Michael Connelly‘s characters have had great success whenever they have made it to television screens, whether it be The Lincoln Lawyer‘s Mickey Haller (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) or Bosch‘s Harry Bosch (Titus Welliver). The long-standing success of the Netflix and Prime Video shows, respectively, proves the ability of Connelly’s characters to sway the fans in their favor and establish a strong following across multiple seasons. With Maggie Q‘s Renee Ballard spin-off only a month away, fans would be excited to find out what the latest character from the shared universe created by Connelly brings to the table. However, the list of adaptable book characters from Connelly’s novels does not end with Ballard. One of Connelly’s oldest characters, who made his first appearance in the 1996 novel The Poet, is perfect for a television adaptation.
Connelly’s Oldest Character Is Yet To Be Adapted
John “Jack” McEvoy is one of Michael Connelly’s oldest characters, going back to 1996. For comparison, only Harry Bosch is older than Jack McEvoy when it comes to Connelly’s literary protagonists. “The Poet” was Connelly’s fifth book. Much like Mickey Haller and Harry Bosch, Jack McEvoy shares a tumultuous background that makes him an exciting proposition for a television adaptation. Considering the type of protagonists Mickey Haller and Harry Bosch are, Jack McEvoy fits right in, showing his potential to be the next big Connelly character to go to screens after Maggie Q’s Renee Ballard.
A journalist by profession, Jack McEvoy lived and studied in Paris before returning to Colorado to cover the murder beat for the Rocky Mountain News, putting him at the center of all murders happening in Colorado. During his time as a reporter, McEvoy investigates multiple murders and serial killings and develops a close relationship with FBI agent Rachel Walling, who remains the love interest throughout the books. In his very first appearance, Jack McEvoy finds himself riddled with the mystery of his twin brother and homicide detective Sean McEvoy’s death. Soon, Jack finds out that his brother’s murder is part of serial killings that involve the killer leaving his victims with a suicide note quoting an Edgar Allan Poe poem.
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“I’m not over it.”
Jake McEvoy is Michael Connelly’s Most Personal Character
In his bibliography, Connelly also shares his most personal relationship with Jack McEvoy. Connelly describes writing the McEvoy books as his least favorable writing experience due to the autobiographical nature of the character. Connelly himself worked as a journalist, covering the crime beat at the Daytona Beach News-Journal. This personal connection makes the character all the more interesting for Connelly fans to dig into. It’s likely that Connelly’s professional adventures may have informed a lot of events in the Jake McEvoy book series.
A Jack McEvoy show also comes with the interesting proposition of a shared Michael Connelly universe. Interestingly, McEvoy has also appeared in other Connelly novels, including the Harry Bosch novel A Darkness More Than Night and the Mickey Haller novel The Brass Verdict, creating more opportunities for a crossover, especially since a Bosch and Haller crossover is not possible due to network rights. Fans have been eagerly looking for a Bosch and Haller crossover, and the entry of McEvoy would provide the opportunity for fans to finally witness a shared Connelly universe on television. For now, The Lincoln Lawyer and Bosch creators have found their own ways to explain the absence of Mickey Haller from Bosch and Harry Bosch from The Lincoln Lawyer. However, if either of the two studios gets their hands on the rights to the Jake McEvoy books, it is very likely that the Jake McEvoy adaptation can be the start of what fans have been waiting for a long time. With Jake McEvoy also said to appear in Connelly’s second book of 2025, there’s ample source material for any studio to pick up.
The McEvoy books are known for the character’s investigative journeys filled with suspense. After Ballard, Michael Connelly’s Jake McEvoy could be the perfect character to be adapted into the universe based on his books. With Harry Bosch’s journey coming to an end with Bosch: Legacy Season 3, and the character being limited to cameo appearances in the upcoming spin-off, there’s a vacancy available for Jack McEvoy to take. Considering the familiar nature of the character and similar literary roots, McEvoy would fit perfectly in the growing television universe of Michael Connelly characters.
