Wednesday, November 07, 2018

The Late Show by Michael Connelly

(pb; 2017: first book in the Detective Renée Ballard series)

From the back cover

“Renée Ballard works the midnight shift in Hollywood, beginning many investigations but finishing few as each morning she turns everything over to the daytime units. It’s a frustrating assignment for a once up-and-coming detective, but it’s no accident. She’s been given this beat as punishment after filing a sexual harassment suit complaint against a supervisor.

“But one night Ballard catches two assignments she doesn’t want to part with. First, a prostitute is beaten and left for dead in a parking lot. All signs point to someone with big evil on his mind. Then she sees a young waitress breathe her last after being caught in a nightclub shooting. Against orders, Ballard works both cases by day while maintaining her shift by night.

“As the investigations entwine, Ballard is forced to face her own demons and confront a danger she could never have imagined. To find justice for these victims who can’t speak for themselves, she must put not only her career but her life on the line.”

Review

Late is a beach read of a police procedural novel, an occasionally dark, otherwise lightweight offering for its genre. Connelly has written a cinematic-vivid, predictable and chatty tale here, something that is not great or memorable, but─like I said─something to pass the time with, if you want something relatively light and entertaining. This is best borrowed from your local library or purchased for a few bucks.

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