Nine Dragons

Starred review from December 21, 2009
The murder of an elderly Chinese owner of a liquor store thrusts Bosch into the unfamiliar world of Chinese immigrants, Asian gangs, and the ruthless triad crime syndicate. Bosch works the case with his usual tenacity; threats warning him to drop the case only fuel his desire to find the old man's killer. Having narrated previous Bosch books, Cariou knows the character inside and out. His portrayal of the iconic L. A. detective conveys all his irascibility and world-weariness. This book gives us a closer look at Bosch, the father, and Cariou conveys this human side with emotional clarity and believability. A Little, Brown hardcover (Reviews, Sept. 21).

September 21, 2009
Bestseller Connelly nimbly balances Harry Bosch's personal and professional lives, both of which take a substantial beating, in his 14th novel to feature the LAPD homicide detective. Bosch, last seen with his recently discovered half-brother, lawyer Mickey Haller, in The Brass Verdict
(2008), investigates the shooting death of a liquor store owner. While the murder has none of the hallmarks of a regular gang hit, Bosch discovers the dead man was paying a weekly protection fee to a man Bosch suspects is part of a Chinese triad. Even though Bosch is warned to drop the case, he doesn't take the threat seriously until he receives a video showing his 13-year-old daughter, Madeline, being kidnapped in Hong Kong, where she lives with her mother and Bosch's ex-wife, a former FBI agent. Bosch flies to Hong Kong to try to rescue Madeline, prepared to face down one of the world's most powerful crime syndicates. Tenacious as ever, Bosch is even more formidable in his role as a protective father. 10-city author tour.

Detective Harry Bosch returns in this police procedural to investigate the murder of a Chinese-American liquor store owner. Evidence leads him to a suspect connected to the Chinese Triad, and when an arrest is made, Bosch's teenage daughter is kidnapped by thugs who hope to influence the investigation. Len Cariou superbly voices the roughly seasoned Detective Bosch. Cariou's grizzly vocals successfully invoke a range of characters--from the tender, caring parent to the aggressive cop. Cariou effortlessly switches between American regional accents and the soft tones of the Asian-American accent. From the streets of Los Angeles to the back alleys of Hong Kong, this suspense novel won't disappoint fans and should satisfy those new to the series. A.L.B. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine