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Week of May 18, 2005 | Michael Connelly Michael Connelly's latest Harry Bosch novel, THE CLOSERS, will be released this week. It was a pleasure for me to interview Michael because of my long fascination with the mystery fiction genre. I was
twenty-eight years old when I discovered the world of mystery fiction.
Richard Kitchen, a
good friend of mine, was my first mentor. The year was 1985. Richard
introduced me to the work
of Elmore Leonard, Lawrence Block, Ross Thomas, James Crumley,
Jonathan Valin, John D.
MacDonald, and many others. I soon discovered the masters; Ross
Macdonald, Raymond Chandler,
and Dashiel Hammett. I fell in love with the work of Ross Macdonald
(Kenneth Millar). I became
fascinated with the world Lew Archer, Macdonald's protagonist,
created. These three masters
all set their stories in California, providing them an ever-changing
landscape that reflected the
best and worst society had to offer. Twenty
years have passed, and my love of the mystery novel has grown and
deepened. The genre
has achieved a credibility it previously lacked. Best seller lists are
filled with crime novels
of all types; legal thrillers, serial-killer novels, police
procedurals, and many novels involving
cats. Michael Connelly burst onto the mystery scene in 1992 with the publication of THE BLACK ECHO. His protagonist, Harry Bosch, is a member of the LAPD. Michael Connelly has now joined the list of the masters. Harry Bosch has become one of crime fiction's best developed characters, and he continues to get better with each book. Michael
Connelly is a young man. Raymond Chandler began his publishing
career late in his life. It will be interesting to see how far Michael
Connelly takes Harry Bosch, he is already in rarified air. Michael writes stand-alone books as well the Bosch series; novels like THE POET. One reason he does this is to give Bosch a break between books. John D. MacDonald, the author of the Travis McGee series, did the same thing. He alternated McGee novels with other novels he wrote to keep the character and the stories fresh. MacDonald and McGee told us of the world of Florida, long before the state was overrun with mystery writers. Connelly and Bosch are explaining the world of Los Angeles to us. It is a fascinating world, a world that Connelly captures with a photographer's detail. It is a privilege
to watch a modern master at work. Too often we read an author's best
work after they've died. My
interview with Michael lasts forty-five minutes, and focuses on the
character of Harry Bosch. I hope you
enjoy it. Please tell your friends that read Michael Connelly about
it, it is a rare glimpse into the creation of the series and the
changes Michael has made as the series has matured.
It was great fun for me to ask questions that have been in my head
since 1992. Listen to the interview, then go buy a copy of THE CLOSERS, you won't be sorry. Listen to Kacey's latest interview with Michael Connelly
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