In some of my earlier posts, I have mentioned that I buy a lot of books. I buy whatever catches my fancy and then several books on adjacent topics or genre. But I read based on either a project I have set for myself – a specific theme, a special genre, a collection or random picking using an algorithm. This is just to ensure that every book in my collection has a fair chance to get picked up. However, there are two authors whose books get a jump on my book picking methodology – Lee Child and Michael Connelly. Sometime back, I wrote about Reacher No 29 and my disappointment with the book. That disappointment is a reason that The Waiting by Michael Connelly took so long to be picked up.

Connelly doesn’t disappoint though. The Waiting is a classic Connelly. I realize that it has become a cliché of sorts to call an author’s book as a classic author’s book. But this one is. It is part police procedural, part political commentary and is very satisfying read overall. This book is also special because of Maddie Bosch’s introduction as “the Bosch” in the Ballard and Bosch team.

Connelly is best known for his characters Harry Bosch and Mickey Haller (The Lincoln Lawyer). Besides the books, both Bosch and The Lincoln Lawyer are made in to acclaimed TV series. Before the TV series, Lincoln Lawyer also got a movie with Matthew McConaughey playing the titular character, Mickey Haller. A good thing about Harry Bosch is that he is not ageless, he has been aging for a while now. Every year when Connelly publishes a Bosch story, Bosch’s age progresses as well.

To keep the intensity high, while keeping the famed detective in the play, Connelly introduced Detective Renee Ballard. Ballard had her launch with The Late Show and then she teamed up with Bosch for the next four books. The last one – Desert Star is my most favorite of the lot. In my reckoning Desert Star is one of the best crime thrillers ever. And then came The Waiting. The Ballard and Bosch team is now Renee Ballard and Harry’s daughter Maddie Bosch.

I will not give away the story, but a few things are worth talking about. Connelly wrote the book during a Presidential election year. And a theme of the book is about the lawlessness that has swept the nation with the rise of the right wing. Ballard’s accidental discovery of a terrorist cell who is planning something really big and the associated story line is a mystery as well as a view in to Connelly’s political leanings. Now, I can guess that the election results would’ve made him really sad. In his eyes, America has chosen the leader of such terrorists as the President.

Harry makes a special appearance in this book. His involvement starts as a side project. But that one quickly becomes a full blown crisis with even the involvement of the FBI. Even though we know that Connelly is pushing Harry towards retirement – what with his retirement from the police force and then the cancer diagnosis; it always feels good to see Harry in action. For a few pages in the book, Connelly refers to Maddie as Bosch and that sounds apt; like a continuation of the legacy.

Starting from the pandemic era, when Connelly started commenting on whether to put on the mask, how to maintain social distancing etc, his books have had some or the other political undertones. On the Internet, in Amazon reviews, several comments are on Connelly turning “woke” or liberal and how he is not worth the time anymore. I disagree. Even if he is pushing some political narrative, the stories are really good and he writes really well.

Mr. Connelly, thank you for redeeming my book picking ritual. I will look forward to your next one.