The Waiting by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown; LJ starred review) is the top holds title of the week. LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.

Renée Ballard, who runs the Open-Unsolved Unit for the Los Angeles Police Department, has her badge, gun, and ID stolen from her vehicle while surfing. Her attempts to get them back open a massive can of worms in Connelly’s new Ballard & Bosch title (following Desert Star). Other cases that keep Ballard and her team busy include a serial rape case that has a familial link to another suspect and a legendary case that, if solved, would rewrite the history books. To help her sort through all of the bureaucracy and get the facts is Harry Bosch’s daughter, Maddie, who volunteers her time while not on patrol. Solving these cases will step on higher-ups’ toes, and if she can keep her job and her team intact, it will have lasting ramifications. VERDICT Connelly’s name on the cover guarantees a great read; his latest is no exception. The story follows the cases methodically and realistically, and the characters continue to grow. With a TV series on Amazon Prime coming soon starring Maggie Q as Renée Ballard, this novel will generate more interest than usual.—Jeff Ayers

The Midnight Line by Lee Child (Delacorte; LJ starred review)

Appeared on the November 2017 LibraryReads List

“Jack Reacher is an honorably discharged U.S. Army major who has a strong sense of justice. After the end of a romance, Reacher’s response is to get on a bus and ride it to wherever it is going. At a rest stop along the way, he spots a small West Point class ring in the window of a pawnshop. His gut tells him the soldier who worked hard to achieve it wouldn’t give it up easily. In search of answers, he discovers a drug ring, a disfigured woman, and a couple of murders in a desolate area of Wyoming. Like the other installments in the Reacher series, this is another page turner!”—Valerie Osborne, Bangor Public Library, Bangor, ME

A Banquet of Consequences by Elizabeth George (Viking; LJ starred review)

Appeared on the October 2015 LibraryReads List

“Still reeling from a previous fall from grace, police detective Barbara Havers has a chance to redeem her standing—if she can unravel the very twisted threads that led to the murder of a prominent English feminist. Meanwhile, her superior officer Thomas Lynley pursues a love interest even as he keeps a sharp lookout for any slip-ups by Havers. This is the strongest addition to the series in years.”—Starr Smith, Fairfax County Public Library, Falls Church, VA

Fall by Tracy Clark (Thomas & Mercer: Amazon, LJ starred review)

Clark’s second Detective Harriet Foster title (after Hide) provides a compelling plot as well as significant character growth. Marin Shaw’s release from prison draws attention from all sides—from the press, from her family, and from the other Chicago aldermen who let her take the fall for their corruption. For three years Shaw has stayed silent, claiming that all she wants is to fade into anonymity with her daughter, Zoe. Meanwhile, detectives Harri Foster and Vera Li are assigned to the murder of an alderman—one of Shaw’s coconspirators. They sift through the evidence, trying to separate fact from fiction, and face their own struggles as women of color in a predominantly male profession. Foster also continues to have doubts about the recent suicide of her former partner. As new information about what her partner was working on comes to light, she must decide whom she can trust on both cases. VERDICT The lead detectives are new to each other and building trust, and readers will become invested in the fragile bond they currently have, as well as the mystery surrounding Foster and her former partner.—Jen Funk