The Lincoln Lawyer : A Novel
by Michael Connelly
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Book Reviews of The Lincoln Lawyer : A Novel
Book Review: A very satisfying Connelly novel
Summary: 4 Stars
I have read everything that Connelly has put to the page and over all would say that he consistantly pours out great novels. Over the last couple of years he has kind of gone down hill with his Bosch books. I say that because they started to go way over the top and read like a hollywood script for the next big budget action thriller with tons of explosions and little plot. So its nice that Connelly once again puts aside Bosch and starts a new character with Mickey Haller, the Lincoln Lawyer.
The first half of this book is 5 stars all of the way. Haller has considerable depth of character and you will find yourself confronted by a legal world that Grisham could only dream of writing about. The story revolves around a 'franchise client', a client who will set up Haller with huge paychecks and elevate him for years to come through the publicity of the trial.
PLOT SPOILER- This book falls apart when the 'franchise client' turns out to be the evilist man ever to walk the face of this earth and starts to play against Haller. First he kills Haller's best friend and associate investigator and then threatens Haller's family. What gets me is that Haller does not retaliate right away but instead calmly goes about the business of getting the client off. It's still well written, but I can't think of anyone who would have gone about his or her actions in a similar manner to Haller once the chips start to fall.
END SPOILER-
So with all of that aside, this book is well written throughout, my only fault is with some far fetched plotting by Connelly for about the last third of the book. Because of this its not his best work and if you have yet to read Connelly, I would point you in the direction of one of his other seminol books like 'Blood Work'.
Book Review: Straightforward writing, clever plot.
Summary: 4 Stars
The most interesting thing about The Lincoln Lawyer is that the cleverness of the plot idea strikes you as soon as you get to the end of the book. Not to reveal any spoilers but Mickey Haller is not quite the venal legal practitioner he appears to be up until that point; and you knew he had a "plan", you just didn't know what it could be. I was quite impressed at Connelly's presentation of the lawyers/judges thought processes and behavior in and out of the courtroom. He presents what seems to be a very realistic portrait of the criminal law profession, even though his own background is in journalism, not law.
The bad guy, Louis Roulet, was truly a scary character because he was superficially such a normal guy, but you knew that under the surface a hideous monster lurked ready to break out when things didn't go his way, or his psychosis broke through. The ending of the book was also a surprise, though I think it would have been even better and more suspenseful if Roulet had been stalking his prey at the end and been foiled by Haller or by Maggie, rather than how the novel actually ended.
The book was quite heavy on dialogue and this being the first Michael Connelly novel I've read, I was impressed by the fact that his writing is quite spare of the metaphors and lengthy "colorful" setting descriptions many other more literary writers of crime fiction use. He just tells the story - period. He does, however, crank out a pretty good story that keeps your interest until the end.
Book Review: The Scariest Client.....
Summary: 5 Stars
The scariest client, LA defense attorney Mickey Haller says, is one who is innocent. Haller should know, being a journeyman trial attorney working the routine turf of the LA court system, Haller has never had to contend with the possibility that the client he may or may not get off, or at the very least, get plea-bargained down is actually innocent. Until now.
Haller gets what he calls a "franchise case" a whopping big murder trial with a client with lots of money behind him. Most of Haller's clients are the flotsam and jetsom of the system: prostitutes, junkies, drug growers and dealers, and the like. These habitual losers flow through the system, what Haller calls "the machine" on a regular basis providing him with a steady income and cynical life. Twice divorced, Mickey accepts the truth in the joke of his being a "bottom feeder", but even the rationales he uses to justify his "playing his part" in fighting the "machine" are starting to wear thin.
And then he gets his "franchise" murder trial and the truth of his deceased superstar defense attorney father's statement that the scariest client is an innocent one, because then the game really matters for both client and lawyer, and a loss can destroy both, comes home to roost.
And the fun begins, with Michael Connelly spinning a snappy and fast and very entertaining read. A perfect summer book. Recommended.
Book Review: The jury is still out in this one.
Summary: 3 Stars
I'm a sucker for characters who don't see the world in black and white. I'm also drawn to characters who get in way over their heads and struggle to keep it intact. So when I read the back blurb of the Lincoln Lawyer, I was intrigued by the title character's flexible morals and supposedly money chasing attitude towards his craft. This is where my problem starts. When I started reading, I learned he is the legal profession's equivalent of Don LaFontaine, a well-known voice over actor who's frequently heard in movie trailers - he is so much in demand he actually has a limo going around the city to shuttle him between projects. He is not the struggling lawyer I was led to believe.
So I got over it and tried to enjoy the rest of the book. Almost. The story itself lacks the suspense and the page-turning associated with previous Connelly novels, Bosch or non-Bosch. It is a pretty standard legal thriller, most disappointing is the villain. Supposedly devious and fear-inducing, Connelly tries to imbibe a Lecterian-like reputation, he comes off as boring and disappointing instead.
Still, I feel the characters and settings of the Lincoln Lawyer is a good foundation for an enjoyable series, if not a television series. Hopefully, Mickey Haller's subsequent cases would prove to be more interesting and more intellectually complex as Connelly's other franchise characters.
Book Review: Great stuff! I have found a new author!
Summary: 4 Stars
The Lincoln Lawyer is hilariously and profoundly true. If you ever wanted to know what it is like to be a high-powered criminal attorney, this book will show you. I am a civil attorney, myself, and this novel opened the door into the grimy other world of criminal law. (Not that civil trial law is without its warts either.)
Put simply, this novel is about "The Client From Hell." Every lawyer has had one at one time or another, but not like this. Connelly's depiction of the protagonist's slow descent into you-know-where is engrossing, hilarious, and true-to-life. The only bad thing about this novel is that it might discourage some readers from a career in law. Or maybe it will encourage others. Hard to say. What I can say is that this is a well-written and engrossing novel that I could not put down until the final moment. That is high praise indeed.
This is a remarkably well-written novel that keeps the reader guessing until the very last minute. You will come to know and care about the characters in this novel. Not only is the plot in this novel interesting and even engrossing, but (unlike a John Grisham novel) the characters are true-to-life as well. This novel rings with authenticity.
This is my first Michael Connelly novel, but it will not be the last; not by any means. This one is highly recommended.