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The Waiting

Written by: Michael Connelly
Narrated by: Christine Lakin, Titus Welliver, Madison Lintz
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Publisher's Summary

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).

©2024 Michael Connelly (P)2024 Little, Brown & Company
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What the critics say

“A Hawaiian coda provides the best news of all: This distinguished series has plenty of miles to go. Aloha, and hooray.”—Kirkus Reviews

What listeners say about The Waiting

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The Waiting doesn't keep you waiting

An overall good book. Great to see an introduction to Maddie Bosch. I did however, find the ending a bit weak and it could have been done a bit better.

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Loved

Loved the storyline. Wished that Bosch would have been more involved but loved that Maddie was brought in the story!

Hate the ridiculous music! Please get rid of it! It adds nothing to the story, it’s just annoying.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Loved every minute of it

I have had a bit of a dry spell listening to formulaic mysteries and also some lighter fare and needed a smart suspense novel that kept me interested. This is definitely it. It adds to the multifaceted story that current events are lightly woven into it and that the women protagonists know how to deftly sidestep the still ever present misogyny they have to factor into their work. Never mind, it's a really great story, so well told and the suspense is unrelenting. The one thing I personally don't like in any audio book is the elevator music that plays for each beginning chapter. But that's a pet peeve that in no way reflects on the story or the excellent performance in this book.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

I didn’t want it to end

Enjoyed this book. I can’t wait for the next book( please tell me there is next book)

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Unpredictable twist and plots

A great inception into crime thriller genre. I love the characters and looking forward to their day starting when someone else ends

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Great story!

The story is amazing as always - so many great story lines. Love Titus, Christine and Madison reading the novel. Makes it even better.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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Falls short of expectation

I wish I could rate some of the reviews published here.

Long term Connelly and Bosch fans will not enjoy this book. In fact, from the moment Ballard joined the series, it's been going down. From lack of tension in the plot, as someone mentioned below, to "rah rah girl power", to the whole thing feeling like an easy video game walkthrough, it's just not the same. The only person I care about in these books is Harry Bosch and there's less and less of him in each one. His and Haller's characters have the true depth and interest. Harry's thoughts and past experiences are real and gritty and Ballard's just come off as made up and an homage to woke feminism. Sure, some of those themes are relevant, but this just feels like too much. As much as it pains me, I've returned this book and probably won't purchase another one with Ballard in it.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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Too much going on, not long enough

Older Micheal Connelly books would have a building story like a to a tip of an ice berg, to end with lot of action. This book has three different, unrelated plots. It could have been interesting but none of them really get flushed out. If they had focused on two plots it could have been really good or just made the book longer. Like they spend the whole book talking about black dahlia and then it’s “oh let’s leak it to the media” that’s the end. Or oh let’s just go Visit the bad guy and he just confesses unprompted, oh and he has no bullets in his gun so no thrill or challenge for the main Character. Waited quite a while and was really excited for this book but I am just left disappointed and unsatisfied. Used to be one of my favourite writers, in the future I may not buy another one of his book.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Worst Bosch Ballard Novel

The Ballard story line is just not doing it. With the Ballard story line all the grit and everything interesting about the Bosch universe is gone. For example. With Harry you learned to understand him through his actions and gradual reveals and reminders of his past. With Ballard you get to listen to multiple therapy sessions while she gets in touch with her childhood pain. Maybe that’s interesting for some people but it’s not the same story telling as with Bosch. That’s not the worst though. I can’t hone in on exactly what changed but there is zero tension in the story and a ridiculous number of lucky happenings that make the whole thing seem amateurish. The story was not a gradual uncovering of clues and facts pursued with skill and perseverance. Everything just fell into place and even the final reveal and arrest just kind of happened out of the blue with virtually no lead up or connection to previous events in the story.

Even the tension and politics within the police structure seemed either tacked on or reduced to the simplistic of motivations.

Having read virtually everything else by Michael Connelly and enjoyed all of it. I can say that for me the Ballard stories have gone from fair to unappealing. Maybe these are meant for a new audience. I hope he finds it.

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3 people found this helpful