Positive Press

(… or, how I started reading Ballard, Bosch and Haller)

So I was up at my in-laws one time when my one mother-in-law (I have two) told me to look at the bags of in the guestroom where we always stayed. They had a few different rooms for visitors, but the one place where we stayed was the more conventional lodging.

Excited at the prospect of having some new books, her words ran through my mind, “You can take any of the books…” I reverently scoured the several fancy, colorful, handled bags around the room and landed on two titles.

I picked Baldacci’s The Last Mile first, an Amos Decker series title, and Michael Connelly’s The Crossing, number 28 in the Harry Bosch universe.

Later, when I loved the Baldacci, but didn’t get into the Bosch, I recalled my mother-in-law’s other words, “… but don’t throw them away if you don’t like them; donate them to the library or sell them.”

I recall donating The Crossing to the library.

Then, sometime later, my mom suggested Connelly’s book, The Last Coyote, about a cop investigating the death of his mom, who was murdered in his youth.

She didn’t have the book, so she gave me her copy of Bosch and Connelly’s maiden voyage, The Black Echo. I kept the book in the console of the old minivan I got to drive for a while between other cars, and a generous gift from my other set of in-laws.

When I was in the vehicle, waiting for something or someone, I’d open the console and read a few pages. After a while I was hooked. The book had a caper, a cool detective, humor and romance; and the story was great.

Since then, I’ve read fifteen of Connelly’s books, and there was only one I didn’t totally go for, Fair Warning; and that was mostly because it was too episodic for me (though my own writing often tends to be that way).

Michael Connelly is one of the best authors I’ve read, and that’s among at least 437 books read, according to my goodreads profile! Why? He knows how to put a book together, has three of the strongest characters in crime fiction, and his stories are totally compelling.

Given how much I enjoy his writing, I subscribed to his updates, and in about two weeks, I’m going to see him speak in Northern California. It’s an opportunity I’ve been waiting for, since he spoke here last year, at a more expensive locale.

I hope the visit goes well, and that I get to chat with him for a bit; and I hope to have him sign my copy of his new book, The Waiting, a Bosch and Ballard outing, due out tomorrow.

So that’s my story about Michael Connelly; I began reading him almost by accident, but have enjoyed every minute of the journey.