Connelly was born inPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania, the second eldest child of W. Michael Connelly, aproperty developer, and Mary Connelly, ahomemaker.[4] He is of Irish ancestry.[5] According to Connelly, his father was a frustrated artist who encouraged his children to want to succeed in life[6] and was a risk taker who alternated between success and failure in his pursuit of a career. Connelly's mother was a fan ofcrime fiction and introduced her son to the world ofmystery novels.[4]
At age 12 Connelly moved with his family from Philadelphia toFort Lauderdale, Florida, where he attendedSt Thomas Aquinas High School. At age 16 Connelly's interest in crime and mystery escalated when, on his way home from his work as a hotel dishwasher, he witnessed a man throw an object into a hedge. Connelly decided to investigate and found that the object was a gun wrapped in alumberjack shirt. After putting the gun back he followed the man to a bar and then left to go home to tell his father. Later that night Connelly brought the police down to the bar but the man was already gone. This event introduced Connelly to the world of police officers and their lives, impressing him with the way they worked.[4]
After graduating from the University of Florida in 1980, Connelly got a job as a crime beat writer at theDaytona Beach News-Journal, where he worked for almost two years until he went to theFort Lauderdale News and Sun-Sentinel in 1981. There, he covered the crime beat during the South Florida cocaine wars.[3] He stayed with the paper for a few years and in 1986 he and two other reporters spent several months interviewing survivors of the 1985Delta Flight 191 plane crash, which story earned Connelly a place as a finalist for thePulitzer Prize.[7] The honor also brought Connelly a job as a crime reporter at theLos Angeles Times. He moved to California in 1987 with his wife, Linda McCaleb, whom he had met while in college and married in April 1984.[4]
After moving to Los Angeles, Connelly went to see High Tower Court[8] whereRaymond Chandler's characterPhilip Marlowe had lived (in his 1942 novelThe High Window), andRobert Altman had used for his filmThe Long Goodbye (1973). Connelly got the manager of the building to promise to phone him if the apartment ever became available. Ten years later the manager tracked Connelly down and Connelly decided to rent the place. This apartment served as a place to write for several years.[6][9]
After three years at theLos Angeles Times Connelly wrote his first published novel,The Black Echo (1992), after previously writing two unfinished novels that he did not attempt to get published.[6] He soldThe Black Echo toLittle, Brown to be published in 1992 and won theMystery Writers of America'sEdgar Award for Best first Novel.[7] The book is partly based on a true crime and is the first one featuring Connelly's primary recurring character,Los Angeles Police Department DetectiveHieronymus "Harry" Bosch,[3] a man who, according to Connelly, shares few similarities with the author himself.[6] Connelly named Bosch after the Dutch painterHieronymus Bosch, known for his paintings full of sin and redemption, such as the paintingHell, a copy of which hangs on the office wall behind Connelly's computer.[2][4] Connelly describes his own work as a big canvas with all the characters of his books floating across it as currents on a painting. Sometimes they are bound to collide, creating cross currents. This is something that Connelly creates by bringing back characters from previous books and letting them play a part in books written five or six years after first being introduced.[4]
Connelly went on to write three more novels about Detective Bosch—The Black Ice (1993),The Concrete Blonde (1994) andThe Last Coyote (1995)—before quitting his job as a reporter to write full time.[4]
In 1996 Connelly wroteThe Poet, his first book not to feature Bosch. Instead the protagonist was reporter Jack McEvoy. The book was a success.[4] In 1997 Connelly returned to Bosch inTrunk Music before writing another book,Blood Work (1997), about a different character,FBI agentTerry McCaleb.Blood Work was made into a film in 2002, directed byClint Eastwood, who also played McCaleb,[4] an agent with a transplanted heart in pursuit of his donor's murderer. The book came together after one of Connelly's friends had a heart transplant and he saw what his friend was going through with survivor's guilt after the surgery.[3] When asked if he had anything against the changes made to fit the big screen, Connelly simply replied: "If you take their money, it's their turn to tell the story."[10]
Connelly wrote another book featuring Bosch,Angels Flight (1999), before writingVoid Moon (2000), a free-standing book aboutLas Vegas thief Cassie Black. In 2001A Darkness More Than Night was published, in which Connelly united Bosch and McCaleb to solve a crime together, before releasing two books in 2002. The first,City of Bones, was the eighth Bosch novel, and the other,Chasing the Dime, was a non-series novel.[3] In 2001 Connelly left California forTampa Bay, Florida, together with his wife and daughter, so that both he and his wife could be closer to their families. His novels still took place in Los Angeles.[6]
In 2003 another Bosch novel,Lost Light, was published. With this book, a CD was released,Dark Sacred Night, the Music of Harry Bosch, featuring some of the jazz music that both Connelly and the fictional character Bosch listen to.[3] While writing Connelly listens exclusively to instrumental jazz, though, because it does not have intrusive vocals and because the improvisational playing inspires his writing.[2]The Narrows, published in 2004, was a sequel toThe Poet but featured Bosch instead of McEvoy.[3] Together with this book, a DVD was released calledBlue Neon Night: Michael Connelly's Los Angeles, in which film Connelly presents some of the places in Los Angeles that are frequently featured in his books.[3]
The Closers, published in May 2005, was the 11th Bosch novel. It was followed byThe Lincoln Lawyer in October, Connelly's first legal novel; it features defense attorneyMickey Haller, Bosch's half-brother. The book was made into a film in 2011, starringMatthew McConaughey as Haller. After releasingCrime Beat (2004),[11] a non-fiction book about Connelly's experiences as a crime reporter, Connelly went back to Bosch withEcho Park (2006).[3] This book sets its opening scene in the High Tower Apartment that Connelly rented and wrote from.[6] His next Bosch story,The Overlook, was originally published as a multi-part series in theNew York Times Magazine. After some editing, it was published as a novel in 2007. In October 2008, Connelly wroteThe Brass Verdict, which brought together Bosch and Haller for the first time.[3] He followed that withThe Scarecrow (May 2009), which brought back McEvoy as the lead character.9 Dragons, a novel taking Bosch to Hong Kong, was published in October 2009.The Reversal (October 2010), reunites Bosch & Haller as they work together under the banner of the state on the retrial of a child murderer. The Haller novelThe Fifth Witness was published in 2011.
The Drop, which refers in part to the "Deferred Retirement Option Plan" that was described in the novelThe Brass Verdict (2008),[12] was published in November 2011. The next Bosch novel wasThe Black Box (2012). Connelly's subsequent novel, a legal thriller, was a return to Haller:The Gods of Guilt (2013). His next book returned to Bosch inThe Burning Room (2014), and then Connelly used Haller as a main supporting character in the Bosch novelsThe Crossing (2015) andThe Wrong Side of Goodbye (2016).
Connelly was one of the creators and executive producers ofLevel 9, an action TV series that aired for 13 episodes in the 2000–2001 season on theUPN television network.[3][13]
Connelly's novelThe Lincoln Lawyer was made into afilm in 2011, withMatthew McConaughey playing defense lawyer Michael "Mickey" Haller.
In 2022,A&E Studios developed Connelly's second novel inThe Lincoln Lawyer series,The Brass Verdict, into a 10-episode series simply titledThe Lincoln Lawyer (TV series). The series was cancelled byCBS and picked up byNetflix. The series was positively received by critics and audiences, reaching #2 on the most viewed series on Netflix in its first three days. A second season based onThe Fifth Witness was released in 2023, and a third season based onThe Gods of Guilt was released in 2024.
Connelly produced a TV series forAmazon Studios calledBosch, based on Connelly's Harry Bosch novels. It began streaming onAmazon Prime in early 2014, and ran for seven seasons on Amazon, concluding in 2021. A spin-off calledBosch: Legacy, also produced by Connelly, began streaming onAmazon Freevee in 2022.
Connelly's short storyAvalon is being adapted into a television series byDavid E. Kelley and Connelly forABC.[17]
In 2024, Connelly hosted and wroteThe Wonderland Massacre & The Secret History of Hollywood, a documentary series forMGM+ that adapted his 2021 true crime podcast about theWonderland murders.[18]
When starting a book, he says, the story is not always clear, but Connelly has “a hunch” as to where it is going.[6] The books often reference real-world events, such as the1992 Los Angeles riots and theSeptember 11 attacks. Events that might seem of minor significance are included in some of the books, because of Connelly's personal interest in them. For example,City of Bones, in which Detective Bosch investigates the murder of an 11-year-old boy, was written during Connelly's early years as a father of a daughter, and it hit close to home. According to Connelly, he didn't mean to write about the biggest fear of his life; it just came out that way.[31] David Geherin states that Connelly "deliberately avoids ornate language, the kind that makes the reader stop and savor the choice of words or elegant phrasing. He doesn't want anything to inhibit the forward momentum he is working to create."[32]
Detective Bosch's life usually changes in harmony with Connelly's own life. When Connelly moved 3,000 miles across the country, Bosch's experiences sent him in a new direction inCity of Bones, written at that time. According to Connelly, his "real" job is to write about Bosch,[31] and he brought McCaleb and Bosch together inA Darkness More Than Night in order to look at Bosch from another perspective and to keep the character interesting.[31]
Connelly often changes perspectives between characters in his novels. InVoid Moon, Connelly frequently alternates between following protagonist Cassie Black and antagonist Jack Karch. InFair Warning, Connelly outright changes the overarching perspective of the book on occasion, regularly following protagonist Jack McEvoy in afirst-person point of view while occasionally branching away from his story to follow the antagonists in third-person.
Every character in the list below, with one exception, has appeared in a Harry Bosch book. All of Michael Connelly's novels occur in the same fictional universe and character crossovers are common.
Terrell "Terry" McCaleb – criminal profiler for the Federal Bureau of Investigation assigned to Los Angeles. While tracking down "The Code Killer", McCaleb needed a heart transplant. While recovering from his surgery, McCaleb is contacted by Graciela Rivers, the sister of the woman whose heart was implanted in his body. She asks him to investigate her sister's murder. A movie based on the novel and starring Clint Eastwood was released in 2002.
Jack McEvoy – crime reporter, brother of one of the Poet's victims.
Cassidy "Cassie" Black – burglar and ex-con. Lead character inVoid Moon. Has a cameo inThe Narrows. She is described by Mickey Haller inThe Brass Verdict as a client by way of her unique modus operandi.
Henry Pierce – Chemical scientist and entrepreneur. Lead character inChasing the Dime. Pierce is the only Connelly character who has never appeared in a Harry Bosch novel (in fact he has not appeared in any other Connelly novel). However, Bosch was referred to by a character inChasing the Dime, although not by name.
Renée Ballard – a Los Angeles Police Department detective.
Each of these characters has appeared in at least two of Connelly's novels.
Lieutenant Grace "Bullets" Billets – Harvey Pounds' successor as Bosch's supervisor in Hollywood Homicide squad. When first introduced, she had a husband, but was in asame-sex relationship with Kiz Rider.
Madeline "Maddie" Bosch – daughter of Bosch and Eleanor Wish; Mickey Haller's niece.[33]
Joel Bremmer - Keisha Russell's predecessor on theLA Times crime beat. InThe Concrete Blonde, it is established that Bremmer wrote a novel about a string of murders committed by a serial killer known as "The Dollmaker." Bremmer used this pattern as a cover to commit severalmurders of his own.
Earl Briggs – Haller's regular driver untilThe Gods of Guilt, when he is killed in a car crash.
Elizabeth Clayton – a drug addict who helps Bosch inTwo Kinds of Truth; in return he tries to help find the murderer of Elizabeth's daughter Daisy. Elizabeth commits suicide inDark Sacred Night.[34]
John Chastain – former LAPD Internal Affairs detective, killed during the events ofAngels Flight.
David Chu – Bosch's partner in RHD Special Homicide. Was with LAPD's Asian Gangs Unit (AGU) during the events of9 Dragons.
Teresa Corazon – Bosch's love interest inTheBlack Ice, appears later inCity of Bones andA Darkness More than Night; medical expert examiner.
Jerry "Jed" Edgar (aka J. Edgar) – Bosch's former partner in Hollywood Homicide squad; appears inTwo Kinds of Truth as a member of the Medical Board of California.
Ignacio "Iggy" Ferras – Bosch's former partner in the RHD Homicide Special Unit, killed during the events of9 Dragons.
Hayley Haller – Daughter of Mickey Haller and Maggie McPherson; Harry Bosch's niece.
Aaron Hayes – A lifeguard at the beach Ballard often surfs or sleeps at. He has a casual sexual relationship with Ballard.
Carmen Hinojos – LAPD psychologist; first appears inThe Last Coyote, Bosch later contacts her upon returning from Hong Kong to help Maddie cope with the events of9 Dragons.
Irvin S. Irving – former LAPD Deputy Chief and Bosch's chief nemesis in the department, later an L.A. city councilman.
John Iverson - Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Detective inTrunk Music, appears later inVoid Moon.
Thelma Kibble – Cassie Black's parole officer.
Howard Kurlen – detective in Van Nuys Division and frequent opponent of Haller's on the stand
Janis Langwiser – former prosecutor, now a criminal defense attorney.
Raul Levin – Mickey Haller's private investigator inThe Lincoln Lawyer. Killed during the events.
Roy Lindell (aka "Luke Goshen") – FBI agent who first appears inTrunk Music.
Buddy Lockridge – McCaleb's friend and business associate.
Lola – Ballard's dog, a rescue, appears in every book Ballard appears in.
Bella Lourdes – Bosch's partner at the San Fernando Police Department; appears inThe Wrong Side of Goodbye and assists Bosch and Ballard inDark Sacred Night.
Oscar Luzon – A colleague of Bosch's at the San Fernando Police Department; appears inTwo Kinds of Truth. InDark Sacred Night Luzon is discovered to have tipped off gangster friends about an investigation, and attempts to commit suicide while being detained, resulting in Bosch's dismissal from the department.
Maggie "McFierce" McPherson – A prosecutor in the Van Nuys Division, Haller's first ex-wife.
Robert Olivas – Lieutenant of RHD inThe Late Show who sexually harassed Ballard. Her complaint resulted in her transfer to the Late Show when no one backed her up. Has been promoted to Captain by the time ofThe Night Fire.
Lucius Porter – Hollywood Homicide Detective (The Black Echo andThe Black Ice).
Harvey "Ninety-Eight" Pounds – Bosch's ex-supervisor in Hollywood Homicide squad, murdered inThe Last Coyote.
Abel Pratt – LAPD Open-Unsolved Unit supervisor.
Kizmin "Kiz" Rider – Bosch's former partner in Hollywood Homicide squad and the RHD Open-Unsolved Unit; now an aide to the L.A. chief of police. When introduced, she was in asame-sex relationship with her commanding officer, Lt. Grace Billets.
Graciela Rivers-McCaleb. Terry McCaleb meets Graciela and her nephew Raymond at the beginning ofBlood Work. InA Darkness More Than Night Terry and Graciela are married and living on Catalina Island, and they have a young daughter and have adopted Raymond. InThe Narrows she moves back to the mainland with the children.
Keisha Russell –Los Angeles Times reporter, started on the Los Angeles crime beat, Now based in D.C., and occasionally provided information for Bosch. Jack McEvoy's ex-wife.
Larry Sakai – Coroner technician with the LAPD.
Francis "Frankie" Sheehan – Bosch's original partner in Robbery-Homicide Division.
Lorna Taylor – Mickey Haller's current secretary and second ex-wife.
Ed Thomas – Hollywood Homicide Detective (mentioned inThe Poet, appears later inThe Narrows).
Steven Vascik – A process server inAngels Flight, based on a real-life acquaintance of the author. Vascik is credited with photos of Hong Kong on the author's website (photo gallery 15–17).
Jaye Winston – Detective with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, works alongside both Bosch and McCaleb inBlood Work andA Darkness More Than Night.
Eleanor Wish – ex-FBI agent, ex-con and Bosch's ex-wife, mother of Bosch's daughter Maddie; moved to Hong Kong. Killed during the events of9 Dragons.
Dennis "Cisco" Wojciechowski – Mickey Haller's private investigator. Formerly associated with the Road Saints motorcycle gang who bestowed him with the nickname Cisco in reference toThe Cisco Kid. (Wojciechowski is named after Connelly's real-life investigator, who, like Bosch, is a Vietnam veteran.)
The Best American Mystery Stories 2003 (2003) – collected short stories.
Murder in Vegas (2005) – collected short stories.
The Blue Religion (2008) – collected short stories.
In the Shadow of the Master (2009) – collected short stories byEdgar Allan Poe, with observations by current mystery writers includingSue Grafton andStephen King.
"Two-Bagger", inMurderers' Row (2001) andThe Best American Mystery Stories 2002 (2002)
"Cahoots", inMeasures of Poison (2002)
"Christmas Even", inMurder...and All That Jazz (2004), partner: Jerry Edgar
"Cielo Azul", inDangerous Women (2005); backstory toA Darkness More than Night
"Angle of Investigation", inPlots with Guns (2005) andThe Penguin Book Of Crime Stories (2007) – continuation ofThe Closers; partner: Kiz Rider
"Mulholland Dive", inLos Angeles Noir (2007),Prisoner of Memory (2008),The Best American Mystery Stories (2008), andA Prisoner of Memory and 24 of the Year's Finest Crime and Mystery Stories (2008)
"Suicide Run", inHollywood and Crime (2007)
"One Dollar Jackpot", inDead Man's Hand (2007)
"Father's Day", inThe Blue Religion (2008), andThe Best American Mystery Stories (2009); partner: Ignacio Ferras
"Blue on Black", inHook, Line & Sinister (2010); with Rachel Walling
"Blood Washes Off", inThe Rich and the Dead (2011)
"Homicide Special", inThe Drop (2011); written exclusively for copies ofThe Drop sold inWaterstones stores
"A Fine Mist of Blood", inVengeance(2012)
"Switchblade" – an ebook companion toThe Gods of Guilt, published on 14 January 2014
"Red Eye", in "FaceOff" (2014), co-written withDennis Lehane; with Patrick Kenzie
"The Crooked Man", in "In the Company of Sherlock Holmes: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon" (Nov 2014)
"Nighthawks", in "In Sunlight or In Shadow: Stories Inspired by the Paintings of Edward Hopper" (Dec 2016)
"The Guardian", in "Tampa Bay Noir" (Aug 2020)
Mickey Haller series:
"The Perfect Triangle", inThe Dark End of the Street (2010)
"Burnt Matches", in "The Highway Kind: Tales of Fast Cars, Desperate Drives and Dark Roads" (Oct 2016)
Stand-alones:
"After Midnight", inMen from Boys (2003)
"The Safe Man", published anonymously inThe Secret Society Of Demolition Writers (2005)[41]
"The Third Panel", in "Alive In Shape And Color" (Dec 2017)
"Avalon", in "When a Stranger Comes to Town" (Apr 2021)
^Connelly, Michael (May 2006).Crime Beat. Little, Brown and Company. p. copyright.ISBN978-0-316-15377-5.Originally published asCrime Beat: Selected Journalism 1984—1992 in hardcover by Steven C. Vascik Publications, 2004
^Geherin, David (2022).The Crime World of Michael Connelly: A Study of His Works and Their Adaptations. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co. p. 186.ISBN9781476687018.
^Dubrow, Heather (Fall 2023). "'Still harping on daughters' : Maddie in Michael Connelly's Hieronymous Bosch series".Clues.41 (2):21–30.
