Bosch: Legacy Season 3 Will BE Based On These Books

Highlights

Bosch: Legacy Season 3 is based on Connelly’s “Desert Star” and “The Black Ice” novels.
Renee Ballard works alongside Harry Bosch in the Desert Star novel, but changes could be made in the television adaptation.
Welliver, Rogers, and Lintz were confirmed for Season 3, with other returning cast members likely.

The first two seasons of Bosch: Legacy were a big success on Amazon Freevee, with a third season already announced before Season 2 aired. Filming is now underway for the highly anticipated new season, with fans eager to find out new plot details and news on which characters will be returning.

Plot details haven’t been released yet and the creative team behind the show have been tight-lipped about which actors have signed on for the upcoming season. However, it has been revealed that Bosch: Legacy Season 3 will be based on Michael Connelly’s 2022 novel, Desert Star, and his 1993 novel, The Black Ice.

What books will Bosch: Legacy Season 3 be based on?

It has been confirmed that Bosch: Legacy Season 3 will be based on Michael Connelly’s 2022 novel, Desert Star and his 1993 novel, The Black Ice. Connelly announced the news on his Instagram page:

Hard to believe, but we started production today on the 10th season of the Harry Bosch story. Season 3 of Bosch: Legacy is underway. Based on Desert Star (2022)

The plot of the Desert Star novel sees LAPD detective Renée Ballard enter the story, after it was announced her character would star in one of two Bosch: Legacy spin-offs, as she teams up with Harry Bosch to hunt a killer of an entire family who Bosch considered to be his “white whale.”

Ballard had previously quit the force a year previously, but the chief of police tells her she can essentially write her own ticket within the department, so she takes her badge back and rebuilds the cold case unit at the elite Robbery-Homicide Division. Ballard offers Bosch the opportunity to come and work with her as a volunteer investigator in the new Open-Unsolved Unit, where he can pursue his “white whale” with the resources of the LAPD at his disposal.

It’s unclear how much of this story will be changed when it is adapted onto the screen. Like with most series in the Bosch universe, there are things that are shifted around to fit the television story that differ from the books, while still respecting Michael Connelly’s initial vision.

It’s also not been confirmed if Renee Ballard will make her debut in the Bosch universe in Bosch: Legacy season 3, before she embarks on her own show, with the recent announcement that Maggie Q has signed on to play her. In previous seasons of the show, the character of Honey Chandler has replaced certain characters from the books, with the story remaining the same.

Bosch: Legacy season 3 will also use aspects of Michael Connelly’s book, The Black Ice, for the upcoming storyline. The plot of that book sees Harry Bosch making some dangerous connections, with a string of murders that stem from Hollywood Boulevard’s drug business, with Bosch risking becoming a victim himself.

Who is returning for Bosch: Legacy Season 3?

Titus Welliver is officially returning to Bosch: Legacy season 3 as Harry Bosch, with Michael Connelly also confirming in an Instagram post that Mimi Rogers and Madison Lintz would return as Honey Chandler and Maddie Bosch respectively, with some interesting storylines coming their way:

…a lot of new stuff for Maddie Bosch and Money Chandler. It’s going to be the best season yet, because this cast and crew, the writers and directors, everybody involved in this little village we call a TV show, raises the bar every time.

There hasn’t been confirmation on whether Stephen A. Chang and Denise G. Sanchez would return as Maurice ‘Mo’ Bassi and Reina Vasquez respectively, but after appearing in the first two seasons, it is highly likely they will be back. As for other returning cast members, Scott Klace has appeared in every season of Bosch and Bosch: Legacy thus far, so it’s likely he will make some recurring appearances in season 3 as Sgt John Mankiewicz.

At the end of Bosch: Legacy season 2, there were a few plot threads that were set up which point towards more returning characters in season 3. Maurice ‘Mo’ Bassi was being forced to work with Agent William Baron to bring down Bosch and Chandler after the initial honey trap set up by Jade Quinn. This could see Anthony Michael Hall return as Baron, though the actor is also working on Reacher: season 3, so it’s unclear if he’ll be working on both Prime Video series as both are currently filming.

The Bosch: Legacy season 2 cliffhanger saw Maddie Bosch answering her father’s phone, and accepting a collect call from a prisoner at Wasco St Prison called Preston Borders, who claims he killed Kurt Dockweiler on Harry Bosch’s orders, so it’s likely Chris Browning will reprise his role as Borders in Bosch: Legacy season 3.