The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly

In this 2005 book, Michael “Mickey” Haller is the Lincoln Lawyer, so named because he mostly works out of the backseat of his Lincoln Town Car, not an office. He’s in the car as he moves from one courthouse to another in the LA area, always defending the downtrodden and the underprivileged. But, Mickey is no fool. He’s also looking out for the big case, the “franchise” defendant that can pay his “A” fees and who will make his life so much more comfortable. He has been married and divorced twice, both times to lawyers, and both of them still love him. This is really a great plot as he takes on the defense of Louis Ross Roulet, a man accused of attempting to rape and murder a hooker, but who is then linked to other murders. In the midst of the investigation of the attempted murder, Haller’s investigator is murdered. The court room drama is as good as any that I have read. The story is complex as Connelly includes both of Haller’s former wives, his 8 yo daughter, a jailhouse snitch, Roulet’s mother and family attorney, and others. This was a great story and there are great plot twists near the end of the book. I had a hard time putting this one down.