Publisher: Allen & Unwin Australia (Trade Paperback – 31 October 2023)
Series: Mickey Haller/Lincoln Lawyer – Book Seven
Length: 407 pages
My Rating 5 out of 5 stars
Acclaimed crime fiction author Michael Connelly returns with another outstanding and captivating read, Resurrection Walk, a clever and impressive legal thriller featuring two of Connelly’s best characters.
Gosh it has been a very good few years for fans of crime fiction author Michael Connelly. Not only have we got two fantastic television adaptations currently going, but Connelly has been producing several great books across his multiple subseries. Most of these books were part of his Ballard and Bosch series, with excellent novels like Dark Sacred Night, The Night Fire (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2019), The Dark Hours (one of my favourite books of 2021) and Desert Star (one of my favourite books of 2022), and he has also released a cool book from his fantastic Jack McEvoy series with Fair Warning (one of my favourite books of 2020). Each of these novels has been excellent in its own way, but for the best Connelly fun nothing beats a Mickey Haller novel.
The Mickey Haller series, also known as the Lincoln Lawyer books, follow Mickey Haller, an infamous and effective defence attorney in L.A who got his nickname, “the Lincoln Lawyer” by working out of a Lincoln town car. Known for intricate cases, elaborate court scenes and fantastic legal shenanigans, the Mickey Haller books are always a ton of fun and I love both the books and its current television adaption. Connelly’s last Mickey Haller book came out in 2020 with The Law of Innocence, and I was very happy to find out that he was releasing a new one this year with Resurrection Walk. Resurrection Walk was one of my most anticipated books of 2023, especially as it featured a great plot and fantastic team-up between Haller and Connelly’s best-known protagonist, Harry Bosch.
Following a successful case that freed an innocent man from prison, defence attorney Mickey Haller has gotten a taste for hopeless cases and is now working on helping those unfairly convicted of crimes they didn’t commit. Hiring his half-brother, retired detective Harry Bosch to vet the various requests for help being sent to him, Haller hopes that he can do a little good alongside his usual controversial legal practice. However, the first case that Bosch picks might be the most dangerous.
Several years ago, Lucinda Sanz was accused of killing her sheriff’s deputy ex-husband in front of her house, a crime she always claimed she was innocent of. Reading through her case, Bosch is convinced that there is far more to the murder than the files indicate, especially when he discovers evidence that the victim was part of a notorious police gang. Convincing Haller to take on Lucinda’s case, the pair begin to investigate further and begin the process of having her conviction appealed.
However, proving Lucinda’s innocence is no easy task, especially with substantial evidence proclaiming her guilt, a police force closing ranks against them, and no new witnesses willing to come forward. Worse, there are many people who don’t want Lucinda’s case re-opened, and soon Bosch and Haller find themselves being threatened on all fronts. With determined legal opponents facing them in the court and dangerous foes waiting for them at home, can even the Haller-Bosch dream team uncover the truth and save their client?
Connelly does it again with an outstanding and deeply addictive read that had me hooked from the very beginning. Expertly bringing together two of his best characters into an intense and clever legal thriller, Resurrection Walk is an amazing book, and it was probably one of my favourite Connelly reads from the last few years.
Resurrection Walk has a brilliant story around it that sees the characters of Haller and Bosch teaming up to try and get an innocent woman out of prison. While billed as a Lincoln Lawyer novel, the plot of Resurrection Walk is split between Bosch and Haller, with both characters working on the case from their own unique perspectives. Connelly dives into the fantastic story of Resurrection Walk quickly, effectively setting up the primary case, while also including some intriguing minor side cases and the compelling personal issues of the two protagonists. While a couple of the side cases and adventures at the start of the book do seem a little unnecessary in the context of the main plot, I quite enjoyed them, and Connelly does tie a couple of them back into the story in some compelling ways.
The main plot itself is extremely fun as it cleverly builds on Haller and Bosch’s existing character arcs, while also presenting the reader with a unique case. Haller and Bosch working to free a woman who pled no contest to a murder charge was always going to be a recipe for success, and Connelly turns it into gold with his writing. The author breaks the story perfectly down the middle between Haller and Bosch, and the combination of an intriguing investigation arc and Haller’s entertaining legal manoeuvrings was a ton of fun. There were also some intriguing thriller elements as the two protagonists are targeted by parties interested in stopping their investigation, which really ensures the reader gets more invested in the story. The start of the book deals with the initial investigations into their client’s claims and coming up with a game plan for a potential appeal. This proved to be a fascinating and vital part of the book as it expertly introduced a lot of the salient points to the reader while also quickly indicating that there are a ton of anomalies at play.
I really liked that Connelly took his time getting to the trial, and it helped to set up anticipation for the legal shenanigans to come. The trial in question takes up most of the second half of the novel, and it proved to be the best part of the entire novel as it brings together a lot of the story threads that Connelly previously set up. By the time you get to it, the reader is pretty invested in Lucinda Sanz’s story of innocence, and you want to see her triumph over the system that oppressed her. It also helped that Connelly was presenting a unique legal case in this book as Haller goes federal and sues the State of California with a habeas petition to try and overturn his client’s decision to plead out a murder they were framed for. This results in a very different game plan for Haller, and the resulting trial goes in some very interesting directions. Connelly really keeps the reader on their feet during the trial, and there is a blazing back and forth between Haller and his opposition, especially when both start playing some dirty tricks. Both sides have victories and defeats, and I liked how Connelly kept the reader in constant suspense, as you were never certain which way the case was going to go. Haller of course puts in his typical over-the-top and unconventional legal strategies, which throws the case in some interesting directions and leaves the reader very entertained at times. It was especially fun when some of them backfire on him, and the reminder that the protagonist isn’t legally invulnerable was a great part of the plot.
Everything leads up to a big conclusion which wraps up the plot in an interesting way. While I liked elements of the finale, I did think that Connelly got there a little suddenly, and it kind of messed up the overall flow of the book. I also wasn’t the biggest fan of the fact that the major event that sealed the deal occurred outside of the courtroom, and I honestly would have preferred some form of elaborate legal tactic to save the day. Still, there are some great moments at the end, especially when Haller uses a few more tricks to make things go his way, minus some funny legal repercussions, but it was a generally satisfying ending that I deeply enjoyed.
Connelly did a wonderful job writing Resurrection Walk, and I loved how well he set out the story. I deeply appreciated how there was some real authenticity in the various legal elements of this book, from the unique trial, the boundless prep-work, and the other vital work involved in the process. Connelly also broaches some interesting concepts during the trial, including AI generated crime scene renderings, which was fascinating, even if it didn’t always go the way you hoped it would. This book has a wonderful pace to it, especially during the intense and moving trial sequences, and I loved how invested I got in events, including those associated with the main case, and the personal lives of the two dynamic protagonists. Connelly has a lot of experience of inserting his main protagonist, Harry Bosch, into other protagonists’ stories, and I think that he was a strong inclusion in Resurrection Walk as an equal protagonist to tell an outstanding story. There is an equal balance of storylines and actions between the two, and I deeply appreciated the different tenses that the author uses depending on who the perspective character is, especially as the first-person perspective is perfect for Haller and his ego, while the third-person perspective fits Bosch’s quieter personality better. This, and other elements, ensured Resurrection Walk’s narrative really popped, and Connelly amazing writing helped to turn this into an amazing read.
I mentioned how well the author switched between these two well-established protagonists, but Resurrection Walk also had some awesome character dynamics and arcs that added to the overall impact of the plot. Both Haller and Bosch have been going through some intriguing ongoing storylines for several of their last appearances, and it was great to see some resolution or continuation of it here. Haller, for example, has been trying to come to terms with what he wants to do as a lawyer as he has been having a certain amount of dissatisfaction with being a defence attorney for the city’s scum. Bosch, on the other hand, has been slowly (ever so slowly) dying of cancer for the last few books, and his work with Haller in Resurrection Walk is due to Haller getting him on his insurance. However, this raises even more issues for Bosch, as he, a former cop, is now working for a defence attorney, and he finds himself on the other end of the law process as a result. This results in some intriguing and tense interactions between the two protagonists, especially as these brothers have different interpretations of the law, and it was really fascinating to see them come at the same case from very different angles. Tension, inner drama, and other personal concerns added some excellent emotional weight to Resurrection Walk’s plot, and I really enjoyed seeing these protagonists in action, especially as there is a certain amount of respect gained between them as the case proceeds. The author handles both characters extremely well in Resurrection Walk, and while I am a little dissatisfied that Connelly seems to be backing away from Bosch being on death’s door (an experimental treatment is making him better), both of Connelly’s amazing and iconic protagonist have an amazing time in this book and their collaboration was pure gold.
Michael Connelly once again produces one of the best crime fiction books of the year with the exciting legal thriller Resurrection Walk. This is a captivating and powerful novel that combines a fascinating and intense legal case with two fan favourite characters to produce an exceptional and awesome read. I powered through Resurrection Walk in no time at all, and it ended up getting an easy five-star rating from me. One of my favourite books of the year, I cannot recommend the clever, moving, and highly addictive Resurrection Walk enough.
The Unseen Library 