“’You
know, lawyers have all sorts of nicknames for things, including juries. We call
you people the ‘gods of guilt.’ Not in any sort of disrespect for religion or
faith. But because that is what you are. You sit here and you decide who is guilty
and who is not. Who goes free and who does not. It is a lofty and yet weighty
burden. To make such a difficult decision you must have all the facts. You must
have the whole and true story. You must have the proper interpretation of the
story.’” (p.377)
For defense lawyer Michael Haller it began in November just after he came out of a case where he pushed the boundaries quite a bit. In his new case a man named Andre La Cosse sits in men’s central of the Los Angeles Jail having been arrested for the murder of a woman named Giselle Dallinger. She was 36 and found dead in her apartment after firefighters put out a fire that was apparently ignited in order to hide the homicide. Andre La Cosse is a suspect because, among other things including a recent altercation with the victim he was a modern day pimp as he took care of her website and bookings and received a percentage of her earnings.
But, as Haller digs into the case he soon learns
that Giselle Dallinger used to work under another name. Her real name has huge significance
to him for a variety of reasons. Haller had thought he had helped her get out
of the life and off somewhere doing better things. She wasn’t, but she had told
Andre about Haller and said he was the one to help you needed it. Andre needs
help and lots of it in a complex case that will tragically cost more lives
before it shockingly ends in court.
This latest book in the series is another good one. Old
cases and the quilt that goes with them has long been a theme in the Harry
Bosch series since the beginning. That same theme of an old case and
guilt is very much present here along with the usual angles of greed and human
frailty. The result is a complex read working on many levels and containing one
major shock that this reader never saw coming. Suffice it to say The
Gods Of Guilt: A Lincoln Lawyer Novel is mighty good and absolutely
well worth your time.
The Gods Of Guilt: A Lincoln Lawyer Novel
Michael
Connelly
Little,
Brown and Company (Hachette Book Group)
December
2013
ISBN#
978-0-316-06949-6
Large
Print Hardback (also available in regular print, e-book, and audio formats)
600
Pages
$30.00
Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano Texas
Public Library System for my use in an objective review.
During the course of working on this review I came across a very interesting article where Michael Connelly goes into how he develops a book and his routine. The interview is here if you are interested in learning more about the author and his books. For us writer types it is a very interesting piece.
During the course of working on this review I came across a very interesting article where Michael Connelly goes into how he develops a book and his routine. The interview is here if you are interested in learning more about the author and his books. For us writer types it is a very interesting piece.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2014
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