


They also fall into their comfortable banter. It takes no time at all for Ballard and the now-retired Bosch to fall into their old rhythm, working the murders as related cases. Then Ballard catches an even better break: The original investigator on Lee’s case was Harry Bosch. The shooting death of Albert Lee in a robbery is unsolved. She catches a lucky break when the shell casing from Raffa’s murder pings a match on another case from almost 10 years before. Now she’s living alone and uncomfortably in a condo, scrolling websites for rescue dogs. Her beloved pit bull mix, Lola, died of cancer.

Her former nomadic practice of getting off the late shift, going surfing and sleeping in a tent on the beach ended when the beaches were closed by the pandemic. She caught COVID-19 and went through three weeks of illness now she’s eagerly awaiting the vaccine. The events of 2020 have upended Ballard’s personal life as well as her professional one.
