Michael Connelly: The Lincoln Lawyer Review

Mickey Haller is The Lincoln Lawyer, so called as he does his business from the back seat of a Lincoln. That business is ducking and diving to get clients, usually from the lowest levels of the criminal world, and to get them freed on technicalities or to get good plea bargains. Not particularly uplifting but Haller manages to sleep at night.

Getting meth-dealing Hell's Angels out of prison isn't hugely rewarding financially so when Haller gets a chance at a new client with family millions he's delighted. Louis Roulet is accused of sexual assault and attempted murder - a nice juicy case and one that should bring in big bucks. Mixed feelings ensue when it appears that Haller's investigator has found evidence that would exonerate Roulet - no chance to milk the case. Then further investigation reveals a nasty possibility - this may not be the first time that Roulet has gone in for sexual violence and the exculpatory evidence may be faked.

So begins a parallel investigation, going back over years old evidence - tricky at the best of times and made far harder when someone kills Haller's investigator and Roulet threatens Haller's ex-wife and child. Get a serlal offender and murderer off or face harm to loved ones, all bound in legal niceties.

Along the way we get enough details of Mickey Haller's regular practice to be well entertained, together with a view of the US legal system that shows it straining at the seams as well as prey to the fallibilities of elected officials - no preaching, just the day to day grist through the law's mills.

This is a well-written novel, nicely paced with enough twists and surprises to keep the interest right to the end - and it does have a good ending, something which other books of this genre don't always manage. Characters are well drawn and the dialogue is good - one of Connelly's major strengths.

Would I let my mother read it? Perhaps. Sex and bad langage are at a minimum, violence isn't overdone. Is it like Grisham? Only insofar as both cover legal matters - this is wider ranging than the average Grisham.

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The Lincoln Lawyer as a movie, starring Matthew McConaughey and Marisa Tomei, directed by Brad Furman. Not had a chance to see it yet myself but critics rated it highly. Order on DVD:

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