Great Police Procedurals for Michael Connelly Fans
The 10 police procedurals that capture what makes Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch novels unforgettable—flawed detectives, authentic casework, and the relentless pursuit of truth. From LA to Maine to Yellowstone.
If you've devoured every Harry Bosch novel and need your next fix of gritty, authentic detective fiction, you're in the right place. Michael Connelly set the gold standard for procedurals—flawed detectives, meticulous casework, and LA's moral shadows. These ten novels deliver that same obsessive pursuit of truth, from the streets of Los Angeles to the wilds of Maine and beyond.
For the Authentic Procedural Feel
1. The Monkey's Raincoat by Robert Crais
Elvis Cole is a wise-cracking LA private eye with a partner who barely speaks and a house in the Hollywood Hills. When a desperate woman hires him to find her missing husband and son, Cole stumbles into a web of organized crime and violence that strips away his sardonic veneer.
Why Connelly fans will love it: Crais built his career in Connelly's backyard—literally. Both write LA crime with bone-deep authenticity, and Cole's partnership with the stoic Joe Pike mirrors the intense working relationships that define Bosch's world. Winner of the Anthony and Macavity awards.
Audiobook note: Narrated by Patrick Girard Lawlor, whose delivery captures Cole's dark humor without sacrificing the story's tension.
2. Crimson Thaw by Bruce Robert Coffin
Detective Brock Justice was once the golden boy of Maine State Police—until he testified against a fellow cop. Now exiled to the frozen northeastern wilderness and partnered with rookie Detective Chloe Wright, he catches a case that starts as a routine snowmobile retrieval and escalates into a full-blown murder investigation exposing a town's darkest secrets.
Why Connelly fans will love it: Reed Farrel Coleman called it "a superior, Connelly-esque procedural that ratchets up the tension page by page." Coffin is a retired detective sergeant with 27 years in law enforcement, including time supervising homicide investigations and working counter-terrorism with the FBI. This is procedural authenticity earned in the field.
Audiobook note: Narrated by Roger Wayne, whose measured delivery suits the harsh Maine landscape and Justice's simmering intensity.
3. Rules of Prey by John Sandford
A serial killer in Minneapolis is leaving handwritten rules at his crime scenes, taunting the police. Detective Lucas Davenport—a genius-level investigator who designs video games on the side and drives a Porsche—must think like a predator to catch one.
Why Connelly fans will love it: Sandford launched one of crime fiction's longest-running series with this 1989 debut, and like Connelly, he creates protagonists who bend rules and make moral compromises. Davenport's intelligence and edge feel like Harry Bosch's Midwest cousin.
Audiobook note: Richard Ferrone narrates the series with gravelly authority, perfect for Davenport's intensity.
For Atmospheric International Settings
4. In the Woods by Tana French
In 1984, three children entered the woods in a small Irish town. Only one emerged, with no memory of what happened. Twenty years later, that child—now Detective Rob Ryan—is called to investigate a murder at the same site. As the case dredges up the past, Ryan must confront horrors both old and new.
Why Connelly fans will love it: French writes detectives haunted by their pasts, and Ryan's psychological damage rivals anything in the Bosch canon. Winner of the Edgar, Anthony, Macavity, and Barry awards for Best First Novel. This is procedural fiction elevated to literary territory.
Audiobook note: Nathaniel Parker delivers a haunting performance that earned the Audiobook of the Year Award from AudioFile magazine.
5. Knots and Crosses by Ian Rankin
Detective Sergeant John Rebus is a barely functioning alcoholic with a failed marriage and a rebellious streak that keeps him in constant trouble with his superiors. When a serial killer begins strangling young women in Edinburgh, Rebus realizes the case is connected to his own troubled military past.
Why Connelly fans will love it: Rebus is the Harry Bosch of Scotland—a deeply flawed investigator whose personal demons constantly threaten to derail his professional life. Rankin has written over 20 Rebus novels, creating one of crime fiction's most enduring characters.
Audiobook note: James Macpherson's Scottish accent brings Edinburgh to life, making this essential listening for audiobook fans.
For National Park Settings and Historical Intrigue
6. The Devil's Kitchen by Mark Thielman
When a history professor is murdered at the base of Yellowstone Canyon, retired Fort Worth homicide detective Clarence Johnson—now working as a seasonal park ranger—finds himself drawn into the investigation. Alongside Special Agent Alison Nance, Johnson uncovers a centuries-old conspiracy involving a relic from the French Revolution. Their suspects keep disappearing, and the secrets of the past may prove deadly.
Why Connelly fans will love it: Johnson is exactly the kind of dogged investigator Connelly readers crave—a cop who can't quit the job even in retirement. Thielman, a criminal magistrate judge and former prosecutor, writes with courtroom precision. Library Journal gave it a starred review, noting it "offers something for nearly every reader."
Audiobook note: Tom Beyer narrates with the steady authority the dual-timeline mystery demands. Nearly 12 hours of listening.
7. Still Life by Louise Penny
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec investigates the death of a beloved resident in the seemingly idyllic village of Three Pines. What looks like a hunting accident reveals layers of jealousy, secrets, and very human darkness beneath the village's charming surface.
Why Connelly fans will love it: Penny's Gamache is thoughtful and principled where Bosch is intense and driven, but both are investigators defined by their moral code. The series has won virtually every major mystery award, and Gamache's quiet determination to find truth mirrors Bosch's "everybody counts or nobody counts" philosophy.
Audiobook note: Ralph Cosham's performance made the series an audiobook phenomenon. Essential listening.
For Gritty and Unflinching Investigations
8. The Cold Cold Ground by Adrian McKinty
It's 1981 in Belfast, and Detective Sergeant Sean Duffy is a Catholic cop in the predominantly Protestant Royal Ulster Constabulary—a target for both sides. When he investigates a murder that the powers-that-be want swept under the rug, Duffy realizes he's caught between political factions, paramilitaries, and his own brass.
Why Connelly fans will love it: McKinty writes with the same sense of institutional corruption that drives Connelly's best work. Duffy navigates a world where the system itself is often the enemy, and his stubborn pursuit of justice costs him dearly. Winner of the Ned Kelly Award.
Audiobook note: Gerard Doyle's narration captures both the dark humor and the danger of Troubles-era Belfast.
9. The Ruin by Dervla McTiernan
Detective Cormac Reilly returns to Galway, Ireland, twenty years after he saved two children from a squalid house—their mother dead, their circumstances horrific. Now one of those children has died by apparent suicide, and her brother insists it was murder. Reilly finds himself reopening wounds both personal and professional.
Why Connelly fans will love it: McTiernan writes cold cases with the same obsessive attention Bosch brings to every investigation. Reilly is haunted by the cases that got away, and his determination to right old wrongs feels deeply Connellyesque. The series has won the Ned Kelly Award and the Davitt Award.
Audiobook note: Aoife McMahon delivers the Irish setting with authenticity and emotional depth.
10. A Cold Day in Paradise by Steve Hamilton
Alex McKnight was a Detroit cop until he took three bullets, one of which remains lodged near his heart. Now he's a PI in Michigan's frozen Upper Peninsula, running cabins and trying to forget. When a serial killer from his past resurfaces—the man who shot him—McKnight must confront the worst day of his life.
Why Connelly fans will love it: Hamilton won both the Edgar and the Shamus awards for this debut, a rare double. McKnight carries the same internal damage as Harry Bosch, and the Upper Peninsula setting brings a frozen isolation that echoes Bosch's emotional landscape.
Audiobook note: Dan John Miller's narration captures McKnight's weary resilience perfectly.
How to Find These Books
All titles on this list are available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats. Most are available through your local library's digital collection via Libby or OverDrive. Support independent bookstores through Bookshop.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the best detective series to read after Harry Bosch? Start with Robert Crais's Elvis Cole series for the LA procedural feel, or Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad if you want something more literary. For authentic law enforcement backgrounds, Bruce Robert Coffin's Detective Justice series delivers—Coffin spent 27 years as a cop, including supervising homicide investigations.
Which of these is best on audiobook? In the Woods by Tana French and Still Life by Louise Penny are both audiobook standouts with award-winning narrations. For something recent, Crimson Thaw narrated by Roger Wayne is an excellent choice for long drives through wintry landscapes.
Are these available at the library? Yes—most are available through library digital lending platforms like Libby and OverDrive with a library card. Print availability varies by library system.
Are there more books set in national parks? The Devil's Kitchen kicks off Mark Thielman's Johnson and Nance Mysteries series, with Book 2 (The Hidden River) set in a different national park. For wilderness procedurals, also try C.J. Box's Joe Pickett series set in Wyoming.
What if I want something with a female detective? Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad features multiple protagonists across the series, including women. For something American and recent, try Connelly's own Renée Ballard series or Rachel Howzell Hall's Detective Elouise Norton books.
