The Drop characters

Appears from the start

A veteran LAPD detective back in the Open-Unsolved Unit and approaching compulsory retirement. He is raising his teenage daughter alone while working a decades-old murder and a politically sensitive death at the same time, knowing that departmental decisions can shorten or extend the investigative life he still wants.

Appears from the start

Bosch's partner in Open-Unsolved. He is diligent, ambitious, and comfortable with the technical work needed to bring old evidence into a modern investigation, though Bosch does not always treat him as an equal participant.

Appears from the start

A nineteen-year-old woman murdered in 1989. Preserved biological evidence from her body produces a modern DNA hit that should be impossible, forcing Bosch and Chu to reconsider both the identity of the donor and the history behind the sample.

First appears in chapter 8

A convicted sexual offender whose DNA matches evidence from Lily Price's murder. He was only eight years old when she died, so the result cannot be treated as a simple identification and instead points toward a biological connection that he may not understand himself.

First appears in chapter 17

A psychologist who treats people convicted of sexual offenses, including Clayton Pell. She is protective of clinical boundaries but willing to help Bosch understand patterns of abuse and risk; their professional contact also develops a personal dimension.

First appears in chapter 5

A Los Angeles city councilman and former senior LAPD official whose long history with Bosch is openly hostile. When his son dies in a fall from a hotel, Irving demands an investigation that cannot be dismissed as either police retaliation or political favoritism.

First appears in chapter 4

Irvin Irving's adult son, found dead after falling from a room at the Chateau Marmont. His work, state of mind, and relationship with his powerful father become central to determining whether the death was suicide or whether someone sent him over the balcony.

Also known as Maddie

First appears in chapter 2

Bosch's teenage daughter, now living with him in Los Angeles after her mother's death in Hong Kong. Intelligent and observant, she is interested in her father's work, while Bosch tries to give her security without hiding the demands and dangers of his profession.

Also known as Kiz Rider

First appears in chapter 6

Bosch's former Open-Unsolved partner, now working in the department's senior command structure. She understands his methods and the politics surrounding the Irving investigation, but her position requires her to consider consequences beyond a single case.

First appears in chapter 110

A man whose biological and personal history becomes relevant to the impossible DNA result in the Lily Price case. Bosch must establish the relationship through evidence rather than assume that a family match alone proves murder.