The Scarecrow by Michael Connelly

(pb; 2008: second book in the Jack McEvoy series)

From the back cover

“Once a hotshot in the newsroom, crime reporter Jack McEvoy is now about to be laid off at the Los Angeles Times. Deciding to use his final work days to write the definitive murder story of his career, he focuses on Alonzo Winslow, an imprisoned sixteen-year-old drug dealer who confessed to the murder of a young woman found strangled in the trunk of her car. But as Jack delves into the story, he realizes that Winslow’s so-called confession is bogus. The kid might actually be innocent. When Jack connects the L.A. trunk killing to an earlier murder in Las Vegas, he is on the biggest story he’s had since the Poet crossed his path years before. But Jack doesn’t know that his investigation has set off a digital trip wire. The killer knows Jack is coming. . .and he’s ready.”

Review

Scarecrow is a slick, burn-through and dark thriller, a worthwhile and equally twist-punctuated follow-up to the excellent beach read novel, The Poet. Be sure to look for the blink-and-miss-it mention of Michael Haller, "the Lincoln lawyer," another Connelly character with his own novel. Scarecrow is worth picking up for a few bucks or borrowing from the library.

The Poet by Michael Connelly

(pb; 1996: first book in the Jack McEvoy series)

From the back cover

“Death is reporter Jack McEvoy’s beat: his calling, his obsession. But this time, death brings McEvoy the story he never wanted to write─and the mystery he desperately needs to solve. A serial killer of unprecedented savagery and cunning is at large. His targets: homicide cops, each haunted by a murder case he couldn’t crack. The killer’s calling card: a quotation from the works of Edgar Allan Poe. His latest victim is McEvoy’s own brother. And his last. . .maybe McEvoy himself.”

Review

Poet is an excellent, fast-paced and often hard-to-set-down thriller with a relatable protagonist. Its finish is a flourish of mostly-effective twists. While Poet works as a standalone work, it also sports a set-up for possible sequels─and one later appeared, its title The Scarecrow.

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.