Comment

Apr 06, 2021FirstAmendment rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Michael Connelly was one of my favorite authors. I've read all of his printed works. Sadly, he's been on a downward trajectory for a while. Perhaps he's bored, perhaps his financial success and hobnobbing with Hollywood folks is a factor. Increasingly, his works include left-coast political tripe that isn't relevant to the story. "The Law of Innocence" continues that, with numerous swipes at Trump and conservatives. These comments will likely look dumber in the bright light of history and hindsight and likely are going to cost him many readers. For example, in the jury selection process (Haller is on trial for murder and serving as his own defense counsel), the lead character Mickey Haller is relieved when a prospective juror makes it to the jury (though she evidently had provided financial support to an anti-American Marxist organization). Then, Haller works to exclude another prospective juror based on her race, Christian faith, Trump bumper sticker and because her soldier-husband was killed in Iraq 16 years before (so obviously, she couldn't be trusted to fairly serve on a jury); from Page 265, "an indicator that truthfulness was not an important part of her framework....She had to go." This is just one example; there are other swipes that sound like soundbites from a cable "news" hack. Except for these unnecessary elements, this novel was slightly better than some of his other recent novels and it might have made it to a 4 star rating without this bilge. Perhaps Connelly is less bored with the Lincoln Lawyer (Mickey Haller) character than he is with the character who made him rich and successful (Harry Bosch).