Synopsis
As a criminal defense lawyer, Mickey Haller has spent his entire professional life in the shadow of his legendary father, known for his brilliant defense of both famous and infamous mobsters and high-society icons. But all that was about to change, when Mickey is hired to defend a wealthy Los Angeles real estate magnate.
Louis Roulet is Mickey's first "franchise client" - willing and able to pay any price for a "not guilty" verdict. Throughout his career, Mickey has not been concerned with the guilt or innocence of his clients, only with presenting the evidence of the crime in a manner which would be in the best interest of whoever was paying the retainer. Manipulating the facts to create reasonable doubt in the minds of the jury was his stock in trade.
For him, the law is rarely about guilt or innocence — it's about negotiation and manipulation. Sometimes it's even about justice.
A Beverly Hills playboy arrested for attacking a woman he picked up in a bar chooses Haller to defend him, and Mickey has his first high-paying client in years. It is a defense attorney's dream, what they call a "franchise" case. And as the evidence stacks up, Haller comes to believe this may be the easiest case of his career.
Then someone close to him is murdered and Haller discovers that his search for innocence has brought him face-to-face with evil as pure as a flame. To escape without being burned, he must deploy every tactic, feint, and instinct in his arsenal — this time to save his own life.
As a criminal defense lawyer, Mickey Haller has spent his entire professional life in the shadow of his legendary father, known for his brilliant defense of both famous and infamous mobsters and high-society icons. But all that was about to change, when Mickey is hired to defend a wealthy Los Angeles real estate magnate.
Louis Roulet is Mickey's first "franchise client" - willing and able to pay any price for a "not guilty" verdict. Throughout his career, Mickey has not been concerned with the guilt or innocence of his clients, only with presenting the evidence of the crime in a manner which would be in the best interest of whoever was paying the retainer. Manipulating the facts to create reasonable doubt in the minds of the jury was his stock in trade.
For him, the law is rarely about guilt or innocence — it's about negotiation and manipulation. Sometimes it's even about justice.
A Beverly Hills playboy arrested for attacking a woman he picked up in a bar chooses Haller to defend him, and Mickey has his first high-paying client in years. It is a defense attorney's dream, what they call a "franchise" case. And as the evidence stacks up, Haller comes to believe this may be the easiest case of his career.
Then someone close to him is murdered and Haller discovers that his search for innocence has brought him face-to-face with evil as pure as a flame. To escape without being burned, he must deploy every tactic, feint, and instinct in his arsenal — this time to save his own life.
My Two Cents Worth
It is difficult to believe that this is Connelly's first legal thriller. The courtroom action is as vivid and compelling as any Grisham I have read, and the action is well paced and true to life.
As a reader, it is all you could ask for - a great story told by a consumate professional. It was fresh and original and kept me guessing until the last page. While it's not the most cureent Connelly novel, do yourself a favor and read The Lincoln Lawyer.
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