Crime Beat by Michael Connelly

 

This nonfiction anthology is a collection of various newspaper articles written by the novelist Michael Connelly during his time as a newspaper reporter.  Some are from his time in Florida while others are from the time he spent working in Los Angeles.  It is possible to see from these short pieces, the genesis of Connelly's most famous character, detective Bosch, and the attitudes and habits he brings to his work.  Connelly worked the crime beat in both places and has a wealth of stories to share.

The book is broken into three sections.  The first is The Cops, the second is The Killers and the last is The Cases.  In the cops section, my favorite piece was Crossing The Line which showcased the procedure of trying American criminals who fled to Mexico there and having them serve their time in Mexican prisons.  This was controversial as the same legal protections don't apply in other countries.  In The Killers section, I liked Killer On The Run which was about the serial killer Christopher Wilder who drove across the country, posing as a photographer and killing women.  I remember this case when it was in the news so it was interesting to see a piece about it.  In The Cases, I liked Death Of An Heiress about the murder of Judy Kanan, a businesswoman with so many enemies that the police had a multitude of suspects although they eventually charged her nephew.

This was an interesting book which allowed the reader to watch the development of Michael Connelly as a writer over the years.  The pieces are much drier than the fiction readers are used to as they are another category of writing all together.  Several of the pieces had a short conclusion where as an afterward the conclusion of the case was given, as newspaper articles rarely have that perspective as they are written during or immediately after the events.  This book is recommended for true crime readers and those interested in the development of Michael Connelly's career and skills as an author.