The Law of Innocence, by Michael Connelly

The Book

    Mickey Haller spends a night out celebrating a win. On his way home, he gets pulled over by the cops, supposedly because he is missing his rear license plate. When the cop searches his trunk when fluid is spotted leaking out of it, the dead body of Sam Scales, a former client, is found. Mickey is promptly arrested and thrown into the county jail to await trial. Mickey, doesn't want to wait, so he digs into his bag of lawyer tricks to push his case forward towards the trial. He knows he didn't kill Sam, and his team rallies around him, including his ex-wives Lorna Taylor and Maggie McPherson. Bosch goes to so far as to provide Mickey bail money with the help of another former client, Andre La Cosse, the pimp from Gods of Guilt. Turns out Andre has made a killing in crypto currency off of the wrongful detainment suit Mickey filed. He's super rich now, and offers to help out Mickey any way he can. Mickey reluctantly takes both of their help. 

    Just as Mickey begins to get a grasp on who may of framed him for Sam's murder, his key witness turns up dead--executed by the mob. The FBI is willing to let Mickey go down for it, but they hadn't counted on his ability to work the judge, jury and court of public opinion. They know Mickey is innocent, but they don't know how to let him go without blowing their case. What they don't know, is there's an even bigger killer out there, and it's just a matter of time until they all have to confront it. Because March 2020 is headed their way. As we all know, COVID-19 won't spare anyone. 

My Thoughts

    This book released in November of 2020. By dating it carefully so that the trial happens at the last possible moment before COVID hits the fan, Connelly is able to add an element of urgency to the story. It's the best use of the pandemic in fiction that I've seen to date. I even used it in a novella I wrote at the same time Connelly was doing edits on this book. I have the distinct feeling that he had to add in the COVID elements at the last minute. But it doesn't show in the story. 

    I liked the way Mickey and team advance in their jobs. Mickey's character is growing by leaps and bounds. I can't wait for Hayley to be old enough to be a baby lawyer in this universe. She's beginning to be interesting. And for everything else, Maggie is a compelling character. 

How Much My Library Card Saved Me

    This book is a first edition that entered my library on Nov 18, 2020. It was easy to hold this book open and doesn't have that new book crackle. The pages are smudge free, with no ink, pencil or other markings on them. It would seem everyone who read the book as done as I have, and used a bookmarker. The story is 421 pages long. I don't know if the additions for the COVID made the book longer than usual, but something did. This is one of the longest, if not the longest Connelly book I have read to date. The book cost $29.00

This Book                               $29.00

This Summer                        $680.83

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