A jaded lawyer is drawn into a case that will cost him the life of a close friend and force him to push the limits of the law to get justice. Mickey Haller should be the happiest lawyer in Los Angeles. He was made famous when his life was used as the basis for the movie "The Lincoln Lawyer," and he has a thriving business and loyal staff. But Mickey Haller is a defense lawyer who represents some of the worst criminals in Los Angeles and that fact has cost him a wife, a relationship with his daughter and the respect of many of his colleagues. And things aren't getting any better for him. He's asked to represent Andre La Cosse, a man accused of murdering professional escort Giselle Dallinger. La Cosse requested Haller because Giselle had once told him Haller was the best person to call in a jam. It isn't until he talks to La Cosse that Haller realizes Dallinger was really Gloria Dayton, a former client and someone Haller had tried to help out.
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At first Haller and his staff aren't convinced of Andre's innocence, but then they begin realizing that some parts of the prosecution's case don't make sense. Then Haller is served as a subpena related to the case that he worked on for Gloria Dayton. A Mexican drug cartel head claims he was framed by Dayton, who hid a gun under his pillow before his arrest. He believes Haller had knowledge of it, and he and his lawyer are looking for answers. As the La Cosse trial gets closer, Haller learns that Dayton didd plant the gun, but that she did it for James Marco, a DEA agent who had been blackmailing her. As Haller digs for more info on Marco, bad things begin to happen. His offices are bugged and his car is run off the road, killing his longtime driver Earl. Haller suspects Marco is behind the moves, but isn't sure he can prove it.
He realizes that Marco needs an inside person in this case and his team realizes that it must be a retired detective named Lankford, who is now working for the prosecution team. They set a trap for the two, including a name in the defense witness list that both men will recognize. It's the witness for a case both Marco and Lankford worked and they become desperate and a little careless. Marco and Lankford try to plant evidence in the man's house, not realizing it was all caught on video. When confronted with the video just before he is scheduled to testify, Lankford testifies against Marco and that is enough to get the prosecution to drop the murder charge against La Cosse. Lankford is arrested, Marco is later tortured and kill by the cartel and Mickey Haller walks away with a big paycheck.
Best part of story, including ending:
The best part of the story was Mickey Haller's growing realization that he needed to get past the guilt he felt about what he does and some of the people he's worked for. He comes to realize that doing that is the only way he'll ever repair the relationship with his daughter.
Best scene in story:
One of my favorite scenes is the one in which Mickey Haller is watching his daughter play soccer from a nearby hilltop, because she doesn't want to see him and yet he needs to know how she's doing.
Opinion about the main character:
Mickey Haller is a great character not so much because of his legal skills, but because of his flaws. His personal flaws have destroyed the relationship with his wife and daughter and his legal flaws can have horrible consequences. But still, he keeps plowing along, trying to do the best he can.
