Mickey Haller leaves the bar after celebrating a victory when he is pulled over. He has been a non-drinker for years and thinks the cop is just harassing him. However, his license plate is missing. Then the officer noticed something leaking from the trunk of the car. It's blood. The Mickey refused permission to open the trunk, the officer did so and discovered a body. Mickey finds himself in jail and charged with the murder of a former client. Though everyone on his team and all his family are certain he has been framed, the prosecution case is strong. The victim was shot in Mickey's garage at a time when he was clearly home. Though familiar with the saying that a lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client, Mickey elects to defend himself. This is no easy task while incarcerated. Luckily, he has his team doing the legwork outside and even his half-brother Harry Bosch is on the case. To make matters worse, Covid-19 is a top story and jail guards have started wearing masks. Can Mickey beat the charges by placing the blame on another party? Can he overcome the multiple roadblocks that Prosecutor 'Deathrow' Dana Berg keeps placing in front of him? Even if he can win the trial, can he escape being viewed as a murderer who got away with it? He wants his innocence confirmed, not merely a not guilty verdict.
A very tense thriller that gives Mickey the experience that all his clients have suffered. Another excellent story from Michael Connelly. Though Bosch appears, his part is limited and it feels like he wasn't that much help. This is something of a Best of Haller story in that so many characters from previous novels return. Also, for a lawyer, Mickey gets beat up a lot. In one novel, he was driven off the road, an accident that killed his driver. In another, he was severely beaten. Mickey finds himself in the hospital a lot. Who knew the life of a defense attorney was so dangerous?
Highly recommended.
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