The Fifth Witness by Michael ConnellyMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Jacket Blurb: Mickey Haller has fallen on tough times. He expands his business into foreclosure defense, only to see one of his clients accused of killing the banker she blames for trying to take away her home.
Mickey puts his team into high gear to exonerate Lisa Trammel, even though the evidence and his own suspicions tell him his client is guilty. Soon after he learns that the victim had black market dealings of his own, Haller is assaulted, too--and he's certain he's on the right trail.
Despite the danger and uncertainty, Haller mounts the best defense of his career in a trial where the last surprise comes after the verdict is in.
Read as an audio book.
The thing with the Mickey Haller books, is they are thrillers not in the sense of guns a-blazing, cars blowing up, and high speed chases, but they are courtroom thrillers or drama if you will. Granted, I'm going on the assumption that *most* lawyers don't get beat up and shot as much as Mickey does.
This book left me a bit stunned, waffling between thinking this was absolutely brilliant or totally contrived. I'm leaning toward brilliant with a touch of contrived as I cogitate this review.
Premise is Micky Haller's foreclosure client Lisa Trammel is being framed for the murder of Mitchel Bonderant, President of Westland Bank. This becomes pure courtroom drama, as Haller battles it out with the prosecutor, Andrea Freeman in front of the judge and jury. Haller's team pulls together tendrils of evidence and weaves together a convincing story how Lisa has been framed. Mickey's performance is no less than brilliant as he ripostes and parries the prosecutions evidence and witness interviews.
But it's Haller's new assistant, Jennifer, who brings a moral edge to what the defense is doing. Its almost as if she's asking the morality questions that Haller has long since forgotten or chosen to ignore. He's flippant and arrogant in his responses, until it comes to bit him in the ass. Hard.
Outside of court, Mikey continues his efforts to woo Maggie "McFierce", his ex-wife, prosecutor, and mother to his daughter Hailey. I get the strong impression Maggie is just stringing Haller along because it amuses her.
Two different battles. Three different outcomes. Go read the book.
Recommended if you've read the Bosch/Haller series.
View all my reviews
No comments:
Post a Comment