Ballard review: Maggie Q stars in brilliant Bosch spin-off
James Cox
Maggie Q brings Michael Connelly's beloved detective Renée Ballard to life in a brilliant series that can be streamed on Prime Video.
Spin-offs rarely hit the mark, but Ballard picks up where Bosch left off and adds its own look at the crime of Los Angeles as the protagonist leads a cold case unit.
The 10 episodes are thrilling from start to finish.
Ballard has been moved off the homicide unit after she was assaulted by a male colleague, but she refuses to let her career trail off. Leading a team of volunteers, the detective is thrust into the centre of a politician's quest to find justice for his sister's murder.
Along the way there are plenty of twists and turns, and the team ends up picking up other unsolved crimes.
Thomas Laffont (John Carroll Lynch), Ballard's former partner who has come out of retirement, is just as engaging as Maggie Q's Ballard.
The characters on the team, including reserve officer Ted Rawls (Michael Mosley) and overly enthusiastic volunteer Colleen Hatteras (Rebecca Field), also add a lot to the story.
Fans of Michael Connelly's books will be unsurprised at how successful the first season of Ballard is, as his books about Harry Bosch, Renée Ballard, and the pair are all great reads.
Bosch ran for seven seasons before three seasons of Bosch: Legacy, so Ballard has a lot to live up to, with no announcement yet on a second season of the show.
However, that is likely to be only a matter of time as it has enjoyed positive reviews and high viewership.
If you're into crime shows and thrillers, give Ballard a try.
