Connelly’s ‘The Drop’ a captivating crime drama
Michael Connelly had a pretty big year in 2011.
First, Connelly finally got to see one of his popular novels hit the big screen in March — "The Lincoln Lawyer" starring Matthew McConaughey. The 2005 book, Connelly's best-selling novel of all time, saw the introduction of the author's newest character, freelance investigator Mickey Haller.
Secondly, in April, a new Haller book was released, "The Fifth Witness." That novel also made it onto the Top Ten on The New York Times best-sellers list for fiction.
And lastly, late in the year, Connelly released yet another novel, "The Drop," a police procedural that features Los Angeles Police Department detective Harry Bosch, the protagonist in his first novel ("The Black Echo") and subsequent stories. Not surprisingly, the book became another best-seller.
"The Drop" is a superb addition to Connelly's canon. Bosch has to tackle not just one but two complicated cases, either of which could potentially end his career and damage his co-workers.
The title words, "The Drop," is a reference to DROP, the Deferred Retirement Option Program that Bosch is involved with. At the beginning of the story, Bosch is told that he has about three years left with the department, even though he asked for five. His career clock is quickly ticking down, but he's looking forward to spending more time with his teenage daughter.
More importantly, "The Drop" refers to a fatal drop by George Irving, the son of powerful L.A. councilman Irvin Irving. Apparently, George committed suicide from a high balcony at one of the city's hotels. But the councilman and others suspect it may have been foul play.
Bosch and his partner, David Chu, are forced to take the case, even though they were just starting to work another case that involved a rape and murder in 1989. Bosch and Chu have been working in the Open-Unsolved Unit, tackling cold cases. They discover the DNA from a 1989 rape and murder matches a convicted rapist's. But there's a problem. The rapist is 29, meaning he would've been 8 when the crime took place. This raises some red flags, and Bosch and Chu have a genuine puzzle on their hands when they're forced to take the Irving case.
Chu isn't happy about the new assignment, but Bosch calls the situation "high jingo" — "the confluence of police and politics." And their adventures are going to get more political and dangerous.
At first, the Irving suicide takes up most of their time but the 1989 murder grows into something they weren't prepared for. They may have a serial killer on their hands, someone who may have been committing murders in the city for decades. To complicate things, Bosch falls in love with a social worker he meets while trying to solve the case.
And this is why Connelly isn't satisfied with simply solving the mysteries in "The Drop." He reveals Bosch's struggles as a single parent, someone who is nearing retirement and wants some love in his life, and Bosch's contentious relationship with Chu, councilman Irving and others.
Bosch is a lone wolf who doesn't play well with others but who has the street smarts and tireless tenacity to get the job done. In "The Drop," Connelly shows a friendlier side to Bosch, who needs at least a few allies if he's gonna catch the killer(s). The ways things develop, that's a tall order.
As a former police reporter, Connelly adds a strong journalistic flavor into his novels, which have a gritty, real-world taste. The Los Angeles Times even plays a minor role in "The Drop." That shouldn't be a surprise. Connelly is a former police reporter for the Times who has worked at newspapers in Florida, including The Daytona Beach News-Journal (my former employer, by the way).
"The Drop" is a captivating crime drama that is hard to put down. By intertwining two totally different and unrelated crime cases, Connelly is toeing the edge in keeping his readers riveted without confusing them. It mostly works. There are a few head-scratching spots but overall, the story is pretty smooth.
If only Los Angeles were as smooth as Bosch and his creator.
