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235 of 244 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Nothing seemed to move in a straight line.", October 5, 2010
This review is from: The Reversal (Hardcover)
Michael Connelly brings together criminal defense attorney Michael (Mickey) Haller and his half-brother, the cynical and battle-scarred LAPD Detective Harry Bosch, in "The Reversal." Mickey calls himself "the defender of the damned," a job he has had for over twenty years. "During that time," he states, "I'd grown a suspicion and distrust of prosecutors and police...." Still, the L. A. District Attorney convinces Mickey to go over to the dark side as an independent special prosecutor in the second trial of Jason Jessup. The defendant has already spent twenty-four years in San Quentin for abducting and strangling twelve-year-old Melissa Landy. Over the last two decades, Jessup filed numerous motions and appeals while steadfastly proclaiming his innocence. Much to his delight, the California Supreme Court reversed his conviction and sent the case back to Los Angeles County "for either retrial or dismissal of the charges." Against his better judgment, Mickey agrees to take the case, partly because it will give him an opportunity to work with his ex-wife, deputy district attorney Maggie McPherson, and Harry Bosch, who will be their investigator.
Jessup has a groundswell of support from the liberal media and an organization of lawyers known as the Genetic Justice Project. Although the physical evidence against Jessup may be a bit shaky, Melissa's sister, Sarah, who was thirteen when the murder occurred, vehemently stands by her eyewitness identification of Jessup as Melissa's abductor. However, Sarah has a history of drug abuse and run-ins with the law which the defense will undoubtedly exploit in an attempt to discredit her.
This is one of Connelly's most suspenseful and involving legal thrillers in years. It has incisive and realistic dialogue, compelling courtroom scenes, well-drawn characters, and a carefully constructed plot. Fascinating details about surveillance, trial strategy, forensics, and police procedure add to the book's verisimilitude. The only false note is that when Mickey is on the scene, he is the first-person narrator, but otherwise, Connelly writes in the third person. This is slightly jarring; Connelly might have been better off sticking to the third person throughout, especially since Haller, McPherson, and Bosch all share the spotlight. Another familiar face is FBI profiler Rachel Walling, who makes a strong cameo appearance when Bosch requests her analysis of Jessup's behavior. Harry stands out as the person most invested in nailing Jessup, partly because Harry has sole responsibility for his fourteen-year-old daughter whom he adores, and partly because he has worked tirelessly on hundreds of homicides during his thirty-five year career as a cop. He is passionate about finding the bad guys and putting them away so that they cannot do any more damage.
In "The Reversal," the author effectively shows how politics and public opinion influence the legal process; how the stress of trying a high-profile case can lead to mistakes in judgment; and the importance of always being prepared for the unexpected. Readers who crave a feel-good ending may balk at the novel's disquieting finale. Others may find Connelly's conclusion thought-provoking, daring, and original. It certainly demonstrates the ways in which life's vicissitudes and the capriciousness of fate can undermine the search for truth and pervert the course of justice.
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82 of 90 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
In a Perfect World, October 5, 2010
This review is from: The Reversal (Hardcover)
I like Michael Connolly's writing. Detective Harry Bosch is among the leading characters of the genre, having been developed over the course of many novels; however, in Reversal, Bosch becomes part of an ensemble cast, his becomes a supporting role. Reversal's protagonist is Mickey Haller, a veteran of two prior books--a character not yet nearly as completely drawn and therefore lacking the complexity of Detective Bosch. The story of the re-trial of a child murderer, the reversal of whose conviction gives its name to the tale, Reversal has as much to say about the importance of good police work as the nature of justice as served by our legal system.
This is a legal fantasy novel. Sure, the author has researched his stuff and he is (largely) correct on the procedure but it comes together in a way that only happens in fiction. No explanations here because that would spoil the read, however, I note that Connolly anticipates incredulity by offering it up through other characters in the story. Law lends itself to fiction because it allows for a life and death drama to be played out in a systematic fashion--most of us have been jurors, after all. Being a lawyer, albeit a civil lawyer, perhaps I am only noticing that which has been apparent to police detectives throughout the Bosch series--real life is never so neatly resolved. Reversal represents a confluence of a number of rare events, a combination of events not often encountered in the singular much less the plurality evident in this story. But I cannot blame the author for introducing fantastic elements because the twists and turns of actual litigation are often far less believable than the plot created by an imaginative author; you can't fault Connolly for coming up with a fantastic story because, for example, who would believe the OJ story if we hadn't lived through it.
Connolly refrains, thankfully, from the moral ambiguity that is the hallmark of other authors. His is still a world of honest cops and ethical lawyers--though his characters are aware of and note the boundaries of ethics, Connolly's drama is played out by what happens to the ostensible bad guy and our author does not spare characters who cross ethical lines from the consequences of their actions.
I enjoyed Reversal, reading it was time well spent with an author now so skilled that he can make serious effort look easy. The only problem is that one must judge Reversal against other Connolly books and because so much effort has been put into developing Harry Bosch's character, Haller's journey does not yet produce as much interest. The characters in this book do not really have quite the same internal struggles as in Connolly's other novels--but this is merely a quibble because Haller is a newer character lacking the backstory of Bosch. The book was worth every penny, a good read by a fine author.
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79 of 95 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not that great, October 12, 2010
This review is from: The Reversal (Hardcover)
Probably like most of us as we get older and have a family, Harry Bosch is slowing down. Michael Connolly certainly is. This story is long on procedure and short on mystery. Harry, his half-brother, his half-brother's ex-wife, and the two daughters just don't have the edginess of the early characters. This story is very predictable and lacks complexity. Unpredictability and complexity is what made the earlier books so much fun. I think Mr. Connolly should consider putting out books as he crafts a good story vs. once a year according to his publisher's schedule. Having said that, I will admit that it was hard to put down. On the other hand, most of Connolly's early work was impossible to put down. My advice - wait for the paperback or check it out from the library.
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