The Fifth Witness

I loved the first three books of the Lincoln Lawyer series. This one was a disappointment, primarily due to plot holes and a hasty, poorly- conceived ending that made little sense in the context of the plot.

Mickey Haller defends Lisa Trammel, who is on trial for the murder of a bank executive. All of the evidence points to Lisa as the murderer. The murder weapon (a hammer) was from her garage; her shoes have blood from the victim; and she had a motive, in that the victim was head of the bank seeking to repossess her house (she was unable to meet the mortgage payments). Investigation reveals that the murdered banker was involved in a multi-million dollar deal to bundle the defaulted mortgages to sell to another company, one with show more connections to organized crime.

I found the legal maneuverings intriguing, along with the courtroom drama, and up until the last 7 pages it was clear who the perpetrators were. At most, there were a few odd incongruities that didn't ring true. For example, Haller's driver (Rojas) has taken a bribe of $400 dollars to let someone search for and remove one of Haller's files....and even though this file was crucial to his case, Haller forgives him lets Rojas continue in his employ.

However the book's ending contains too many incongruities to make any sense. For example, the murder: (1) for Lisa to murder the banker made no sense. Surely someone as aware as Lisa Trammel would know that such a murder wouldn't stop the foreclosure on her house. A foreclosure is a foreclosure, and who happens to be head of a given bank doesn't matter. (2) The murder plan was ridiculous. Lisa lay in wait for the banker (Michael) in the parking garage. She'd tied a helium-filled balloon at his parking spot. Her plan was that Michael would get out of his parked car and look up at the balloons, and then she'd creep up behind him (without him noticing) and conk him on the top of his backwardly tilted head with a hammer. (At just over 5 feet tall, she is at least 12 inches shorter than he). It's a wacky, ridiculous plan. Yet it supposedly worked. (3) And why would Lisa toss the murder weapon (the hammer) in the nearby bushes instead of taking it away in the shopping bag she was carrying? She had to know it would have traces of blood, if not her own DNA and fingerprints.

And then there's the ending. In a 420 page book, five pages at the end turn the whole story around. Watching Lisa blow up balloons for a party, Haller and his assistant counsel each, instantly and independently, decide (a) that she's the murderer, despite all the evidence they've amassed that it was a hit by organized crime; and (b) precisely how Lisa did the murder. And within another two pages Lisa turns out to be a psychopathic serial killer There was absolutely no basis for this. And does Michael Haller suddenly develop psychic powers? Lisa's estranged husband has been gone for years. How does Haller suddenly know that Lisa murdered him? And how does he know that she buried his body in the garden? The whole husband-murder comes out of nowhere. The author lays no basis for the latter, and sticks it in the last few pages... a clumsy and amateurish ploy that is insulting to the reader's credulity and intelligence. And if that wasn't enough, Haller suddenly decides to join "the other side"... Out of disgust for the clientele he defends, he decides to stop being a defense attorney and run for district attorney. (So much for all the clients he's agreed to defend against bank foreclosures).

The sudden conversion experience of Connelly's protagonist gives the lie to a running theme in the preceding works... that a defense attorney has an essential job to do; that defendants are at the mercy of a powerful and often unprincipled judicial system and need a legal advocate; and that the dislike prosecutors (and the public) have for such attorneys is misplaced. So what is Michael Connelly's real opinion? I now think that the author has really been on the side of the prosecution all along. This would explain why Haller's primary clients in his previous works have all been guilty and despicable.

I'll read the next volume in this series, but my expectations have been diminished to a considerable degree. show less

I think there should be a new genre of mystery novels called Legal Procedural and Michael Connelly should get credit for perfecting the genre. This novel follows a character he created in Lincoln Lawyer, which was made into a movie not to long ago starring Matthew McConaughey (in fact Connelly makes a little inside joke about it inserted into the story). Connelly is a master at weaving legal intricacies, current events and moving the story along at a fast pace. I never lose interest. And I love reading about places and politics of my home town. He gets the sensibility of Los Angeles right. Just when I thought I knew who was innocent and who was guilty, he threw in a zinger and floored me. I thoroughly enjoyed this and I can't wait for show more the next. show less

Times are difficult for defense attorney Mickey Haller: the economy is on a downward slope and even criminals seem less inclined to spend money for an attorney, so Mickey is forced to turn toward the less prestigious but still lucrative field of foreclosure disputes. It might not be as glamorous, but exchanging quality for quantity helps in keeping up with the bills - that is, until something changes in the daily routine: his client Lisa Trammel, one of those battling with foreclosure, is charged with the murder of Mitchell Bondurant, the banker dealing with the reclamation of her home.

Ms. Trammel has become something of a public figure since she opened a website catering to people battling with foreclosure, and mounted several protests show more against Bondurant’s bank, becoming so obnoxious that a restrictive order has been issued against Lisa. Once the body of Bondurant is found in the bank’s parking lot, the police investigation turns immediately toward Trammel, even though she loudly claims her innocence. There is some circumstantial evidence against her, though, and Haller will need to deploy all of his legal wiles to keep his client from being sentenced as a murderer.

Michael Connelly is my go-to author when I look for a book I’m certain will not disappoint (even more so these days, as I find myself in something of a reading & blogging slump), and he’s also a very skilled writer who knows how to create narrative tension and keep it up all throughout the novel: The Fifth Witness is indeed that kind of book, dealing as it does with the cat-and-mouse play between prosecution and defense as Haller and his counterpart Andrea Freeman, a very determined, very competitive assistant district attorney, spare no tricks to win the battle. And indeed this story shows how a trial is less the search for the truth and more a clash of wills, a chess match where a stalemate is not contemplated, or desired. Haller himself does not care about the guilt or innocence of his clients - although in this case Lisa Trammel does look innocent - but rather cares about a courtroom victory, and the courtroom becomes the battleground where he and his adversary spare no punches to reach their goal.

There is an interesting comparison Haller makes, when speaking about his work, that aptly describes the story told in The Fifth Witness: he likens it to Ravel’s Bolero, which starts quietly with only one or two instruments playing, and slowly but surely gains intensity and moment as more instruments add their voice to the music, until the final crescendo is reached. That’s what happens with the trial - and the parallel investigation conducted by the defense - where the “instruments” Haller brings into play add to the “music” he performs for the jury, to win their hearts and minds in favor of his client.

A client who, despite her protestations of innocence, is as unpredictable and unsympathetic as they come, and in a couple of instances throws an unexpected curveball into the mix and seems to deliberately want to sabotage her own defense, particularly when she gives in to the seduction of notoriety and opens up to the ever-hungry media against her lawyer’s warnings. Haller’s clients, so far, have not been very likable characters but I have to admit that my antipathy for Trammel was immediate and unshakable, so that the story’s final twist, as surprising as it was, did not come as a complete shock.

When the novel does not deal with courtroom debate it focuses on the search for clues about an alternate perpetrator, and here Haller’s staff is portrayed with brief but enlightening touches that add to the story’s depth: from Cisco, the former biker turned skilled investigator, to Lorna, Haller’s second wife for a brief time who now works as his secretary, to Maggie, the lawyer’s first wife and dedicated prosecutor who still harbors some feelings for her ex-husband but cannot abide his methods. They are joined here by Mickey’s young associate, a recent graduate from law school still fueled by ideas of justice and rights: there are many moments in which we see her struggle with the demands of Haller’s practice and with the progressive loss of innocence caused by contact with the harsh reality of courtroom skirmishes.

And of course Mickey Haller’s personality gains a few more facets as the demands of the current trial see him divided between the duty of obtaining a victory for his client and the pull of his conscience: at some point he admits to not being very familiar with integrity, and he knows that’s what his clients need to win, but at the same time he wants the approval of Maggie and of their teenage daughter, he wants to feel worthy of them - and that might be the reason which pushes him, after the conclusion of the trial, to change sides and work as a prosecutor. It was a surprising choice, and it will prove to be both a career change and a change in outlook, and I wonder what this will mean for the next novel - or novels - in line.

What I am certain about is that no matter which field Haller decides to play in, the stories Michael Connelly will tell about him will continue to be as entertaining and compelling as the ones I read so far. show less

Connelly can do anything. I loved the premise followed by twist after twist after twist. We have a tough, no-nonsense trial lawyer. Yet in his heart we see the kernel of idealistic hope he keeps locked away to protect it, but we know the author will reach it. There were some points I found a little unlikely, but I don’t practice in California. The genre always portrays prosecutors a little stereotypical and overall, this wasn’t as bad. There isn’t much trial by ambush and none from the prosecution anymore, but the trope still works.

After reading a courtroom drama, I always think the result is simply a verdict of the lawyers’ abilities and possibly nothing to do with whether the accused is guilty or not. Somehow, this story was unremarkable in character development and plot. It was pretty easy to forecast the result from early in the novel.

Michael Connelly is one of my favourite authors. I wasn't too sure about the Mickey Haller character when he introduced this new series, but I'm an ardent fan now. The Fifth Witness is the fourth book featuring the lawyer who practices out of the back of his Lincoln.

The Fifth Witness finds Mickey working on stalling or nullifying home foreclosures. With the downturn in the economy, he's got no lack of business. Lisa Trammel was one of his first clients. Eight months later, she needs his criminal defense skills instead. She's been charged with the murder of one of the officers of the bank who were foreclosing on her. It doesn't look good for her, but Mickey follows his cardinal rule - don't ask if they did it.

Connelly has taken a very show more current issue and created an absolutely riveting, page turning tale. The characters are very well drawn. Lisa Trammel is unlikeable - her dialogue and actions paint a vivid image.The supporting cast at the office is quirky, eclectic and loyal. The secondary personal storyline involving Mickey's ex wife Maggie 'McFierce' reveals the 'other' side of Haller. I enjoyed the courtroom drama and antics - you can almost feel the atmosphere in Connelly's writing. The plot is full of twists and turns, keeping you guessing until the very end. And the end also provides the best teaser for the next Haller book!

Quite simply it was a five star read for me - well, actually a five star listen as I chose the audio version of this book. Peter Giles was the reader - for me he is the voice of Haller. His voice is slightly gravelly, a little time worn, very expressive and easy to understand. He easily conveys the emotion and action with his tone. show less

I think this is my least favorite Haller book so far, however again he pulled it out at the end with a bang I didn't see coming at all. I do like how he ties the titles into the books. I did somewhat get bored with the back and forth in the court room and was disappointed that Bosch didn't have an appearance in this one.