Michael Connelly on quitting work, his new book and how to create the perfect villain

You have been executive producer of both Bosch and Bosch: Legacy TV series for Amazon Prime, and The Lincoln Lawyer for Netflix. How is this different from writing novels?
As a novelist, I have the opportunity to go behind the eyes of my characters and know what they are thinking and how they are reacting to events. As we all know, sometimes we hide our thoughts. In scriptwriting you can’t go inside. It is all about what is said and what is done on screen. So I have always found that to be a handicap and the reason you don’t see my name on many scripts.

You’ve said on-set you feel like “deputy mayor of a little town” of people playing characters you created in your “Connellyverse”. Is this better than letting Hollywood studios do what they want with your books?
It is absolutely better to have control over your characters in Hollywood. I’ve had a couple of movies made from my books and I had little say about them creatively. But streaming TV is quite different. In this world, they actually want the original creator of the characters there to help and guide. I have zero contractual control of my work in Hollywood, but I have been lucky that in the shows based on my books, they want me there to help get it right.

Which Lincoln Lawyer/Micky Haller do you prefer? Manuel Garcia-Rulfo on Netflix or Matthew McConaughey in the movie?
I sometimes think I’m the luckiest writer in Hollywood. Both Matthew McConaughey and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo have turned in fantastic performances as Mickey Haller. They both have given charming and realistic performances. Manuel has this added sweetness about him that, I think, is unique, and that I love seeing in the character. There are many more hours of Manuel as Mickey and he has never dropped the ball. That plus the fact that he symbolises the diversity of Los Angeles make him the best Mickey Haller. I could not have asked for more with either of these fine actors.

Actor Titus Welliver plays Harry Bosch in the streaming series. Is he what you had in mind when you originally dreamt him up in The Black Echo, your first novel in 1992?
I wasn’t thinking of a Titus look to Bosch in the beginning years of writing the books but of course I do now. I think what’s behind the eyes is where you see the connection to the character in the books. Titus comes off as cynical but hopeful, kicked around a bit but undaunted, wounded but resilient. He may not look like the Bosch from the books on the outside, but inside they are twins.

You’ve made no secret of the fact you base your characters on real people. What do real-life detective Mitzi Roberts (the basis for Ballard) and the real Lincoln Lawyer think about their depiction?
They are very much involved in the formation of these characters so I think they are very satisfied with the depictions. They vet my books early, and I am always interested in character integrity, book to book. They help me achieve that.

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You have your own true-crime podcast. What sort of impact has the rise in true-crime podcasts had on crime fiction?
The proliferation of true crime on all levels really puts pressure on crime novels to be accurate when it comes to forensics and procedures. The reading audience is much smarter about these things now and if you deviate from reality in your novel, they will know it and share their dissatisfaction with others. Then you are in trouble.