The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly

Once in a while, I indulge in cheap thrills and post a review of it in my blog.  Since The Lincoln Lawyer is currently showing in the theaters, I thought I would review this excellent thriller by Michael Connelly.   The story takes us to the City of Angels with its winding traffic jams, jaundiced skyline, and perpetual Hollywood hustle.  Our protagonist is Mickey Haller, a high-energy criminal defense attorney who uses a stable of Lincoln Continentals for an office, each one equipped with a phone, a fax, a laptop, a printer, and a pull-out desk.  You can't get any more original than that.  His clients are not the wrongly-accused but those living in the L.A.'s netherworld—pimps, pushers, hustlers and con artists—dregs of society who nonetheless have the right to legal representation.   

When the son of a wealthy Beverly Hills realtor is accused of assault, the mother hires Haller to prove his innocence.   At last, Haller acquires his first high-profile "franchise" case, a deep-pocketed client way above the lowlifes he usually represents.  The fees would tide him over for months to come and boost his reputation as a leading Hollywood defense attorney.  But as he delves deeper into the case, he discovers a convoluted web of crime and felony that reveals are darker side of his client, putting his innocence into question and Haller's own life in danger.   

The narrative is fast-paced, the descriptions of L.A. life searing in their intensity.  As the Lincoln Lawyer takes us into the belly of this urban jungle, one could almost feel the verve of the city, beating like a racing heart.

Four Stars.