The Gods of Guilt
A MIckey Haller mystery
Michael Connelly
Little, Brown and Company
400 pages 2013
The Gods of Guilt is the latest Mickey Haller legal thriller by Michael Connelly. The Lincoln Lawyer takes a case that propels him along a journey to face the demons of his past and present. Kindle version: The Gods of Guilt (Mickey Haller Book 5) on Kindle
Hired to defend accused murderer Andre La Cosse, Haller discovers the odd phenomenon that it was La Cosse’s alleged victim, one Giselle Dallinger, who sang Mickey’s praises and referred La Cosse to him. Mickey discerns that the dead woman was a prostitute and former client; a special case and success story, someone he believed he had saved from her previous life.
Mickey Haller is disturbed by the revelation that for years he has been deceived about her new identity and whereabouts, and now she is dead. Could he have saved her?
Like all accused, La Cosse proclaims his innocence. Mickey Haller must prove it in court. An exceptional lawyer, but humanly flawed, to set La Cosse free he must appease the judicial gods of guilt, while dealing with the scope and depth of his own.
The beginning of the meticulous journey to piece the case together is perhaps a bit less compelling for this reader, who prefers Connelly’s Harry Bosch novels. However, information is expertly weaved together. Every detail is carefully and intentionally placed, and perfectly timed for the maximum effect. You get masterfully hooked in. By the time The Gods of Guilt is running full throttle, it has evolved into an interesting and complex novel that you can’t put down.
The courtroom scene performances are the source of real drama, where The Gods of Guilt is its most intense, revealing, and unpredictable. Mickey Haller’s strategic manoeuvring of the witnesses is no short of brilliant.
Michael Connelly is a seasoned, talented writer who expertly draws the reader into the drama that unfolds. Reveals, surprises, and shocks keep you riveted and entertained, wondering what will happen in the name of justice.
Fans of Michael Connelly and legal thrillers will definitely enjoy this book.
Other Michael Connelly / Mickey Haller mysteries reviewed here: The Brass Verdict The Fifth Witness The Reversal