The Law of Innocence is an awesome novel written by Michael Connelly. The book was originally published on November 10, 2020.
“He Never Thought in a Million Years That He Would Be a Murderer”
The Law of Innocence
The following are the prominent characters in the book.
- Maggie McFierce – Ex-Wife
- Harry Bosch – Half brother
- Harley – Daughter
- Kendall – Ex-girlfriend
- Jennifer, Cisco, and Lorna – Legal Team
- Death Row Dana- Prosecutor
- Bambadjan Bishop – Jail inmate & protector
First, I am going to show my utmost excitement for Michael Connolly’s new book “The Law of Innocence”. I have always been a fan of the work of Michael Connelly; especially the character of Mickey Haller, who is the center of most of his novels.
The best part is he is the main character of this novel as well. But this time he is not back as a defendant of some cases. Rather, this time he is back with a murder charge on himself.
“Not in a million years, he would have thought of being accused of murder!”
The Law of Innocence
I will not go into too many details. As this is a book review, so I will not give any more spoilers!!!!
The Law of Innocence: Book Review
This is a crime suspense novel, just like the other works of Michael Connelly. But this time it is not someone else who is accused of being a murderer. This time it is Mickey himself. Soon after he wins another biggest case, Mickey celebrates with the other lawyers at their usual celebration place. Mickey heads toward home to have a peaceful sleep. But little did he know his urge to have a good night’s sleep is going to be the biggest nightmare!
On the night of the celebration, he is pulled over by a police officer, who finds the body of his former client in the car’s trunk. First, the officer notes that Haller’s license plate is missing. Then he points out a fluid leaking from the trunk area. Getting out of the Lincoln, Mickey confirms his vanity plate is MIA. Then comes a more concerning issue; that blood is dripping from his rear bumper, pooling on the pavement below.
Haller tries to play his lawyer trick and the rights of citizens. However, officer Milton is sure that something is not right. Upon opening the car trunk and seeing a dead body, Haller is immediately charged with murder. So, his whole life is upside down! He knows he is innocent. But, all the proofs are against him. An exorbitant amount of $5 million bail has been slapped on him by the vindictive judge.
Mickey elects himself to be his own defense. With the team, he is all set to fight for himself. But wait? Is being in jail that easier? From day one he faces a constant fear of attack from his inmates; which how he deals with is spectacular and you must read the novel to know it!
With all the odds not in his favor, Mickey is all set to defend himself! He is losing weight and motivation. Only he knows he is not guilty! But how he will move forward? This is when Halley thinks of his father saying,
“Act like a winner and you will become a winner”.
The Law of Innocence
With the prosecution led by Dana also known as Death Row, the challenges for Halley are not getting any lesser. Although there are thousands of people against Haller, there are a few who showed their loyalty to him. You will see a lot of familiar faces popping up in the novel; if you have read previous novels by Michael Connelly. With all these accusations, speedy trials, and as more Mickey digs into the issue the more it gets tangled up. The situation worsens when the FBI becomes part of the whole murder scene!
I will drop the further discussion right here and will let you read the whole novel on your own!
Final Verdict
To be honest, I have been a huge fan of Michael Connelly. But this time I felt that he wrote the novel sitting in lockdown due to COVID-19.
There are so many loopholes. A few characters are so weak that you think even such people do exist or not? I hate Kendall (Mickey’s ex-girlfriend). Right now, a man is charged with murder, and all the lady cares for is ‘hey I need your time’; seriously lady?
Secondly, I knew from the start what was going to happen next. It is not my mistake as I am a Sherlock fan, but hey why the story is so obvious?
The worst part is the prosecutor (Dana) who is introduced so strongly in the novel. Her stance in the overall novel is nothing but weak!
The novel has other loopholes, which I would leave to the readers to explore.
I have been Michael’s fan and this time he has disappointed me!
However, I really liked the fact that Michael explained some legal processes and terms that could have been hard for the reader to decipher.
Overall, it is a good read. Your ideas and views can differ from mine. Do let me know in the comments what you think of it!
Book Rating: 3/5
Favorite Quote from the Book
“The law of innocence is unwritten,” he says: “It’s not a true legal term, can’t be argued in a court of law, and doesn’t exist on the books.” “In the law of innocence, for every man not guilty of a crime, there is a man out there who is. And to prove true innocence, the guilty man must be found and exposed to the world.”
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