Angels Flight by Michael Connelly

It's no surprise to Harry Bosch to get a call late at night; that's an everyday occurrence for a homicide detective.  But he is surprised to get a call to a murder scene that's not in his normal turf.  Two murders have occurred at the city's quaint trolley system called Angels Flight.  One of the victims is a cleaning woman but the other is the reason Harry has gotten the call.  Howard Elias is a lawyer and a lawyer that has made his reputation and caseload representing those who have an issue with the LAPD.  He has been in the middle of numerous cases suing the department and is in the midst of one now that has gone tons of press.

Several years ago, the daughter of a rich and powerful family was kidnapped and found murdered several days later.  The LAPD found physical evidence pointing to a former convict and focused on him.  After he is found innocent at his trial, he has filed a case with the help of Elias stating that he was tortured during his interrogation and that the LAPD never really investigated the case and that the killer is still out there.  That case is about to go to court and the top brass are worried that Elias' murder could reignite the riots that tore Los Angeles apart before.

On top of the political nature of the case, Bosch has other issues.  His new marriage appears to be breaking up and he doesn't even have time to worry about it.  One of his ex-partners is involved in the case Elias is bringing to court but Bosch is convinced he could never be involved in anything wrong.  Add in a group brought in from Internal Affairs and a partnership with the FBI on this case and Bosch knows it will be one of the most challenging of his career.

This is the sixth novel in the Harry Bosch series.  Connelly's genius as a crime writer is that he lays out the day to day procedure of a real police case, something he learned during his time covering the crime beat as a reporter.  His detectives don't make wild assumptions and break all rules of evidence to get their suspect.  Instead, they follow a laid out path that the reader can easily follow.  He also is a master at writing about the political atmosphere that the police must do their work in.  This book is recommended for mystery readers.