The Wrong Side of Goodbye is the 19^th Harry Bosch thriller, and Harry is worried that he isn’t as sharp as he used to be. He is working part time for the San Fernando police department, and he occasionally works as a private detective. He has just won a lawsuit against his former employer, the LAPD. A man of great integrity, he is still willing to bend the rules in order to get a result. We learn little about his personal life, maybe because he hardly has one. His main source of pleasure seems to be jazz, which he listens to in his car. He is devoted to his work. But he does see his daughter as often as he can: she is at university and he is proud of her, although they don’t always get on well. We learn more about Bosch’s past in military service in Viet Nam, which has left a permanent mark on him.

In this novel, Bosch pursues two cases. The first, through his connection with the police department, is a serial rapist. The second, which occupies more of his time is an investigation to find if a secretive aging billionaire has an heir to his fortune. Bosch has many connections and old friends in the city who can help him with his search, and he is good at uncovering facts and following leads. His investigations lead him to the life of Latinos in the 1940s Los Angeles, and there is plenty of social commentary behind the story. Connelly has great talent as a story teller, although parts of the plot seem contrived.  Titus Welliver gives an excellent performance narrating the unabridged audiobook.

© 2017 Christian Perring

Christian Perring lives and teaches in New York.