THE LINCOLN LAWYER (Little, Brown, 404 pages)…Connelly hits again with this one. We are introduced to a new character, Mickey Haller. Haller is the "Lincoln Lawyer", a reference to his working primarily out of the backseat of his Lincoln Town Car which is chauffeured by a former client (Earl) who is working off Haller’s fee.
Haller is not the prototype of the typical defense lawyer that we read about. His clients are primarily from the southern part of Los Angeles and usually consist of prostitutes, bikers, and drug dealers, not a clientele that promises riches in legal fees. His peripatetic practice takes him to the many court houses in the L. A. area, hence, the use of the Town Car and a cell phone as his main means of communication. One of his constant goals is the big payday that would materialize from obtaining a "franchise" client, someone who would be reliable financially and produce a big fee. When he meets Louis Roulet, who has been accused of beating a prostitute, he feels that the payday will be easy and quickly obtained. However, Roulet brings more to the table than is expected and Haller is thrust into a whirlpool of mystery, intrigue, and morality.
Mickey Haller is similar to Harry Bosch in some ways. Both have had women problems (Haller has been divorced twice although both his ex’s still like him), he is a bit of a rogue but it is easy to root for him since we all have a little rogue in us, and both he and Bosch are willing to bend the rules, if only slightly, to accomplish a respectable goal.
I hope Connelly finds time to do more on Mickey Haller as he is a fascinating character. There also is a rumor of a Bosch-Haller story coming. Let us hope that happens; Connelly is the master of the mystery novel.