Reading Order
Michael Connellyseries.seoTitleShort
Start with The Black Ice and continue through all 40 books in the listed reading order.
About This Series
The Michael Connelly series is a collection of gripping crime fiction novels penned by the acclaimed author Michael Connelly. Known for his intricate plots and compelling characters, Connelly's work primarily revolves around the gritty world of crime and justice. His books often feature the iconic detective Harry Bosch, who navigates the dark underbelly of Los Angeles, bringing a sense of realism and intensity to the genre.
This series is worth diving into for its masterful storytelling and the way it delves into themes of morality, justice, and the human condition. Connelly's ability to weave complex narratives with rich character development makes his books a must-read for fans of crime fiction and mystery. The series is particularly appealing to readers who appreciate a blend of suspense, drama, and intricate detective work.
For those looking to start the series, it's recommended to begin with "The Black Ice," the first book, to fully appreciate the character development and overarching storylines. While each book can stand alone, reading in order enhances the experience, as you witness the evolution of characters and recurring themes.
Although no thought leaders have recommended this series on GurusReads yet, it remains a favorite among crime fiction enthusiasts and those who enjoy a deep dive into the complexities of law enforcement and justice. If you're a reader who loves unraveling mysteries and exploring the darker aspects of human nature, the Michael Connelly series is a perfect fit.
Start Here
Start with The Black Ice
Book 1 by Michael Connelly • Published 1993
A narcotics officer is found dead in a motel room beside a note and rumors of a new drug called Black Ice, and Bosch ignores orders to follow the trail into Mexican border towns, dirty cops, and cartel violence.
Complete List
Michael Connelly reading order
Ends with Trunk Music
- 1
Book 1:The Black Ice
Michael Connelly • 1993
A narcotics officer is found dead in a motel room beside a note and rumors of a new drug called Black Ice, and Bosch ignores orders to follow the trail into Mexican border towns, dirty cops, and cartel violence.
- 2
Book 2:Angels Flight
Michael Connelly • 1999
When civil rights lawyer Howard Elias is gunned down on the Angels Flight funicular, almost every cop in Los Angeles is a potential suspect, and Bosch is ordered to solve the case before the city’s fraught racial tens...
- 3
Book 3:A Darkness More Than Night
Michael Connelly • 2001
Retired FBI profiler Terry McCaleb is asked to read a baffling murder file and finds a pattern that seems to implicate Harry Bosch, even as Bosch testifies in a Hollywood murder trial, pulling both men into one terrif...
- 4
Book 4:City of Bones
Michael Connelly • 2002
A dog uncovers a human bone in Laurel Canyon, leading Bosch to a shallow grave and the decades old murder of a boy, a case that forces him to confront institutional indifference and speak for a victim who never had a...
- 5
Book 5:Lost Light
Michael Connelly • 2003
Newly retired and working as a private investigator, Bosch reopens the unsolved killing of a young production assistant on a movie set, clashing with post-9/11 federal priorities while the case reconnects him with his...
- 6
Book 6:The Closers
Michael Connelly • 2005
Back on the LAPD in the Open-Unsolved Unit, Bosch and his former partner Kiz Rider use new DNA evidence to revive the 1988 murder of a mixed race teenager, a politically charged case watched closely by old enemies ins...
- 7
Book 7:Echo Park
Michael Connelly • 2006
Thirteen years after a young woman vanishes from a Hollywood parking lot, a serial killer offers to confess to her murder, forcing Bosch to relive the failed investigation and decide how much of the blame he and his o...
- 8
Book 8:The Overlook
Michael Connelly • 2007
Bosch catches the late night murder of a doctor who had access to radioactive cesium, then finds himself pushed aside by federal agents who fear a dirty bomb plot, so he works the case his own way before the city face...
- 9
Book 9:Nine Dragons
Michael Connelly • 2009
After a convenience store owner Bosch knows is shot dead in South Los Angeles, the trail points to a Hong Kong triad, and then his daughter Maddie is kidnapped overseas, forcing him into a frantic rescue mission far f...
- 10
Book 10:The Scarecrow
Michael Connelly • 2009
Facing a layoff from the Los Angeles Times, McEvoy decides to go out with one last big story and reexamines a teen’s murder confession, only to stumble onto a technologically savvy killer who uses a data center job to...
- 11
Book 11:The Drop
Michael Connelly • 2011
Given only a few years before forced retirement, Bosch juggles a cold case revived by a troubling DNA hit and the suspicious fall of a councilman’s son from a hotel balcony, exposing both a long running predator and u...
- 12
Book 12:The Fifth Witness
Michael Connelly • 2011
In the middle of the foreclosure crisis, Haller defends Lisa Trammel, an angry homeowner turned protester accused of killing a bank executive, and must pick apart organized crime ties, financial fraud, and his own cli...
- 13
Book 13:The Black Box
Michael Connelly • 2012
A shell casing from a recent crime links back to an unsolved killing during the 1992 Los Angeles riots, and Bosch reopens the murder of a foreign photojournalist, hunting for the one missing piece of evidence that wil...
- 14
Book 14:The Gods of Guilt
Michael Connelly • 2013
Haller takes on the case of a so called digital pimp charged with murdering Gloria Dayton, a sex worker he once thought he had helped save, and the trial forces him to reckon with the way his past choices might have p...
- 15
Book 15:Switchblade
Michael Connelly • 2014
An anonymous tip pushes Bosch toward a decades old stabbing of a teenage boy in an abandoned restaurant, where new DNA evidence points to a convicted killer and Bosch has only one chance to draw out a confession that...
- 16
Book 16:The Burning Room
Michael Connelly • 2014
Working cold cases with young detective Lucia Soto, Bosch investigates a man who dies from complications of a long ago shooting, only to uncover political secrets, botched police work, and a separate unsolved fire tha...
- 17
Book 17:The Crossing
Michael Connelly • 2015
Newly retired from the LAPD, Bosch reluctantly agrees to help his half brother, defense attorney Mickey Haller, investigate a client who swears he was framed for murder, sending Bosch across the aisle to probe corrupt...
- 18
Book 18:The Wrong Side of Goodbye
Michael Connelly • 2016
Splitting his time between volunteer work for a small police department and private investigations, Bosch is hired by a dying billionaire to find a possible heir while also tracking a serial rapist, two cases that tes...
- 19
Book 19:Two Kinds of Truth
Michael Connelly • 2017
Volunteering with a small city’s cold case unit, Bosch looks into the murder of a pharmacist caught in a prescription drug scheme even as a long imprisoned killer claims Harry framed him, forcing Bosch to defend both...
- 20
Book 20:Dark Sacred Night
Michael Connelly • 2018
Working the graveyard shift, Ballard catches Bosch rifling through case files about Daisy Clayton, a murdered runaway, and ends up partnering with the retired detective to chase the long cold killer while still handli...
- 21
Book 21:The Night Fire
Michael Connelly • 2019
After his old mentor dies, Bosch inherits a stolen murder book about a young man shot in an alley and asks Ballard to help him see what was missed, even as both detectives juggle an arson death and the killing of a pr...
- 22
Book 22:Fair Warning
Michael Connelly • 2020
Now working for a consumer watchdog site, McEvoy becomes a suspect when a woman he once dated is murdered, so he digs into the unregulated world of DNA testing companies and an incel serial killer called the Shrike, t...
- 23
Book 23:The Law of Innocence
Michael Connelly • 2020
Pulled over and arrested after a dead client is found in the trunk of his Lincoln, Haller must prepare his own murder defense from jail, relying on Bosch and his team to uncover who framed him and why before a jury be...
- 24
Book 24:The Dark Hours
Michael Connelly • 2021
On New Year’s Eve 2020, detective Renée Ballard catches a street party shooting that appears tied to one of Bosch’s old cases while also hunting a pair of serial rapists known as the Midnight Men, all against the back...
- 25
Book 25:Desert Star
Michael Connelly • 2022
Renée Ballard returns to the LAPD to rebuild its cold case unit and invites Bosch to pursue the family annihilation that has haunted him for years, while together they balance that obsession against other victims who...
- 26
Book 26:Resurrection Walk
Michael Connelly • 2023
After freeing a wrongfully convicted man, Mickey Haller starts sifting through letters from prisoners claiming innocence and asks Bosch to help, and together they focus on a woman imprisoned for killing her deputy ex...
- 27
Book 27:The Waiting
Michael Connelly • 2024
Ballard’s cold case squad gets a DNA lead tying a recent arrest to an old serial rapist dubbed the Pillowcase Rapist, while the theft of her badge and gun forces her to investigate under the radar and draw in both Bos...
- 28
Book 28:Nightshade
Michael Connelly • 2025
Exiled from the mainland homicide desk to Catalina Island, Detective Stilwell expects routine calls until a woman’s body is found wrapped and anchored at the bottom of the harbor, pushing him to defy orders and expose...
- 29
Book 29:Blood Work
Michael Connelly
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Book 30:Chasing the Dime
Michael Connelly
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Book 31:The Black Echo
Michael Connelly
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Book 32:The Brass Verdict
Michael Connelly
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Book 33:The Concrete Blonde
Michael Connelly
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Book 34:The Last Coyote
Michael Connelly
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Book 35:The Late Show
Michael Connelly
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Book 36:The Lincoln Lawyer
Michael Connelly
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Book 37:The Narrows
Michael Connelly
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Book 38:The Poet
Michael Connelly
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Book 39:The Reversal
Michael Connelly
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- 40
Book 40:Trunk Music
Michael Connelly
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Quick Answers
Michael Connelly FAQ
What is the best order to read the Michael Connelly series?
The recommended reading order is the numbered order shown on this page, starting with The Black Ice.
How many books are in the Michael Connelly series?
There are 40 books currently listed in the Michael Connelly series on GurusReads.
Where should I start with the Michael Connelly series?
New readers should start with The Black Ice, the first book in the reading order.
Is the Michael Connelly series complete?
Based on the publication years we have, the series appears possibly ongoing and spans releases from 1993 to 2025.