Michael Connelly speaks at the 2009 National Book Festival

Mystery and thriller author Michael Connelly appears at the National Book Festival.
After he read the books of Raymond Chandler, Michael Connelly decided to become a writer. After graduating in 1980, Connelly worked at newspapers in Daytona Beach and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., specializing in the crime beat. He eventually landed a job as a crime reporter for the Los Angeles Times, bringing him to the city that his literary hero, Chandler, had written of. After three years on the crime beat, Connelly began writing his first novel to feature LAPD Detective Hieronymus Bosch. The novel, "The Black Echo," based in part on a true crime that had occurred in Los Angeles, was published in 1992 and won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel by the Mystery Writers of America. Connelly has followed up with many more Bosch books and other novels. "The Overlook," Connelly's 18th novel, was originally serialized in The New York Times Magazine. His 20th novel, "The Scarecrow," was released in May 2009. He lives in Florida.