The Closers Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

1. Welcome Back Roy: In Michael Connelly's novel, The Closers, Harry Bosch rejoins the ranks of the LAPD after three years in retirement. Harry has a hard time suppressing his excitement at being back. At one point, he says to his partner, Kizmin Rider, "The point is I need the gun. I need the badge. Otherwise I'm out of balance. I need all of this." Why do you think Harry needs to be a cop?
    
2. The Oldest Living Boot: The new chief of police welcomes Harry back but at the same time he warns him that he is on probation. Harry can't screw up or he'll be out. Later, Harry has a run in with an old adversary, Deputy Chief Irvin Irving, who also welcomes him back with a warning, calling him "a retread." So Harry has to prove himself all over again while watching his back. What do you think Harry's reputation is within the LAPD? What does Irving think of Harry?
    
3. Forget Closure: Harry's new boss, Abel Pratt, warns him that closing cases is not the same thing as closure. He warns that there is no such thing as closure—that all the police can do is provide answers. Do you agree with that? Can there ever be closure for the victims of crime? Is justice the same thing as closure? How about revenge?
    

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Grand Central Publishing. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.