The Drop (Connelly novel)

Last updated
The Drop
The drop - bookcover.jpeg
First edition
Author Michael Connelly
LanguageEnglish
Series Harry Bosch #15
Genre Police procedural, Detective novel, Crime novel
Publisher Little, Brown and Company
Publication date
December 5, 2011
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardcover, paperback)
Pages400 pp.
ISBN 978-0316214551
Preceded by The Fifth Witness  
Followed by The Black Box  

The Drop is the 24th novel by American crime author Michael Connelly, and the fifteenth novel featuring Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) detective Harry Bosch. The book was published on 22 November 2011.

The novel was referenced in an October 2010 interview, in which Connelly indicated that he'd like to release "'bookend' novels next year, the second one a Bosch book". [1] Connelly's first novel of 2011 was the Mickey Haller novel The Fifth Witness .

The plot finds Bosch juggling two investigations: one an old cold-case murder that was reactivated by a new lead from DNA evidence, and the other the death of a politically-connected power broker in a fall from a hotel balcony.

Plot

LAPD detectives Harry Bosch and David Chu are working cold cases in the Open-Unsolved Unit. Based on a new analysis of old physical evidence, they are assigned to investigate the 1989 murder of college student Lily Price. DNA from a blood smear on her body is matched to recently-paroled sex offender Clayton Pell. However, Pell was only eight years old when Price died, all but eliminating him as a suspect and raising the possibility of contamination at the crime lab.

Bosch and Chu track Pell to a halfway house for sex offenders, where they meet therapist Hannah Stone. Due to his experience with sexual homicides, Bosch is initially dismissive of Stone's professional efforts. However, he soon decides Stone's attempts to help offenders reduce their recidivism rate is a worthwhile career. Pell agrees to an interview, reporting that during his childhood his mother dated a man known as "Chill" who sexually abused him and beat him with a belt accounting for the transfer of his blood to Price's body. Bosch and Stone begin a romantic relationship, much to the approval of Bosch's daughter Maddie. After years of living alone, Bosch has gained custody of Maddie after her mother's death. She demonstrates keen observational skills and expresses an interest in being a police officer.

The Price investigation is sidetracked by the death of attorney George Irving at the Chateau Marmont. The victim is the son of Irvin Irving, formerly Bosch's nemesis at LAPD and now a member of the Los Angeles City Council. Irving specifically requests Bosch to take the case because, despite their history, he believes Bosch is a dedicated detective who will find the truth. Due to unusual marks on George's body indicating he'd been in a choke hold shortly before his death, Bosch initially suspects homicide. He hypothesizes that the death came as part of a scheme to discredit a company that was in competition for a lucrative taxi license. Soon after George took on one taxi company as a client, their competitor faced numerous traffic citations that appeared to have been orchestrated by George. Some of Irvin's political enemies stand to suffer financial losses in the dispute.

Bosch believes a former police officer, who now co-owns a taxi company, sneaked into George's room and committed the murder. Chu leaks details of the case to a Los Angeles Times reporter in a misguided attempt to impress her, enraging Bosch and making him question Chu's integrity. However, additional investigation reveals that George committed suicide. George was assaulted, but it occurred hours before his death; the suspect intended to confront George but discovered his suicide plan and incapacitated him with a choke hold before fleeing the scene. Bosch learns that George's friendship had ended due to his backroom dealings, he was experiencing depression caused by his son leaving for college, and his marriage was failing. Irvin refuses to believe Bosch's findings, leading to a showdown between city and police leaders in which Bosch implicates Irving in the taxi-license scheme and Irvin demands a review of Bosch.

Bosch and Chu return to the Price investigation, identifying "Chill" as Chilton Hardy, Jr., a man with a minor criminal history. Based on Price being strangled with a belt and Pell's abuse account, they think Hardy is a strong suspect for the murder. They track down Hardy's ailing father, who claims to have no idea where his son might be. However, evidence is found that Hardy killed his father and has stolen his identity. Upon arrest, Hardy confesses to the Price murder along with thirty-six other homicides, photographic evidence of which is soon uncovered. Learning that Hardy will never be charged for his abuse, Pell has himself sent to the same jail where Hardy is being held. As both men are transferred by bus to court for their arraignment hearings, Pell attacks and seriously wounds Hardy. Bosch intuits Pell's scheme and saves Hardy's life, but later wonders if he should have allowed Hardy to die.

Bosch receives a warning from his former partner, Kiz Rider, who now works as an assistant to the chief of police: the Hardy case is being delayed until after the city council election as part of an effort to defeat Irvin. Bosch finds such maneuvering distasteful but knows it's part of the job and feels content knowing Hardy will never be free. Bosch and Chu eventually reconcile after the resolution of the case. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Connelly</span> American author (b. 1956)

Michael Joseph Connelly is an American author of detective novels and other crime fiction, notably those featuring LAPD Detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch and criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller. Connelly is the bestselling author of 38 novels and one work of non-fiction, with over 74 million copies of his books sold worldwide and translated into 40 languages. His first novel, The Black Echo, won the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for Best First Novel in 1992. In 2002, Clint Eastwood directed and starred in the movie adaptation of Connelly's 1997 novel, Blood Work. In March 2011, the movie adaptation of Connelly's novel The Lincoln Lawyer starred Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Haller. Connelly was the President of the Mystery Writers of America from 2003 to 2004.

In law enforcement parlance, the term murder book refers to the case file of a murder investigation. Typically, murder books include crime scene photographs and sketches, autopsy and forensic reports, transcripts of investigators' notes, and witness interviews. The murder book encapsulates the complete paper trail of a murder investigation, from the time the murder is first reported through the arrest of a suspect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Bosch</span> Fictional detective created by author Michael Connelly

Detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch is a fictional character created by American author Michael Connelly. Bosch debuted as the lead character in the 1992 novel The Black Echo, the first in a best-selling police procedural series now numbering 24 novels.

<i>The Poet</i> (novel) First novel about Jack McEvoy by Michael Connelly

The Poet is the fifth novel by American author Michael Connelly. Published in 1996, it is the first of Connelly's novels not to feature Detective Harry Bosch and first to feature Crime Reporter Jack McEvoy. A sequel, The Narrows, was published in 2004. The Poet won the 1997 Dilys Award.

<i>The Overlook</i> 2007 novel

The Overlook is the 18th novel by American crime writer Michael Connelly, and the thirteenth featuring the Los Angeles detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch.

<i>Echo Park</i> (novel) 2006 novel

Echo Park is the 17th novel by American crime-writer Michael Connelly, and the twelfth featuring the Los Angeles detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch. It was published in 2006.

<i>The Narrows</i> (Connelly novel) Tenth novel about Harry Bosch by Michael Connelly

The Narrows is the 14th novel by American crime author Michael Connelly, and the tenth featuring the Los Angeles detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch. As Bosch crosses paths with FBI Agent Rachel Walling, the novel ties story elements left unresolved in The Poet and those from Blood Work and A Darkness More Than Night together into the Bosch mythos.

<i>The Closers</i> Eleventh novel about Harry Bosch by Michael Connelly

The Closers is the 15th novel by American crime author Michael Connelly, and the eleventh featuring the Los Angeles detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch. This novel features a return to an omniscient third-person style narration after the previous two, set during Bosch's retirement were narrated in from a first-person perspective.

<i>A Darkness More Than Night</i> Novel by Michael Connelly

A Darkness More Than Night is the tenth novel by American crime author Michael Connelly; it is the seventh featuring the Los Angeles detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch, and the second featuring FBI profiler Terry McCaleb, with reporter Jack McEvoy also making an appearance in a supporting role.

<i>Angels Flight</i> (novel) Sixth novel about Harry Bosch by Michael Connelly

Angels Flight is the eighth novel by American crime author Michael Connelly, and the sixth featuring the Los Angeles detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch.

<i>Trunk Music</i> Fifth novel about Harry Bosch by Michael Connelly

Trunk Music is the sixth novel by American crime author Michael Connelly, and the fifth featuring the Los Angeles detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch.

<i>The Last Coyote</i> Fourth novel about Harry Bosch by Michael Connelly

The Last Coyote is the fourth novel by American crime author Michael Connelly, featuring the Los Angeles detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch. It was first published in 1995 and the novel won the 1996 Dilys Award given by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association.

<i>The Concrete Blonde</i> 1994 novel by Michael Connelly

The Concrete Blonde is the third novel by American crime author Michael Connelly, featuring the Los Angeles detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch. It was published in 1994.

<i>The Black Echo</i> Novel by Michael Connelly

The Black Echo is the 1992 debut novel by American crime author Michael Connelly. It is the first book in Connelly's series centered on Los Angeles Police Department homicide detective Harry Bosch. The book won the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for "Best First Novel" in 1992.

<i>Nine Dragons</i> (novel) Fourteenth novel about Harry Bosch by Michael Connelly

Nine Dragons is the 14th novel in the Harry Bosch series and the 22nd book by American crime author Michael Connelly. It was published in the U.K. and Ireland on October 1, 2009, and worldwide on October 13, 2009.

<i>The Reversal</i> Third novel about Mickey Haller by Michael Connelly

The Reversal is the 22nd novel by American author Michael Connelly and features the third major appearance of Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Michael "Mickey" Haller. Connelly introduced Haller in his bestselling 2005 novel The Lincoln Lawyer and then paired him with LAPD detective Harry Bosch, his half-brother, in 2008's The Brass Verdict. In 2009's 9 Dragons, Haller was a secondary character as Bosch's personal lawyer. The Reversal was published in the United States on October 5, 2010.

<i>The Black Box</i> (novel) 16th novel about Harry Bosch by Michael Connelly

The Black Box is the 25th novel by American crime author Michael Connelly, and the sixteenth novel featuring Los Angeles Police Department detective Harry Bosch. The book was published on 26 November 2012, "in part to honor the 20th anniversary of the character".

<i>Bosch</i> (TV series) American drama television series

Bosch is an American police procedural television series produced by Amazon Studios and Fabrik Entertainment starring Titus Welliver as Los Angeles Police Department detective Harry Bosch. The show was developed for Amazon by Eric Overmyer, and the first season takes its inspiration from the Michael Connelly novels City of Bones (2002), Echo Park (2006), and The Concrete Blonde (1994). It was one of two drama pilots that Amazon streamed online in early 2014, and viewers offered their opinions on it before the studio decided whether to place a series order. The seventh and final season was released on June 25, 2021.

<i>The Burning Room</i> 17th novel about Harry Bosch by Michael Connelly

The Burning Room is the 27th novel by American crime author Michael Connelly, and the seventeenth novel featuring Los Angeles Police Department detective Harry Bosch. The book was published by Little, Brown and Company on November 3, 2014.

Bosch: Legacy is an American police procedural television series developed by Michael Connelly, Tom Bernardo and Eric Overmyer. A sequel to the Amazon Prime Video series Bosch (2014–2021), it stars Titus Welliver as former LAPD detective Harry Bosch, with Mimi Rogers and Madison Lintz also reprising their roles. The series premiered on May 6, 2022, on Amazon Freevee with the release of four episodes, with the remaining released weekly, two episodes at a time. The series was renewed for a second season prior to its premiere. The second season premiered on October 20, 2023, again with the release of four episodes, with the remaining episodes to be released weekly, two at a time. The series was later renewed for a third season prior to its second season premiere.

References