The Johann Fust Library Foundation is honored and delighted to present internationally bestselling crime novelist Michael Connelly as the speaker for our 2026 Annual Benefit.
Connelly is the author of 42 novels and one work of non-fiction. More than 89 million copies of his books have been sold worldwide, translated into 45 languages. He is also the executive producer of four series currently streaming on Amazon and Netflix, based on characters in his books: Bosch and Bosch Legacy star Titus Welliver as the LAPD detective who first appeared in Connelly’s 1992 novel, The Black Echo; The Lincoln Lawyer, a 2005 legal thriller spotlighting Mickey Haller, a defense attorney who practices law from his car, and Ballard , in which the homicide detective Renee Ballard, who first appeared in the 2017 book The Late Show, is re-assigned to the cold case division of the LAPD. Bosch and Bosch Legacy have run for a combined ten seasons, and the Lincoln Lawyer has run for three seasons. The eleventh Bosch season and the fourth Lincoln Lawyer season are now in production.
Connelly discovered the writing of Raymond Chandler while pursuing a degree in journalism at the University of Florida, with a minor in creative writing. His specialty as a young reporter in Ft. Lauderdale was the crime beat, which catapulted him to a major job as crime reporter at the Los Angeles Times. Most of his novels have debuted as #1 bestsellers on newspaper lists across the country. Connelly has been given every award by the industry’s leading organizations. He received the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for best first novel, and then in 2023, he received their Grand Master Award, recognizing the pinnacle of lifetime achievement in mystery writing. In 2018, he received the Diamond Dagger, presented by the UK’s Crime Writers Association for his sustained literary excellence.
In 2025, Connelly debuted a new series character, Detective Stilwell, who gets caught up in police department politics and transfers to the small island of Catalina—a new locale, a new lead character, and, as Connelly has said, teaching an old dog new tricks in his 40th novel.
Michael was born in Philadelphia and moved to Florida as an adolescent. He and his wife, Linda, divide their time between California and Florida. We are so fortunate to have Connelly take his fingers off his keyboard for a few days to grace the stage at our annual benefit on our 75th Anniversary year.
Our Community Sponsors More event details and sponsorship opportunities will be sent first to our donors on December 15, 2025, then to the public, if seats are available.
