He Fought the Law (The Lincoln Lawyer - Michael Connelly)

Member Name: samueltyler

Product:	The Lincoln Lawyer - Michael Connelly
Date:	03/09/09 (55 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Pacy thriller, courtroom sections well written

Disadvantages: Adds too many silly thrills, one character is unbelievable

There is one name that is above all when it comes to the modern courtroom thriller. The likes of Steve Martini whisper the name in quiet corners as they poke voodoo dolls stamped with his visage. This is a man who has produced what is essentially the same book once a year for 20 years and sells them by the millions. To make other authors even more jealous many of his novels have been adapted into insufferable films that make even crown green bowling seems exciting. This man is called John Grisham. If all his books that are currently residing in charity shops were stacked on end we could forgo a new space shuttle and instead traverse this tower to the moon. No one in their right mind would put to one side their own successful series of novels to take on the might of the Grisalator? One man's sanity is about to be questioned - step forward Michael Connelly.

Mickey Heller is a mid range defence lawyer who specialises in repeat customers who invariably get into to trouble through drugs. Like all defence lawyers he craves a franchise client - the name given to someone you can charge a lot to and keep them on retainer for a long time. His dream may just come true when rich socialite Louis Roulet asks for his services. Roulet is accused of the beating and attempted murder of a woman and it is Heller's job to get him off. As a rule a client's innocence is not important to Heller, but there is something about Roulet that makes him worrisome. What happens when the courtroom drama spills out onto the streets?

In my initial paragraph I was a little harsh on John Grisham as I have read a few of his books. Although not the greatest author he does write solid thrillers that you can read in a short space of time. Michael Connelly could arguably be put in the same category, but I would call this unfair. Connelly also writes crime thrillers, but he writes them with an earthiness and pace that Grisham can only dream of (perhaps hinting at with 'A Time to Kill' so many years ago). Connelly is a step up from Grisham in terms of writing skill and so his taking on of the king of the courts may just work.

And to an extent it does! 'The Lincoln' lawyer is a great thriller. However, it is perhaps in the style of Grisham, more than the style of Connelly. On a positive note the thrills and spills are excellent. Connelly constructs a coherent narrative that has the reader wondering until the end. The tension that builds up around Heller and Roulet is great and makes the book a page turner. In my opinion it is the non-thrill sections of the book that shine. Connelly has taken a dry courtroom and made it into a great read. I enjoyed myself most when Heller was in the court and doing his job, or he was out of the court and working the system to his benefit. I would have gladly have read a book just about the US court system if Connelly wrote it as well as this.

It is the characters themselves that are the only reservation I have with the book. Heller himself is another excellent creation; a flawed man, he is as much an annoyance as anything. However, Connelly imbues him with enough humility and self doubt that he comes across as charismatic and likeable. It is the character of Roulet that somewhat undermines the book. Although not the deepest of books the courtroom elements and behind the scenes investigations all seem truthful and well researched. Why then is Roulet such a nutter? The threats to Heller did not ring true as any defence lawyer worth his salt would have backed off or told the police immediately. The need to include a fast thrill ride at times undermined the rest of the book which was an interesting take on the US legal system.

With the sole inclusion of the character Louis Roulet, Michael Connelly has moved his book from his usual high standard to the airport fiction that Grisham produces. This in itself is not a bad thing as I do read easy thrillers and enjoy them. However, in this case you feel that you are reading a methodically researched courtroom drama only for it to be repeatedly interrupted by cheap thrills. The thrills are effective and do give the book a pacy feel, but are slightly at odds with the rest of the narrative. Is it better than Grisham? Yes, it is better than all but the very top books by that author. Is it as good as Connelly's Bosch books? Not quite, but an average Connelly is still better than many author's best.

Author: Michael Connelly
Year: 2005
Price: amazon uk - £4.79
play.com - £5.99

Summary: Connelly takes on Grisham - and wins