Monoptilon bellioides is a short annual plant; in seasons with very little rainfall, the plant may only grow to 1–2cm, if it grows at all, while in seasons of heavy rainfall, it can grow up to 25cm tall. The leaves are linear, 5–10mm long, with a blunt apex. No Name Given: Renee meets the chief of police to brief him before the big press conference. As per Michael Connelly tradition, the chief is not named. Detective Mole: Harry and Renee eventually figure out that this is why Ted Rawls got his friend Jake Pearlman to put him on the Open-Unsolved unit. Rawls killed Sarah Pearlman, and he wanted to keep tabs on the investigation.

I remember discovering the Harry Bosch series and not being able to get enough. This passion helped me devour many of the books, as well as the television spin-offs that came from them, keeping me highly entertained over the years. Bosch’s grit and Ballard’s no-nonsense advocacy keep the series strong, particularly while they are still working together. Time will tell what will come of it. Now twelve months later Ballard has changed her mind after considering the personal offer she received from the chief of police, who offers her the opportunity choose any role she wants in the LA police department. That decision has led her to resurrect the same Open-Unsolved unit that Bosch used to be an integral part of. In addition, Ballard has reached out to Bosch and made him an unrefusable offer to join her team as a volunteer investigator.Other names for desert primrose include birdcage evening primrose and devil’s lantern. The outstanding feature of the plant is its yellow flowers that look like crepe paper. You will find this wildflower growing in the deserts of Arizona, California, Utah, and Nevada. Apache Plume ( Fallugia paradoxa) Coral vine spreads along sandy, dry soils via its large underground tubers. The trailing vines have cordate (heart-shaped) leaves measuring 2” to 3” (2.5 – 7.5 cm) wide. The small pink or white flowers grow in small clusters on thin stems. I'm on the home stretch. Not quite sure how I feel about this book yet. It's highly readable, but is it as good as the earlier Bosch novels? Or is it as good as the earlier Ballard novels? Or is it better than either or both?" The heat and drought-tolerant Arizona poppies grow in bushy clumps measuring 2 to 3 ft. (0.6 – 1 m) tall and 5 ft. (1.5 m) wide. Each leafy stem has 5 to 16 leaflets, and orange flowers grow solitary on wiry stems. This plant is found in California, Texas, and other sandy deserts. Marsh Aster ( Almutaster pauciflorus) The Anacacho orchid tree is a small semi-evergreen tree or shrub with spectacular showy white flowers. This flowering desert tree has bi-lobed pale green leaves, orchid-like flowers, silvery-gray bark, and flattened seed pods. The orchid tree grows 6 to 12 ft. (1.8 – 3.6 m) tall.

Cacti, succulents, shrubs, and trees that tolerate hot temperatures during the day and cold at night.The desert mariposa lily is an orange-flowering desert plant with spectacular orange or yellowish blooms. As one of the most beautiful desert plants, the large orange flowers have three petals forming a trumpet shape. The eye-catching flowers measure 1” to 2” (1.2 – 5 cm) wide and bloom from early spring through summer. When a character in “Desert Star” says that she feels a “dark aura” around Harry Bosch, she’s not kidding. Ballard and Bosch will be forced to face new tensions, old resentments, and personal secrets that will drive Bosch to behave in ways that she never would have expected from him in the pursuit of two psycho killers that could create incredible political fallout and destroy both of their law enforcement careers. The Anacacho orchid tree has a slow to moderate growth habit and thrives in full sun, and is tolerant of drought, heat, and poor soils. Attractive features of this desert tree are its leaves that look like butterflies, its beautiful flowers, and its attractive shape. Cane Cholla ( Cylindropuntia spinosior)

There are many things I love about Connelly’s writing, but the key to what always gets me, are his characters – the way he matures them. Michael Connelly’s continues the partnership of Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch and Renee’ Ballard, two of our favorite law enforcement officers. It has been a year since their last outing, “The Dark Hours” which ended with detective Ballard quitting the police force in an act of rebellion against the old boy’s political network and blatant sexism.

Foreshadowing: There's bits of foreshadowing of the ending. Harry says he shaved his mustache because "it was turning white" even though Renee knows it had been white for some time. Other characters make comments about how he isn't looking well. Colleen the supposed psychic observes a "dark aura" around Bosch, something he mentions at the end when telling Renee the truth about his terminal cancer. As Bosch makes some headway, he relies on Ballard to clear the way for him to make his move, in hopes of adding a positive stat to the LAPD column. However, anything can (and does) happen on the rough streets of LA, something both Bosch and Ballard know all too well. It’s the final chapters that impact the story most, sure to pique the interest of Bosch fans. Connelly proves to be a master with this chilling story that accentuates two of his well-developed protagonists.

The story moves at a fast pace. I was engaged from the start. I appreciate that both characters continue to grow with each book. Harry is dealing with the issues that come with age. Renee is trying to figure out how to be a manager. It will be very interesting to see where Connelly takes this series next. Desert Primrose is a yellow-flowering desert plant with large, showy flowers. The creeping plant is identified by its sparse, pale green, long oval leaves, large bowl-shaped flowers with papery yellow petals, and a low-growth habit. Desert primrose thrives in open desert areas, blooming after winter rains. The delightful Mojave aster flowers are also living in the Sonoran Desert and Great Basin Desert. It’s commonly found alongside other desert plants such as Joshua trees, creosote bushes, and saltbush scrubs. Jade Plant ( Crassula ovata) Renee has broken up with Garrett Single, her EMT boyfriend from the previous book. She so wants to be rid of him that she has also stopped eating red meat, because Garrett liked to barbecue. Desert marigolds are flowering perennial plants found in the deserts of Mexico, Utah, California, and Arizona. The flowering desert plants add a splash of yellow color in an arid, barren desert. The large disc flowers bloom from spring and right through the hottest months of the year.Ballard tells Bosch that part of the price of working on the Gallagher case is investigating the Sarah Perlman case. Sarah Pearlman was a 16-year-old girl murdered in her home in 1994. Her brother, Jake Pearlman, is now a Los Angeles city councilman, and Jake is responsible for the Open-Unsolved unit being reopened in the first place. Renee tells Harry that he has to put the Pearlman case ahead of his own. It appears Harry may be coming to the end of his detective career, but I hope he doesn't hang up his credentials just yet. OPTIONAL 'Steady Cam Rod'. Provides stiffness below camera payloads to increase stability of both the Helikite and camera. It is not needed for any other payloads and can be removed easily when not in use. The Arizona poppy is an annual flowering desert plant native to the southwestern United States. The spreading bushy plant blooms after summer monsoon rains with eye-catching orange, yellow, or orange-red flowers. Its foliage comprises simple, pinnately compound, lanceolate leaves and fuzzy stems. The orange flowers grow up to 2.5” (6 cm) wide.