I think I have a fascination for Las Vegas — it’s something about what they’ve created and how they’ve sold it to America. They say it’s the new family playground, but some of the old ways are still at work. — Michael Connelly

Police procedural at its best. Bosch is at the top of his game in this one, which doesn’t mean he isn’t capable of screwing up now and then, which is part of the fun of reading a Bosch novel. Bosch isn’t the typical super-cop. He fucks up a lot, and when he does, it’s usually big, but he always owns up to his fuck-ups, and he almost always sets things right. — Scott Rhee