Fans of crime fiction will enjoy Connelly's 'Drop'

Harry Bosch tackles two tough cases in “The Drop,” another stellar effort from author Michael Connelly.

Bosch works in the LAPD's Open-Unsolved Unit. One case he's working on involves the murder of a young woman in 1989. A blood drop at the scene comes back with a DNA match to a predator with a long history of violence. What seems like a slam-dunk quickly becomes a head scratcher when Bosch does the math and realizes the suspect would have been 8 years old at the time of the murder. Was the evidence contaminated?

Bosch's second case — which he doesn't want — involves the son of a city councilman. It appears he jumped from the balcony of a fancy hotel and landed face first on the pavement. Councilman Irvin Irving hates Bosch but wants him to handle the case. He hopes Bosch can prove his son didn't commit suicide.

The two cases will force Bosch to confront a possible conspiracy in the police force and a killer who has been able to evade the law for more than 20 years. Bosch has officially been given his mandatory retirement date three years away, but he might wish it would be sooner.

The two cases are compelling. Bosch is one of the best detectives in crime fiction, and Connelly continues to amaze with his latest effort.