Book Review: The Gods of Guilt

You got to give it to Michael Connelly for even after all these years he manages to come up with an entertaining well-written thriller, and a legal thriller at that, a genre he began exploring recently starting with The Lincoln Lawyer featuring Harry Bosch's half-brother Mickey Haller. The Gods of Guilt, the fifth in the series, proves once again why Connelly is here to stay and give stiff competition to John Grisham!

The Gods of Guilt

Mickey Haller, a struggling defense attorney (but well-known following the release of the movie) fresh from losing a bid to become the Los Angeles DA, is desperate for money when a murder case lands on his lap. Accustomed to defending accused criminals, a 'gray area' that has cost his relationship with his 14-year old daughter Hayley, Haller is convinced for once he's defending an innocent man.

An online call girl has been found murdered in her home, and to Haller's surprise, she turns out to be one of his own former clients Glory Days, whom he successfully rescued from the clutches of law eight years ago. The accused is her digital pimp Andre La Cosse who swears by his innocence. But with tight circumstantial evidence against La Cosse, Haller gets a chance to play it right, to recompense for the 'guilt' of letting murderers off the hook and reunite with his daughter.

There is a particular scene when Haller, nicknamed 'the Lincoln Lawyer' because of his preference for working out of his Lincoln Town car, briefly encounters Harry Bosch in the courtroom:
"... We should try to get the girls together again."
"Sure."
We had daughters the same age. But his apparently still talked to him on a regular basis. After all, he put bad people in jail. I got them out.

The dichotomy of Connelly's two protagonists notwithstanding, his latest thriller is a riveting read from start to finish. The compelling courtroom suspense drama is well-constructed and the climax, albeit a bit overdrawn, ties up all the loose-ends fairly well. Connelly's standout aspect has always been the characters, so vibrantly drawn that it makes you care about them, teaching you things which you might never otherwise experience in your life. If there was one thing I didn't like, it has got to be the romantic diversion which, while important, adds nothing of value to the story. Michael Connelly delivers a crackling good read with The Gods of Guilt; you won't be disappointed!