The Black Ice

The Black Ice by Michael Connelly

“Black Ice” is a particularly seductive and dangerous concoction of coke, heroin and PCP manufactured in Mexico and shipped through our very porous southern border. Harry Bosch gets pulled into the drug underworld while investigating the death of a dealer. He gets some information from LAPD drug enforcement officer Calexico Moore. Before we know it, Moore has gone AWOL and then is discovered in a motel room with his head blown off in an apparent suicide.

Or is it murder? And is the LAPD going to cover it up in order to save face? And how is Bosch going to solve at least one murder at the request of Lt. “Ninety-eight” Pounds in order to get the solve statistic above 50%?

And what about Calexico's sultry wife; is Bosch going to do anything with his weirdly unrequited fascination for her?

And what about Teresa Corazon, who is knocking boots with Bosch and is trying to get a promotion to permanent Medical Examiner? Will Bosch make it out of this book with an intact relationship?

And how do the deaths of a dealer, Moore and another LAPD homicide officer all tie together with “Black Ice”?

This is the second Bosch book. Connelly keeps us watching all the balls as they fly through the air. Bosch comes across as the iconoic tough loner with a heart of gold, committed to seeing justice done and truth uncovered, even, though, he doesn't necessarily want the law to interfere with his investigation or truth to be revealed if it means that a widow may lose her pension.

The story was entertaining and kept me turning the pages.