Michael Connelly marches at the head of the band

LAPD Detective Harry Bosch returns from retirement to work in the LAPD Open-Unsolved Unit.

He's teamed with and eager rookie, detective Lucia Soto, who has just been honored for her quick thinking in a shooting incident.

They view the autopsy of a mariachi musician, Orlando Merced,  who was shot with a stray bullet ten years ago. He was paralyzed from the wound and finally died of complications. This raised the case to a murder investigation.

The detectives travel to Mariachi Plaza, the scene of the shooting and speak to other mariachi musicians to get a start of the investigation. Then they interview the other members of the group. Gradually, they work their way up fitting little pieces of the puzzle into place. The direction of the investigation changes and politics comes into being.

During this time, Det. Soto is also investigating an apartment fire that proved to be arson resulting in murder. The Bonnie Brae apartment fire which killed nine victims. She has a personal interest in this case because she was in the building and some of her friends were killed.

As politics enters the case, other impediments add to the complications but Harry's experience and Lucia's energy and determination build the two cases intelligently and suspensefully.

Harry Bosch is one of the best detectives in mystery literature and he shows his knowledge and mentoring ability with Lucia.

Los Angeles is well described with the various restaurants, roadways and historical references. At one confrontation they are in the Los Angeles hotel where Whitney Houston died.

The ending is a slam dunk and leaves the reader gasping for more.