The Brass Verdict: A Novel

Things are finally looking up for defense attorney Mickey Haller. After two years of wrong turns, Haller is back in the courtroom. When Hollywood lawyer Jerry Vincent is murdered, Haller inherits his biggest case yet: the defense of Walter Elliott, a prominent studio executive accused of murdering his wife and her lover. But as Haller prepares for the case that could launch him into the big time, he learns that Vincent's killer may be coming for him next. Enter Harry Bosch. Determined to find Vincent's killer, he is not opposed to using Haller as bait. But as danger mounts and the stakes rise, these two loners realize their only choice is to work together. Bringing together Michael Connelly's two most popular characters, The Brass Verdict is sure to be his biggest book yet. From Publishers Weekly Arguably this country's best crime yarn spinner, Connelly has not only concocted an extremely clever plot for the second novel featuring Lincoln lawyer Mickey Haller, he has included his longtime series hero Harry Bosch as a supporting player in the who- and whydunit. The one less-than-perfect ingredient on this audio version is its reader, who, unlike former Connelly interpreters Len Carriou or Dick Hill, is not quite able to match the author's noir mood naturally. Peter Giles, an actor who has appeared in enough TV detective episodes to know better, starts off trying much too hard to sound hard-boiled. Haller is a lawyer, not Mike Hammer. But as the tricky tale plays out, with Haller and Bosch on the hunt for a homicidal jury manipulator, Giles tones down the toughness and settles in on a smartly paced and considerably more satisfying delivery. A Little, Brown hardcover (Reviews, Aug. 18). (Oct.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From Bookmarks Magazine Critics were pleased to see two of Michael Connelly's protagonists—the relatively new Mickey Haller and world-weary homicide detective Harry Bosch—come together for the first time. They agreed that while this union of sorts could have been cliched, it succeeded for the most part by adding a new layer—the evolution of a relationship forged by protagonists of different series—to Connelly's oeuvre. Haller's presence adds a lighter tone to the story, which balances Bosch's darker, more ruminative outlook. Both play against each other nicely as Connelly writes at once a police procedural and a captivating legal thriller. The Washington Post called The Brass Verdict primarily entertainment, with deeper undertones—just right for Connelly fans. Copyright 2008 Bookmarks Publishing LLC