The Lincoln Lawyer

By: Michael Connelly

Narrated by: Adam Grupper

The best-selling legal thriller - and CBS TV series - has charismatic defense attorney Mickey Haller taking on a slam-dunk court case involving a Beverly Hills playboy - but as it spirals into a nightmare, he finds himself in a fight for his life.

Mickey Haller is a Lincoln Lawyer, a criminal defense attorney who operates out of the backseat of his Lincoln Town Car, traveling between the far-flung courthouses of Los Angeles to defend clients of every kind. Bikers, con artists, drunk drivers, drug dealers - they're all on Mickey Haller's client list. For him, the law is rarely about guilt or innocence, it's about negotiation and manipulation. Sometimes it's even about justice.

A Beverly Hills playboy arrested for attacking a woman he picked up in a bar chooses Haller to defend him, and Mickey has his first high-paying client in years. It is a defense attorney's dream, what they call a franchise case. And as the evidence stacks up, Haller comes to believe this may be the easiest case of his career. Then someone close to him is murdered and Haller discovers that his search for innocence has brought him face-to-face with evil as pure as a flame.

To escape without being burned, he must deploy every tactic, feint, and instinct in his arsenal - this time to save his own life.

©2005 Hieronymus, Inc. All Rights Reserved (P)2005 Time Warner AudioBooks

Critic reviews

• 2005 Publishers Weekly Listen Up Award, Mystery/Thriller

"A fast-paced, unpredictable ride." (Bookmarks Magazine)

"[The Lincoln Lawyer] has all the right stuff: a sinuous plot, crisp dialogue, and a roster of reprehensible characters." (Booklist, starred review)

Van Nuys Law

If you are wondering how much Michael Connelly’s 2005 book “The Lincoln Lawyer” is like the 2011 movie starring Matthew McConaughey, skip this review. I can’t tell you. I haven’t seen the movie - yet. It is in my Netflix queue.


If you want to know how true Connelly’s book is to Los Angeles county in general, and Van Nuys in particular (where the trial is set), read on. Connelly makes the Van Nuys Government Complex, which has always seemed to a tragically designed modern concrete fortress fighting an encroaching seedy commercial district of auto repair shops, pawn brokers and bail bondsman, into an inviting and vibrant public square. His description of the nearby canyons is spot-on, and so is the freeways.


At one of my first appearances as an attorney, I saw Leslie Abramson, who was defending Lyle and Eric Menendez, furiously smoking a cigarette in front of one of the Van Nuys courthouses, pacing back and forth in a powder blue suit and heels. At the time, I didn’t understand Abramson’s decision to defend the pale, mole-like brothers I’d glimpsed once, in shackles, who were accused of murdering their wealthy parents.


Connelly’s book gave me some insight into why criminal defense attorneys do what they do. A lot of what Mickey Haller, Connelly’s protagonist does, can be chalked up as “plausible deniability”, or “deliberate ignorance.” Haller doesn’t live easily with either. However, he’s more than comfortable paying off bail bondsmen and court clerks for referrals, and running various money making scams with a coterie of low lifes.


Haller’s the stereotypical ‘scum sucking bottom dweller’, until his wealthy client, Louis Roulet, makes him rethink what he’s doing.


The day I saw Abramson in Van Nuys, she did something that took real nerve and courage at the time, and I admired her for it: she wasn‘t wearing pantyhose. Abramson, like Connelly’s Haller, was taking a stand. She flaunted convention. Abramson was doing it her way, as Haller does in “The Lincoln Lawyer”.

The plot was really very engaging, and I didn’t know Haller was going to resolve his situation until almost the end.

I had real fun listening to this book, especially since I know the neighborhoods and the Courts Connelly is describing. I did find one thing jarring, though: Connelly kept having his characters address the judges as “Judge.” There’s a Los Angeles Superior Court Rule of Court that instructs attorneys to address judges as “Your Honor”, and never “Sir”, “Ma’m”, or “Judge.” That was a distraction for me as an attorney, but that won’t distract a non-lawyer.

I did not really like the narration. Adam Grupper has an East Coast accent, and Haller is a native Californian.

I liked “The Lincoln Lawyer” so much that I went on a “book bender” and purchased the whole Mickey Haller series - after listening to “The Brass Verdict“ to make sure “The Lincoln Lawyer“ wasn‘t a fluke. So, this is my Mickey Haller review, 1 of 4.

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Connelly is a Can't Miss Author

I have never been disappointed with any of Connelly's novels. His research is impeccable. I love his characters and the mystery is always believable and unique.

Start of a wonderful legal thriller series

This one is from several years back in my Audible library. Meet Mickey Haller. He's a defense lawyer, one of the best. His office is his car, a Lincoln; he has two giving him a backup office just in case. His driver and bodyguard is an ex-client. There is also a girlfriend, a research assistant, and an investigator. LA super cop Harry Bosch is Mickey's half brother, same father. In the Lincoln Lawyer, Haller is enticed to change sides for a few months to act is special prosecutor to lend credibility to a very public case.

This is Book 1 in the marvelous 5 book (so far) Mickey Hallar series.

Novels do not get better than this!

Great Narrator !!!!

One of the better books I've listened to this year. Adam Grupper
really brings this story to life.

The audio equivalent of a page-turner!

My first experience with Michael Connelly but not my last! I didn't even mind traffic jams, housework or insomnia as long as I was immersed in its plot and characters. The characters are vivid, the courtroom scenes gripping and the plot twists exciting but believable. Usually when people ask me what I'm listening to, I'll just say the title of the book with perhaps a word or two of description, but with this one I was regaling my friends with details of the story and scenarios. My biggest decision now is what Connelly audiobook to listen to next.

Another great one.

Another great book by Michael Connelly. I liked the insight into the legal system. The detail was well balanced and enhanced the story without bogging the plot down. The protagonist was a very flawed individual, but Connelly did a wonderful job keeping me engaged with him and his supporting cast. I felt like the characters could have been real people. The narration was good and made for a very easy listen. I finished it in two days - could not put it down.

Great book

I tried and failed to get into an earlier Michael Connelly book but I was glad I gave this book a chance. It was great! Like the other reviewers, I didn't want to get out of my car once I got home. The narrator was good too -- I didn't think he was too fast.

A Great Listen!

As I finished this book I was hoping that the author is working on a sequel! The Lincoln Lawyer needs to be a series.........it was that good! I found myself sitting in my car not wanting to turn it off. The narrator was awesome, the charactors well developed and the story line perfect!

A fun read

Keeps your attention and entertains.

One great listen!

An amazing plot line that got better and better as the story unfolded. It was hard to put down for the last 90 minutes.

The narrator was excellent as he changeed voices with different characters.

One of the best legal/court room dramas I've listened to so far.