Angels Flight by Michael Connelly is one heck of a mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end. This mystery seems cut and dry but has so many layers to it. I like the mix of politics versus procedural. This novel is fighting with the truth, because the truth might be too much to handle, for the city, for the police and to the rich people that have a reputation to hold. I love the way Michael Connelly presents all the facts as they come, we are with Bosch the whole time and knows everything he knows, we are given everything he see to solve the mystery. This is the most twisty Bosch Novel so far exceeding the Last Coyote and The Concrete Blonde, that were pretty even in twist. The pace of this novel is really fast. I was never bored and was hooked from the start. The twists just keep coming once you think you know where this novel is going you get another twist then another. Every twist makes sense and is not forced. The climax was intense but it was the only time I questioned the writing that went a little too far on the plausibility side. The character and rational of Bosch really work in the book right and wrong are questioned constantly. I really empathized with Bosch as his boss is more concerned with covering his own butt then what is right, I know I have had that same felling with a boss. Angels Flight plot line is used for Bosch the Amazon television show season 4 along with 9 Dragons plot line as well. Angels Flight was published in January 28th 1999 with the OJ Simpson Trial and riots with Rodney King 7 -8 years later and still fresh in peoples mind, not that racism and police go away and themes are still very strong today.

Plot Summary: Harry Bosch has just been pulled of rotation to a district that not even his. The murders of two individuals in the Angels Flight which is an incline railway that goes up to the Hollywood Hills. The victims are a latin cleaner and a prominent back lawyer that was suing the police for police brutality and planting evidence that lead to a conviction of black man killing a 12 year old white girl. Bosch now knows why he got called the Hollywood division couldn’t solve the case that they would be the main suspects and have the most to gain with the Lawyer gone, and Bosch’s team consist of two black detectives. Bosch is in a no win situation the city needs it to be a cop and Bosch won’t care to take one of his own with him. The chief wants it solved fast and dirty but wants to please both the city and his political bosses. With riots starting Bosch must work quick turn over every rock to get the truth who killed this man. Angels Flight is book 6 in the Harry Bosch series and Book 7 in the Harry Bosch Universe series. I have been reading the Harry Bosch universe series order since Michael Connelly has connected all his characters.

What I Liked: The politics of this crime are really good you can see every side of it and understand why some need to hide the truth. I loved all the twist, this book was a reread for me, but there was so many twists I could not remember everything and was surprised all over again with what happened. This book really made me love the character of Bosch so much and his brand of justice. I liked that I couldn’t tell where this book was going, and it went to some unpredictable places and was quite a ride. The pace in this book was so fast, in every Bosch there was a point where I could feel the slow down, well not in this book. I do like that Bosch references the character Terry McCaleb from the book Blood Work by Connelly and the Blood work movie saying Terry doesn’t look like Clint Eastwood. In the next book in the Harry Bosch series Bosch and Terry team up.

What I Disliked: The Bad Person goes out to easily I wanted to see them squirm and answer some more questions. The way they went out was pretty far fetched, I understand anger but murder seemed too much.

Recommendations: This is a fantastic book and one of my favorite so far, it is up their with The Poet but that book doesn’t feature Harry Bosch, so this is my favorite Harry Bosch book. This book represents the best version of Harry Bosch the character and his values and code. I have to recommend you read this in order their a couple of characters in the last book Trunk Music that he interacts with that will help knowing their history with Bosh. This book still feels very relevant with the still ongoing racial police encounters with black men and women. I rated Angels Flight 5 out of 5 stars, since this was a reread I originally rated it 4 stars about 20 years ago, but this was my first Bosch book ever but I really enjoyed this one. Harry Bosch Universe Book reading book order so far 1) the Black Echo, 2) The Black Ice, and 3) The Concrete Blonde, 4) The Last Coyote, 5) The Poet, 6) Trunk Music, and 7) Angels Flight. The order in which I rank them from best to worst is 1) The Poet, 2) Angels Flight, 3)Concrete Blonde, 4) The Black Ice, 5) Trunk Music 6)The Last Coyote and 7) The Black Echo.Next up is Blood Work which does not feature Harry Bosch and came out before Angels Flight, but since A Darkness More Than Night involves Harry and Terry McCaleb from Blood Work it takes it out of order.