The Drop – A Harry Bosch Mystery
Michael Connelly
Little, Brown and Company 2011
400 pages

The Drop is a decent Harry Bosch mystery. This means it is better than most of the thrillers out there but not the best Michael Connelly has written in the series. The author and detective take on two cases. The one most focused on is the least interesting of the two for a reader. The second feels like an afterthought so by the end it is not really clear why it was included plot wise.

In The Drop Bosch is working in the cold case squad and has learned his extension contract has been renewed. He is assigned a case where the DNA on the dead young woman matches someone who was only eight at the time.

Before Bosch and his partner Chu can get on the case, the Chief of Police calls and assigns the detective a fresh and quite possibly politically charged case: The son of Irvin Irving, Bosch’s long-time nemesis, either jumped or was pushed to his death. It is Irving himself who works it so Bosh gets the case.

The Irving case is not particularly interesting. The other case is. The problem is there are only a few chapters left when Bosch gets back to his cold case. The solve on that one is something even Matlock would find a bit too easy.

Michael Connelly has put together a decent enough mystery but The Drop is not up to his usual standards.