The Bosch-verse, for lack of a better term, has been in full bloom lately, as Michael Connelly's creation Harry Bosch has been front and center in both a new book, "Resurrection Walk," and the second season of "Bosch: Legacy" on Amazon's Freevee service.
"Resurrection Walk" technically is a Lincoln Lawyer book, following the continuing exploits of Los Angeles defense attorney Mickey Haller. In this novel, Haller finds himself maneuvering both through the Los Angeles justice system and the federal courts, trying to establish that a woman serving a prison sentence was unfairly convicted. Bosch, long retired from the LAPD and in his seventies, is working as a consultant/investigator on the case - while he chafes at working for the defense, his larger commitment is to justice, and so he doggedly works the case.
As always, Connelly has crafted a page-turner, filled with detailed inside knowledge about the cops and the courts, and featuring enough twists and turns to keep even diehard Connelly fans satisfied. Haller remains a fascinating creation, even more so when engaging with Bosch, a singular and iconic character.
"Bosch: Legacy," which features Titus Welliver in the title role, sort of takes place in a parallel universe to the books - the series, like the "Bosch" series that preceded it, has all the flavor of the novels, but a television series has different narrative demands. Welliver's Bosch is a little younger than the character in the books, though he also is retired from the LAPD and working for a defense attorney. The lawyer in this case is Honey Chandler, played by Mimi Rogers - Haller doesn't show up in the Freevee series because he's owned by Netflix - but Rogers is terrific and Chandler is a compelling character. And Bosch's daughter Maddie actually is a more fleshed out character in the series - her relationship with her father actually is the narrative spine of the series, giving it emotional heft.
The second season of "Bosch: Legacy" plays out on a number of tracks, and it is great fun to watch the gruff Bosch and manipulative Chandler work their way through and around the criminal justice system.
I cannot recommend "Resurrection Walk" and "Bosch: Legacy" enough - I love the writing, the characterizations, the locales and the plotting. Connelly is a longtime favorite of mine, and I hop he'll become one of yours.
By the way, this is just a great time for me. Not only do I have the Connelly book and TV series, but the new Jack Reacher novel, "The Secret," is out, and Mike Lupica is about to come out with his first Spenser, taking up the series created by Robert B. Parker and then ably reinvented by Ace Atkins.
I feel like these are my guys, and these are the series and characters I love. Christmas, it seems, has come early.
My wine of the week - the 2021 Clos Fussay Sauvignon Blanc, from France's Loire Valley. It has a nice citrus thing going for it, without being too fruity - it was great with crawfish cakes and rice.
That's it for this week. Have a great weekend, and I'll see you Monday - as MNB begins its 23rd year.
Sláinte!!
