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Aug 03, 2015wyenotgo rated this title 1.5 out of 5 stars
Reading this book, I was immediately struck by the similarity between it and any of the books I've read by David Hosp, such as "Among Thieves". The main protagonist in both cases is a lawyer, working primarily on the gritty edges of the field, defending clients who vary from unsavory to apparently beyond hope, some of whom are unable to pay for his services. In the course of their duties, both men come up against ruthless and often powerful adversaries -- on both sides of the law. So there's a "formula" to this kind of fiction and for those who enjoy it, myself included, it can be light, diversionary reading. And Connelly has taken the trouble to learn a lot about criminal law and construct an interesting plot that moves along well. Such books are, of necessity plot driven. But the element that sets the best of this genre apart from the mediocre is the author's ability to make his/her characters real, engaging and a bit complex. Connelly tries to do this with his protagonist Mick Haller by touching on Haller's failed marriage and his attempts to maintain a relationship with his daughter, along with his struggle with a load of guilt for past failings. But in the end, Connelly doesn't come close to what David Hosp accomplishes in his series of books about Scott Finn. Most disappointing of all is the way Connelly treats Haller's relationship with the former prostitute Kendall Roberts, which has no credibility at all. Both writers surround their main protagonist with a small team of more or less stock characters (the partner with "muscle", the girl Friday etc.) but Hosp does a far better job of it, constructing characters who have a real life and become people we learn to care about. Connelly has written and published a great number of books. Good for him, but I think I'll spend my time with David Hosp.