Michael Connelly

A Q & A with Michael Connelly about The Drop

Question : In The Drop, Harry Bosch is actively working two different cases, which you’ve said is an accurate representation of real detective work. How challenging was that to write and keep track of?

Michael Connelly: Since Harry Bosch is in a cold case squad and so many of the cases involve DNA matching, I held the image of the double helix of a DNA strand in my mind and viewed it as two different stories twisting around each other but not connecting. I think the biggest challenge was making sure one story line didn’t end too much in front of the other. I had a lot of help from my editors on that.

Q: The word “Drop” has multiple meanings in this book. Can you explain the various meanings?

MC: I like titles that mean various things at various times. The Drop comes from both story tracks and Harry Bosch as well. One track is about a cold case that takes off when DNA from a drop of blood found on a victim 22 years ago is connected to a sexual predator. In the other track a man has dropped from the top floor of the Chateau Marmont hotel and Harry has to find out if he was pushed or he slipped or he jumped. Lastly, a lot of the book centers on Harry’s future as a police detective. He is on something called the DROP, which stands for Deferred Retirement Option Plan, and he is seeking an extension so he can keep doing what he considers his mission in life — catching killers.

Q: You do a lot of research for your novels and talk extensively with real LAPD detectives. Were there any real crime cases that influenced the story in The Drop?

MC: There were tangential influences. While I was researching and writing this book the LAPD captured an alleged serial killer called the Grim Sleeper. They found hundreds of photos of women in his possession and the task was to try to identify these women and find out what happened to them. The case is mentioned in the book and something along similar lines occurs as well. Additionally, one of the two tracks of the book was initially suggested to me by a police officer familiar with my books. It wasn’t based on a real case, just his suggestion.

Q: Earlier this year you published a Lincoln Lawyer novel, The Fifth Witness. Is it difficult to move between your two lead characters, Harry Bosch and Mickey Haller?

MC: It just takes a deep cleansing breath and an about face. I like both characters a lot and they are different in that they have different goals when they work a case. I think I have a pretty good understanding of both so it is not too difficult to drop into a story featuring either one or both.

Q: The Drop is the 17^th book to feature Harry Bosch. Did you ever imagine you’d still be writing about him as a 60 year-old detective?

MC: No, I didn’t imagine this for a minute. It is hard to believe. Anyone who loves crime fiction and thinks about writing it has to consider a series because series fiction is inescapable in the genre. So no doubt when I was writing the first Harry Bosch book 20 years ago, I was hoping that it wouldn’t be the only Harry Bosch book. But never in my wildest imagination – and it is pretty wild – did I think he would have this sort of literary life. I really treasure it. It has been a wonderful opportunity to write a man and a city evolving over a significant slice of time. I am of course hoping to keep it going and that is why in The Drop there is a subplot about Harry extending his stay in the LAPD and carrying his mission further. He questions whether he still has his edge and what it takes to carry the badge and the gun, but ultimately he proves what I hope every book and the whole series proves; that Harry is relentless. The bottom line is, 40 years old or 60 years old, I wouldn’t want Harry Bosch coming after me.

Use these questions to help start a conversation about the book. SPOILER WARNING! These questions cover the entire book. Don’t read this unless you have read the book.

SPOILERS! SPOILERS!

“From time to time you must have thought about where the darkness in people comes from.”
In The Drop, Hannah Stone asks Harry  Bosch where he thinks evil comes from and he says he doesn’t know. It’s the age old “nature versus nurture” question. Do you think Chilton Hardy turned Clayton Pell into a predator? Or was there something born in Pell that emerged under the right circumstances?

“Bosch got the idea that her decision to change her professional life and work with the most hated members of society was some sort of penance but he didn’t know her well enough to go further with his suspicion.”
There are many examples of the role of a parent in The Drop. We see the two examples of Harry and Maddie Bosch and Irvin and George Irving, where the children seem to be following in the parent’s footsteps.  We also read about Hannah Stone and her dismay over her son, a convicted rapist. It is asked in the book: are parents responsible for the sins of their children? What do you think?

“He knew it was home and that he would get to stay — for now.”
Harry’s retirement is looming. He has been given a definitive date of when he must leave the LAPD. At that point, he will be in his mid 60s. What do you hope happens in his last years on the force? And after that?

“She had told him a year earlier that she wanted to be a cop when she grew up.”
Harry seems proud and excited to be passing his knowledge on to his daughter, Maddie. He believes he is raising a warrior. But Harry does not want his daughter to make the same mistakes he made, letting her past haunt her. If Maddie becomes a cop, will it be a mistake for her? Do you hope to read about her as a cop in the future?

“You’re going to be famous, Bosch. You caught the goddamn record holder.”
Many serial killers become the subject of much attention and notoriety and become infamous.  Why are so many people in our society fascinated by them?

“He had acted to save the monster and now his thoughts were clouded with regret.”
Harry felt guilty over stopping Pell in the end. Was he wrong to stop him? Would killing Hardy have given Pell his redemption?

“It’s starting. With Irving.”
Do you have any predictions of what will happen next with Harry and Irvin Irving? Or with Harry and Kizmin Rider?

 

The Drop audiobook by Hachette Audio is read by narrator Len Cariou. It is available in CD and in downloadable formats.

“THE DROP is one of those Harry Bosch books that starts with a bang and stays strong all the way through.”
– Janet Maslin, New York Times

“Mr. Connelly is superb at building suspense through the accretion of detail.”
– Tom Nolan, Wall Street Journal

“In “The Drop,’’ Connelly displays a sure-footed, suspense-fueled, noir novel that will keep readers turning pages into the darkest hours.”
– Chuck Leddy, Boston Globe

“All of Connelly’s considerable strengths are on display: the keen eye for detail and police procedure, lots of local L.A. color, clever plotting, and—most important—the vibrant presence of Harry Bosch.”
– Publishers Weekly * starred review 

“Readers love to root for the antiestablishment, bureaucrat-hating Bosch—there’s some high jingo in every office, after all—but where Connelly really excels is at giving us both sides of the equation. Does Harry’s complete unwillingness to bend cause more harm than it saves? Connelly makes us think about that, even though we’d much rather celebrate Harry’s never-give-an-inch approach to life. Crime fiction with a dose of the ambiguity-sodden real world.”
– Booklist * starred review

“Connelly tightly twists the two cases with conflicting power grabs, plausible procedural barriers, and unexpected snafus to support his credible plot. Furthering his noble cause to root out evil, Bosch exhibits an unshakable and highly respected integrity that will not be swayed from the truth. If Connelly’s engaging plot doesn’t hit you between the eyes, Bosch’s insights and integrity will. Mystery fans as well as general readers will appreciate this engrossing novel.”
– Library Journal

“Most other LAPD officers are eagerly counting the days until retirement; Harry Bosch views that landmark date as if it were the end of the world. More greedy than ever for cases, he’s pleased when he gets two in a single morning. One involves a DNA cold case that threatens to undermine all recent convictions aided by the Regional Crime Laboratory. The other, just as ominous, is a homicide that seems inextricably entangled in internal politics. As usual, Harry is in the midst of the trouble and at the top of the fray. Well-written; strong, memorable characters; a solid entry in a resilient series.”
– Barnes & Noble Editorial Review

“He’s the master of the American crime thriller, and this positively pulses with electri­fying and relentless tension.”
– Peterborough Evening Telegraph  (UK)

“The Drop is Bosch at his complex best, and if anything Connelly weaves a web so tight that the series of revelations at novels end function like a stone skipping across water—and leave enough uncertainty about Harry’s future to make his own drop, or Drop, ambiguous. It’s Connelly at his best, and there aren’t many better.”
– Michael Carlson, Irresistible Targets (UK)

“The Drop – a title that resonates in several ways through the 300+ page thriller – is one of Connelly’s best Bosch novels to date, perfectly-paced, intense and compelling. Travelling to the US last month, I read the whole book in one sitting – and that’s the highest praise one can give ANY book. Though it will probably pay-off better to long-term fans of the Bosch novels, it’s an excellent read regardless.”
– John Mosby, ImpactOnline.co (UK)

“Michael Connelly is the undisputed master of police procedural thrillers and this latest episode in the colourful life of Harry Bosch is quite literally unputdownable.”
– Independent (Ireland)

“Connelly gives yet another virtuoso performance in how to write crime novels (this is his 24^th and one of his most skillful yet).”
– Daily Mail (UK)

“the author’s sure-footed and psychologically incisive writing provides yet another solid, satisfying example of suspenseful and agile storytelling, delivered with his trademark tight style and craftsmanship.”
– Mystery Scene Magazine

“A lesser novelist would have manipulated the cases to connect with each other. Connelly’s more subtle strategy is to allow each case to get to Harry in ways that further define his character. ”
– Nancy Gilson, The Columbus Dispatch

“Bosch is one of the best detectives in crime fiction, and Connelly continues to amaze with his latest effort.”
– Jeff Ayers, Associated Press

“Connelly continues to show why he is one of the best living crime writers in “The Drop.” ”
– Oline H. Cogdill, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

“Master crime writer Connelly gives his favorite detective two cases to solve–and doubles the suspense.”
 – People magazine  4 **** review

“The Top 10 Things We Love This Week” Must List lists The Drop
–  Entertainment Weekly magazine 

“Connelly’s aging hero is a flawed, haunted, and unforgettable character; his creator is a master craftsman.”
– Neal Thompson, Amazon.com Editorial Review, Amazon Best Books Of The Month December 2011

“Bosch and his creator, Michael Connelly, are both at their best in The Drop”
– Robert Fulford, National Post

“one of Michael Connelly’s best adventures yet. The Drop cements Bosch’s place in the detective hall of fame.”
– JC Patterson,  Rankin Ledger

“this is one of the best books in what is really a classic American crime series.”
– Robin Agnew, AnnArbor.com

“The Drop is another winner from Connelly, one of the best crime story writers on the scene today. Each new novel refines his talent and makes its story one to be remembered. So get ready to celebrate. Connelly has a new book and Harry is back. Hallelujah!”
– Jackie K. Cooper, Huffington Post

Watch the :30 spot for The Drop.

Watch Michael Connelly introduce his new novel, The Drop, and answer questions that fans posted on Facebook.

Use these reading guide questions to help start a conversation about The Reversal. SPOILER WARNING! These questions cover the entire book. Don’t read them unless you have read the book.

“Mickey Haller, for the people,” he said. “Has a nice ring to it.”
1. Do you think Mickey enjoyed his first experience as a prosecutor? Could you see him dealing with a boss and surviving in the bureaucracy of the DA’s office on a regular basis? What did you think were his motives for taking on this case?

“I think if I can make my daughter happy then I’ll be happy. But I’m not sure when that will be.”
2. Harry Bosch said his daughter, Maddie Bosch, was in therapy dealing with her mother’s death and he thought it was helping her.  Harry seemed to be focusing on his daughter’s well-being, and putting his own needs aside, for the time being.  Will that work or do you think he needs help, too? Why do you think Harry mentioned Eleanor Wish’s death to Rachel Walling, his ex-girlfriend?

One of the very best things about having previously been married to Maggie McPherson was that I never had to face her in court.
3. How do you think Maggie and Mickey did working together for the first time? Do you think working together helped or damaged a possible reconciliation between them?

He had his daughter fully in his life now, but at a terrible cost.
4. How has being a full-time father changed Harry Bosch’s life and changed his ability to do his job?  Both Harry and Maddie lost their mother’s at a young age and under violent circumstances.  Do you see other parallels in their lives or similarities in their personalities?

My petty jealousy had slipped out for one small moment.
5. Mickey seemed slightly jealous of the time Maggie was spending with Harry. Was that a reflection of his continued romantic interest in Maggie or was it some kind of sibling rivalry with Harry?

Our daughters were shy upon meeting and embarrassed by how obvious their parents were about watching the long-awaited moment.
6. Harry Bosch has gone from being alone in the world to being a full-time father, having a brother, a niece, and an ex-sister-in-law.  Work and danger forced the Haller and Bosch families together in The Reversal. Do you think this a permanent shift in Harry’s life or will he return to his loner lifestyle?  Should Harry get closer to Mickey’s family for Maddie’s sake?

“Jessup would’ve walked.”
7. Is there any doubt in your mind, like there was for one juror, that Jason Jessup was guilty of killing Melissa Landy?

After that, I lost him on the curving road ahead.
8. Do you believe Jessup killed those other missing girls? Is Harry on to something?

Salters took her seat and the question I wanted to avoid for the rest of my life remained unasked — at least by the media.
9. Should Mickey Haller and Harry Bosch feel any guilt or bear any responsibility for everything that happened with Jessup?

“I know,” Haller said. “You’re thinking, ‘What the hell is this?’”
10. Did you like the combination of legal thriller and police procedural? Did you prefer the police investigation or the courtroom scenes? The Mickey Haller chapters were written in first person, giving you insight into Mickey’s thoughts and motivations. The Harry Bosch chapters were written in third person making Harry more of an enigma. Which do you prefer — 1st or 3rd person narrative? Did you like the alternating chapters and different view points from these two characters?