The Brass Verdict: A Novel (Mickey Haller)
by Michael Connelly
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Book Reviews of The Brass Verdict: A Novel (Mickey Haller)
Book Review: A Great Thriller
Summary: 4 Stars
A few years back, Connelly offered his first courtroom drama, Chasing The Dime. The book was original and fast pace, a great effort by the mystery author. He brings back the main character, Haller, in the Brass Verdict. Only this time, not only does he have to solve a mystery, he also has to deal and [...] head with Bosch, Connelly's other recurrent character.
After the death of his friend, Haller finds himself stuck with all of his friend's ungoing cases. One of them consists of representing a rich and prolific Hollywood producer who's accused of his wife's murder. The producer is not cooperative nore does he seems to care that he is being charged with a double murder. During this, Haller becomes stuck in the investigation of his friend's death, with Bosch always around the corner to stir things up. Are the two cases linked? Bosch seems to think so but Haller doesn't.
There are so many twists and turns in this novel that saying too much about the plot would be to ruin a perfectly amazing story. But I have to admit that it amazes me that Connelly can still write incredible novels. Many authors, after having written ten books or so, fizzle, offering the dame drudge time and time again. Not Connelly. Every book he writes is intense, original and enjoyable. The Brass Verdict is no exception.
I also loved the dialogue in this book. Haller is quite sarcastic and can be quite funny at times. Connelly made full use of his character's voice. My only complaint is that I wanted a bit more Bosch in this one. He is forgotten for a big section of the novel, only to return near the end to help solve the crime. His presence throughout the novel would have enhanced the whole impact of the story.
The Brass Verdict is a great legal thriller and a great mystery novel, two genres that do not often mesh well. Give the author credit when it is due; he wrote one heck of a good novel.
Book Review: Outstanding
Summary: 5 Stars
Criminal defense lawyer (excuse the redundancy!), Jerry Vincent, is shot to death in his car late one night, just outside his office. Mickey Haller, inherits -- literally -- Vincent's clients, including Hollywood movie mogul Walter Elliot, accused of murdering his wife and her lover. The trial, with all of its attendant publicity, is scheduled to begin in just a week, and Elliot demands that Haller proceed to trial without asking for a continuance.
Rushing to prepare for trial, Haller begins to wonder if Elliot's case involves more than just a double-murder. Why won't Elliot allow him to ask for a continuance? Was Vincent's murder connected to Elliot's case? Are any of Vincent's other cases linked either to Vincent's murder or to Elliot's case? Despite the strength of the prosecution's case against Elliot, both Elliot and Vincent seemed highly confident of winning, but Haller finds nothing in Vincent's files to justify such confidence, and Elliot himself seems to be withholding information from Haller for some reason. Is there something missing from Vincent's files? And one of the police detectives investigating Vincent's murder, Harry Bosch, seems to be running a con game of his own, perhaps in conjunction with the FBI, who may or may not be investigating alleged corruption in the local court system. If the FBI was conducting such an investigation, was Vincent involved in it at all, either as a target, or as a confidential informant, or as a lawyer for one of the targets? Maybe that's why he was killed.
There are plenty of interesting characters, plenty of interesting observations about how the criminal justice system works, and the plot twists and turns are so devious, I bet the ending surprised even Connelley himself.
A terrific story by a terrific writer. Ranks right up there with "Blood Work" and "Trunk Music."
Book Review: Excellent
Summary: 5 Stars
First Sentence: Everybody lies.
Michael Haller had decided to return to practice but not at this level. A former colleague is murdered and had designated Haller as the attorney to take over all his cases should something happen to him. One of those cases is defending producer Walter Elliot. Elliot has been accused of murdering his wife and her lover. Elliot insists on going to trial as soon as possible and seems very unconcerned about the trial.
In the meantime, LAPD Detective Harry Bosch is giving Haller a hard time about Vincent's murder and information Heller may have to help Bosch solve the case.
Although Haller is the protagonist, it was interesting to see how Connelly used Bosch as almost the antagonist here. Haller is a very interesting character and refreshing to see things from the lawyer's prospective. Connelly presents the case of the defense lawyer well with wonderful detail of putting together the case and of courtroom procedure. He has also made Haller very realistically human, particularly his response to attack. He doesn't, however, leave the other characters as simple shadows, but brings them all to life.
Most interesting is the way Connelly includes Harry Bosch, the detective from Connolly's primary series. Here, Bosch is presented as almost an antagonist to Haller making the point that the police and the lawyers can often be on opposite sides in the way they work for the same end.
The sense of place is very well done, as is the dialogue. With each new book, I am reminded of just how good an author is Connelly. His greatest strength, in this book, is the plot. I was caught up from the very beginning, and loved each twist along the way. I never saw where it was going, right to the very end and there wasn't a single miss-step.
Book Review: I Loved this Book
Summary: 5 Stars
This was my first Mickey Haller novel by Michael Connelly, and I loved it. I was continually blown away by Connelly's acumen about the inner workings of the Los Angeles legal system. It reads as intelligently about justice as anything by Scott Turow and John Grisham, but it comes with Connelly's noir edge.
In The Brass Verdict, Mickey Haller has come back into practicing law after a nervous breakdown and year-long leave. He is divorced from his wife and has visitation rights with his daughter, who he fears he does not see enough.
But it's no slow start back into his law practice as a lawyer buddy of his is murdered early on, and Mickey is appointed replacement counsel. His murdered friend, Jerry Vincent, was handling a high-profile murder trial with a Hollywood producer who seems less than enthusiastic about helping Mickey help him.
I particularly liked this storyline and seeing the inner workings of this Hollywood studio exec's life. It rang true.
Ultimately, Mickey's appointment brings him into contact with Harry Bosch lead detective in the murder investigation of Jerry Vincent (and, of course, Michael Connelly's other series protagonist). From the start, these two men dance a delicate samba as their investigations compete from different sides of the legal system.
And that's one of the coolest things about The Brass Verdict... this interplay between Haller and Bosch and watching Connelly's sure hand pulling the strings.
This is an impressive novel that could easily appeal to mainstream readers as well as die-hard fans of the mystery/crime fiction community. I highly recommend it.
Stacey Cochran
Author of CLAWS available for 80 Cents
Book Review: Haller and Bosch team up, sort of
Summary: 5 Stars
Connelly's two series' protagonists - long-running Homicide detective Harry Bosch and the newcomer, defense attorney Mickey Haller - form an intriguing team in Connelly's latest thriller.
Haller, who first appeared in 2005's "The Lincoln Lawyer," takes center stage. After a year getting sober he's thinking about going back to work when he suddenly inherits a murdered colleague's entire case load - including the high-profile homicide of a celebrity producer's wife and her lover. The producer, Walter Elliot, has been charged with the killings.
Bosch is the lead detective in the shooting death of Elliot's original defense attorney, Michael Vincent, and Haller finds him going through Vincent's files when he arrives at the dead man's office to take over. There's the usual cops and lawyers hostility, spiced up by the fact (known to Bosch, not to Haller) that the two are half-brothers.
Although Haller puts a stop to the file rifling, there is give-and-take between them once Bosch points out that, absent an obvious motive for Vincent's murder, Haller could be next.
Meanwhile Haller is scurrying to get up to speed on the Elliot case. Trial date is less than a week away, Vincent's laptop and case notes were stolen when he was shot and Elliot, insisting on his innocence, has refused a continuance.
From the ins and outs of jury selection, witness lists, cross-examination, "magic bullets" and "everyone lies" philosophies, Connelly keeps the legal dance hopping. His prose is very clear and direct, making the legal complications all the more dazzling. The plot itself is fairly simple, even predictable, but Connelly fleshes out a classic framework with personal depth and unexpected detail. Readers will look forward to the next stage in the development of Haller and Bosch.