Book Review - The Brass Verdict

The Brass Verdict


Michael Connelly

547 Pages

The Brass Verdict takes two different cases and weaves them together. This book also intertwines two of Connelly’s major characters – Mickey Haller, defense lawyer, and Harry Bosch, long time detective. Bosch has been the star of 14 Connelly books and this is Haller’s second. However, you do not need to have read any prior books to enjoy this one.

Mickey Haller has taken a year off of being a high ranked independent defense attorney. He is thrown back into the mix when another defense attorney, Jerry Vincent, is murdered. Haller is immediately given Vincent’s entire practice and all of his cases. If that wasn’t enough he is also interrogated by long time veteran detective Harry Bosch in the murder case of Vincent. The story takes you through the murder trial of Haller’s brand new client, movie producer Walter Elliott, and all the connections of the Vincent investigation. It has a lot of twists and turns and keeps you riveted throughout it all.

A few years ago my father, my main book club partner, started to greatly enjoy the Harry Bosch series. I tried to read one, Echo Park, and found it good but just didn’t overall thrill me. Later, another one of my friends, Craig, got the Connelly bug as well. A few months ago Craig gave me “The Lincoln Lawyer” to read. I put it to the side and continued reading my teen vampire books. Finally, I picked it up and I was not disappointed. “The Lincoln Lawyer” is the first book to introduce Haller. I read it in about a day, I believe. It was fast paced, interesting, thrilling and believable. I was very excited to learn that there was another one, The Brass Verdict.

I read this one again in about a day. I love my legal thrillers and this one captured both my love of Grisham lawyer thrillers with Patterson’s Alex Cross detective thrillers. Bosch is featured but the main focus is Haller, with a very interesting character twist at the very end. I have definitely caught the Connelly bug and will begin the Bosch novels from the beginning.