The Black Ice by Michael Connelly

‘The Black Ice’ is the 2^nd book in Michael Connelly’s Detective Harry Bosch series.

A dead body has been found in a seedy hotel room. It should have been Harry’s call, but it has gone directly to Central division rather than Hollywood. When Harry hears about it, he decide to check it out anyway. The body is that of a drug squad detective – Cal Moore. He has been dead for a while. The death is ruled as suicide, but Harry has his doubts.

Moore had recently provided Harry with information on a drug death that Harry was investigating, so Harry feels an obligation to make sure that Cal’s death is properly investigated.

Eventually, Harry finds that Moore’s death is related to a number of other events. He follows the trail over the border into Mexico, to a town called Mexicali – believed  to be the source of the drug known as Black Ice.

With corrupt police in LA as well as in Mexico, Harry is virtually on his own trying to find out what really happened to Cal Moore as well as others murdered before and after.

Along the way, Harry finds himself falling for Cal’s wife Sylvia.

This was an excellent book to read. The plot was fairly complex but easy enough to follow. The characters brought the story to life for me. Harry Bosch was a much nicer character than in ‘The Black Echo’, much less of a down and out loser.

Bosch continues to refuse to get involved in the politics and corruption of the LAPD, making him forever an outcaste.

So far the series is looking pretty good and I’m looking forward to reading the next instalment – ‘The Concrete Blonde’.

Book Published 1993

See a full list of books by Michael Connelly