I love Michael Connelly's books. It's always a thrill to open up the latest one. This one held a special surprise. It's fascinating story. Terry McCaleb is a retired FBI agent who just 8 weeks ago had a heart transplant. He plans to spent the rest of his life enjoying his new heart and rebuilding his boat. He turns down requests every day to investigate cases. But when the sister of his heart donor asks, he can't say no. It's an amazing plot. BUT I kept running into familiar names. Then, as his characters describe a list of people, I discovered to my glee, he had named three of those people after friends of mine! What a riot. (All three read the book before I did but didn't say anything. And one of them had seen Michael at a book fair in Oregon a week before and he hadn't said a word.) ( )

By the same author as the popular Harry Bosch series, this book introduces retired FBI agent Terry McCaleb. Terry had taken early retirement due to health reasons, but is now recovering from a heart transplant and looking forward to a newly lengthened life span. When Terry is approached by a young woman who saw an article about him in the newspaper and who is asking him to investigate the death of her sister, he refuses. His health is still too delicate. But when she informs him that his new heart came from her sister, he is unable to ignore the challenge. Gloria Torres was killed in an apparently random convenience store hold-up, that also took the life of the store's owner. The police have been unsuccessful in locating the killer. As Terry begins digging into the case, he discovers that there are ties between this case and another. That case, in turn, leads him to more clues which eventually (of course) lead him to the culprit.

As with the Harry Bosch books, I thought this one was very good. Terry is probably a little too astute, or lucky, when discovering clues and leads that other investigators have missed, but that is forgivable. I am enjoying Conelly's books, and I understand that the next one A Darkness more than Night will feature both Harry Bosch and Terry McCaleb. There was also a mention of Mickey Haller, an attorney who also becomes a central character in Connelly's books later in the series. (It was the first Mickey Haller book, Lincoln Lawyer which made me notice Michael Connelly in the first place.) We'll need a road map soon. ( )