A Benefit For The Eugene O’Neill Foundation, Tao House
Michael Connelly In Conversation With Rick Jackson And Matthew McGough
At
The Village Theatre
Saturday, April 5, 2025
7:30 P.M.
TICKETS
Rick Jackson and Matthew McGough
Last year New York Times # 1 bestselling crime fiction author Michael Connelly was interviewed by retired LAPD homicide detective Rick Jackson. The tickets sold out weeks in advance, so act now to secure your spot!
This time Michael and Rick will switch chairs. Michael will interview Rick and his coauthor Matthew McGough about their new nonfiction book Black Tunnel White Magic: A Murder, a Detective’s Obsession, and 90’s Los Angeles on the Brink. A free copy will be given to all ticket buyers.
Michael and Rick will also reminisce about their longtime collaboration that has included most of Connelly’s novels, the “Bosch” television series, and numerous other film and TV scripts. Another topic that is bound to come up is the different challenges involved in writing crime fiction as opposed to true crime.
Legendary crime fiction author Lee Child praises Black Tunnel White Magic as a “great true-crime story and a great cop memoir – about how they do it and, above all, why they do it.”
In June 1990, Ronald Baker, a straight-A UCLA student, was found repeatedly stabbed to death in a tunnel near Spahn Ranch, where Charles Manson and his followers once lived. Shortly thereafter, Detective Jackson and his partner, Frank Garcia, were assigned the case. The facts made no sense. Who would have a motive to kill Ron Baker in such a grisly manner? Was the proximity to the Manson ranch related to the murder? And what about the pentagram pendant Ron wore around his neck?
Jackson and Garcia soon focused their investigation on Baker’s two male roommates, one black, and one white. What emerges is at once a story of confounding betrayal and cold-hearted intentions, as well as a larger portrait of an embattled Los Angeles, a city in the grip of the Satanic Panic and grappling with questions of racial injustice and police brutality in the wake of Rodney King.
Don’t miss this opportunity to participate in the launching of a soon-to-be famous author, Danville’s own Rick Jackson.
And you can stream our April 2024 recording of Rick Jackson in conversation with Michael Connelly here!
Rick Jackson in Conversation with Best-Selling Author Michael Connelly
America’s finest and favorite crime novelist Michael Connelly appeared at the Village Theatre in Danville, CA, on April 5, 2024. You can now eavesdrop on the relaxed and personal conversation between Michael and his close friend, Rick Jackson. Rick, a retired LAPD homicide detective, has collaborated with Michael for years and knows where the bodies are buried. So, Rick was definitely the man to ask Michael the questions we’ve always wanted to ask, as well as the questions that would never have occurred to us.
Fee to stream this recording: $10
Rick Jackson in Conversation with Michael Connelly
Get streaming access here!
When you purchase the personal access code, a link will be emailed directly to you. Please do not share this link.
Michael Connelly is the bestselling author of thirty-eight novels.With over eighty-five million copies of his books sold worldwide and translated into forty-five foreign languages, he is one of the most successful writers working today. In March 2011, the movie adaptation of his #1 bestselling novel, The Lincoln Lawyer, hit theaters worldwide starring Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Haller. His most recent #1 New York Times bestsellers include Desert Star, The Dark Hours, The Law Of Innocence, The Night Fire, and Dark Sacred Night.
Michael is the executive producer of Bosch and Bosch: Legacy, two Amazon Studios original drama series based on his bestselling character Harry Bosch. These stream on Prime Video and Amazon Freevee. Michael is also the executive producer of The Lincoln Lawyer on Netflix. He is the creator and host of the podcasts Murder Book and The Wonderland Murders & The Secret History Of Hollywood.
Rick Jackson is a retired LAPD homicide detective who has been called “the Godfather to L.A. Crime writers,” having worked with Michael, James Ellroy, Joseph Wambaugh, and a dozen others. Besides consulting with Michael on his novels, Rick has worked with Michael on several true-crime podcasts. Rick still works part-time as a cold-case investigator with the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. In the coming year Little, Brown will publish Rick’s nonfiction book Black Tunnel, White Magic: A True Story of Murder and Betrayal in Los Angeles.
