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What a pleasure it is to read another of Michael Connelly's books. To be able to hold something that immediately grabs one is a great treat and to have a novel that features both Harry Bosch and Mickey Haller within the same covers is an unexpected bonus. As every crime fiction aficionado is aware, Mickey Haller is a defence lawyer and a darned good one. It is unusual -- in fact, unheard of -- for the District Attorney to take him out to lunch. At that lunch, a proposition is put to him. How would he like to work, temporarily, for the Office of the DA. Jason Jessup had been found guilty of the murder of a child,Melissa Landy two and a half decades previously but DNA evidence, found on the victim's dress, now pointed in the direction of a family member and this new evidence is enough to have Jessup released and a new trial scheduled. The political angles are such that the Attorney General cannot go after Jessup, even though the authorities are convinced of Jessup's guilt, hence the lunch invitation to Micky. Haller accepts, on condition he can choose his own investigator and second chair -- his half-brother Harry Bosch and his ex-wife Maggie McPherson. The initial press conference establishes that Mickey sees the case as his case and that any deals the AG might have with the media are superseded. Mickey puts his stamp on all future events connected with the case -- which, of course, does not make him terribly popular with those who are normally opposed to him. Both Haller and Bosch have daughters of approximately the same age as Jessup's previous victim. Circumstances that come to light during the preparation for the trial indicate a possibility that the murderer might have designs on one or both of the children. This is a gut-wrenching narrative indeed. The detailing of crimes and threats against children penetrates the armour of both the fictional characters and readers alike. Who of us, who are parents, could read about such threats and remain unmoved? The characterisation of the piece is very strong, except, perhaps, that of the murderer himself, since Connelly does not venture inside that head. The grown-up sister of the murder victim is particularly well done. Initially, her life had been ruined and she went into a downward spiral but redeemed herself and is determined to help in the prosecution of the killer, whom she had seen when he abducted her sister. Bosch and Haller are equally well depicted, both as parents and in their professional roles. There is not much mystery in the tale, since the identity of the killer is never in doubt, only with regard some of his possible future actions -- and the outcome of his retrial. All told, this is an involving book. It grabs the reader from the first page and never lets go. Connelly's work should be read by all aspiring crime fiction authors as a template for their own efforts. § Denise Pickles has been reviewing for RTE for many years. She lives in Australia.
Reviewed by Denise Pickles, October 2010
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