I believe it would not be a lie to say I have read everything Michael Connelly has published. I even read a bunch of anthologies he was a part of with other crime / detective writers. Anyway, when I saw there was another Lincoln Lawyer novel out, I was pumped. I like Mickey Haller a lot as a character, and I like his proximity to my possibly favorite fictional character Harry Bosch (Mickey is Harry’s half-brother). While I’ve mowed through the Bosch books and then the Lincoln Lawyer books, my dad is taking a bit slower approach. The other day he said, “Mickey Haller has a lot more depth in the books than on the show!”, and he’s totally not wrong. I like the (I think Netflix?) series Lincoln Lawyer, but they don’t compare to reading the books.
We begin this story with Mickey working on a civil case involving AI. Like I said above, I mowed through the previous Bosch and Haller books, so I’m now reading what comes out in real time. The Bosch books go back to a decade or two after Vietnam (where Harry fought as a tunnel rat), but this book is basically set in present time. A teenage girl was shot and killed by her boyfriend because his AI “friend” told him it was what he should do. There are a lot of ethical dilemmas throughout this book, but I feel like they’re handled appropriately.
Although Mickey is now (and for a little while already) a civil lawyer, he treats this case like a defense lawyer (which he was for many years). It seems to serve his client and his morals. Throughout the Lincoln Lawyer books Mickey has solidified his morals and (in my mind) become a better, more honest and caring person. I like to see that growth in a character.
