Product Description

Defence lawyer Mickey Haller has had some problems but now he's put all that behind him and is ready to resume his career. Then another lawyer, Vincent, dies, and Haller gets an unexpected windfall: he inherits all Vincent's clients - putting his stalled career back on track at a stroke. Not only that, but Vincent had taken on a high profile and potentially lucrative murder case. It'll be a trial that promises big fees and an even bigger place in the media spotlight - and if Mickey can win against the odds, he'd really be back in the big leagues. The only problem is the detective handling the case - a certain Harry Bosch - is convinced the killer must be one of Vincent's clients. Suddenly Mickey is faced with the biggest challenge of his career: how to successfully defend a client who might just be planning to murder him.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1640 in Books
• Published on: 2009-06-10
• Released on: 2009-06-10
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 608 pages

Review
'the real thrill of this compulsive procedural will be seeing the author's two greatest characters united for the first time' (TIMES )

'Connelly ratchets up the tension and delivers twist-filled coutroom scenes.' (Simon Shaw MAIL ON SUNDAY )

About the Author
A former police reporter for the LOS ANGELES TIMES, Michael Connelly is the author of thirteen acclaimed Harry Bosch thrillers and several other bestselling novels. He lives in Tampa, Florida, with his wife and daughter.

Customer Reviews

Excellent
Michael Connelly has created some of the most engaging characters in detective/legal fiction and his Bosch series has consistently been well above the general mass of the genre. He has also written several one-off novels, and the last of these, The Lincoln Lawyer" featured Mickey Haller, a defence lawyer with some very "interesting" approaches to his role in the legal system.

Well, Mickey is back, as I hoped he would be, because he had the promise that his character would stand the kind of development that was given to Harry Bosch. Connelly doesn't disappoint, as we learn more and more about Haller, how he came to be a lawyer and what drives him. I have a feeling this points the way towards another long running series, and the addition of Bosch provides some fascinating possibilities.

I can't really say too much about the storyline, because I don't want to give anything away for those that haven't read it - the only thing to keep in mind is the basic premise of the tale - everybody lies. Suffice to say that this well up to Connelly's high standards. There are the usual twists, turns and misdirections, with nothing quite as it seems until the final curtain, and that shocking ending. Once you have started it, I doubt you will want to put it down until it's finished.

As to whether you can enjoy this if you haven't read the previous books, difficult to say because I have - so try to read at least "The Lincoln Lawyer" and "The Last Coyote" first so you can enjoy this to the full - you won't regret it

Haller and Bosch together in the perfect legal thriller
Two years ago I read a book by Michael Connelly called THE LINCOLN LAWYER which introduced a new character named Mickey Haller - a lawyer from LA. This was one of the best legal thrillers I had ever read, giving even John Grisham's THE FIRM and THE RUNAWAY JURY a run for their money. So when I heard that a second novel, THE BRASS VERDICT was coming out I just couldn't wait to read it. To add more to my excitement, Connelly's other main character from his most known series, Harry Bosch is also a main character in this story as well as Jack McEvoy (from his other series) who makes a couple of small appearances.

The story begins when a lawyer is murdered which means that Haller has to take over the firm and all of his active cases. The biggest case of them all is a high profile murder trial where movie producer Walter Elliott has been accused of shooting his wife and her lover after catching them together at their Malibu home. Haller believes that the murder of his fellow lawyer may well be linked to this case and Bosch is the lead investigator but for some reason is holding information back which could put Haller's life in danger.

From the opening chapter I just got so addicted to this book, literally not being able to put it down as I was so engrossed in Connelly's fluid style of writing and gripping storyline. Haller is a fantastic character that is not just interesting but very likeable - he knows that a majority of his clients are guilty but has to ignore this and the corrupt US legal system and try to do what he has to do. Also being a big fan of the Bosch books and have read them all, I found it really good how we got to see him from someone else's' point of view for a change. There are so many twists throughout the story too and many surprises that I didn't see coming at all right up until the last chapter.

This is without a doubt one of the best books Connelly has written and I loved how he has done a cross-over of his three main series (something he has done with other characters before when he had his Terry McCaleb series) again as this seems to work really well with Haller and Bosch and hope they team up again in the future.

Lawyer of Diminishing Returns
Michael Connelly is one of America's finest crimewriters. His plots are intricate but believable, and his prose is wonderfully easy to read. 'The Brass Verdict' is something like Connelley's 18th novel. It is very hard to sustain consistent high quality over such a large body of work, and this novel feels rather tired.

By Connelly's standards the plot is pedestrian and straightforward; there are none the issue driven themes, that make his earlier novels so vibrant and engaging. The twist when it comes, although not predictable, for avid readers of Connelley, delivers a disappointing sense of deja vu. If Connelley has one fault, it's that his villains tend to be cut from the same cloth. 'The Brass Verdict' is still very readable but its conclusion is underwhelming.

This is not a bad crime novel; it's just a bad Connelley novel. Many authors would give their right arm for output as good as this, but I've come to expect more. If you've not read Connelley before, then don't start here. At the very least begin with The Lincoln Lawyer) but better still pick up Blood Work or The Black Ice.