in 2026. The protagonist, Harry Bosch, is one year away from mandatory retirement and not looking forward to it; Connelly, on the other hand, appears to feel no need to slow down. I'm beginning to wonder whether I will live long enough to make it through the whole series, or if I'll leave the planet with Connelly still cranking out these excellent police procedurals.

These sorts of novels are often structured as a series of obstacles erected by the bad guys, but also by the bureaucracy, that the detective has to surmount. One of the odd things about the investigation chronicled in The Burning Room is that a lot of the difficulties seem not so difficult. For once, things go Harry's way. That didn't detract from the pleasure. 

Harry's impending retirement won't be the first time he's left the force. The last time he tried it he came back under a scheme designed to retain senior detectives. He hadn't enjoyed his leisure time; one suspects this might be Connelly, who apparently can't not write, projecting.

The future of the series, one suspects, may lie with Harry's daughter, who is an Explorer (sort of like ROTC for high school students who think they want to be police officers), and who will, presumably, follow in her father's footsteps. Harry also has a new partner, a young Mexican-American woman. This is Harry's third or fourth partner so far in the series. If she lasts, we may see more of her, too.

I look forward to the next one in the series, and the next one, and the next one . . . .

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