Second Chances

In many ways, The Closers is a story about second chances. At the start of the novel, protagonist Harry Bosch is returning to the Los Angeles Police Department after three years in retirement. At first, he enjoys his free time after leaving the department, but he soon begins to walk with a limp. The reason, Bosch explains to his partner Kiz Rider, is because he cannot get used to walking without the weight of his gun on his side. As Bosch tells her, "The point is, I need the gun. I need the badge. Otherwise I'm out of balance." Thanks to his partner's lobbying on his behalf, Bosch gets his second chance as a detective. At the same time, Bosch—who originally left the department not because of the job itself, but because of the corruption and political intrigue within the department—is giving the LAPD a...