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The Reversal (Mickey Haller #3)

by Michael Connelly (Goodreads Author)

4.04 of 5 stars 4.04 · rating details · 15,126 ratings · 1,409 reviews

Longtime defense attorney Mickey Haller is recruited to change stripes and prosecute the high-profile retrial of a brutal child murder. After 24 years in prison, convicted killer Jason Jessup has been exonerated by new DNA evidence. Haller is convinced Jessup is guilty, and he takes the case on the condition that he gets to choose his investigator, LAPD Detective Harry Bos...more

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Published October 5th 2010 by Little, Brown and Company (first published 2010)

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Feb 14, 2011 Jeanette rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: all-fiction, five-star-fiction, cops-and-pee-eyes, lawyer-fiction

A SINGING TELEGRAM FROM ME TO MICHAEL CONNELLY

Nobody does it better,
Makes me forget all the rest,
Nobody does it half as good as you,
Baby you're the best...

Every time I'm disappointed by some other author in the genre, it just makes me appreciate Connelly's skills all the more. He leaves all the others in the dust. I read the last 215 pages of this one all in a night. Stayed up till 2:00 a.m. No one else can make me focus like that.

This book is a Mickey Haller/Harry Bosch hybrid. It takes place...more

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May 01, 2013 Bilge Kaan Kaya rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Gününüzün çoğu sınavlar ve geri kalanıda sıçıp batırdığınız berbat sınav kağıtlarınızı düşünüp stress içinde geçiriyorsanız sakinleşmek için iyi bir Harry Bosch polisiyesi kadar güzel birşey yoktur.Hele birde Michael Connelly ustamız promosyon olarak yanınada "dışarıdan bakınca piç ama özündeiyi insan" avukat kahramanı Mickey Haller zibidisini vermişse oturup keyiften dört köşe olarak o romanı okumaktan başka çaremiz yok.

Yorumumu yazmadan önce niyetimi baştan belli edeyim kitap çok çok iyidi.Yan...more Gününüzün çoğu sınavlar ve geri kalanıda sıçıp batırdığınız berbat sınav kağıtlarınızı düşünüp stress içinde geçiriyorsanız sakinleşmek için iyi bir Harry Bosch polisiyesi kadar güzel birşey yoktur.Hele birde Michael Connelly ustamız promosyon olarak yanınada "dışarıdan bakınca piç ama özündeiyi insan" avukat kahramanı Mickey Haller zibidisini vermişse oturup keyiften dört köşe olarak o romanı okumaktan başka çaremiz yok.

Yorumumu yazmadan önce niyetimi baştan belli edeyim kitap çok çok iyidi.Yani yazdığım şey pek bir eleştiri olamayacak.Daha çok övgü niteliğinde.Yoruma başlamadan önce çok düşündüm kitabın kötü bir yönü varmı diye ama yok işte abi.Kitabın tek kötü yönün en sonunda bitecek olması.Başkada yok.Connelly öyle usta işi bir roman yazmışki hem meraktan çatlarken hemde "keşke bitmese devam etsede biz bu heyecanı sürekli yaşasak" düşüncesine kapılıyorsunuz.

Kitapta farkettiğim ilk şey diğer Connelly romanlarının aksine aşırı heyecanlı olmasıydı.Önceki Connelly romanlarına heyecansız demiyorum ama diğer Connelly romanlarında daha çok merak duygusu ön plandayken bu kitapta mahkeme salonlarında Mickey zibidisini verdiği savaşla karşı karşıyayız ve yazar öyle bir mahkeme kurgusu yaratmışki bazı yerlerde ciddi anlamda heyecandan kitabı okumaya devam bile edemedim.Tabi Mickey mahkeme salonlarının tozunu attırırken Harry Bosch'da Los Angeles'ın altını üstüne getiriyor yine.

Merak edenler varsa diye kitapta anlatıcı kişi Mickey Haller ama başkahraman yada daha ön planda olan kahraman kesinlikle Harry Bosch.Hatta Harry'nin hınzırlıkları olmasa Mickey büyük ihtimal davada gösterdiği başarının yarısını bile gösteremezdi.Harry yine bildiğimiz adam çocuk çocuk hareketler,hazır cevap kişiliği ama bunun altında yatan karanlık yönü.Connelly en iyi 2 kahramanını bu kitapta kullanarak zaten harika olan kitabını dahada mükemmel bir hale getirmiş diyebilirz.Ayrıca kitapta Mickey'in uzun süre görülüp Harry'nin hiç görünmediği bölümlerden sonra Harry'nin aniden karşıma çıktığı yerlerde yüzümde aptalca bir Bruce Willis sırıtması şeklinde mutluluk sırıtması oluşmasıda neden Harry Bosch'un en sevdiğim roman kahramanı olduğunu açıklar nitelikte.(Tabi o ağzımın yanıyla yaptığım gülüş bende Bruce Willis'teki gibi karizmatik durmadı orası ayrı.Ben daha çok yüz felci geçirmiş bi orangutana benzedim ama olsun)

Connelly bu kitapta okuyucuyu yönlendirme ustalığınında zirvesine çıkmış.Kitabın sonunda öyle zekice 2 ters köşe varki siz "bunlar gözümün önündeydi niye baştan düşünemedim aklımı sikeyim ya" gibi düşüncelere kapılıp hem heyecan dolu 430 sayfalık bir yolculuğun sonuna gelirken hemde yaşadığınız şaşkınlık ile kitaba,Connelly'e,Haller'a ve esas oğlan Harry Bosch'a duyulan büyük bir hayranlıkla Connelly'nin diğer kitaplarını okumaya koyuluyorsunuz.Benim gibi Türkçeye çevrilenlerin hepsini okumuşsanızda göt gibi kalıyorsunuz orası ayrı.Altın Kitaplar'ın en yakın zamanda The Black Box'ı,The Fifth Witness'ı,The Brass Verdict'ı çevirir.Ne biliyim bi sürü çevrilmeyen roman var çevirin işte lan.

Bizim kitaba dönecek olursak her polisiye severin okuması gereken muhteşem bir kitap.Connelly harikalar yaratmış desek yalan olmaz yani.
(Yorumları böyle bitirmeyince cidden huzursuz oluyorum öyle böyle değil.)(less)

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Jul 04, 2012 Cecilia Quick rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The end ruined this for me. It's as if the author was driving his car along on a pleasant Sunday outing, didn't watch where he was going, and drove off a cliff mid-drive. Stupid ending. Up until then, I enjoyed the book as a midrange outing for this author. I like it that Bosch and Mickey are awkwardly working their way to a relationship, and how they have many unconscious characteristics in common. I liked the premise. I have to admit, I got tired of the scenes of voir dire, although I liked ho...more

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Apr 22, 2013 Ubik 2.0 rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-e-book

Obiezione, Vostro Onore!

“La svolta” è un romanzo che al maestro Michael Connelly è riuscito male, anzi mi spingo ad affermare che, almeno nell’ambito della serie con Harry Bosch, è il peggiore dei 15 episodi finora usciti in Italia.

Innanzi tutto, esistono negli USA fior di scrittori particolarmente abili nel genere “thriller giudiziario” (i già citati Dudley Buffa o Scott Turow) e non si capisce cosa abbia spinto Connelly, dopo i più che accettabili “L’avvocato di difesa” e “La lista” che vantav...more Obiezione, Vostro Onore!

“La svolta” è un romanzo che al maestro Michael Connelly è riuscito male, anzi mi spingo ad affermare che, almeno nell’ambito della serie con Harry Bosch, è il peggiore dei 15 episodi finora usciti in Italia.

Innanzi tutto, esistono negli USA fior di scrittori particolarmente abili nel genere “thriller giudiziario” (i già citati Dudley Buffa o Scott Turow) e non si capisce cosa abbia spinto Connelly, dopo i più che accettabili “L’avvocato di difesa” e “La lista” che vantavano comunque una struttura più complessa e originale, a rilanciare scarnificando questa volta tutto il romanzo o quasi nel solo dibattito giudiziario e abbandonando temi e trame di cui è maestro.

In secondo luogo, e questa non gliela perdono al buon M.C., far lavorare Harry Bosch “in squadra” è un vero tradimento del personaggio che è un lupo solitario, portato ad affrontare e a risolvere i guai a modo suo senza risponderne a chicchessia; vederlo ridotto a un efficiente Paul Drake qualsiasi fa male al cuore e porta a sperare che nei prossimi episodi Bosch mandi a quel paese fratellastro, cognatastra, e anche le due ragazzine, le cui ansie da protezione Connelly ci poteva risparmiare (perché non funzionali al racconto a differenza di quanto accadeva in “Il respiro del drago”).

Per finire, anche come thriller giudiziario letto senza conoscerne l’autore e quindi con minori aspettative, “La svolta” non ha svolte, è un processo lineare in cui la controparte (l’imputato, il suo legale con relativa detective) fa quasi compassione per la serie di sfortunate circostanze cui va incontro, nei confronti di un terzetto avversario che è come il Dream Team.
E naturalmente (questo scherzetto di sceneggiatura C. l’ha già fatto qualche altra volta…) il finale ci deve dimostrare senza remore quanto il cattivo fosse cattivo e non solo un disgraziato malcapitato di fronte a ex-tossiche (con una carriera quasi ventennale fra cliniche mentali, carceri e centri di riabilitazione) che depongono in aula come fossero professioniste della testimonianza, garagisti dalla memoria di ferro, ecc.

In conclusione nessuna ambiguità e nessun dubbio in questo romanzo che speriamo sia solo una parentesi di deficit ispirativo, e non rappresenti invece il primo sintomo di un’incipiente Sindrome di Cornwell (Patricia).
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May 19, 2011 Chad Sayban rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: recommended

What could possibly cause lifelong defense attorney Mickey Haller to jump the isle and become a special prosecutor on a 24-year-old case? It would take nothing short of the impending release of a child murderer, Jason Jessup. With the DA’s office in shame and the public believing that DNA evidence has exonerated an innocent man, Haller makes it clear that he will do it – but only do it on his terms. Those terms include him ignoring the posturing of the political-minded district attorney as well...more What could possibly cause lifelong defense attorney Mickey Haller to jump the isle and become a special prosecutor on a 24-year-old case? It would take nothing short of the impending release of a child murderer, Jason Jessup. With the DA’s office in shame and the public believing that DNA evidence has exonerated an innocent man, Haller makes it clear that he will do it – but only do it on his terms. Those terms include him ignoring the posturing of the political-minded district attorney as well as enlisting the only two people he can trust – his half-brother LAPD Detective Harry Bosch and Mickey’s ex-wife, Assistant District Attorney Maggie McPherson. But the road won’t be easy. Between a crafty defendant, a slick, media savvy defense attorney, a no-nonsense judge and a star witness who can’t be found, Haller’s team is going to have to pull off a miracle to keep a man who they are sure will kill again from gaining his freedom.

This is Michael Connelly’s fourth installment with Mickey Haller (The Lincoln Lawyer, The Brass Verdict, Nine Dragons) and 16th featuring Harry Bosch. Even though I had not read any of Michael Connelly’s previous novels, I was immediately sucked right into the story. Connelly hits on just enough of each character’s history to keep the reader informed, but he never slows the story down. The characters truly come alive as this unlikely team tries to piece together a 24-year-old mystery and Connelly’s skillful scene setting and characterization makes for an entertaining ride. He is even able to make the stodgy innards of an arraignment courtroom interesting:

“Presiding over this anthill was Judge Malcolm Firestone, who sat with his head down and his sharp shoulders jutting up and closer to his ears with each passing year. His black robe gave them the appearance of folded wings and the overall image was one of Firestone as a vulture waiting impatiently to dine on the bloody detritus of the justice system.”

Connelly brings equal precision to the police procedures taking place under the watchful eye of Harry Bosch. Tensions flare between the half-brothers as Bosch’s pursuit of Jessup’s new life becomes personal and threatens to upset Haller’s chances of a conviction while Bosch suspects that the DA’s office is only interested in heading off a multi-million dollar civil suite at the expense of justice. I was rewarded throughout the book with subtle changes of direction rather than complete reversals, right up to the unexpected conclusion. And while the story is an exhilarating journey, it is never outlandish or contrived. Sometimes the biggest surprises were when the expected switch didn’t happen. It is a lesson to aspiring crime writers everywhere. But the biggest reward was the characters that were brought to life so skillfully that the story had the feel of something lifted right out of today’s headlines.

There is no doubt after reading The Reversal that Michael is a master storyteller and a premier crime fiction writer at the top of his game. It has motivated me to go back and read all of his earlier works to see just how much I have been missing. I highly recommend this book to all crime and legal aficionados. One of the best I have read in a long time.
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May 21, 2011 Joy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I know I'm being boring by reading 3 of these in a row - I tried that new book about Little House on the Prairie and wasn't digging it and this was my only other book in the car :)

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Dec 01, 2012 Harry rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: detective-mystery

Time saver tip: if you've read my review of any Harry Bosch book, you've read 'em all. Since I don't reveal plots and reserve my comments to the overall book/author, characterization, style, etc...I just don't feel the need to repeat myself as in most cases series books if any good at all do remain consistent. The star ratings might change, but not my opinion of the series as a whole.

Michael Connelly is a well know and very popular author in the mystery/detective and police procedural genres. E...more

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Mar 16, 2013 Smcleish rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Originally published on my blog here in May 2011.

Michael Connelly is a fine writer, and I have read all of his books. He is most famous for his LA cop Harry Bosch, who features in many of his books, including this one. These novels tend to be police procedurals until near the end, when a thriller-style twist leads to an exciting ending. But for me these endings usually come across as contrived and unlikely, a mechanism for avoiding the simple arrest-the-suspect conclusion which is pretty standar...more Originally published on my blog here in May 2011.

Michael Connelly is a fine writer, and I have read all of his books. He is most famous for his LA cop Harry Bosch, who features in many of his books, including this one. These novels tend to be police procedurals until near the end, when a thriller-style twist leads to an exciting ending. But for me these endings usually come across as contrived and unlikely, a mechanism for avoiding the simple arrest-the-suspect conclusion which is pretty standard in crime fiction (and this disappointment has generally put me off reviewing them). This sort of ending does seem especially likely in American crime writing; Linda Fairstein is another writer whose books I like who does this, for example. All this means that in Michael Connelly's writing I prefer the books which have a different lead character.

In The Reversal the main character is Mickey Haller, even though Bosch does play an important part in the story as well. He is a Californian defence lawyer who has also appeared in several previous Connelly novels, starting with The Lincoln Lawyer. This is the third novel in which he works with Bosch, but there is a big difference here to Haller's past. He has been asked to act as a state prosecution lawyer, in a case where it is important that the work done appears to be independent of the state machinery. (The title in part refers to Haller's crossing from one side to the other in this way.)

The case is a retrial of a child murder, where the man convicted at the original trial has, after twenty four years in prison, been able to have the verdict overturned (reversed, in fact - another reference made by the novel's title) on procedural grounds. The process is that the case needs to be retried, as the Californian justice department still believes in the guilt of the imprisoned man, rather than the prisoner being released as though an appeal had been granted. Since the knowledge that the accused had already been convicted and imprisoned might influence the jury, the whole case is structured as though the first trial had never happened. I'm not an expert on American law, but this all seems rather over-elaborate: more designed to be the background for novels like this than the way a real life legal system would work. I'd certainly not heard of this happening before.

So The Reversal is a courtroom thriller. As such, it confirms to the stereotypes of the subgenre, as laid down a long time ago by Erle Stanley Gardner in his Perry Mason novels: surprise testimony, unreliable witnesses, defence and prosecution tricks, and legal rhetoric with constant se of objections on both sides: all the ingredients which make a thriller out of the tedium which is the norm in most legal trials. Like most of the genre, the reader is firmly encouraged to sympathise with one side; in this case, it is the perhaps less popular choice, the prosecution.

As a courtroom thriller, The Reversal is one of the best. Connelly keeps a fairly tight rein on the plausibility of his plot, while keeping the story engrossing.(less)

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Jan 23, 2013 Dana Stabenow rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It usually was the best moment of a case. The drive downtown with a suspect handcuffed in the backseat. There was nothing better. Sure there was the eventual payoff of a conviction down the line. Being in the courtroom when the verdict is read--watching the reality shock and then deaden the eyes of the convicted. But the drive in was always better, more immediate and personal. It was always the moment Bosch savored. The chase was over and the case was about to morph from the relentless momentum...more

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Sep 21, 2012 Lukasz Pruski rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Oh, the problem with sequels… Often, it is like this. You cook a gallon of good soup. You and your family eat half a gallon one day, and then to prolong the culinary feat, you add half a gallon of water to the remaining soup, and have half a gallon of it the next day. Then you add another half a gallon of water the next day, and so on and on, and soon you have no soup at all, just water, and a memory of good soup. "The Reversal" is a sequel to Michael Connelly's "The Lincoln Lawyer", which is a...more

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Jul 28, 2012 William F. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

5-Stars! “A truly great, well-crafted read from a master of the genre. (posted on Amazon)

There are a few contemporary mystery / suspense writers for whom the current 5-Star rating system simply doesn't apply, particularly given the current trend of `review grading inflation' that can be found on many book review blog sites. With so many questionable 5's floating around, writers such as Daniel Silva, David Baldacci, Ken Follett, and, to me the best of all, Michael Connelly, deserve 7's, 8's and e...more 5-Stars! “A truly great, well-crafted read from a master of the genre. (posted on Amazon)

There are a few contemporary mystery / suspense writers for whom the current 5-Star rating system simply doesn't apply, particularly given the current trend of `review grading inflation' that can be found on many book review blog sites. With so many questionable 5's floating around, writers such as Daniel Silva, David Baldacci, Ken Follett, and, to me the best of all, Michael Connelly, deserve 7's, 8's and even 10's for the richness of their stories, the character depth, and the entertainment value.

"The Reversal" by Michael Connelly is one of those. He has been written 15 Harry Bosch mystery novels, centered on a skilled LA homicide detective, plus another 3 courthouse mysteries starring Mickey Haller, an LA criminal defense attorney. All are outstanding and there isn't a clunk in the bunch. Most, but not all, of the Harry Bosch stories are written in the normal 3rd person narrative style; while the Mickey Haller books are in the 1st person. In "The Reversal" he brings both of his lead characters equally into the same story, with Bosch investigating (in 3rd person) and Haller playing prosecutor for a change (again, in the 1st person). As usual, the story is complex and deep. Maybe he got bored, but I get the felling Connelly is using this very complex narrative style simply because he can. The guy is that good at his craft!

The story deals with a particularly nasty murderer of small children who gets his 28 year old conviction reversed on procedural grounds by an appeals court. The LA District Attorney wants to retry him, and brings in Haller, normally a defense attorney, to prosecute the guy. Harry Bosch is assigned to help as lead investigator. The case is tough, and the outcome goes right down to the wire. Like every other Bosch or Haller novel, it is a truly great, well-crafted read from a master of the genre.

William F. Brown, author of The Undertaker, Amongst My Enemies, and Thursday at Noon, all available of Kindle and Amazon Prime.
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Mar 31, 2012 Chad rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: modern-detective-mystery

I really enjoyed this book which teams up Micheal Haller, the Lincoln Lawyer, and Harry Bosch. Haller, normally a defense attorney is brought to the other side of the aisle when a special independent prosecutor is needed to retry the case of a man who has spent 20 years in prison but new evidence has arisen that may indicate that he is innocent.

The book alternates between a Haller chapter and then a Bosch chapter. Of course this also means that the book alternates between first and third person...more

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Mar 26, 2012 Tony rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Michael Connelly- The Reversal (Vision Books 2011) 4.25 Stars

Mickey Haller has been handed a case, only this time it is not on the defence side, it’s on the side of the prosecution. He has been asked to be an independent prosecutor, to keep things away from the DA’s office. He has only agreed to take the case as he truly believes that the man is guilty. Jessup has just been released from prison after DNA evidence has overturned his sentence in the murder of a young girl. Now the DA’s office want...more

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Mar 05, 2012 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, crime, paperback, library-book

This is the book I've wanted to read ever since finding out that Connelly's new lawyer character was Bosch's half brother. A true half-and-half book from both POVs. While switching from first to third person is never something I'm keen on, I was willing to take what I could get, and I'm so pleased Maddie and Hayley finally met. Mickey seems more into the brotherly relationship than Harry, and it's sad to see him always pulling away, but Maggie's observation that he's just not a happy man these d...more

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Jan 05, 2012 Pamela Kramer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Reversal by Michael Connelly is another in a series of terrific pieces of contemporary crime fiction by this author. The Reversal gives us the bonus of two fascinating main characters. One of them is the police investigator Harry Bosch, and the other is defense attorney-turned-prosecutor (for this novel) Mickey Haller.

Haller is persuaded by the California DA to take on the case - as prosecutor - of a new trial for a possible murderer who has been imprisoned for twenty-four years after being...more

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Nov 26, 2011 Neil rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Another solid winner by Michael Connelly! This time Micky Haller crosses the aisle and sits in for the prosecution, on a one case deal. Although Haller cut his teeth gnawing on the defense bar, he also proves his grit as a prosecutor, taking a case in which the DA has a conflict of interest. Haller knows the attorney games, having played most of them himself, and so informed he anticipates the defense team's slick (oily) moves.
I initially thought the concept of role reversal was a stretch, but...more

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Oct 25, 2011 Red Heaven rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Objection!

Although I haven't read much of Connelly, I've loved almost everything I have read and so I consider myself a fan. This was my first interaction with Mickey Haller, and I wasn't enthusiastic about it, but I had it with me at the airport and decided it was going to be better than nothing.

Straight away, Red Heaven found the alternating between 1st and 3rd person incredibly annoying. The book never settled into a consistent tone as a result.

I also noticed that for a 400 page novel, the ch...more

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Oct 09, 2011 Jane Stewart rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: legal-mystery

Mostly Haller and courtroom time. Bosch has a secondary role. OK, but other books in the series are better.

STORY BRIEF:
Jessup was in jail for 24 years for killing a child. He was released due to a recent DNA discovery, therefore the state needs to retry him. Mickey Haller is a defense attorney, but he is hired to be special prosecutor (just for this case). MH arranges for Harry Bosch (homicide detective) to be his investigator. Most of the story is MH and courtroom time. HB has a secondary role,...more

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Sep 29, 2011 James Thane rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-fiction, suspense

This is the third entry in Michael Connelly's Mickey Haller series, after The Lincoln Lawyer and The Brass Verdict. The Reversal, though is almost as much of a Harry Bosch novel as it is a Mickey Haller.

As the book opens, Haller gets an unusual offer from the L.A. County District Attorney who wants Haller to join the team as an independent prosecutor for the purpose of retrying a convicted child killer who has been granted a new trial after a successful appeal. Haller agrees to the proposition w...more

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Sep 25, 2011 Rachel Dixon rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is only the 3rd Michael Connelly book I've read. The first, Echo Park, I found moderately interesting if a little short on surprises. The second, The Lincoln Lawyer, was much more enjoyable, but that may have been because I found the central character more interesting.

This one feels a little stretched. Combining both of the central characters from the previous books, it seems to struggle (a lot) to find the right narrative tone. Some of the chapters are in the first person, from Mickey Hall...more

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Sep 19, 2011 Sidna Bookout rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What a fun book for Michael Connelly fans!! A man who spent 24 years in prison for killing a child is freed after DNA evidence proves that semen found on her dress was her stepfather's, not his. However, the DA feels that the man who was convicted is guilty of killing the little girl. The DA asks Mickey Haller to come over to the other side and prosecute the man. Mickey agrees and gets to use his ex-wife Maggie McPherson as his second chair and his half-brother, Police Detective Harry Bosch as h...more

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Jul 03, 2011 Ted rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

After many literary and semi-literary reads, it was nice to pick up a good old fashioned page-turner. Michael Connelly has chosen a new hero to continue the Harry Bosch detective series. His new narrator is Mickey Haller, a criminal defense attorney. In this installment he crosses the aisle to work as a prosecutor where he is paired with his co-counsel ex-wife Maggie McFierce and his half-brother investigator, Harry Bosch.

While the family connections were a little much and there is far too much...more

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May 29, 2011 Artie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Michael Connelly writes a mean page-turner. This is something I think every time I read one of his books, be it about Harry Bosch, Mickey Haller or somebody else. In this book we're treated to equal doses of Harry Bosch AND Mickey Haller as they alternate chapters as the story unfolds, first in Mickey's 1st person then Harry's 3rd, and it makes for a fast-paced thriller. My one concern is for new readers to the series, as although each subsequent book touches on key events from the characters's...more

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Mar 22, 2011 Johnny rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

The Reversal is a perfect example of a “kitchen sink” or Marvel Universe style novel. Here, we not only have two of Connelly’s primary protagonists, half-brothers Mickey Haller and Hieronymous Bosch, working together as prosecutor and investigator, but we also have a cameo from Rachel Waller, the profiler who has figured in several of his other novels. Of course, assembling an all-star cast from one’s pool of protagonists may seem like a bad thing to some. Some would argue that such an aggregati...more The Reversal is a perfect example of a “kitchen sink” or Marvel Universe style novel. Here, we not only have two of Connelly’s primary protagonists, half-brothers Mickey Haller and Hieronymous Bosch, working together as prosecutor and investigator, but we also have a cameo from Rachel Waller, the profiler who has figured in several of his other novels. Of course, assembling an all-star cast from one’s pool of protagonists may seem like a bad thing to some. Some would argue that such an aggregation is equivalent to the film industry’s attempt to make blockbusters in the mid-20th century by throwing in tons of stars for brief cameos and then, putting them in the film’s trailer as a teaser. It didn’t satisfy anyone because the fans of great stars will just be lamenting how they were wasted in a cameo role.
In The Reversal, one could argue that Harry Bosch isn’t as interesting because we don’t really see him struggling with those internal demons which are so vital to the books where Harry is unquestionably the primary protagonist. One could also argue that, while Waller does offer some valuable insight into the unsub (that’s the TV show’s term, not Connelly’s), we don’t get to walk with her through the process of coming to these conclusions as we might have in other books where she appears. The “star-studded” cast takes away from some of the detail we’re used to experiencing in a mystery by Connelly.
Yet, I would argue that The Reversal succeeds precisely because it does blend these personalities together and thrust them into a new situation. Different situations create different kinds of stress and those different types of stress may tell us more of what we’re made of than what we’ve heretofore encountered. Harry’s interaction with his daughter is different than his interactions with superiors and with his ex-wife. We may not see his inner demon clearly in these scenes, but we see him mastering himself through a combination of discipline and the fear of emotionally losing his daughter through his own actions/attitudes. Mickey’s interaction with his ex-wife as they seem to work as a tenuous, but functional, team for the first time in their lives (it’s hard to count their previous marriage as a sterling example of teamwork). Mickey still has the impetuous streak we’ve grown to know and sometimes appreciate, sometimes despair. Yet, it appears that he also learns to have enough discipline to keep himself in check on a few occasions.
All of that being said, note that the plot of The Reversal is incredibly rich. When a murder conviction is overturned because of new DNA evidence and allegations of D.A.’s office malfeasance, the D.A. wants an “independent” prosecutor. So, he seeks out the most notorious defense attorney in L.A. The result is that this proves both an advantage and a disadvantage. The advantage is that Mickey anticipates some of the tactics that will be used by the defense attorney and is able to, at least fairly regularly, counter them with machinations of his own. The disadvantage is that Mickey sometimes thinks like a defense attorney enough to let his guard down and that’s when he makes mistakes—one such that may put lives at stake.
The idea is that an individual accused of abducting and murdering a child was released because the prosecution (many years ago) had made an erroneous assumption about physical evidence (think Bill Clinton and the blue dress). As it turns out, the evidence was not necessary to the conviction, but looking from a modern perspective, it seemed to call the original prosecution into question. In the course of investigation, Bosch discovers that there is lots more than meets the eye, but the plot stays riveted on the case at hand, only teasing us with occasional details about Bosch’s “discovery.”
One rule of fiction is that the readers don’t really care unless there is an emotional connection with the action and The Reversal takes this rule to heart. Children are the straightest line to the average reader’s emotions and this novel features both child victims and clear, present threats to children. It offers a tantalizingly satisfying conclusion, but doesn’t wrap things up neatly at the conclusion. Even as you read the last page, you’re still wondering if the answer you think you have is the answer you have. That’s a great place to start building the sequel and, considering the subject matter, it’s realistic at the same time. Officers investigating such crimes rarely get those satisfying answers.
Not only is the original deceased a child victim, but we get the ugly story of her surviving sister’s life. The living hell this individual survives sounds worse than that horrible premature death of the sibling. Yet, the trial offers an opportunity for some redemption for this individual and more than one character in the novel. That surprised me. I’m used to Connelly offering his characters a chance for redemption only to see them screw it up and make things worse. In this case, there are some nexus points of what seems to be authentic hope. The Reversal actually reverses some of his depiction of Calvinist doctrine (“human depravity”) and offers a few beams of sunlight in spots.
The Reversal is a page-turner. I started it on a train ride where I was sleepy and medicated, but I still had to finish it before I could move on to anything else. I think it really works for fans of The Lincoln Lawyer, but I’m not sure it will resonate as well with pure Harry Bosch fans. A lot of it depends on how you feel about The Mighty Thor in his own book versus an appearance in The Avengers or Superman in his own book versus a plot involving The Justice League of America. Or, maybe it will depend on whether you prefer Spencer Tracy in It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World or in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. I know people who didn’t like The Reversal, but I thought it was great entertainment.
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Mar 20, 2011 Mitch White rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wow, Michael Connelly pulls a total reversal on the reader in this amazing book!

As always, Michael Connelly amazes and entertains me to the utmost level. That is why he remains one of my go-to authors when I want fun and entertainment and suspense. This book was stunning! The courtroom stuff was very compelling; the Harry Bosch parts were very suspenseful and engaging; and the abrupt switches to first-person for the Mickey Haller chapters were very well done and added great commentary to make it...more

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Mar 16, 2011 Michael rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: courtroom-drama, mystery, new-york-times-best-seller, read-in-2011, reviewed, series

The perceptive voice of defense attorney Mickey Hatcher leads the reader into a case of kidnapping and murder that occurred twenty-four years ago. Most of the witnesses and court officials are deceased or mentally unable to remember the details of the case.

Mickey, who had always been a defense attorney crosses the aisle and is hired by the prosecuting attorney to work on this case as a prosecutor. Jason Jessup has been in prison for almost a quarter of a century for his crime but is granted a re...more

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Feb 27, 2011 Sandie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-books, contemporary-lit, legal-thrillers

Crime aficionados take heart. Half-brothers LAPD detective Harry Bosch and criminal defense lawyer Mickey Haller have return for another outing in Michael Connelly’s latest offering, THE REVERSAL.

This time out, a series of events have placed both brothers on the same side in the re-trial and prosecution of a convicted child killer, Jason Jessup. The brothers are both fathers of daughters who are currently the same age as Jessup’s victim, so for them this trial touches them on a personal and well...more

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Feb 21, 2011 Glee rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As much as I love Michael Connelly's writings, this one didn't hit the spot for me. It is so comfortable to read his stuff that it partially makes up for some of the shortcomings. This book features a (relatively) new character, Mickey Haller, a defense attorney. (Haller is first introduced in The Lincoln Lawyer, which is evidently about to be released as a movie with, someone please save us, Matthew McConaughey as Haller. That, in and of itself, is enough reason for me not to see it...and I'm n...more

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Feb 21, 2011 David rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: completed

I usually really, really like Michael Connelly and this time I was a bit disappointed. This novel comes across as multipersonalitied as it switches back and forth between Harry Bosch (who is acting as an investigator for the D.A.) and Mickey Haller, Harry's half-brother (and working as an independent prosecutor). I disagree with those who liked the blending of the two major characters into one novel because for me it completely screws up the pacing of the novel.

Not that this novel is bad, by any...more

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Feb 11, 2011 Michael rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-thriller, i-lack-objectivity-on-this-one

There are three phases of Connelly, it seems. All three phases retain his strongest suit—a deft hand with crackerjack plotting. The books always move and always hook you and I pretty much can't do anything else once I start one of his novels. But they're not as good as they used to be, and that's a damn shame.

Early Connelly, when he labored over his prose and his books were dense and meaty and good, lasted probably up through about Angel's Flight. After that came phase two, when the prose had b...more

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About Michael Connelly

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads' database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Michael Connelly decided to become a writer after discovering the books of Raymond Chandler while attending the University of Florida. Once he decided on this direction he chose a major in journalism and a minor in creative writing — a curriculum in which one of his teache...more Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads' database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Michael Connelly decided to become a writer after discovering the books of Raymond Chandler while attending the University of Florida. Once he decided on this direction he chose a major in journalism and a minor in creative writing — a curriculum in which one of his teachers was novelist Harry Crews.
After graduating in 1980, Connelly worked at newspapers in Daytona Beach and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, primarily specializing in the crime beat. In Fort Lauderdale he wrote about police and crime during the height of the murder and violence wave that rolled over South Florida during the so-called cocaine wars. In 1986, he and two other reporters spent several months interviewing survivors of a major airline crash. They wrote a magazine story on the crash and the survivors which was later short-listed for the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing. The magazine story also moved Connelly into the upper levels of journalism, landing him a job as a crime reporter for the Los Angeles Times, one of the largest papers in the country, and bringing him to the city of which his literary hero, Chandler, had written.
After three years on the crime beat in L.A., Connelly began writing his first novel to feature LAPD Detective Hieronymus Bosch. The novel, The Black Echo, based in part on a true crime that had occurred in Los Angeles, was published in 1992 and won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel by the Mystery Writers of America. Connelly has followed that up with 18 more novels.
Connelly's books have been translated in 35 languages and have won the Edgar Award, Anthony Award, Macavity Award, Los Angeles Times Best Mystery/Thriller Award, Shamus Award, Dilys Award, Nero Award, Barry Award, Audie Award, Ridley Award, Maltese Falcon Award (Japan), .38 Caliber Award (France), Grand Prix Award (France), and Premio Bancarella Award (Italy).
Michael was the President of the Mystery Writers of America organization in 2003 and 2004. In addition to his literary work, Michael was one of the creators, writers, and consulting producers of Level 9, a TV show about a task force fighting cyber crime, that ran on UPN in the Fall of 2000.
Michael lives with his family in Florida.

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The Brass Verdict (Harry Bosch, #14; Mickey Haller, #2)

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“I'm going to have to go out there. She had a mother and a brother. See who's still around and can look at this thing."
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