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Michael Connelly and Janet Evanovich: Author One-to-One
In this Amazon exclusive, we brought together blockbuster authors Michael Connelly and Janet Evanovich and asked them to interview each other. Find out what two of the top authors of their genres have to say about their characters, writing process, and more. Janet Evanovich is the bestselling author of the Stephanie Plum novels, including Finger Lickin' Fifteen, twelve romance novels, the Alexandra Barnaby novels, and How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author. Read on to see Janet Evanovich's questions for Michael Connelly, or turn the tables to see what Connelly asked Evanovich.

Evanovich: So dude,... Okay, you're back in Florida. Do you ever get to the beach? And when and if you get to the beach...is Harry Bosch with you? And what kind of beachwear are you guys sporting? Flip-flops? Crocs? Speedo? Board shorts?

Connelly: I go to the beach often on weekends. Board shorts are required and I wear flip-flops with the built in bottle opener. Comes in handy. In Florida we rarely have waves, unless there is a hurricane in the Gulf. So I have taken up paddle-boarding, which essentially involves a big surfboard that you stand on and paddle. Still a balancing act, but easier than surfing, and you don't need waves.

Evanovich: What will a bookstore look like in 2020? Will we all be downloading?

Connelly: Good question. Since it is only eleven years from now, I think there will still be a solid population of "old school" readers who need the book in their hands. The question is, will they get it at a bookstore or will we have a Kindle 9.0 device that manufactures a book for you at home, complete with photo of author in a bomber jacket.

Evanovich: If everybody is downloading in 2020 what the heck will we be signing on book tour? Body parts? Kindle cases?

Connelly: I signed two Kindles yesterday. One person asked me to leave room for signatures from you and Dennis Lehane. So next time you're in Seattle she'll be in your line.

Evanovich: Do you eat when you write? Beer nuts? M&Ms? Just coffee? What keeps you from falling out of the chair in a narcoleptic stupor?

Connelly: Have you ever seen what eating Cheetos can do to a keyboard? I have to say I am addicted to Coke. I always have a glass of it nearby. I eat a lot of candy, too. Keeps me going. Smarties are a great writing tool. I often need to raid my daughter's stash and then there is trouble on the home front.

Evanovich: Are you a messy guy or a neat guy? Do you keep clutter on your desk? In your head? Are there soda cans and crumpled fast food wrappers rolling around on the floor of your car?

Connelly: I keep a clean car but a desk that gets progressively messier as I write a book. When I am finished with the book, I clean up the desk—and eat all the stray Smarties found under the paperwork. The clean desk then promotes the start of the next book.

Evanovich: The new book, The Scarecrow sounds terrific, and I know it's followed by Harry Bosch in Nine Dragons in the fall. Does your publisher prefer one series over another? And do you find one series to be more commercially viable than another?

Connelly: They let me do what I want. I like writing about Harry Bosch and he's pretty popular, but usually when I write a standalone it widens the audience a bit.

Evanovich: Want to meet me in a bar in Ft. Myers? Is that halfway?

Connelly: Name the place.

Customer Reviews

Average Rating:

Rating: - a mystery that will keep you reading all night
ONE HECK OF AN ADVENTURE, A REPORTER AND A FEMALE AGENT ARE IN DANGER. THERE ARE SADISTIC KILLER ON THE LOSE. AND OUR HEROS KNOW THEY ARE BEING CHASED BY THE KILLERS.

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Rating: - Reviewed for Midwest Book Review
Jack McEvoy became a national bestselling author when he wrote a book about his experience with a serial killer named the Poet, and since then, he's worked as a crime reporter for the Los Angeles Times. The Times, facing financial woes, decides to lay off 100 employees and Jack's number 99. Jack decides to make a grand exit by writing a book about a 16-year-old drug dealer who claims he did not confess to strangling a young woman and stuffing her in the trunk of her car, although the police investigators state otherwise. Jack's research connects this murder to one of a similar nature in Las Vegas, at which time, he notifies FBI agent Rachel Walling, whose arrival saves Jack's life from a serial murderer enraged that Jack has "outed" him and means to stop Jack from further investigating.

Fans of The Poet will enjoy Jack McEvoy's reappearance in this book. Connelly takes his reader into the world of print newspapers, emphasizing their continuing decline due to the internet and cable news programs. McEvoy is a character with flaws, which makes him all the more interesting. He teams up with Rachel Walling, who played a part in The Poet, and the two are a strong team as they track the killer, a computer whiz who has stayed below the radar for years while killing and isn't too happy someone is trying to stop him.

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Rating: - Made a great gift
My dad thought it was very good, and interesting since it brings modern technologies into the story.

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Rating: - not enough mystery for five stars
The Scarecrow won't compete for the elite among Michael Connelly's novels. One reason might be Jack instead of Harry Bosch as the main character, but more likely is that there is not enough mystery in the story. We know who the bad guy is (don't worry, that's not a spoiler, it's made clear), leaving the matter of details and execution and a modest set of twists.

Beyond that, the novel is a vehicle for Mr. Connelly's riffs on two topics: turmoil in the newspaper business and insight into what havoc a skilled, evil person might do to others through Internet-based spying, hacks, and so on. The appeal of the latter may depend on the reader's interest in technology, and thus the hacking angle may fall flat for some.

The Wizard of Oz theme, as one might expect from "Scarecrow" in the title, made more appearances than I realized at the time. That was a little extra cleverness and I wish I had paid more attention or thought more about the possibilities and implications, as in the hint from of Dorothy from Kansas and the killer's "signature".

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Rating: - I loved it!
I loved this book. I always enjoy reading Michael Connelly's books. I didn't want to put it down once I started it. I won't go into the story line since so many others did already. It made me more careful about of putting information out on the internet. I really liked his book "The Lincoln Lawyer" too. I saw it in the stores for months before I picked it up to buy and I am glad I did buy it.