A guide to reading Michael Connelly

Never read a Michael Connelly book and not sure where to start? Let me be your guide!

Michael Connelly has written 41 books so I absolutely get how you might feel a little intimidated about where to start. But honestly, I cannot tell you how much my first Connelly surprised and delighted me.

When I started working at Allen & Unwin, I was thrilled to work with a bestselling author like Michael, but I had never read any of his books! I know, I know. I’d sold him in bookstores and had friends who had raved to me about him, but I just didn’t think he was for me. I’m not a huge crime reader and didn’t just guys read these books?

Then I read Resurrection Walk and what a way to start. It’s a Mickey Haller book but pairing Mickey with one of Michael’s best-loved characters Harry Bosch meant I got the best of both worlds. Bosch’s investigative work coupled with Haller’s legal manoeuvring makes for great tension.

I didn’t expect to care so deeply for these characters! Apart from the action, the book explored what it meant for someone to be wrongfully convicted, how personal history affects people’s choices and how everyone battles internal conflicts. It wasn’t just a page-turner; it was a book I thought about long after I had finished it because I really cared about the characters.  

And if you like strong female leads, you need to get to know Renée Ballard. My own biases made me think that maybe Michael’s books were a bit too blokey for me. Wow, was I wrong. Meeting Renée Ballard in The Waiting was a revelation… she is a badass!

I was lucky enough to meet Michael last year and when I asked him how he wrote such kickass female characters he told me he was surrounded by incredibly strong women who wouldn’t be shy in telling him if he was getting it wrong. Love this for us and the bookish world.

I’m still making my way through Michael’s books but the ones I’ve read have been absolute 10 out of 10s. I don’t know how this man writes a book every year and delivers EVERY SINGLE TIME. I don’t even care how he does it, I’m just very glad I have a great backlist to discover and more books ahead.

Unlike a Netflix series with five seasons that you must start from the beginning, Michael’s books aren’t like that. My suggestion is to start with a character you like (I’ll help you decide below) and go from there. You can start with the latest book featuring that character or from the beginning if you want their development to come as a surprise. I’ve done both and they’re equally satisfying. And while things have changed since the ones set in the early 90s, those first novels set in LA are a real vibe!

Anyway, here’s a little breakdown into the characters to help you decide where to start…  

CHARACTER	WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT	WHERE TO START	YOU’LL LIKE THIS IF YOU LIKE…
Harry Bosch, a LAPD Detective (later retired and working as a private investigator). He’s a bit of a loner, cynical yet deeply compassionate.	Gritty police procedural. Morally charged. Themes include moral cost of integrity in a corrupt world and the legacy of trauma. Captures Los Angeles as a living, breathing character.	The Black Echo is the first Bosch book. Harry gets a call-out to investigate a body that’s been found in a drainage tunnel off Mulholland Drive in Hollywood. While it looks like a routine drug overdose, Bosch notices one new puncture wound amid the scars of old tracks that leaves him with questions. Just start at the beginning with Bosch!	Prime Suspect, True Detective or Bosch TV series.
Mickey Haller is Bosch’s half-brother but they couldn’t be more different. He is now a public interest lawyer after working as a slick, sharp defence attorney and gaining notoriety for his cases.	Legal thriller/courtroom drama. Fast-paced, witty and morally ambiguous. His cases twist through the legal system, exposing its cracks and contradictions. Mickey’s charm and cleverness will pull you in, but what keeps you hooked is his uneasy conscience.	Start with The Proving Ground if you want a storyline that is happening right now. Resurrection Walk is also a good place to start as it’s a turning point in Mickey’s life. The Lincoln Lawyer is the first book in the series if you want to start from the very beginning.	Better Call Saul, The Good Wife, Law & Order or The Lincoln Lawyer TV series.
Renée Ballard works the LAPD handling the city’s forgotten crimes. She’s a loner, brilliant and stubborn, fighting sexism, bureaucracy and burnout within the force.	Police procedural. Sharp and emotionally raw tone. Insight into women navigating hostile systems. Her cases are all issues faced today (sexual assault, corruption, homelessness, social media). Bosch mentors Ballard and their partnership bridges old-school and new-school policing.	The Late Show is the first Ballard book but if you want up-to-the-minute forensics you can start with The Waiting which also features Harry Bosch’s daughter.	Prime Suspect, Top of the Lake, Mindhunter, Mare of Easttown or Ballard TV series.
Jack McEvoy is a crime reporter for the Los Angeles Times. He’s an outsider with a journalist’s persistence, uncovering the truth even when it makes him a target.	Investigative thriller. Fast, paranoid and unnervingly plausible. McEvoy chases patterns others miss (serial killers, government cover-ups, digital crime). Explores the thin line between reporting and exploitation. McEvoy reports on Bosch’s cases. A civilian’s view of Connelly’s world (no badge, no gun, just words and curiosity).	The Poet is Jack’s first appearance and it’s worth starting there. He’s investigating his twin brother’s suicide when he uncovers a serial killer who targets police.	Spotlight, The Newsroom, Nightcrawler or The Hack.
Terry McCaleb is a former FBI profiler forced into early retirement by a heart condition. He specialises in tracking and psychologically analysing serial killers.	Psychological thriller. Reflective and suspenseful tone. Insight into the psychology of killers and the people who hunt them Bosch appears in McCaleb’s cases. Offers a quieter, more introspective side of Connelly’s universe (less gunfire, more moral gravity).	Start with Blood Work, the first book in the series. After his heart transplant, McCaleb reluctantly investigates the murder of the woman whose heart now beats in his chest. The trail leads to a serial killer who taunts him through elaborate patterns.	Mindhunter or The Silence of the Lambs.

 And there we have it! I hope this has helped you understand the Michael Connelly universe a little better! Pop one of his books onto your reading list... I promise you won’t regret it!

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The Proving Ground

by Michael Connelly

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Michael Connelly, the Lincoln Lawyer is back with a case against an AI company whose product may have been responsible for the murder of a young girl.

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