Ticket 2 Ride

Michael Connelly gives us a rare treat: The Lincoln Lawyer, and retired LAPD detective Harry Bosch, team up on a case.

“But nothing could ever beat the resurrection walk — when the manacles come off and the last metal doors slide open like the gates of heaven, and a man or woman declared innocent walks into the waiting arms of family, resurrected in life and the law. There is no better feeling in the world than being with that family and knowing you were the one who made it so.”

Resurrection Walk (2023, Little, Brown and Company) takes us inside one major case, proving that a Lucinda Sanz, who previously accepted a nolo contendere plea, who has served five years in prison, did not commit the crime. Mickey Haller, known as The Lincoln Lawyer, agreed to take on this case pro bono, with the stipulation that that he be retained as her attorney in all future legal actions stemming from this case, specifically action against the Sheriff’s Department, District Attorney and other parties. Still, this effort to prove her innocence is a risky one, as it could reopen the case and a possible guilty conviction.

“Going to the prison had been the right call. Seeing her in person, hearing her voice and watching her eyes, made all the difference. She became more than a person at the center of a legal case to me. She became real, and in the sincerity of her words I sensed the truth. I sensed that she might be that rarest of all creatures: an innocent client.”

Enter Harry Bosch, Haller’s half-brother, who for the better part of the past year has been working as Haller’s investigator. Bosch had proclaimed for years that he’d never work for a defense attorney. So what happened? Cancer happened. Bosch needed health insurance and Haller could provide it, and participation in a clinical trial at UCLA, so Bosch joined up. It was his belief for the Sanz’s innocence that helped convince Haller to take her case.

I have read most of the Lincoln Lawyer books and all of the Harry Bosch books, and I dare say this might be Connelly’s best book yet. Connelly is an excellent procedural writer, he lays out his case, whether it is a police case or a legal case, and takes the reader through it, step by step. Of course there are surprises and pivots as new developments arise, but you follow the thinking along the way. Both the Bosch books and The Lincoln Lawyer books have been adapted for television. The Lincoln Lawyer was also a 2011 feature film starring Matthew McConaughey. Reference to the film also seeps into the recent books.

Trying to establish the Sanz’s innocence is a Hail Mary because she did accept a plea, so Haller must prove her innocence, taking the case to federal court, where he has much less experience. Going to federal court is a tactical move for the purpose of using federal jurisdiction to enforce subpoenas and remove potential local law enforcement meddling. Connelly ratchets up the stakes and challenges for Haller, even until the final pages, the reader hangs wondering how it will end.

If you have read other Lincoln Lawyer books, you know the character and showy and slight of hand he can be. Bosch readers know how no bullshit that he can be. Bosch would never do defense work, he rationalizes it as working for the truth, whichever direction it points. The two brothers make a formidable team, and they need to be on this case.

Michael Connelly is at the top of his game. I’m no lawyer, so I cannot comment on the legal maneuvers and strategy, but it certainly makes for a compelling story. Resurrection Walk is a great procedural crime novel. It was one that I put down only to sleep and take care of some responsibilities.

5/5