The Waiting

by Michael Connelly
Christine Lakin

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LAPD Detective Renée Ballard tracks a serial rapist whose trail has gone cold, and enlists a new volunteer to the Open-Unsolved Unit: Patrol Officer Maddie Bosch, Harry's daughter.
Renée Ballard and the LAPD's Open-Unsolved Unit get a hot shot DNA connection between a recently arrested man and a serial rapist and murderer who went quiet twenty years ago. The arrested man is only twenty-four, so the genetic link must be familial: His father was the Pillowcase Rapist, responsible for a five-year reign of terror in the city of angels. But when Ballard and her team move in on their suspect, they encounter a baffling web of secrets and legal hurdles.
Meanwhile, Ballard's badge, gun, and ID are stolen—a theft she can't report without giving her enemies in the department ammunition to end her career as a detective. She works the burglary alone, but her mission draws her into unexpected danger. With no choice but to go outside the department for help, she knocks on the door of Harry Bosch.
At the same time, Ballard takes on a new volunteer to the cold case unit: Bosch's daughter Maddie, now a patrol officer. But Maddie has an ulterior motive for getting access to the city's library of lost souls—a case that may be the most iconic in the city's history. Complex, satisfying, and full of dexterous twists, The Waiting demonstrates once more that "you can't do better than Michael Connelly" (Forbes).

Creators
Series

Renée Ballard
Publisher

Hachette Audio

Edition: Unabridged
Release date

October 15, 2024
Formats
- OverDrive Listen audiobook
  - ISBN: 9781668640081
  - File size: 312208 KB
  - Duration: 10:50:25
Languages
- English
Reviews
- Kirkus
  
  August 15, 2024
  Ren�e Ballard's latest outing with the LAPD's Open-Unsolved Unit begins in the most embarrassing way imaginable before the stakes rise higher and higher. While Ballard is out surfing one morning, someone gets into her car and makes off with her phone, gun, wallet, and badge. Fearing that she'll get tossed off the unit she loves if word gets out, she doesn't report the theft, a decision that considerably complicates her ability to do her job. That's especially awkward because of the cases just over the horizon. Fresh evidence indicates that the Pillowcase Rapist, who murdered his last victim in 2005, may be Superior Court Judge Jonathan Purcell, a man nobody wants to cross. The lifting of Ballard's stuff fits into a larger pattern of thefts from surfing beaches by a pair of lowlifes who were particularly interested in a police badge this time because the guy they worked for had clients who were planning something big and bad. The biggest case of all is landed by Madeline Bosch, the daughter of Ballard's retired mentor Harry Bosch, who uncovers a lead in her very first day as a volunteer on the unit that might just close the most famous unsolved case in the history of Los Angeles by identifying the Black Dahlia killer. Everything will work out fine if Ballard can only hold the emerging details about the Pillowcase Rapist close to her chest, keep her fibs about following established procedures and direct orders from being found out, prevent her boss from tossing Maddie Bosch off the unit when her cold case turns red-hot, and recover her credentials without letting anyone know they're missing. A Hawaiian coda provides the best news of all: This distinguished series has plenty of miles to go. Aloha, and hooray.
  COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
- Publisher's Weekly
  
  Starred review from September 16, 2024
  At the start of Connelly’s unputdownable sixth crime thriller costarring Renée Ballard (after Desert Star), the LAPD detective’s badge and gun are stolen from her car while she’s surfing. In the process of getting them back, she uncovers evidence that an extremist group is planning a terrorist attack in Malibu and enlists her friend Harry Bosch—still recovering from cancer—and the FBI to thwart it. Meanwhile, Ballard handles a number of high-stakes cases as leader of the LAPD’s cold case unit. First, her team of volunteers finds a DNA match that opens the door to solving a string of sexual assaults, dating back 20 years, by the “Pillowcase Rapist.” Then Harry’s daughter, Maddie, a patrol officer, joins Ballard’s team after stumbling on some explosive evidence related to the 1947 Black Dahlia killing, “the most famous unsolved murder in the history of Los Angeles.” As always, Connelly brilliantly renders the ins and outs of these investigations, all while adding layers to Ballard’s backstory—including a moving subplot about her missing mother—and delivering white-hot suspense guaranteed to please his fans. This ranks with Connelly’s best. Agent: Heather Rizzo, Rizzo Literary.
- Library Journal
  
  Starred review from September 13, 2024
  Ren�e Ballard, who runs the Open-Unsolved Unit for the Los Angeles Police Department, has her badge, gun, and ID stolen from her vehicle while surfing. Her attempts to get them back open a massive can of worms in Connelly's new Ballard & Bosch title (following Desert Star). Other cases that keep Ballard and her team busy include a serial rape case that has a familial link to another suspect and a legendary case that, if solved, would rewrite the history books. To help her sort through all of the bureaucracy and get the facts is Harry Bosch's daughter, Maddie, who volunteers her time while not on patrol. Solving these cases will step on higher-ups' toes, and if she can keep her job and her team intact, it will have lasting ramifications. VERDICT Connelly's name on the cover guarantees a great read; his latest is no exception. The story follows the cases methodically and realistically, and the characters continue to grow. With a TV series on Amazon Prime coming soon starring Maggie Q as Ren�e Ballard, this novel will generate more interest than usual.--Jeff Ayers
  
  Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
- AudioFile Magazine
  
  Three talented narrators bring to life the sixth installment of this series featuring LAPD detectives Rene Ballard, who leads the new Cold Case Unit, and Harry Bosch, retired. Christine Lakin returns to masterfully capture Ballard's on-the-job rebelliousness and struggles relating to her missing mother. Listeners also reconnect with Bosch's daughter, Maddie, now a patrol officer, whose youthful intensity is brought to life by Madison Lintz. Maddie stumbles upon potential evidence in an infamous 70-year-old cold case and eagerly volunteers to work in Ballard's unit. In a brief but satisfying appearance, Titus Welliver voices Bosch, who is summoned by Ballard to help with a personal matter that escalates into a major case. With its multiple plotlines--ranging from cold cases to a terrorist plot--this production offers nonstop entertainment. E.Q. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
- Library Journal
  
  February 21, 2025
  Connelly's sixth gripping installment in his Ballard and Bosch series (following Desert Star) picks up with a breakthrough in a decades-old case: a DNA match has linked a recently arrested man to the infamous Pillowcase Rapist, a serial rapist and murderer who terrorized Los Angeles 20 years earlier. As LAPD detective Ren�e Ballard and her team close in on the suspect, they find themselves tangled in a web of secrets, legal obstacles, and personal risks. The tale has an intriguing twist, as Ballard also takes on a recruit: Maddie Bosch, Harry's daughter, a patrol officer who is eager to join the cold case unit. Maddie uncovers a potential lead in a 70-year-old case, which soon intertwines with the team's investigation of the Pillowcase Rapist. Narrators Christine Lakin, Titus Welliver, and Madison Lintz deliver this complex, adrenaline-fueled thriller. As Ballard, Lakin takes an introspective tone that draws listeners into the detective's emotional turmoil. Welliver, who plays Harry Bosch in the popular TV show, employs his gravelly voice to portray the character's trademark gritty determination, while Lintz depicts Maddie's youthful intensity with vivacity. VERDICT This thriller expertly balances multiple storylines to great effect. The audio is a compelling mix of cold cases, personal drama, and intrigue, solidifying Connelly's reputation as one of crime fiction's best voices.--Susan McClellan
  
  Copyright 2025 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
- Good Reading Magazine
  
  Connelly’s first ‘Harry Bosch’ novel was published in 1992. Now, more than 20 years and 23 books later, the series remains one of the best in the genre. This is the fifth novel in the spin-off Ballard and Bosch series, in which Harry plays more of a cameo role. The main character is Detective Renee Ballard, and Harry’s daughter, Maddie, steps up to play a pivotal role. Renee Ballard, a surfer and former corruption whistle blower, runs an Open Unsolved Unit staffed entirely by volunteers, who are currently investigating a series of brutal rapes that ended in murder. A new lead throws up a link to a sitting judge as a possible suspect. During a morning surf, Renee’s car is broken into and her badge and gun are stolen. She enlists the assistance of her friend and former colleague, Harry Bosch, who is undergoing treatment for cancer, to help recover them before anyone else finds out, and her career, which is already on thin ice, is ended. Meanwhile, Harry’s daughter, Maddie, a young patrol cop, wants to become a detective and is looking to kick-start her own career. She joins Renee’s unit and brings her own new leads, investigating legendary Hollywood murder case – The Black Dahlia. As with all of Connelly’s novels, The Waiting is densely plotted and combines police procedural with mystery, drama and complex moral dilemmas. Three main strands – the rapist case, Renee’s badge theft, and the new Black Dahlia investigation, are woven together creating a compelling and satisfying story. Another brilliant entry into an already strong body of work. Connelly goes from strength to strength as a writer. Reviewed by Tessa Chudy ABOUT THE AUTHOR Michael Connelly was born in Philadelphia, PA on July 21, 1956. He moved to Florida with his family when he was 12 years old. Michael decided to become a writer after discovering the books of Raymond Chandler while attending the University of Florida. Once he decided on this direction he chose a major in journalism and a minor in creative writing – a curriculum in which one of his teachers was novelist Harry Crews. After graduating in 1980, Connelly worked at newspapers in Daytona Beach and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, primarily specialising in the crime beat. In Fort Lauderdale he wrote about police and crime during the height of the murder and violence wave that rolled over South Florida during the so-called cocaine wars. In 1986, he and two other reporters spent several months interviewing survivors of a major airline crash. They wrote a magazine story on the crash and the survivors which was later short-listed for the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing. The magazine story also moved Connelly into the upper levels of journalism, landing him a job as a crime reporter for the Los Angeles Times, one of the largest papers in the country, and bringing him to the city of which his literary hero, Chandler, had written. Michael is the bestselling author of over 40 novels. With over 85 million copies of his books sold worldwide and translated into 45 foreign languages, he is one of the most successful writers working today. His very first novel, The Black Echo, won the prestigious Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for Best First Novel in 1992. In 2002, Clint Eastwood directed and starred in the movie adaptation of Connelly’s 1998 novel, Blood Work. In March 2011, the movie adaptation of his #1 bestselling novel, The Lincoln Lawyer, hit theaters worldwide starring Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Haller. His most recent #1 New York Times bestsellers include Desert Star, The Dark Hours, The Law Of Innocence, The Night Fire, and Dark Sacred Night. Michael’s crime fiction career was honored with the Diamond Dagger from the CWA in 2018, and the Outstanding...