Revered for his riveting crime fiction, American author Michael Connelly has crafted an illustrious career spanning more than three decades. With 38 novels to his name, his work has sold over 74 million copies worldwide, earning critical acclaim and a devoted global following.
Born in Philadelphia in 1956, Connelly attended journalism school and spent a stint as a crime beat reporter before turning his hand to fiction, a formative experience that would imbue his writing with meticulous authenticity and attention to detail. His Edgar Award-winning debut, The Black Echo, introduced the iconic character Harry Bosch, a hard-boiled detective who navigates the gritty streets of Los Angeles and would become the linchpin of Connelly’s oeuvre.
In addition to his many Harry Bosch mysteries, Connelly received widespread recognition for the Lincoln Lawyer series, which was adapted into a film starring Matthew McConaughey and a Netflix series. He served as executive producer on the seven-season Amazon show Bosch, and recently revisited his journalist roots with the true crime podcast, Murder Book.
Sharing five of his all-time favorite crime fiction books with Novel Suspects, Connelly recommended two Raymond Chandler tales alongside Harper Lee’s gripping great American novel and Thomas Harris’ terrifying introduction to legendary literary villain Hannibal Lecter. Explore his reading list below, and complement with the bookshelves of David Baldacci, Ian Rankin, James Patterson, John Grisham and Lee Child.
Michael Connelly’s Reading List
The Little Sister by Raymond Chandler
“I have to go with this as my top choice because this was the book that really inspired me to want to be a writer of crime fiction. It perfectly integrates character and city. Marlowe is Los Angeles and Los Angeles in Marlowe. Chapter 11 is a classic piece of prose in which Chandler uses the crime novel to say what he feels about the city and society. It’s perfect.” -MC
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (also rec’d by Bob Odenkirk, Emily Ratajkowski, John Cusack, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kathy Bates, Margot Robbie, Neil Patrick Harris, Nicholas Sparks & Shonda Rhimes)
“I know what you’re thinking, that this is on the wrong list. This is the great American novel, not a mystery or a thriller. But I beg to differ. To me it is mystery with a message, perhaps the best legal thriller ever. It, of course, is a study in courage and social reflection on race and justice, but it also pushed me to the edge of my seat when I read it the first time about 50 years ago, and every time since.” -MC
The Black Marble by Joseph Wambaugh
“This book to me is the classic police novel. It has a through story about a crime and investigation but it is so layered and so full of what it means to take on the job of law enforcement. I think it could only have been written by an author who had spent time on the police beat.” -MC
The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler (also rec’d by Bong Joon-Ho & Haruki Murakami)
“I have to go back to Chandler again because he’s the master. I almost put a Ross Macdonald book here but at the last minute went this Chandler. This is probably his most accomplished novel. I read it after seeing the movie. Loved both and soon I was on the road to writing about L.A.” -MC
Red Dragon by Thomas Harris (also rec’d by Kirk Hammett)
“I think this is possibly the most influential crime novel in the last 40 years. It is totally absorbing and thrilling and it brought all the advancements of technology, psychology and law enforcement into play in a masterfully constructed story. All of that and throw in one of the greatest literary villains and a damn good hero and you have one of the best books of any kind.” -MC
(via Novel Suspects)
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