Void Moon by Michael Connelly is book 9 in the Harry Bosch Universe series. This book is unique in that it has a female lead who is on the wrong side of the law. The book is about a Las Vegas heist that goes wrong. The book has long passages where it’s all description as the character works in the dark based on feeling and sound. The book has two characters the thief and the man in pursuit. Connelly is better at writing men as he creates a full-fledged character in the Jack of Spades, where Cassie Black has layers but not as fully realized. Jack of Spades for me stole the show and made the book a whole lot more interesting when he’s involved, at first I thought he was going to be an honest investigator but he soon shows his sadistic side. There are attempts to show a more human side to the Jack of Spades like a potential rape attempt that he breaks up, but that blows up in his face and he goes full evil. I found the character of Cassie Black to be a little boring and not much to root for. Connelly only goes back to the character Cassie Black one other time in the Harry Bosch book The Narrows. The opening scene was done very well, showing Cassie’s motivation for the whole book right at the beginning. The pace of the book slows down until Jack of Spades is introduced 30% in and keeps the pace until the exciting ending. I have read 11 Michael Connelly novels and the writing style was different than all the others it felt like his attempt at an Elmore Leonard novel. Void Moon was published on December 7, 1999.

Plot Summary: Cassie lack watches a little girl outside a school she wants to interact but does not. She then attends an open house which is revealed to be the little girl’s house who’s family is moving to Paris. Cassie has been out of prison for 1 year after a 6-year stint for accessory to a robbery that resulted in the death of her lover and partner. While in prison she had to give up her girl and doesn’t want to. She steals a steals a picture she intends to use as a passport and new identity for the girl but first, she will need a lot of money in a short time. She calls up her old buddy who used to set up all her deals and he has one but it is at the very casino where Cassie was arrested 6 years ago. Cassie reluctantly agrees and is set to rob a man who always has a briefcase attached to his wrist and only takes it off while in bed, wear he puts it in a room safe. Cassie has to rob the place while the victim is still in the room hopefully asleep. Things go wrong as the money is what any of them think and the victim is killed. Cassie must run for her life as this wasn’t an ordinary robbery but a hit with someone to blame. Jack of Spades is hired by the casino to find and track down the robber by any means necessary. he’s known as Jack of Spades because he always keeps a spade to bury the dead.

What I Liked: I liked the honest thief code that is established between Cassie and the broker. Jack of Spades stills the show I loved his magic background and he looks at fooling people as an elevated form of sleight of hand. I liked that he does magic tricks as well. The confrontation between Jack of Spades and the Broker was great and ended in such a shock. The car scene between Jack of Spades and Cassie Black who works at a Porsche dealership. In the opening scene where the way it is written, you can tell that the girl is Cassie’s daughter without spelling it out for the reader. The ending was great I liked where every character ends up during the fight. I loved the scene between the parole officer for Cassie and Jack of Spades and how she knows something is not right with him, and she can see through the magic.

What I Disliked: Cassie Black was a character I just did not connect with I liked what motivated her character but I did not like the character herself. Jack of Spades breaking up what he thought was a rape did not fit his character who is so focused on the mission and would kill anybody to get to the thief, I felt like he would have killed them after it wasn’t what he thought but he does not. I thought it was very out of character. The title is called Void Moon and it is a bad luck omen for the broker who is all about superstition, I felt it was forced after the third time it was brought up and kept getting brought up.

Recommendation: This book was not one of my favorites but it created one of my favorite villains in the Jack of Spades. Jack of Spades has been my favorite villain since The Poet. This book feels more like an Elmore Novel than a Michael Connelly to me. I will not recommend this book but there are some good bits that all revolve around Jack of Spade’s character. I think it would be a great character to bring on the Bosch Tv show.

Rating: I rated Void Moon by Michael Connelly 3 out of 5 stars.

Book Order: Harry Bosch Universe Book reading book order of books I have read ( I did read Void Moon out of order): 1) the Black Echo, 2) The Black Ice, 3) The Concrete Blonde, 4) The Last Coyote, 5) The Poet, 6) Trunk Music, 7) Angels Flight, 8) Blood Work, 9)Void Moon, 10) A Darkness More Than Night, and 11)City of Bones.

Ranking: The order in which I rank them from best to worst is 1) The Poet, 2) Angels Flight, 3) City of Bones, 4) Concrete Blonde, 5) The Black Ice, 6) A Darkness More Than Night, 7) Trunk Music, 8) The Last Coyote, 9) Blood Work, 10) The Black Echo, and 11) Void Moon.