Original short stories by best-selling mystery writers about their favorite pastime—fishing. Sixteen of America's favorite author-anglers spin tales of mystery and fishing in this collection. From the tragic to the comic with many stops in between, these stories reflect the authors' passions for both making stories and catching fish. Michael Connelly, Ridley Pearson, John Lescroart, Don Winslow, Melodie Johnson Howe, Victoria Houston, and others all share a mysterious affection for things piscatorial when not busy writing best-selling books. This collection of all-original short stories will entertain even the most discriminating mystery reader. Proceeds from this book will help support two charitable groups, Casting For Recovery, which helps women cancer survivors to heal body and soul through fly-fishing, and Project Healing Waters, which does the same for our returning veterans. Contributing authors include • Ridley Pearson • Mark T. Sullivan • Michael Connelly • John Lescoart • Andrew Winer • Dana Stabenow • Don Winslow • Melodie Johnson Howe • James W. Hall • C.J. Box • Victoria Houston • William Beall • Spring Warren • Brian M. Wiprud • William Tapply • T. Jefferson Parker

Since his first novel in 1992, Michael Connelly has become one of America's most popular and critically acclaimed crime writers. He is best known as the author of a long-running series featuring LAPD homicide detective Harry Bosch, a compelling figure in contemporary crime fiction. He also created several additional series featuring a criminal defense attorney (Mickey Haller, known as the Lincoln Lawyer), an FBI profiler (Terry McCaleb), a newspaper reporter (Jack McEvoy), and an LAPD policewoman (Renee Ballard) who works the night shift. When he began incorporating all his characters into the Bosch megaseries, he expanded the notion of what a crime series can accomplish.This work takes an in-depth look at all of Connelly's work, including the 34 novels that comprise the Bosch megaseries, the film adaptations of his books, the popular "Bosch" TV series, and his standalone novels, short stories and podcasts. It includes chapters on his novelistic artistry and his portraits of Los Angeles and its police department.

"Michael Connelly: A Reader’s Guide": covers everything about Connelly including his novels, his short stories, the articles he published as a crime reporter, and even movie treatments of his novels. Over 40 million fans have purchased books by Michael Connelly. His fans storm his website to discuss his characters and plots. Their passion for his characters is obvious. It’s the same kind of enthusiasm now found among fans of the Harry Potter and Hunger Games series. Yet, while both those series have companion books that serve as readers’ guides, no such book exists on Connelly. What is unique about this book is that it shows how Connelly shaped his actual experiences as a crime reporter into his fiction. You will also find explanations of how Connelly fits into the mystery landscape.

''When my wife Arabella and I decided to take our summer vacation in Florida, I dreamed of lying under a coconut palm sipping a cool drink while Arab lovingly fanned a breeze my way. I have had dreams of that type before and something always goes wrong. Four years of being married to Arab should have taught me that. Whenever my lovely blond wife decides to stir up a breeze for my benefit, it is time for the Coast Guard to run up two square flags, red with black centers, one flying above the other. They tell me that’s the signal for a hurricane.'' Thus wrote Andy Blake, wistfully, at the start of his Florida vacation. Readers who have followed his adventures through the years of his tempestuous and almost fatal marriage with Arab could have told him at once. True, there was nothing more lethal on the landscape than sunlit palm trees, a lazy river, and Andy. No spies, guns, corpses, or blood stains. But there was Arab. She began innocently enough—with fish. Even Arab couldn’t have known that it would end with Andy, as bait, hanging off the end of a line while sharks nipped at his heels, and the gleam of a fish spear prodding through the dark water for his body. Had She But Known—she would have gone right ahead. It seemed so inevitable to Arab. First, the deserted green houseboat hidden in a tiny cove. Arab was sure she had seen a woman’s face at the window, and Arab was obviously not the type to leave well enough alone. Investigation was called for, said Arab. It was not called for, said Andy. They investigated. So they found the girl, Sherry, with the red marks on her wrists and ankles, and the wild explanations that differed every time she told them. Then along came Georgia Wood and Chuck Holley and the gay fishing trip when Georgia almost drowned although she was an expert swimmer. And Harry Fink, an expert fish spearer, who began to take a great interest in the Blakes, an interest that extended to skulking around dark corners brandishing guns. ''Now,'' Arab said, her eyes sparkling, ''we’re getting somewhere.''