Connelly, Michael (1956-…), is a best-selling American author of detective fiction. Most of Connelly’s novels feature Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch, a detective for the Los Angeles Police Department. Connelly has been praised for his realistic descriptions of Los Angeles. Connelly’s novels are also known for their absorbing plots, vivid prose style, striking characters, and exploration of modern social issues.
Connelly introduced Harry Bosch in his first novel, The Black Echo (1992), which won the 1993 Edgar Allan Poe Award as the best first American crime novel of the year. The Edgar Allan Poe Awards are given by the Mystery Writers of America, an organization for mystery and crime authors. In The Poet (1996), Connelly introduced Jack McEvoy, a newspaper crime reporter, as the central character. The Narrows (2004) is a sequel with Bosch as the hero. Connelly introduced retired Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent Terry McCaleb in Blood Work (1997) and Los Angeles defense attorney Mickey Haller in The Lincoln Lawyer (2004). Connelly brought Haller and Bosch together in The Brass Verdict (2008) and The Reversal (2010). Connelly introduced Los Angeles Police Department detective Renée Ballard in The Late Show (2017).
Connelly was born on July 21, 1956, in Philadelphia. He graduated from the University of Florida in 1980 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Connelly worked for newspapers in Daytona Beach and Fort Lauderdale, primarily as a crime reporter, for several years. In the late 1980’s, he took a job as a crime reporter with the Los Angeles Times. Connelly left the Times after three years to become a full-time writer. His crime journalism was collected in Crime Beat: A Decade of Covering Cops and Killers (2004).
