Publisher's Weekly Review
L.A. defense attorney Mickey Haller takes on the hardest case of his career in bestseller Connelly's superlative seventh Lincoln Lawyer novel (following 2015's The Crossing). After the body of a career con artist is found in the trunk of Haller's Lincoln Towncar, he faces a first-degree murder rap. Opting to defend himself, Haller enlists his own legal defense team to assist. Half-brother Harry Bosch steps in to help investigate, and the unusual case leads to the port of Los Angeles and a biofuel company run by a recidivist criminal with mob ties whom Haller put away years earlier. Bosch suspects that the company is running a complex scam and double dipping on government subsidies payouts. Meanwhile, 2020 is off to a strange start with reports of a deadly virus in China that threatens to spread worldwide. The tension builds as Haller prepares for trial, and it becomes clear that he was framed by a much larger entity than he originally thought. This is a supremely intelligent, well-paced courtroom thriller by a modern master. Agent: Philip Spitzer, Philip G. Spitzer Literary. (Nov.)
Library Journal Review
The stakes have never been higher for "Lincoln Lawyer" Mickey Haller when he is accused of murdering a former client. Smelling a setup, he and his law team, who may be the only people in the LA area who believe he's innocent, try to find the real killer. The prosecutor of his case makes sure bail is denied, which keeps him behind bars and the defense at a huge disadvantage. With his iconic detailed, no-nonsense, and meticulous narrative, Connelly brilliantly instructs the audience step by step how to build a defense while showing a very vulnerable side of Mickey. At the same time, he gives readers a gritty, realistic look at life behind bars, some very memorable quotes, and a cleverly injected take on current events. VERDICT A tour de force in both crime and court fiction, Connelly (The Night Fire) delivers what may be his best piece of legal fiction yet with this latest "Lincoln Lawyer" title (after 2013's The Gods of Guilt) and a star-studded cast of incredible supporting characters, including two ex-wives, his half-brother Harry Bosch, and a prosecutor that fans will not cozy up to. Fans and those living under a rock who have not experienced this master storyteller will find this edge-of-your-seat read absolutely impossible to put down.--Debbie Haupt, St. Charles City-Cty. Lib. Dist., St. Peters, MO