The Law of Innocence

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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WHAT'S THE LAW OF INNOCENCE ABOUT?
On his way home from celebrating a win in court—a precious finding of "NG" (Not Guilty), Mickey Haller is pulled over in a traffic stop that quickly goes south and Haller finds himself in the back of the patrol car while the officer opens his trunk to discover a dead body—it turns out to be a former client of Haller's who happens to owe his former defense lawyer a hefty amount of money.

It's clearly a frame-up. There's no reader who will buy Haller committing the crime in this way—sure, it's possible that Haller would be driven to murder by something (for the sake of argument), but he wouldn't do it this way. He's too slick, too clever for show more that. Thinking like that is well and good for readers of Crime Fiction, it's not how the police think. If you get all the evidence pointing at someone, they're likely to be guilty, especially if there's no evidence pointing in another direction.

Which is what happens here. So from his cell in the Twin Towers Correctional Facility, Haller has to plan his own defense. Sure, he knows all the conventional wisdom and jokes about defending yourself, but defending people in court is what has defined Mickey Haller for his adult life and there's no way he can let someone else take the lead on this. It's the fight of his life—literally a fight for his life—and Haller has to be the one doing the fighting.

Haller can't count on a "reasonable doubt" defense. It won't be enough to get a "Not Guilty" verdict, not if he wants to be a defense lawyer ever again, he can't go into court with the world thinking he got off on a technicality. Haller has to prove he's innocent, and the only way he can do that is by finding out who's guilty, and proving that in court.

The prosecuting attorney is no slouch—frequently in legal fiction, you get someone who's clearly there to play Washington Generals to the series protagonist's Harlem Globetrotters, putting up a token case for the defense attorney to use as a way to show off all his tricks. But Dana Berg, star prosecutor for the Major Crimes Unit is hard, smart, and utterly convinced that Haller is guilty. So convinced that she's not above using as many tricks and sneaky moves as Haller. She's a worthy opponent which makes it all the better.

HAIL, HAIL, THE GANG'S ALL HERE
Mickey's friends and family won't believe this accusation—he's not a killer. They know this and show up to help—many of them probably would if they had some doubt about his guilt, but we all know that Haller's half-brother. Harry Bosch, wouldn't have anything to do with him if Bosch thought there was a chance he was a killer. But Bosch is as involved as Cisco, Haller's own investigator is. Lorna's there, as well as Jennifer Aronson. I wasn't terribly impressed with Aronson the last time we saw her in The Gods of Guilt, but she's come a long way since then and is key to Haller's defense.

It keeps going, Maggie "McFirece" McPherson, his ex-wife, and his daughter, Haley, are stalwart supporters, too—and Maddie Bosch even pops in. I've always liked Haley and enjoyed her a lot here. You'll never see me say anything against Maggie's character, either. Connelly created a great family for Haller back in The Lincoln Lawyer and they continue to pay off here.

While it's great to see everyone show up to support and help—and Haller needs all that he can get—it's his novel, it's his fight, it's his life in the balance and the novel's focus is solely on him. With a character like Bosch, he's a constant threat to steal the reader's (and likely the writer's) attention—but he doesn't even come close. It's all about Mickey Haller.

ISN'T THIS JUST LIKE FAIR WARNING?
I was slightly afraid of that when I read the blurb for this—do we really need two books from Connelly in 2020 where the protagonist is suspected of a murder that there's no chance at all that he committed? I figured Connelly would pull it off, but, yeah, there was a degree of trepidation on my part going into it.

Here's where they were different—in Fair Warning, McEvoy being suspected is just his way into the mystery, and the shadow of suspicion may linger over him, but it's never really much more than that. But here, Haller being the suspect is the whole novel—he's only the suspect for a couple of days (which we don't even see), he's the accused for all but the first chapter. That makes all the difference, there's no way to compare the experiences of McEvoy and Haller.

CURRENT EVENTS
This book takes place at the close of 2019 and over the first few months of 2020, and through news reports in the background and some conversations between characters we get glimpses of what's going on in American culture at the time—specifically, the impeachment and reelection bid of Donald Trump and the early days of the spread of COVID-19. Neither makes a significant impact on the plot, but they act as part of the background, nailing the events of the novel to a specific moment.

I wondered for a while if this would make the novel dated in years to come, making it too "of the moment" to last. But the more I think about it, the more I think adds some flavor, some perspective to the novel, and the way that Connelly uses the current events to ground the novel. I ended up really liking the way he did it. Sure, Haller's very few and quick comments about the President may put off some readers, if they couldn't have guessed Haller's political leanings, they haven't been paying attention.

SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT THE LAW OF INNOCENCE?
If I hadn't been approached to be on this tour, what would've likely happened is this: I'd buy The Law of Innocence on release day and had been really excited about it, but would've set it aside so I could catch up on some backlog—and it would've ended up languishing away on my shelf unnoticed. I'd have probably have made it my last book of 2020 or first of 2021 as a little treat to myself. And I would've been mad at myself for that once I got to about the 20% mark (if not earlier). For this to be available and unread would be just wrong.

There's a one page (or so) introduction/foreward that's just dynamite, followed by a really strong first chapter, and then starting in chapter 2, we're off to the races. It's just unrelentingly good, gripping, fast-paced, smart, and tension-filled from that point through to the jaw-dropping end. Sure, you may be confident that Haller would prevail, but you can never be sure for a moment how that might come to pass—and any time you start to think you know? You quickly discover that was hubris.

Connelly is one of the best in the business, but he's not satisfied with coasting on his reputation or his laurels, he's constantly striving to prove that he's one of the best around—and usually succeeds at it. The Law of Innocence has him doing just that. The prose is lean and tight, the characterizations are spot on, the pacing is perfect and you just can't put this down. I had a lot going on last week when I read this and several things I needed to accomplish—and I ignored almost every single one of them just so I could finish this. I gave myself five days to read this and finished it in two. Between the story, the characters, and the way Connelly put this together, I had no choice.

A lot of the legal thrillers I've read over the last couple of years save some of their best moments for things the lawyers get into outside of the courtroom, The Law of Innocence doesn't do that. Yes, there are some good moments with Haller and the team investigating things, or while Haller is incarcerated. But the best moments of the novel take place in the arena that Haller comes most to life—in the courtroom, facing off against a good prosecutor, in front of a smart judge and a jury that he can only hope to persuade. Haller's good at putting the pieces of a puzzle together (especially when Bosch and Cisco give him the right pieces), he can get a witness to give up just the right information, but he shines when he's using the rules of the court, rules of evidence and the laws of California to further his own ends.

If you've been through the wringer with Haller before, you have an idea of what to expect—and you won't be disappointed. If you've never spent time with the Lincoln Lawyer before this, you're in for a treat. Either way—The Law of Innocence is one of the best thrillers of 2020 and you need to get your hands on it. show less

After defense attorney Mickey Haller finishes celebrating his latest victory at a pub frequented by his peers, he drives away, only to be pulled over by Officer Roy Milton. It seems that Mickey's rear license plate is missing. What should have been an irritating but relatively uneventful traffic stop becomes a far more serious matter when Milton spots blood leaking from the trunk of Haller's car. Haller is horrified to learn that someone shot Sam Scales, a con man and Haller's former client, and is setting Mickey up to take the fall.

"The Law of Innocence" is a tightly constructed legal thriller in which, after Haller is arrested for murder, he assembles his savvy and hard-working team to help him prove that someone else had the motive, show more means, and opportunity to kill Scales. The author impresses us with his sharp dialogue; crisp and effortless prose; evocative descriptive writing; well-drawn characters; and detailed portrayal of the inner workings of California's criminal justice system.

In a series of dramatic courtroom scenes, Mickey, who is defending himself, battles Dana Berg, an aggressive prosecutor who loathes him. Violet Warfield, the presiding judge, is tough but fair, and It doesn't hurt that she was once a defense lawyer who has little tolerance for prosecutorial misconduct. There are tense and vivid scenes in prison, where Mickey is being held, as well as brief romantic interludes, and intrigue involving mob bosses and a covert FBI investigation. Can Mickey and those working on his behalf—among them, his half-brother, Harry Bosch—prove that SODDI (some other dude did it)? This is another exciting, darkly funny, and gripping page-turner from one of America's most gifted and creative storytellers. show less

Wow. Connelly sticks the landing in the latest Mickey Haller book. We get some pop in's by Bosch too which were welcomed. Following Mickey during the most important defense of his life (his own) during the months before COVID-19 hit the United States and changed the court system and America forever. I honestly didn't know if Connelly was going to go there, but he does, and you get to see how things got impacted by COVID at the jail, court systems, etc. I think I have known for a while that the Mickey Haller, Bosch, and McEvoy books are part of our real world (as much as works of fiction can be) but we definitely get lots of pop culture references here and we even get to see a return of some former clients of Mickey in this one.

"The Law show more of Innocence" follows Mickey Haller after he is stopped during a traffic stop and a dead body is found in his trunk. Before he knows what is happening, Mickey is in jail and paying for protection all while trying to run his case from jail. Mickey knows he didn't do it, and there seem to be a few people who would like the defense attorney to go to jail for a lot of reasons. With Mickey fighting for his freedom, an ex-girlfriend comes back and he starts to wonder if this time will things stick. We get the usual suspects in the Haller books with welcome surprises of Bosch who doesn't believe his brother did this and wants to help him in any way he can.

I don't know, I like Mickey. He has his own code, but does what he can to make sure that his clients get the best defense possible. He has made a lot of mistakes, and is a recovering alcoholic and addict, but loves his daughter (now in law school) and still thinks about his first wife probably more than he should. It doesn't hurt when I think of him, I think of Matthew McConaughey. I have to say though the best parts of these books is getting Mickey's insight into the criminal justice system, into juries, judges, and the prosecution as well. And even his thoughts on what a not guilty verdict truly means.

I loved the updates on people we get here, Hayley, Maggie, Bosch, Cisco, etc. It's been a few months since the last Bosch novel in this world and it appears both of their girls are off following their father's footsteps (Hailey in law school and Bosch's kid in the police academy).

The writing is great and the flow works. I was full of tension throughout the book cause you honestly don't know how things are going to go.

I have to say the courtroom scenes were great as well as the dialogue when Mickey is discussing the case with his defense team. Setting this book to the months right before COVID-19 hits and after actually works. I was worried at first that it was going to fill a bit ham-fisted. But Connelly does a great job with it. And now we know that the Bosch books are going to follow a COVID-19 world which makes me interested in seeing how police work is going to change/or will have to change.

I would suggest to set aside lots of time to read this one. Once you start, you won't want to put it down. show less

After defense attorney Mickey Haller finishes celebrating his latest victory at a pub frequented by his peers, he drives away, only to be pulled over by Officer Roy Milton. It seems that Mickey's rear license plate is missing. What should have been an irritating but relatively uneventful traffic stop becomes a far more serious matter when Milton spots blood leaking from the trunk of Haller's car. Haller is horrified to learn that someone shot Sam Scales, a con man and Haller's former client, and is setting Mickey up to take the fall.

"The Law of Innocence" is a tightly constructed legal thriller in which, after Haller is arrested for murder, he assembles his savvy and hard-working team to help him prove that someone else had the motive, show more means, and opportunity to kill Scales. The author impresses us with his sharp dialogue; crisp and effortless prose; evocative descriptive writing; well-drawn characters; and detailed portrayal of the inner workings of California's criminal justice system.

In a series of dramatic courtroom scenes, Mickey, who is defending himself, battles Dana Berg, an aggressive prosecutor who loathes him. Violet Warfield, the presiding judge, is tough but fair, and It doesn't hurt that she was once a defense lawyer who has little tolerance for prosecutorial misconduct. There are tense and vivid scenes in prison, where Mickey is being held, as well as brief romantic interludes, and intrigue involving mob bosses and a covert FBI investigation. Can Mickey and those working on his behalf—among them, his half-brother, Harry Bosch—prove that SODDI (some other dude did it)? This is another exciting, darkly funny, and gripping page-turner from one of America's most gifted and creative storytellers. show less

I couldn't wait to read Michael Connelly's newest book - The Law of Innocence. It's a fantastic read (as I knew it would be) and one I finished far too quickly.

The Law of Innocence is the latest in the 'Lincoln Lawyer' series. Mickey Haller is headed home one night after celebrating his latest 'not guilty'. He's stone cold sober when he's pulled over, but cooperates - to a point. Then the cop pops the trunk - and discovers the body inside. Haller is innocent of course, but just like that, he's the one in jail and headed to trial. Mickey elects to represent himself - with some help from his regular team - and some additions. Fans of Connolly will be happy to see Harry Bosch as well. (Another fantastic series!)

And the title? "The law of show more innocence is unwritten. It will not be found in a leather bound codebook. It will never be argued in a courtroom....In the law of innocence, for every man not guilty of a crime, there is a man out there who is. And the prove true innocence, the guilty man must be found and exposed to the world." That's what Haller wants for himself. They've got to figure out who the real killer is.

Connelly is simply brilliant at plotting. The reader is along for the ride as Haller and team try to piece together the 'why' of the body in his trunk. They are hampered not just by Mickey being locked up, but also by the prosecutor, who is determined to make her mark by taking down the famed 'Lincoln Lawyer.' The courtroom and the machinations of a trial are eye opening. I was fascinated by the behind the scenes look.

I love the characters in this series as well. Mickey is such a strong personality and force of nature. But Connelly also gives him a human side, often shown through his daughter. Faithful readers will be surprised by some of the turns Haller's personal life takes. The reappearance of a past player is very welcome. I look forward to the next book to see where things go. And being in jail gives Mickey a look at the other side of the bars...

The dialogue is so sharp and focused. The prose flow so easily and make for truly addictive reading. Connelly's background and skill are a big part of why his crime and legal thrillers ring so true.

Who, or should I say what, also makes an appearance? Yup, Covid 19. And I loved the brief political opinion one character voices.

So very, very good on so many levels! show less

Strangely unsatisfying resolution to the legal case at the heart of the mystery makes me wonder if there will be a follow-up revealing more of the full story, but otherwise the fast-paced story kept me in suspense. Defense lawyer Mickey Haller, accused of murder, is placed in life-threatening danger as he refuses to waive his right to a speedy trial. The author weaves in the news of the pandemic from January to the first shelter in place order in the spring. The audio narration by Peter Giles was great, as always!

The Law of Innocence is nothing short of amazing. Connelly weaves multiples story lines from years of the Lincoln Lawyer series together into a seamless story. The mystery is so well constructed one questions whether the author laid the story out a decade ago. There are weak points, like relying on some standard tropes such as the one-dimensional prosecutor. Despite trying to be realistic with modern discovery, the trial by surprise trope is too good to let go. Perhaps because the author is not an attorney, he teaches lessons about understanding the genre lost on lawyers. That is to say, realism is not the graveman of a legal thriller, to use legal jargon.