reviews

The Lincoln Lawyer

"Michael Connelly is as fully at home in the world of a criminal defense lawyer as he has always been in the realm of investigators and cops. All the qualities that have deservedly brought him a legion of readers are on display again here: brisk pacing, clever twists, artful writing and an atmosphere of complete authority on every page. Another terrific book from a terrific writer."
— Scott Turow, author

"Veteran bestseller Connelly enters the crowded legal thriller field with flash and panache. ...After Connelly spends the book's first half involving the reader in Mickey's complex world, he thrusts his hero in the middle of two high-stakes duels, against the state and his own client, for heart-stopping twists and topflight storytelling."
— Publishers Weekly, *Starred Review

"Fresh from returning Harry Bosch to the LAPD with The Closers (2005), veteran crime novelist Connelly offers intrigue and bracing twists in his first legal thriller. ...Connelly gets the legal details and maneuvers just right and Haller is a great character — world weary but funny and likable — he's never met an angle he couldn't play or a corner he couldn't cut. Contains everything readers have come to expect from powerhouse Connelly. Bonus: Additional installments hold the intriguing possibility of one day seeing Bosch and Haller together on the streets of L.A."
— Kirkus Reviews

"Harry Bosch is the hard-boiled, world-weary cop at the center of many of Michael Connelly's crime novels. He is tough, brooding and dogged, an appealing noir character. So Harry has always looked like a hard act to follow. He'll look that way until Monday, when "The Lincoln Lawyer" introduces the bottom-feeding attorney Mickey Haller to Mr. Connelly's devotees. ...He's as hot a franchise as any mystery writer could hope for. ...The book is haunted by Mickey's worst nightmare: the thought of having to defend an innocent man. He starts out without the foggiest idea of what to do with someone like that. But by the end of the story an Honest Abe conscience has begun to kick in. That's when Mickey becomes a Connelly character through and through."
— Janet Maslin, New York Times

"The Lincoln in question is one of a fleet in which Mickey Haller rides while doing business on the sleazier side of L.A. law. What's amazing about Michael Connelly is how much he continues to learn about the art of narrative from book to book. Each one is better than the last. And this one is — pardon me — a real Cadillac."
— Stephen King, Entertainment Weekly, Best Books of 2005

" Beware of picking up Michael Connelly's "The Lincoln Lawyer." You won't want to put it down until you've navigated its rapids to the end. ...Entangled in Haller's imbroglios, you'll find yourself reading far into the night. That's the trouble with this book: It grips and holds."
— Eugen Weber, Los Angeles Times

"Is there nothing Michael Connelly can't do? After taking ownership of police procedurals with his Harry Bosch series, Connelly tries his hand at a Scott Turow-style legal thriller. And he nails it. ...Connelly's work has it all -- sharply drawn, engaging characters, snappy dialogue and a plot that moves like a shot of Red Bull. As with Turow, he also understands that a good legal thriller is primarily about the law, not lawyers acting like crime-fighters. It's amazing how many authors seem to forget that."
—David Lazarus, San Francisco Chronicle

"A first class thriller with an appealing sleazy new star."
— Daily Telegraph (Sydney)

"Connelly spins another believable story with many interesting angles."
— Herald Sun (Melbourne)

"He plots with precision. He tells the story with an economy that keeps you hooked. His themes are contemporary and he asks ethical questions that linger after the story is over. No wonder Michael Connelly is top of the tree when it comes to crime novels."
— The Courier Mail (Brisbane)

"And while it's the taut plot that keeps you in it's grip, the bigger issues about crime and justice - and degrees of criminality - take the book beyond being about just catching the crim. Connelly is not afraid to explore all the grey areas in the world of law."
— The Sunday Telegraph (Sydney)

"Classic Connelly - trim, taut, terrific."
— The Melbourne Age

"A thunderingly gripping story - I hope we see more of Mickey. "
— Good Reading Magazine (4 star review)

The Lincoln Lawyer made the following Best Of Lists:

Sydney Morning Herald, Best Books of 2005
USA Today, Best Whodunit of 2005
Amazon.com, Best Books of 2005, Top 10 Editors' Picks: Mystery & Thrillers
People Magazine, 10 Great Reads, 2005
Entertainment Weekly. Stephen King's Favorites of 2005
Chicago Tribune, "Best of 2005" Mysteries & Thrillers
London Mirror, Thriller of the Year
The Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Allan Poe Award, Nominee for Best Novel of 2005
2005 Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist (Mystery/Thriller Category)
The Richard & Judy Show Best Read of the Year Nominee, the British Book Awards.
The Los Angeles Times Book Prize in the Mystery/Thriller Category, Nominee.
Mystery Ink's Gumshoe Award for Best Thriller of 2005, Nominee.
The Crime Writers' Association's Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award, Nominee.
The Mystery Readers International's Macavity Award for Best Novel, Nominee.
The Private Eye Writers of America's Shamus Award for Best P.I. Novel, Nominee.