Void Moon

August 31, 2009
Cassie Black, a resourceful ex-con, plans to burgle the Las Vegas casino's high roller suite where, five years before, a previous attempt resulted in her arrest and the death of her lover. It's an intriguing premise, and L.J. Ganser delivers a mesmerizing and nuanced performance. In creating Jack Karch, the bon vivant Vegas private eye who moonlights as a hit man, Ganser settles on a genial, almost charming delivery, underplaying the character's sinister psychopathology and adding to the suspense. As hunted and hunter race across the twists and turns of the novel's shadowy landscape, author and reader combine to make all the right moves. A Grand Central hardcover.

September 15, 1999
No Harry Bosch, just an unlucky lady named Cassie forced into returning to a life of crime to protect a secret.

Copyright 1999 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from October 1, 1999
Life has dealt Cassie Black a very poor hand. Her father simply abandoned the family for the Las Vegas casinos. Attempting to rob a high roller, Max, the love of Cassie's life, plunged from a casino penthouse through a glass ceiling. Through a quirk in Nevada law and the casinos' desire to make an example of someone, Cassie, an accomplice in the attempted robbery, was convicted of manslaughter in Max's death. Now on parole, Cassie is trying to stay straight and live with the torments of her past. Ultimately, she fails and agrees to rob another high roller at the same casino where Max died. But the mark turns out to be a Mob bagman, and Cassie is soon on the run from a psychopathic pit bull of a private eye employed by the casino. Cassie is damaged but tough and resilient--a wonderfully engaging character. Jack Karch, the pit bull, is not only a chilling sicko, he's also an incredibly skilled investigator. Casino boss Victor Grimaldi is spectacularly reptilian. Lesser characters are very finely drawn, too. Connelly really does his homework: Cassie's criminal tradecraft--and the casinos' security systems--will fascinate crime fans. And the pacing of this thriller is as good as you'll find in the genre. "Void Moon" offers readers a full house of entertainment. Bet on it. ((Reviewed October 1, 1999))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1999, American Library Association.)

Starred review from October 15, 1999
Even though Harry Bosch is nowhere to be found, Connelly has written his best book to date. In the past, Connelly's leads have been in law enforcement. His new protagonist, Cassie Black, is an ex-con who needs to make one more score in order to fulfill the dream that sustained her in prison. The first part of the novel follows a Mission Impossible-style crime. Something happens during this caper that propels the rest of the book as Cassie is relentlessly pursued by Jack Karch, a ruthless investigator for a casino who leaves no witnesses alive. Cassie has a secret that she will protect at all costs, and while this secret is obvious, other aspects of this fast-paced thriller are surprising indeed. In astrology, a void moon is considered bad luck, but Connelly's Void Moon is better than a four-leaf clover. Highly recommended. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 9/15/99.]--Jeff Ayers, Seattle P.L.

Copyright 1999 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.