A View from the Back Seat: Reviewing The Lincoln Lawyer
As a dedicated thriller reader, I’m always looking for a story that grabs me from page one. The Lincoln Lawyer was my second foray into Michael Connelly’s work, and I picked it up specifically because my book club chose it for our January selection. Much like the mixed feedback I’ve heard from other readers, my own feelings about the book are a bit of a “mixed bag.”
The story follows Mickey Haller, a defense attorney who famously operates out of the back of his car. Haller is a cynical protagonist; he isn’t driven by justice or innocence, but by the fame and fortune a high-profile trial can provide. This worldview is challenged when he takes on the case of Louis Roulet.
I’ll be honest: I found the story a bit slow to get into. The first third of the book is heavily focused on Haller’s various smaller cases, and I often wondered when things would pick up. At times, the overlapping legal threads became a little confusing, and there is still one aspect of the plot I’m puzzled by (though I won’t say what to avoid spoilers!).
However, about a third of the way in, a major twist is thrown into the mix and the momentum finally shifts. By the end, I found it difficult to put down, and the finale caught me completely by surprise.
While I didn’t always agree with Mickey’s values, I really liked him as a character. He and the supporting cast—particularly his ex-wives—were very well-developed. Overall, it wasn’t “awesome,” but it was a solid read. Since the group picked this one, I’ll wait to see if they want to continue the series; if they do, I’ll give the next one a shot. Otherwise, this might be a “one and done” for me.
