I'm a sucker for courtroom drama. Less so for descriptions of people reading through paperwork. ( )

In Michael Connelly novel, “Resurrection Walk,” half-brothers Harry Bosch and Mickey Haller team up to convince a judge to free Lucinda Sanz, who was convicted of killing her ex-husband, Roberto. She pled nolo contendere on the advice of her lawyer, but continues to maintain her innocence after five years behind bars. She longs to be reunited with her family, but first Mickey and Harry will have to present convincing evidence of her innocence.

Although Connelly could have put Bosch out to pasture years ago, it is refreshing to see that Harry—a tough and tenacious former homicide detective—still retains his sharp insight, honed over decades on the job. Mickey can be brash at times, but he is also compassionate, devoted to the cause of justice, and clever at using all of the tools at his disposal to achieve his goals.

Every aspect of this story works wonderfully. The plot is tight and intriguing. It involves corruption in law enforcement, gang violence, threats and intimidation, and an engrossing trial in which the momentum shifts frequently, leaving us uncertain about the outcome. The characters are well-drawn, and Connelly enthralls us with fascinating testimony in which an expert witness recreates a shooting, using a new and sophisticated computer program. With “Resurrection Walk,” Michael Connelly reinforces his status as an author who consistently produces high-quality police procedurals and legal thrillers. ( )

I listened to this book in the car; that week was an excellent journey to and from work. The Lincoln Lawyer suddenly receives all these cases from people who are claiming to be innocent. So, he asked Harry Bosch to investigate. Haller and Bosch is an excellent character combination, it's fun, but honest. This might be a story, but you can recognise the similarities between fact and fiction. The story was well thought through. Having Titus back was the icing on the cake for me.

Audiobook version.

https://marcjohnstone.com/writer/ ( )

Anytime Michael Connelly puts the Lincoln Lawyer( Micky Haller) and ex LPD Detective Harry Bosch together in a novel, you're in for an exciting page turning book. Resurrection Walk is no exception. Haller along with Bosch are out to right a miscarriage of Justice for Lucinda Sanz who has been charged with the murder of he Husband Deputy Roberto Sanz. Can the two find the neeedle in the hay stack that will set Lucinda free after serving five years in prison? ( )

Resurrection Walk, Michael Connelly, author; Christine Lakin, Peter Giles, Titus Welliver, narrators
Connelly rarely disappoints and this 7th book in the Lincoln Lawyer series is no exception. My two favorite characters team up to bring justice to innocent people behind bars. Mickey Haller is The Lincoln Lawyer, and Harry Bosch is a retired police detective who works for him now. Although one works to defend criminals and one used to capture them, they get along well. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case with Mickey’s ex-wife, however, since Maggie was a prosecutor who worked to jail those Mickey, a defense lawyer, worked to free.
Harry and Mickey are half-brothers. Harry has an aggressive form of cancer and needed insurance in order to participate in a study at UCLA that might impact his disease. Mickey provides that as a perk when he employs him as an investigator. Harry searches through the letters from potential clients. He is looking for those that Mickey might defend, who truly might be wrongfully convicted. The cases are often pro bono, but sometimes the civil suits afterward, for wrongful conviction, are very lucrative. The pro bono work is far from it. It is sad that one side is against the other side, when they are only exposing the flaws in the system. If the flaws are real, and the system is corrupt, it seems to me that both prosecutors and defense lawyers should be on the same team, wanting the innocent to remain free and only the guilty to be incarcerated.
The book opens with one of Mickey’s clients finally doing what Mickey calls “the resurrection walk”, the walk to freedom. His innocence was proven and the charges were reversed. When Harry brings Mickey another client to review, the case concerning Lucinda Sands, Mickey agrees with Harry’s assessment. The woman is in prison for the murder of her husband in a fit of rage. However, the evidence, investigation, and legal representation seemed to leave a lot to be desired. The background and the court case seemed flawed and was compelling. They believe her conviction is in question.
As Mickey and Harry work to prove her innocence, one wonders if those who are really guilty of the crime will ever be brought to justice. Sometimes, the arrogance of the judge, adhering to the letter of the law, prevents the truth and the facts from being exposed. It is frustrating, not only for the reader, but also for Mickey Haller as he mounts Lucinda’s defense and is thwarted by injustice, rather than justice, prevailing. The original prosecution had been tainted, but it is hard to prove it, five years later. Who determines what counts as new evidence when it is presented? The novel may make one wonder about how many other innocent people are behind bars because of technicalities and the manipulation of evidence and facts. Sometimes the sentences simply cannot be reversed because of the rules of presenting evidence, even though it proves the person’s innocence. They remain guilty in the eyes of the judge because of the technicalities. Information is stricken from the record even when it is definitely exculpatory.
So should the judge be the be-all end-all when the facts are so obvious, but the rules’ book won’t allow them to be aired. Shouldn’t there be some leeway regarding the presentation of evidence so that it is acceptable if it is the actual representation of the truth. The judge’s rulings gave Mickey pause, and he wound up doing his own “resurrection walk” at the end, but to where, the reader is unsure.
Until the very end, the book was really a five-star endeavor, but certain scenes in which the judge held Mickey in contempt, when her own behavior seemed contemptible, turned me off a little. If a judge is more concerned about how she is treated, than the guilt or innocence of the plaintiff, in what could be a wrongful conviction case, it means the system is very flawed. I hope that in a more perfect world, it would not take so long to present the facts, nor would a convoluted approach to justice have to be created in order to do it. ( )