trailhound's Full Review: Michael Connelly - The Brass Verdict
Author Michael Connelly is well-known for his LA Detective Harry Bosch series of novels. And now he is creating a new series with The Brass Verdict, a follow-up to the well-received Lincoln Lawyer, which features criminal attorney Mickey Haller. As an added twist The Brass Verdict brings together both Bosch and Haller and the reader gets to see how the criminal defense system functions from both sides of the aisle.
In The Brass Verdict Mickey Haller is returning to his law practice after a long absence due to some personal demons he needed to shake off. No sooner does he re-hang his shingle and he is smacked with a surprising career twist. A well-known LA attorney has been gunned down and his personal papers decree that Haller should take over his law practice in the event of his death. But why? The two scarcely had a working relationship and Mickey's shaky background hardly makes him the best candidate to inherit the cases of a hot-shot attorney.
While Mickey wastes no time taking over the law firm of the deceased lawyer, he quickly gets overwhelmed trying to figure how to handle the defense of a high-profile Hollywood film executive who is charged with murder. On the surface the Hollywood move mogul looks guilty as hell for killing his estranged wife and her secret lover. As Haller forges ahead with a defense strategy he is stymied by a grizzled veteran police detective named Harry Bosch.
As Haller tries to tame Bosch, he is also bothered by his client's cocky attitude over the approaching trial. It seems like the Hollywood executive fully expects the jury to deliver an acquittal. On top of that, a mysterious figure is stalking Mickey and leaves him wondering if he'll end up just as dead as the attorney to willed him this case.
I really enjoyed reading The Brass Verdict because Connelly knows who to develop interesting characters that are compelling, sympathetic, yet flawed. Both Bosch and Haller have had great setbacks in their lives yet trudge onward, trying to make the world a slightly better place. These characters also don't hesitate to work the legal system to their advantage, but at the same time they deeply respect the basic philosophy of our laws.
As in most of Connelly's novels, the author gradually unveils the plot and drops some pertinent clues along the way. As a reader it's interesting to see how the seeds of the mystery are buried early in the story, then come into full bloom as all the characters are exposed for who they really are. My only complaint is that I expected more sparks to fly between Mickey and Harry.
You do not need to read any previous book of Michael Connelly in order to enjoy The Brass Verdict, but if you do read The Lincoln Lawyer before this one you will probably enjoy it even more. I'll rate this book as 5 stars and highly recommend it to anyone who likes police procedural type novels, mysteries, or legal thrillers.
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