A review by davidb71
The Late Show by Michael Connelly

4.5

I enjoyed this, as I've enjoyed every Michael Connelly book I've read - although I think this is at the upper end of the relatively few books of his that I've thus far read. It's a police procedural, very crisp, taut, no nonsense. There's a very capable, spirited and smart protagonist - Renée Ballard. She works the night shift and the book centres around two serious crimes - an assault victim left for dead, and a mass shooting at a nightclub. These cases, and others, form the basis of a gripping, labyrinthine plot that features some clever investigative work, internal department politics, betrayals, corruption, and a genuine sense of jeopardy.  Even though there are multiple characters, and multiple cases, I always knew where I was in the novel - I knew who was who, what was what - I found it easy to follow, and with so much going on that's no mean feat - it's a testament to how cleanly written and well-plotted, well-structured the novel is.  It's very good, and very skillfully done.