Author and Bosch executive producer Michael Connelly has revealed the truth behind Harry Bosch’s unrealistic police tradition.

While being interviewed on the Books on the Beach podcast, Connelly opened up about a particular behavior by Harry Bosch that he was told is unrealistic.

The character has a tradition of collecting rifle shells from police funerals and storing them in a jar, a ritual that continues in the author’s newest crime thriller Ironwood, which was just released on May 19.

Connelly admitted that he was told a long time ago by multiple police officers that this would “never happen because they clean up their shells.”

There would never be an opportunity for Harry to pick up a single shell because law enforcement picks it up themselves since ammo is so expensive. “It came from my imagination,” he explained. “That is definitely a fictional construct.”

“I’m going to reveal something here that is somewhat embarrassing. It came from my imagination, but a few cops have told me that would never happen because they clean up their shells and—you can reload shells, and ammo is expensive, and so they never do the 21 gun salute and leave all this brass in the grass for someone like Harry to come along and pick up a shell. They pick it up themselves. And so that is definitely a fictional construct.”

Despite being told how unrealistic it is, Connelly kept including the tradition in his novels because “it says something about a guy who would do that. It shows where his loyalties are and his dedication is.”

Even though he claims that his stories are very authentic to real life, the author decided that when it comes to Harry collecting rifle shells, he’s fine with veering off from being completely accurate “just because it makes a required point.” He does feel somewhat embarrassed by the situation but is able to laugh it off.

“I still do it and, as you say, it’s mentioned in this book and—‘cause it says something about a guy who would do that. It shows where his loyalties are and his dedication is. So that’s a situation where I was told that a long time ago and I didn’t stop doing it. I had Bosch do it in books, and it’s like a place where I veer from this accuracy, which I claim I have and go into a very fictional thing just because it makes a required point.

“When a cop tells you, ‘Hey, that would never happen,’ I kind of laugh.”

Prime Video’s Bosch franchise started on the pages of Connelly’s novels, which began in 1992 with The Black Echo. While his books start off with Harry Bosch as the protagonist, he’s branched out over the years with other characters at the forefront, like Mickey Haller, Terry McCaleb, Jack McEvoy, Cassie Black, Henry Pierce, Renée Ballard and Stilwell.

Stilwell was first introduced in 2025’s Nightshade, the first installment in Connelly’s Catalina series. The recently released sequel, Ironwood, sees Stilwell attempt to catch a cartel in the act of a drug drop on Catalina Island, but everything goes awry. Despite being benched, Stilwell takes it upon himself to figure out the truth about what happened.

The book, which currently has a rating of 4.5 out of 5 on Goodreads, includes appearances by Harry Bosch, Maddie Bosch and Renee Ballard.

Connelly will follow up Ironwood later this year with the release of a new Harry Bosch novel called The Hollow on October 27.

Several of Connelly’s novels have been adapted for TV over the years, including Bosch, The Lincoln Lawyer, Bosch: Legacy and Ballard, which is currently filming its second season. Another spinoff, Bosch: Start of Watch, is in the works and will center on a younger version of Harry Bosch (played by Cameron Monaghan) as a rookie cop in Los Angeles.