Are you inspired by events in the news for your stories? Where did the story from City of Bones come from?

For the most part I am. The death that is investigated in the book was circumstancially inspired by a real case.

But it was a case I read about in academic literature on anthropology and child abuse. The article I read did not give the circumstances of where and when the case occurred.

It was only about the bones and what they told investigators. But that was enough to get me started.

Julia Brasher is such a compelling and three-dimensional character in City of Bones. As a reader, you feel like you know her almost immediately. Was she inspired by someone you know? Have you considered writing another book from a female perspective like Void Moon?

City of Bones Book Review Excerpt Detective Harry Bosch is no stranger to Michael Connelly fans. In this seventh book of the series, Connelly doesn't disappoint. A new case uncovers buried bones from 20 years ago. And Bosch can't shake the story the bones of the 12-year-old boy are trying to tell. Complete Review

In general she was inspired by an amalgam of police officers I have known, male and female. No matter the gender, cops share a lot of traits. I just tried to put them into her and add some other things I know and mix it up and hopefully she came out as a real person.

I think I will definitely write a female protagonist book again. I just don't know when.

In an essay on mystery writing on your Web site, you write that the mystery is all about "Not the solution to the puzzle but the act of putting the pieces together." When you sit down to write a mystery, do you know what the outcome will be and set up the plot to get to that ending? Or do you discover the clues along with your investigator?

I usually know the beginning and ending and a few of the key things that will put the investigator on the right path. But the rest sort of develops as I go along.

I think what I was trying to say in that essay was that it's not as much about the destination as the ride. You want the ride to be exciting and fulfilling so your passengers are happy when they reach the final destination.

What's next for Harry Bosch? Do you have any plans to bring back Terry McCaleb or Cassie Black?

I never say never about any character but for the moment McCaleb and Black are on a back burner, hopefully keeping warm. I am just starting a Harry Bosch novel in which I take him in a new direction, one I hope will keep him interesting.

Production has begun in Southern California for the movie based on your novel Blood Work. Clint Eastwood is starring, directing and producing this adaptation. What has your participation been in this movie?

My participation before filming was limited to reading the script and offering comments to Eastwood. My comments were few because I thought it was a really good script.

I've been to the set to watch them film scenes twice. It was interesting to see this whole community of creative people working with an idea that came from me. The script was geared toward Eastwood, so although he is much older than the McCaleb in the book, I think it works.

You've recently moved from Los Angeles to Florida; up to now, Los Angeles has been almost like another recurring character in so many of your books. Do you plan to keep writing about LA? Do you think that physically moving will change the way that you write or the subjects that you write about?

My plan is to keep writing about L.A. for as long as the place fascinates me. I may have moved but I have made several trips back and continue to do so to stay familiar.

The move has changed how I write and the change has been stimulating and fun. I used to spend a lot of time in the places I would write about close to the time I would write.

Now I am 3,000 miles away when I am doing the writing so I now write from memory and I think this has forced me to be more creative or imaginative. I have enjoyed it. I still swing into LA to check my work against the real stuff but when I am in the process of writing it has been different.

This fall, you'll be publishing a book called Chasing the Dime, which is based somewhat on an experience that you had when moving to a new house. What can you tell us about this book?

It is remotely based or I guess I should say sparked by my move. I got a new telephone number when I moved here and almost immediately I started getting calls for the woman who formerly had the number.

Many were from her friends and relatives who did not know where she had gone and were very worried. I never found out what happened and after a few months the calls stopped.

But it sparked this idea for a story about a man who has something similar happen to him and he acts on it, attempting to find out what happened to the woman whose number he had inherited. This leads him down a path into the dark side of the Internet as well as his own dark side.