In the dark, listening to the blues by Frank Morgan, Bosch awaits a call. Now in Homicide Special, Bosch's new Supervisor, Larry Gandel, tells him Hollywood wants him and Iggy (the new partner) to take over a case. Bosch learns the crime scene overlooks Mulholland Dam. Madonna's former home is within throwing distance of the body. This homicide is an execution. His boss thinks it will be a hobby (active) case. Just the kind Homicide Special was created for.

A visitor shows up at the crime scene -special agent Rachel Walling of the FBI. Bosch hasn't seen her since the Echo Park case. He assumes she came looking for him, personally. Rachel sets him straight. She wants to give a formal identification of the victim. Rachel pulls out a Tactical Intelligence Unit file, but it takes linking a mark on the body to radiation monitoring to convince Bosch she knows more about the victim, physicist Stanley Kent, than he does.

Bosch meets Jack Brenner, Rachel's partner. They give Bosch the lead when the physicist's wife is found bound and gagged. It's Brenner who tells Bosch the RAT team (Radiological Attack Team), Homeland security, JTTF, NRC DOE, and ART will most likely be involved in the case. As Brenner puts it, "it will be Federal pandemonium." He promises the LAPD and Bosch will not be left out. Benner and Bosch work to find out why Kent was executed. When they find out, Bosch is determined to solve the case, involving 32 missing capsules of Cesium and enough Federal agencies to create "alphabet soup." As the case accelerates, Bosche is left out of the alphabet loop and moves to solve it himself. At one point, he realizes he's out of his element and there's something he's feeling in this case that he's never felt in past cases -fear.

For a short novel, Connelly gives listeners a detailed storyline. What seems like a gangster type murder turns into the makings of a terrorist act. Luckily, Bosch takes the front seat of this complicated, federally invaded ride. Len Cariou reads Hachette's audio version. Listeners will find themselves front and center for every tension-filled twist and turn of this quick, absorbing ride. I found it difficult to turn the player off. Remember your headphones. And be generous; share this one with your friends. Highly recommended.

Reviews of other titles in the Bosch Series