Harry's partner, Ignacio Ferras, has just completed rehab for a bullet wound in the act of duty. Ferras has lost his enthusiasm for the job and is reluctant to take the case. Mr. Li, who was seen giving an Asian customer more change than appropriate, was shot three times in the chest. Evidence connected to the murder makes Bosch suspect that triads were involved. Triads are vicious, powerful Chinese gangs, whose tentacles are everywhere.

Upon review of the surveillance tapes, the suspect is found to have a tattoo of a knife on his forearm, symbolic of membership in one of the LA triads. With the help of David Chu from the Asian Gang Unit (AGU), the suspect is identified as a low level triad player. Bosch and Chu follow him to Mr. Li's second store operated by his son where he threatens the son to keep making the payments. The triad member is ultimately arrested at the airport attempting to leave the country.  

When Mr. Li's  autopsy reveals tattoos on his ankles, Bosch sends a picture of the tattoos to his 13 year old daughter Maddie to get the translation. Maddie is living in Hong Kong with Harry's ex-wife, a former FBI agent. Harry soon receives a phone call advising him to stay away from the case and shortly thereafter a terrifying video of his teenage daughter on his cell phone.  

When Part Two," The 39-Hour Day," begins and Harry takes off for Hong Kong, the pace of this novel takes off in riveting fashion. Connelly has written an excellent international mystery infused with interesting historical tidbits. Did you know for example that Kowloon means 9 dragons? Readers who haven't read the first novels featuring Harry Bosch (Black Echo and Black Ice) will learn that Harry spent time in the "tunnels" of Vietnam and carried a gun with eight bullets he called dragons. In the tunnel, he was the ninth dragon. Connelly even includes a cameo visit by Mickey Haller (The Lincoln Lawyer) and a quick mention of Jack McEvoy for his former readers.

What is missing from 9 Dragons for first-time readers is more backstory regarding Harry and his now ex-wife and daughter. Maddie was born in Vegas and did not meet her father until she was four years old. She is an essential part of the story. New readers also may wonder at the unemotional and unsentimental demeanor of Harry Bosch and his determination to always go it alone, although longtime Harry Bosch fans will not be surprised.

9 Dragons is by far my favorite Harry Bosch story in recent years. The future for Harry Bosch will be challenging and it will be exciting to see how he deals with it.

--Jerry Solot