A journalistic peer and fellow lover of mysteries took me to task when I posted a rave on Facebook about the TV series “Bosch” for not having read its source: Michael Connelly’s novels about Los Angeles police detective Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch. I thank him for swatting me upside the head with a nerf bat. Or maybe it was a Zen master’s brickbat … No matter. It was the urgent revelation I needed.
My reading can be like a winding path through verdant woodlands during which, at times, I come across a loamy glade and comfortably linger with the works of a single author as my main focus for a while. With Connelly, it’s really the first time I’ve dived into a substantive mystery series from book one. (I’m not counting a partial trip through Sue Grafton’s lightweight but fun alphabetical series that petered out about halfway through.)
As I write this, I just finished the eighth of Connelly’s Bosch books. Also read the first two of his Lincoln Lawyer books about defense lawyer Mickey Haller.
Connelly joins the pantheon of mystery writers whose work is redolent with the pungent sense of place that is the often-devilish City of Angels. He channels Raymond Chandler’s literacy, Joseph Wambaugh’s police-procedural realism and Joseph Ellroy’s dark and strange urban back alleys. And brings his own gifts to the muse’s mix such as a journalistic attention to detail and a keen authorial voice plus a god-like magic for breathing full life into his characters.
Literarily, he has proven himself a master of the form that largely germinated in pulp magazines. The detective novel has since blossomed over the years into a major book publishing genre and, at its finest, a place of superb writing and storytelling. Publisher’s Weekly says Connelly “comes as close as anyone to being today’s Dostoyevsky of crime literature” amidst the reams of deserved praise as well as millions of books sold.
He’s a former crime reporter for the Los Angeles Times, and his stories unfold like long-form investigative journalism. Bosch is relentless in his pursuit of truth wherever it may take him, be it the depraved criminal underworld, the lofty realms of LA’s wealthiest, or the top offices of the LAPD. The author’s gift for complex plots with stunning twists and surprises keeps the reader engaged if not addicted to his stories.
“Bosch” the television character and series and its “Bosch Legacy” sequel draw from yet are different from the fiction. I compare it in a way to the James Ellroy book and movie of “L.A. Confidential,” which differ yet still deliver the parable through differing stories, albeit with shared elements and character. The TV Bosch, Titus Welliver, has etched himself so skillfully into the the character that I see him in the books even though Connelly – who is an executive producer of the shows – describes him differently. The show also amplifies Bosch’s love of bebop jazz, a touch I enjoy.
Connelly’s “Lincoln Lawyer” series has also been transformed to film and TV. First in an enjoyable 2011 movie starring Matthew McConaughey, then even more so as a series screening for two seasons on Netflix, with a third season on the way about attorney Mickey Haller.
The author also has a series following LAPD detective Renée Ballard, which further amplifies his gift for writing rich female characters. Bosch shows up in both the Ballard and Haller books, adding more interest for Connelly fans, which includes me and my hope to read all his books.
It all adds up to Connelly being not just the mystery man of the moment but a multimedia juggernaut who offers mystery buffs as well as readers in general. Crack open the covers and dive in! Literary splendors await.
Book: “Charlie’s Good Tonight” by Paul Sexton – Modesty, generosity and an appreciation for such fine things as Saville Row men’s fashions, Arabian horses and classic cars mark the life of Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, whose lifestyle and personal manner were far removed from the rebellious decadence that was his band’s trademark. A superb bio of the jazz fanatic whose rock’n’roll backbeat set the standard for the genre’s rhythms.
Book: “Face It” by Debbie Harry: The lead singer of the post-punk pop band Blondie traces the arc of her life at the cutting edge of bohemian outsider culture with eloquence, honesty, wise self understanding and irresistible charm.
Rob Patterson is a music and entertainment writer in Austin, Texas. Email robpatterson054@gmail.com.
From The Progressive Populist, February 15, 2025
Blog | Current Issue | Back Issues | Essays | Links
About the Progressive Populist | How to Subscribe | How to Contact Us