The Brass Verdict: A Novel (Mickey Haller) by Michael Connelly
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Book Reviews of The Brass Verdict: A Novel (Mickey Haller)
Book Review: (4.5) The lie that became the blade that ripped the case open."
Summary: 5 Stars
Connelly consistently delivers in his novels and The Brass Verdict is no exception, LA defense attorney Mickey Haller returning to work with a vengeance after recovering from a serious wound and a stint in treatment for an addiction to pain killers. Rehabilitating his reputation, Haller gets an unexpected bonus that comes at the cost of another lawyer's life. When Jerry Vincent is shot and killed by an unknown assailant prior to a big murder trial, Haller is the beneficiary of all Vincent's cases. Plunging back into practice with perhaps more clients than he can successfully manage, Mickey gathers his team, office manager and ex-wife, Lorna, private investigator and Lorna's fiancé, Cisco, the three prioritizing Jerry's cases, the most pressing a notorious double murder. Independent film mogul at Archway Pictures, Walter Elliot is a larger-than-life defendant accused of slaying his wife and her lover in a jealous rage.
Elliot is adamant in his innocence, wary about trusting an attorney he doesn't know, but unwilling to delay the trial. Mickey faces an uphill battle with this demanding client, controlling Elliot's outsized ego paramount if he is to deliver an acquittal: the man's lifestyle does little to engender sympathy. Focusing on this case, the others in various stages of resolution, Connelly sets up a tight scenario, a contest of strong personalities as Haller jockeys to remain alpha dog for the duration of the trial. And when veteran LAPD homicide detective Harry Bosch steps in to investigate Vincent's murder, Mickey is reluctant to open the dead man's files to the police. Past retirement, Bosch is world-weary and impatient, Haller an obstacle to finding Vincent's killer. To that end, Bosch reveals enough information to scare Haller into cooperating, if only to protect himself from the same fate as the hapless Vincent.
This is a taut, perfectly paced tale, an escalating murder trial with a continuing threat that keeps Mickey off balance as the two men, detective and attorney, dance awkwardly around the issues that divide them. Neither wants to reveal too much to the other, yet Bosch needs Haller for answers and Haller needs Bosch for the questions that may ultimately save his life. Connelly skillfully provides an intimate look into the workings of the Los Angeles Criminal Courthouse, the judges, assistants, prosecutors and internal machinations of the criminal justice system. With implied menace and over-the-top personalities, this is a legal page-turner that is unpredictable and entertaining. An unlikely pair, Bosch and Haller are a curious team, their constant sparring failing to obscure a grudging friendship. Luan Gaines/ 2008.
Book Review: Not Everyone Lies
Summary: 5 Stars
Connelly's Detective Bosch is an uncommonly well developed and explored character. It stands to reason that our author having described the world from Bosch's view, the best way for the reader to deepen his experience of Bosch is to see him interact with other characters without being privy to his thoughts and intents. An interesting gambit; for Bosch has placed Mr. Connelly in the upper echelons of this genre and it is a brave author who places his franchise in a supporting role. I am heartened to see that Mr. Connelly remains no less a moralist than Bosch's namesake painter, who sought to portray a clear difference between good and evil, innocence and sin, through his art.
Yet despite all the fun with the hugely enjoyable plot and characters, The Brass Verdict contains a much more sobering message. Our system of justice is as fallible as the people who make it run. The opening page is a classic: it contains truth that I intend to utilize in my own legal practice when I attempt to persuade my clients that the Courtroom is the last place to resort for a decision--much better to settle if you can. Yet despite the lies and ugliness of the "real" world, however encumbered we may be by societal expectations, rules, laws and even our own desires, we remain free to determine our own contribution and to participate in the building of a perfectly just society.
We take our system for granted. We take the protection of police for granted. We take the impartiality of juries for granted. We take the honesty of witnesses and judges for granted. But what else can we do? Unless we adhere to the fiction of the "whole truth and nothing but the truth" it all falls apart. Unless we choose to believe in the potential for a better world and then act upon that belief, we remain helpless victims--Mr. Connelly admirably points out that we must each be accountable, that private decisions will ultimately have a most public consequence.
One of the strongest themes in Mr. Connolly's works is the power of family and friendships. His characters learn the hard way to value their children. His books reward loyalty and goodness. In a world that is prepared to throw out the concept of truth as a childish fiction more appropriate to the good old days when people went to Sunday School, Mr. Connelly uses his talents to remind us that truth remains and that goodness is its own reward; he cautions us that we disregard truth at our peril and for that he deserves our respect.
Highly Recommended
Book Review: Michael Connelly Still Has It
Summary: 5 Stars
Bravo! While I wouldn't rank this as Michael Connelly's most intricately plotted novel, it is certainly one of the most satisfying. The ending hints of future collaborations between the Mickey Haller and Harry Bosch characters - I would love to see more of this! The verbal repartees between the two was really fun to read, both of them being really good at what they do. I loved his usual jabs at the deficiencies in our legal system and the media - Court TV with a celebrity expert witness to boot!
I guess you can call this an introductory novel that reveals the relationship between these two characters, and how being in opposite sides of the justice system can make for a very interesting and entertaining read. Now throw in Jack McEvoy (in the upcoming novel 'The Scarecrow') from the media side, and you have a triumvirate of the most unforgettable and exciting crime fiction characters ever created!
It is also a cleverly written novel; by keeping Bosch in the background and only showing how he can be such a pain on the side of Haller accomplishing his objectives, and giving him a one dimensional characterization - was the exact intent of the novel. Afterall, Bosch has had 13 other novels to his credit and is a pretty well developed character on his own. Fans and long time reader of the Michael Connelly knows he has a knack for subtly (or not so) inserting references in his novels to main or supporting characters from his previous novels (Cassie Black from 'Void Moon', Jack McEvoy and Rachel Walling from 'The Poet', Terry McCaleb from 'Blood Work', who I felt by the way, was killed off too soon).
Warning: If you haven't read the book, don't read any further.
My only complaint about this novel was the somewhat loose end he presented about the Elliot and Albrecht murders. I also think it was somewhat improbable that they were committed by the Rilzs. There were no indication whatsoever early on in the novel that Rilz's family was involved in any criminal activities, violent or otherwise. For them to have shipped or smuggled weapons to the U.S. indicates premeditation. They only found out about the defense intention to "drag Johan through the mud for a week" later on in the trial. The fact that they looked "angry and mean" and had menacing looks do not make them capable of a double murder. There weren't enough back story to explain why or how they could carry out the crime.
But overall an excellent and thoroughly enjoyable read!
Book Review: A masterful mystery
Summary: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (11/08)
When you start any of Michael Connelly's books, you better make sure that the rest of your schedule has been cleared for the day. Once you start, there is little - with the exception of a hurricane, fire or an earthquake - that will persuade you to put it down. From the first sentence to the last, the book pulls you like a strong undercurrent. The tension is palpable. You hold your breath till it hurts. Every sentence hits. Most of them hit hard. The story doesn't just move you, it sucks you in. The characters are brilliantly drawn. The situations - no matter how outrageous - are still believable. Every word matters. When a book is written by a master story teller, it shows.
Take these two short excerpts, which are very high on my list of totally brilliant lines:
"Everybody lies.
Cops lie. Lawyers lie. Witnesses lie. The victims lie.
A trial is a contest of lies."
"Everybody lies.
Cops lie. Lawyers lie. Clients lie. Even jurors lie."
There you have it in a nutshell. When you forget about all of the fantastic twists and turns - of which there truly are many - those five lines, those twenty-nine words condense the essence of the book better than any drawn-out description ever could. But if you are really curious about the story, I'll give you a brief description. Mickey Haller, a defense attorney, inherited all of his deceased colleague's cases. Jerry Vincent met an untimely demise, and the authorities, represented by detective Hieronymus Bosch, are pretty certain one of his clients had him killed. Mickey Haller, together with his investigator Cisco and office manager Lorna, tries to reconstruct Jerry's agenda, since some of his files as well as his laptop are missing. Mickey starts meeting the potential clients, of which the most famous - and maybe the riskiest one - is a movie mogul, Walter Elliot. Walter has been accused of killing his wife, Mitzi, and her lover, Johan Rilz; but he refuses to admit his guilt. The trial gets under way, and surprises never cease.
For those readers who have read any of the Michael Connelly's books featuring Mickey Haller or Hieronymus Bosch, "The Brass Verdict" brings in an extra bonus twist. Trust me, you will not be disappointed. If this is your first time "meeting" Michael Connelly, get ready for a superbly written mystery, with a tight and super swift plot, engaging characters and flawless language.
Book Review: Brilliant with Haller and Harry Bosch
Summary: 5 Stars
Michael Connelly's 'The Brass Verdict' is, in my opinion, an amazing feat. First, let me confess that I am not a huge fan of 'lawyer' novels. That aside, I read Connelly's 'The Lincoln Lawyer' last year and was completely bowled over. With super tight plotting and no obscure judicial rumblings, Connelly deftly sliced and diced his way through a gripping tale. Now with his new book, 'The Brass Verdict', I am standing up cheering for more... yeah, you heard right. And I'm the reader who doesn't like lawyer books!
His main character, Counselor Mickey Haller is twice divorced but not bitter; likable in a principled way but willing to bend the rules and finally, he's kind of a wuss when it comes down to violence and sometimes it does come down to violence. All the supporting characters like his ex-wives, his investigator friend and even his chauffeur read like real people who help drive the plot forward, not just clichés who hang like drapes in the background.
His villains have been done before but, but what villains haven't? At least they ring true in the context of the story and there are always a few clever red herrings or plot twists scattered throughout, plus a few classic OMGs at the end. However, in The Brass Verdict, there's another unique twist: Harry Bosch, Connelly's stalwart hero in a dozen previous books, shows up as the head detective investigating a studio mogul's wife's murder. What is unusual is that we see a completely new Harry Bosch through Haller's eyes, and believe me, it's not one we've seen before, what with the "flat, cold eyes" and a nasty bag of tricks he uses to try and trick Haller into betraying the hallowed lawyer/client privilege. Things get even edgier when Haller's little girl wants to know why he always trys to get the bad guys out of jail, something all of us sometimes wonder about defense attorneys. There are also subplots of FBI subterfuge, mafia involvement, surfer hijinks but thankfully, no gooey love story tagged on to appease the dewy-eyed reader.
Indeed, there are a lot of courtroom scenes in this book, but they dovetail nicely into the plot and Haller's superb first person narrative plants you firmly at the defense table with all the info you need to have a pleasant and not overly taxing read. I think the verdict's clearly in - grab The Lincoln Lawyer first, read it, then go out and buy The Brass Verdict. You won't regret it.