Mickey Haller, the Lincoln Lawyer and his half brother Harry Bosch team up to exonerate a woman framed for the murder of her deputy sheriff ex-husband.
Lucinda Sanz’s ex-husband, Roberto, a LA County deputy sheriff, gets shot to death in her front yard after a domestic argument. Her B-grade attorney Frank Silver convinces her the state’s case is insurmountable and steers Lucinda Sanz into accepting a deal and pleading no contest to manslaughter to avoid life imprisonment even though she knows she didn’t kill her ex-husband and maintains her innocence. After spending five years in prison, she turns to Mickey Haller, the Lincoln Lawyer, for help. When Harry Bosch, again working for his half brother Mickey as an investigator, brings Sanz to his attention, Haller knows reversing a nolo contendere plea is as hard as scaling El Capitan. But once he and Bosch interview Sanz in prison, they come away believing she is innocent and against the odds, Haller begins building a federal habeas corpus case leading to some shocking revelations.
I knew I would get around to reading Resurrection Walk eventually, but I confess I am much more a fan of Connelly’s Harry Bosch novels than I am of the Lincoln Lawyer series, so I put it off. But I was in a bookstore this week, picked up a copy and got started. What I got was a pleasant surprise. Having read every Michael Connelly novel, I think this may be one of his best ever, and that’s saying a lot. First, this book is as much about Bosch as it is about Mickey Haller. I think it’s just about even and even Connelly’s newest major cop character, LAPD detective Renée Ballard, puts in an appearance as does Bosch’s LAPD daughter, Maddie. It all combines for an explosive mix of legal thriller and police procedural. Yes, there’s plenty of the Lincoln Lawyer’s usual dramatic, high octane courtroom brilliance. But Harry contributes just as much to the case and the story, with his investigative chops honed over forty years with the LAPD, mostly as a homicide investigator. There are plenty of surprising twists and suspense galore.
Lincoln Lawyer and Bosch fans alike won’t want to miss this one. Despite thirty-plus years in the business, Connelly never fails to impress. I didn’t stop turning the pages after reading the first one until I finished the book.
Little, Brown and Company released Resurrection Walk on October 31, 2023. I purchased the copy used for this review, which represents my honest opinions.
Book rating: ★★★★★