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May 03, 2018gogo12127 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
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 job for a once up-and-coming detective, but it's no accident. She's been given the beat as punishment after filing a sexual harassment complaint against a supervisor. One night, however, Ballard catches two assignments she that she doesn't want to part with. First, a prostitute is brutally beaten and left for dead in a parking lot. All signs point to a crime of premeditation, not passion, by someone with big evil on his mind. Then, she sees a young waitress breathe her last after being caught in nightclub shooting. Though dubbed a peripheral victim, the waitress buys Ballard a way in, and this time she is determined not to give up at dawn. Against orders and her partner's wishes, she 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 danger she never could 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. (Description slightly edited from the book jacket flap.) This is the first book in this new series. The Renée Ballard series has the trademarks of the other series of Michael Connelly: detailed forensics and quality writing. Dark Sacred Night, which will be published in October 2018, will team Renée Ballard and Harry Bosch.