Michael Connelly Books in Order

Michael Connelly is a New York Times bestselling crime fiction author and the creator of the Harry Bosch series, the Lincoln Lawyer novels, and the Renée Ballard series. His debut novel The Black Echo won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel, and he has since received the CWA Gold Dagger, the Anthony Award, and the Barry Award, among others.

This page lists all Michael Connelly books in order, including his complete series, standalone novels, and short stories, organized primarily by publication order. Crossover novels featuring multiple characters are noted in the relevant series listings.

Quick links to series reading orders:

• Harry Bosch Books in Order
• Lincoln Lawyer (Mickey Haller) Books in Order
• Renée Ballard Books in Order

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Harry Bosch Series (Books in Order)

The Harry Bosch series follows Los Angeles homicide detective Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch, later a cold case investigator and retired detective working as a volunteer, as he pursues justice with an obsessive, uncompromising moral code. Set against the social and institutional landscape of the LAPD, the series is known for its immersive Los Angeles settings, procedural depth, and ongoing tension between the system and the people. Bosch’s backstory as a Vietnam veteran and orphan is detailed through the series and is further expanded over time.

For the full Harry Bosch reading order, including short stories and crossover appearances, see Harry Bosch Books in Order.

Reading Order

1. The Black Echo, 1992
2. The Black Ice, 1993
3. The Concrete Blonde, 1994
4. The Last Coyote, 1995
5. Trunk Music, 1997
6. Angels Flight, 1999
7. A Darkness More Than Night, 2001
8. City Of Bones, 2002
9. Lost Light, 2003
10. The Narrows, 2004
11. The Closers, 2005
12. Echo Park, 2006
13. The Overlook, 2007
14. Nine Dragons, 2009
15. Suicide Run, 2011
16. The Drop, 2011
17. Angle Of Investigation, 2011
18. The Black Box, 2012
19. Switchblade, 2014
20. The Burning Room, 2014
21. The Crossing, 2015
22. The Wrong Side of Goodbye, 2016
23. Two Kinds of Truth, 2017
24. Dark Sacred Night, 2018
25. The Night Fire, 2019
26. The Dark Hours, 2021
27. Desert Star, 2022
28. The Waiting, 2024
29. The Hollow, 2026

Jack McEvoy Series (Books in Order)

The Jack McEvoy series follows Los Angeles crime reporter Jack McEvoy, who becomes personally entangled in the cases he covers, most notably his pursuit of serial killers who are operating in the shadows of American cities. The series has a harder-edged, journalistic tone compared to Michael Connelly’s detective procedurals, with McEvoy using press access and instinct rather than a badge to solve his cases.

Reading Order

1. The Poet, 1996
2. The Scarecrow, 2009
3. Fair Warning, 2020

Terry McCaleb Series (Books in Order)

The Terry McCaleb series follows former FBI serial crimes profiler Terry McCaleb, who is forced into early retirement after a near-fatal heart attack and finds himself drawn back into dangerous investigations despite his fragile health. The series has a tight plot and is psychologically focused, with a protagonist whose frailty adds real tension. Blood Work was adapted into a 2002 film directed by and starring Clint Eastwood.

Reading Order

1. Blood Work, 1998
2. A Darkness More Than Night, 2000

Lincoln Lawyer Series (Books in Order)

The Lincoln Lawyer series follows Los Angeles defense attorney Mickey Haller, who runs his practice from the back seat of a Lincoln Town Car and navigates the moral complexities of defending clients he sometimes knows to be guilty. The series combines legal thriller tension with Michael Connelly’s typical Los Angeles atmosphere, and Mickey Haller’s relationship with Harry Bosch, especially since they are half-brothers, is present through both series.

For the full Lincoln Lawyer / Mickey Haller reading order, see Lincoln Lawyer (Mickey Haller) Books in Order.

Reading Order

1. The Lincoln Lawyer, 2004
2. The Brass Verdict, 2008
3. The Reversal, 2010
4. The Fifth Witness, 2011
5. The Gods Of Guilt, 2013
6. The Crossing, 2015
7. The Law of Innocence, 2020
8. Resurrection Walk, 2023
9. The Proving Ground, 2025

Renée Ballard Series (Books in Order)

The Renée Ballard series follows LAPD detective Renée Ballard, assigned to the largely thankless late-show shift at Hollywood Division, who takes on cases others have set aside and gradually partners with retired detective Harry Bosch on cold cases. The series is more recent and reflects a modern LAPD, with Renée Ballard emerging as one of the author’s most well-developed characters.

For a dedicated Renée Ballard reading order, see Renée Ballard Books in Order.

Reading Order

1. The Late Show, 2017
2. Dark Sacred Night, 2018
3. The Night Fire, 2019
4. The Dark Hours, 2021
5. Desert Star, 2022
6. The Waiting, 2024

Catalina Series (Books in Order)

The Catalina series, also called the Detective Stillwell series, follows Los Angeles County Sheriff’s detective Dominic Stilwell as he investigates violent crimes in the communities surrounding Los Angeles. It is a shorter series running alongside Michael Connelly’s main series, and it shares the same procedural methods and Southern California atmosphere. Book 2, Ironwood, is a direct crossover with the Renée Ballard series.

Reading Order

1. Nightshade, 2025
2. Ironwood, 2026

Standalone Novels

• Chasing the Dime, 2003
• Void Moon, 2004

Short Stories and Novellas

• Two Bagger, 2007
• The Safe Man, 2012
• Red Eye, 2014 (with Dennis Lehane)

Short Story Collections

• Mulholland Dive, 2012

Anthologies

• Murderers’ Row1, 2001
• The Best American Mystery Stories 2002, 2002
• Measures of Poison, 2002
• The Best American Mystery Stories 2003, 2003
• Men from Boys, 2003
• Murderer’s Row, 2003
• The Best American Mystery Stories 4, 2004
• Dangerous Women, 2004
• Murder and All That Jazz, 2004
• The Secret Society of Demolition Writers, 2005
• Murder in Vegas, 2005 (author edited)
• Hollywood and Crime, 2007
• Penguin Book of Crime Stories, 2007
• Los Angeles Noir, 2007
• Dead Man’s Hand, 2007
• A Prisoner of Memory, 2008
• The Blue Religion, 2008
• The Best American Mystery Stories 2008, 2008
• In the Shadow of the Master, 2008 (author edited)
• The Best American Mystery Stories 2009, 2009 (with Jeffery Deaverr)
• Between the Dark and the Daylight, 2009
• The Lineup, 2009
• Hook, Line & Sinister, 2010
• The Dark End of the Street, 2010 (with Jonathan Santlofer)
• The Rich and the Dead, 2011 with Nelson DeMille)
• Half-Minute Horrors, 2011
• Mystery Writers of America Presents Vengeance, 2012 (with Lee Child)
• The Interrogator And Other Criminally Good Fiction, 2012
• The Best American Mystery Stories: Volume 16, 2013 (with Robert Crais)
• USA Noir, 2013
• FaceOff, 2014 (with David Baldacci)
• In the Company of Sherlock Holmes, 2014
• The Best American Mystery Stories 2015, 2015 (with James Patterson and Otto Penzler)
• In Sunlight or In Shadow, 2016
• The Highway Kind, 2016
• Last Resort, 2017
• Alive in Shape and Color, 2017
• The Best American Mystery Stories 2017, 2017
• The Best American Mystery Stories 2018, 2018
• Tampa Bay Noir, 2020
• When a Stranger Comes to Town, 2021
• The Best Mystery Stories of the Year 2022, 2022

Non-Fiction Books

• Crime Beat, 2006
• Hieronymus Bosch: A Mysterious Profile, 2022

Michael Connelly Biography

Michael Connelly is an American crime writer who is best known for the Harry Bosch and Lincoln Lawyer series. Since the publication of his first novel, The Black Echo, in 1992, he has written more than 35 novels featuring LAPD detectives, journalists, defense lawyers, and other characters.
Official website: michaelconnelly.com

Born in 1956 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Michael Connelly grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and he studied at the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he started out in construction before switching to journalism, with a minor in creative writing.

After graduating in 1980, he worked as a crime reporter for several newspapers, including the Daytona Beach News-Journal, the Fort Lauderdale News and Sun-Sentinel, and later the Los Angeles Times.

It was a major turning point in his career when, in 1985, he helped cover the aftermath of the Delta Flight 191 crash and interviewed survivors. This investigative work brought him a much wider attention and helped establish him as a journalist. In 1987, he moved to Los Angeles with his family and joined the Los Angeles Times as a crime reporter.

That journalism background led directly to his fiction writing career. His debut novel, The Black Echo, introduced Harry Bosch, and over the years he built out that world with characters such as Jack McEvoy, Terry McCaleb, Mickey Haller, and Renée Ballard.

Michael Connelly lives in California and continues to write full-time.

Michael Connelly Book Adaptations

• Blood Work – adapted into the feature film Blood Work (2002)
• The Lincoln Lawyer – adapted into the feature film The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)
• The Harry Bosch series – adapted into the television series Bosch (2014-2021) and the spin-off television series Bosch: Legacy (2022–2025)
• The Lincoln Lawyer series – adapted into the Netflix TV series The Lincoln Lawyer (2022-present)
• Avalon – adapted into the unaired television series Avalon
• The Renée Ballard series – adapted into the television series Ballard (2025-present)

Michael Connelly Awards and Honors

Michael Connelly has received numerous major crime-fiction awards and honors throughout his career. Below is a selection of his most notable ones, followed by full lists of awards and nominations.

Major Awards and Honors

• The Black Echo – Edgar Award for Best First Novel (1993)
• The Lincoln Lawyer – Macavity Award for Best Novel (2006)
• The Lincoln Lawyer – Shamus Award for Best PI Novel (2006)
• Desert Star – Barry Award for Best Novel (2023)
• The Waiting – Barry Award for Best Novel (2025)
• Michael Connelly – CWA Diamond Dagger (2018)
• Michael Connelly – Edgar Award Grand Master (2023)

Awards (Full List)

Nominations and Shortlists

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