SJM_EXP_DEPT_Michael_Connelly_1120_Dept 11 / 13 / 20 10 : 55 AM Page 2 iction has a very short list of living titans . Stephen King and James Patterson come to mind . figure out how to get out of it . As do J.K . Rowling , Nora Roberts and Danielle With Mickey , he can’t be in any Steel . One can easily argue that Michael Connelly more of a tight spot . In the first chapter , he’s arrested for F has earned his place in this very select club . murder . He feels he can’t Connelly , 64 , has penned more than 30 novels , including several New York depend on anyone else as much as himself , so he elects Times bestsellers , which have sold in excess of 74 million copies worldwide . to defend himself . He’s also His characters have evolved to live beyond the pages of his books . His long - dealing with the obstacle of being held in jail ; his bail has running character Harry Bosch , an LAPD detective , is the basis of the Amazon been set vindictively high Studios series Bosch — Connelly serves as executive producer — and several because the judge doesn’t like him . The challenge for Mickey , of his novels have been adapted to the big screen . and for me , is that he’s stuck in a jail cell and having to defend against a murder charge . As a writer , you’re Bosch and another familiar protagonist , the always trying to find new challenges and obsta - “ LincolnLawyer ” Mickey Haller , star in Connelly’s les . With Mickey as a character , I like his inge - newest novel , The Law of Innocence , which c nuity and his relentless pursuit of the truth as drops this month . Just as loyal readers will no he goes about trying to beat the system . The doubt delight at the chance to read the continued other aspect of the story , and this goes back to exploits of characters they know so well , Connelly the [ book’s ] title , is that Mickey is smart enough admitsto feeling a keen fondness for the personas to know that the American justice system he imagined into being . delivers a verdict of guilty or not guilty ; it’s “ I’ve been writing Harry Bosch since the doesn’t declare that you’re innocent , so Mickey 1980s , and even though I’ve spent 30 - plus years has to win in the court of public opinion . He with this character , he’s still pretty fascinating has to find the true killer . That’s the law of to me , ” he says . “ I’ve always felt there’s more to innocence . say , partly because of the character , and partly because of the city he lives and works in , which remains ever - changing . Going back to him I’ve read that you had an interesting becomes a joy . I don’t always write about the personal experience in Florida that hooked same guy , but Harry Bosch is the your interest in crime drama . tree trunk , My mother was a voracious reader of [ detective ] and there a lot of branches that take me away novels , so books were always a part of my life , from him . ” but I didn’t grow up in this kind of world . The Connelly , who was raised in Wayne , Penn - experience you’re referring to happened when sylvania , moved to South Florida at age 12 . He I was 16 . I was a semi - witness to a crime , and now splits his time between Tampa and the that experience was impressive to me . I was hills of Los Angeles . During a nearly hour - long in my car , and I saw something , a car - jacking , interview , he spoke with us about topics ranging and from the safety of my car I trailed him from his new novel , to the event that sparked and saw him running into a bar . It was a biker his interest in crime fiction , to the “ scam ” his bar , and the cops went in — this was in ’ 72 — parents used to move the family from Philly to and took everyone out of the bar , and everyone the Sunshine State . had long hair and a beard . I spent the night in a police station in Fort Lauderdale , looking at bikers [ in a lineup ] . I met with a detective , a no - guff type of guy , but I couldn’t make this & detective happy . I couldn’t convince him that Q A “ No , you don’t have him . ” It didn’t end well . They let me go at dawn and never arrested anybody . The Law of Innocence brings together your After that I moved away from my mother’s characters Mickey Haller and Harry Bosch . softer crime novels to hard - boiled crime . Mickey finds himself in a tight spot and has Something clicked , in that I liked how those to fight his way out of it . What do you like stories tried to explain how we would react , most about the story ? either stepping up or stepping back , in difficult In every book , you give your character a mission situations . There’s a reassuring nature to it . or put them in a tight spot and have them SOUTH JERSEY MAGAZINE volume 17 issue 8 SouthJerseyMagazine.com | 45