Part of Harry Bosch, book 10
First published 2006
FBI agent Rachel Walling receives the call she has feared for years. The Poet has returned. This serial killer incorporated poetry into his brutal murders, and he has not forgotten her. Meanwhile, former LAPD detective Harry Bosch investigates what appears to be a natural death. The widow of his old friend asks for help, but her husband's connections to the original Poet investigation make Bosch suspicious. His digging leads him to a remote desert location in California where federal agents are excavating bodies. Bosch teams up with Rachel at the grim site. Together they find themselves opposing the FBI's methods while the Poet draws them into his twisted game. The killer leads them through a dangerous pursuit that takes them from the scorching desert heat into confined spaces where evil concentrates. They must navigate not only the Poet's psychological traps but also their own conflicted relationship with federal law enforcement as they face a murderer who has made this hunt deeply personal.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: cat-and-mouse, enemies-to-lovers, psychological-games
Setting: California, Desert, LAPD
Period: Contemporary
436 pages · Paperback · Little, Brown and Company
Content warnings: graphic-violence, murder