The Lineup (2009)
The world’s greatest crime writers tell the inside story of their greatest detectives.
A great recurring character in a series you love becomes an old friend. You learn about their strange quirks and their haunted pasts and root for them every time they face danger. But where do some of the most fascinating sleuths in the mystery and thriller world really come from?
What was the real-life location that inspired Michael Connelly to make Harry Bosch a Vietnam vet tunnel rat? Why is Jack Reacher a drifter? How did a brief encounter in Botswana inspire Alexander McCall Smith to create Precious Ramotswe? In The Lineup, some of the top mystery writers in the world tell about the genesis of their most beloved characters—or, in some cases, let their creations do the talking.
Edited by Otto Penzler, the contributing authors include: Jeffery Deaver, Michael Connelly, Lee Child, Alexander McCall Smith, Ken Bruen, Lincoln Child, John Connolly, Robert Crais, Colin Dexter, John Harvey, Stephan Hunter, Faye Kellerman, Jonathan Kellerman, John Lescroart, Laura Lippman, David Morrell, Carol O’Connell, Robert B. Parker, Ridley Pearson, Anne Perry, Douglas Preston, and Ian Rankin.
Includes Jeffery Deaver on Lincoln Rhyme.
Praise
“The best book of its kind”
—New York Times
“This book will delight any mystery lover….[and] make readers return to favorite books with a fresh eye.”
—Cleveland Plain Dealer