The lineup L : the world's greatest crime writers tell the inside story of their greatest detectives

Shares the stories behind the creations of many of the mystery genre's most popular characters, revealing the inspirations for such examples as Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch and Alexander McCall Smith's Precious Ramotswe. Jack Taylor / by Ken Bruen -- Jack Reacher / by Lee Child -- Hieronymus Bosch / by Michael Connelly -- Charlie Parker / by John Connolly -- Elvis Cole and Joe Pike / by Robert Crais -- Lincoln Rhyme / by Jeffery Deaver -- Inspector Morse / by Colin Dexter -- Charlie Resnick / by John Harvey -- Bob Lee Swagger / by Stephen Hunter -- Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus / by Faye Kellerman -- Alex Delaware / by Jonathan Kellerman -- Dismas Hardy / by John Lescroart -- Tess Monaghan / by Laura Lippman -- Rambo / by David Morrell -- Mallory / by Carol O' Connell -- Spenser / by Robert B. Parker -- Lou Boldt / by Ridley Pearson -- Charlotte and Thomas Pitt / by Anne Perry -- Aloysius X.L. Pendergast / by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child -- John Rebus / by Ian Rankin -- Precious Ramotswe / by Alexander McCall Smith. 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. From Michael Connelly And Faye Kellerman To Ian Rankin And Anne Perry, Some Of The Most Venerated And Bestselling Authors In The Mystery World Reveal How They Create Their Most Beloved Characters.