A few years ago Renee Ballard was an up-and-comer,  rising through the ranks at the LAPD’s detective ranks: then a supervisor sexually assaulted her, she reported it, and  soon found herself delegated to the ‘late show’.  She and her new partner Jenkins’ job is to respond to crime scenes that happen overnight, collecting evidence and testimony while it’s fresh and then handing it cover to the appropriate departments. Ballard is not a punchclock cop, though: she’s not wearing the badge just to pay bills, she burns for justice and, when she’s really emotionally invested in a case, will work off her own time.   At the start of The Late Show, Connelly takes us through a single shift that brings up multiple cases that snare Ballard’s heart, including a prostitute who was beaten nearly to death, and a mysterious shooting at a night club that ends with multiple fatalities, including a waitresses.  One of these cases will, in the course of a few days, also claim the life of one of Ballard’s former partners, and despite the fact that he betrayed her (he didn’t support her claim against the  supervisor, preferring instead to  close ranks with the boys),  Ballard wants to get to the bottom of it.    She’s a creative and dedicated cop, sometimes going outside the rules to get at the truth: she uses her former partner’s password to access his case files so she can follow the leads and see why he was killed, for instance, and she pretends to be a civilian calling in a house burglary so she can then ‘overhear’  the local PD going to investigate and join them for support – giving her the ability to snoop around a house that’s not officially in her case notes.  Working outside the lines has its perils, though, as we see when Ballard is attacked by a suspect and has no backup. Ultimately this was a good read: I like Ballard, especially her Hawaiian background and off-beat lifestyle, sleeping on the beach in a tent during the day when the wind and waves are right. It looks like there are some Connelly novels where she joins forces with Harry Bosch, so don’t be surprised to see more of Detective Ballard this year!

There is a strong chance that I’ll lose power tomorrow (or….worse….), so if things are quiet next week that may be why. I have a Monday review scheduled, as well as the TTT. As you can see below, with this system there’s not even anywhere to drive to to escape! The weathermen are giving off strong April 2011 vibes. I’m going to check out some extra CJ Box books in anticipation. (Speaking of: I started watching Joe Pickett on Paramount, which is based off the first book. I’m enjoying it so far, though TV-show is more of a hothead than book Joe.)