Bosch is usually in the book also. Ballard is a new detective and Bosch is kinda her mentor/role model.
I’ll have to make sure I catch hers as I work through them.
I’m not OVERLY impressed w/ Connelly as a writer based on any single book, but I really respect and enjoy this long series he has created.
In a similar way, Wendell Berry wrote a series of novels about a small town in Kentucky. Completely different books/setting than Connelly’s, but I find it really cool that, if you enjoy one, you can read them all and essentially have one really long novel about a place/time/people.
So now I’m at the point of basically hate-watching this, just because I can remember the exact “twist.” Couple of observations:
-Pretty questionable writing/directing to rely so heavily on so many lengthy “expositions” - of Mickey explaining things to his driver in the car. And is that about the crappiest “green screen” technology outside the car’s windows as this happens? I know green screens can be difficult to do well, but this looks like at least a couple of generations ago technology.
-I previously mentioned how much I disliked the actress who played Maddie in Bosch. Well, I think I can say I like her better than Mickey’s daughter! 
Not sure if that is the acting, writing, directing…
-What is with the use of the distorted “fish-eye” lens, just for basic scenes like a courtroom, or an elevator lobby?
-So many instances of things that are just “off.” One really minor one from last night - as Mickey was looking for his driver in that backstage area, he was chewing gum. Why? Why have an actor chewing gum, if that doesn’t convey something about the character, the scene, etc?
-I’m finding ex-wife #2 (the blonde) especially irritating. I guess she is supposed to be some super-capable woman who dresses sexily, but her investigation efforts, running on those spiked heels at the soccer game - so much about her just strikes me as unbelievable.
-Is the main cop working with ex-Wife #1 (the brunette) supposed to be the same character as in the one Bosch season - based on Angel’s Flight? It is the same actor. I wondered if that was intended to suggest continuity, since they were unable to use the Bosch character.
-The main cop is named Griggs. Wasn’t there a cop named Griggs in the Bosch books? Maybe a lieutenant or captain?
I’m watching it and enjoying it. It’s not blowing me away, but I’m entertained enough.
One aside, I had to google if the actor playing Cisco was related to Titus Welliver (brother maybe?). They aren’t, but something about their eyes and facial expressions made me think they were.
MtM