Reviews

The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly

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milen's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

sianw1992's review against another edition

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5.0

I had seen the trailer for The Lincoln Lawyer some four years ago and then proceeded to buy the book. It has taken me FOUR YEARS to get around to reading it, but I can tell you, it was totally worth the wait.
I've always been a fan of law, in books, programmes, films, real life. I find it interesting that while detective or police procedurals focus on whodunnit, law features focus on presenting the best case, whether that person is actually guilty or not.
Our main character is Mickey Haller, generally likeable and obviously doing his best for his clients. But he deserves to get paid like everyone else. Not long into the novel, Haller is assigned to the case of Louis Roulet. The victim, Reggie Campos, had her home broken into and has been brutally beaten. Roulet claims that he is completely innocent.
As the case progresses and details emerge from the woodwork, it becomes clear that all is not as it seems and nobody can be trusted. Haller is trying to trust his instincts, but is bound by lawyer-client confidentiality. Michael Connelly provides a variety of supporting characters: private detective Frank Levin, ex-wife and DA Maggie McPherson, ex-con and Haller's driver Earl. All of them and weaved into this story with twists and turns galore. You never quite know who is telling the truth and that's what makes this story so gripping. I blasted through it in four days and loved every minute of it. The legal terms aren't confusing, but Connelly doesn't treat the audience like an idiot either. He trusts his reader to keep up and hold on as the story rollercoasters to its conclusion. I can't wait to read more of Michael Connelly and explore more of his seedy LA underbelly.

kimreadz's review against another edition

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4.0

I really enjoyed this book. It is a 'lawyer genre' and a thriller, reminding me of some of the John Grisham books I've read. (That is not a bad thing) Once you get into it, it is hard to put the book down. The main character is Michael Haller, who, as his ex-wife so perfectly expressed, is a "sleazy defense lawyer with two ex-wifes and an eight-year-old daughter". He makes a living successfully defending guilty people and getting them off on technicalities. He only takes cases where the client has the money to pay him, and looks for potential 'repeat customers' who will provide a steady income as they are typically in need of his services many times. He pretty much runs his office out of his Lincoln limos, and had a tiered contact system, so that his 2nd ex-wife, who acts as his office manager, only forwards the 'best' customers to him. He is always on the lookout for his 'franchise' client; the one with the big payout. One day he is called upon to defend 'the franchise client', a prominant real estate agent accused of assault and attempted rape and murder. There are several twists and turns in the story line and the case becomes dangerous to Michael and his friends and family. It kept me guessing and 'on the edge of my seat' throughout the book, with a good ending. I see that this is the first of the author's books that feature Michael Haller, so if you enjoy this one, take a look at the others.

bibliocamera's review against another edition

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5.0

Great re-read for book club. I love Connelly’s writing style.

edlib's review against another edition

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5.0

Great re-read for book club. I love Connelly’s writing style.

jonlewis's review against another edition

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4.0

I finished this book recently and really enjoyed it. The book follows the cases of Mickey Haller, a rough and tumble criminal defense attorney in Los Angeles county. He typically defends lower income clients but a upper crust man is charged with murder and seeks Haller's counsel. The book takes the case to its conclusion, showing all the ugly sides of the legal process. Connelly goes into some nice detail and the book seems well researched and the pacing it excellent. Grapes of Wrath this ain't but not every book can be classic literature. This book is an enjoyable read and I'd recommend it.