The Lincoln Lawyer

Last updated
The Lincoln Lawyer
Lincolnlawyer.jpg
Author Michael Connelly
LanguageEnglish
SeriesMickey Haller, #1
Genre Crime fiction, mystery
PublisherLittle, Brown (USA), Orion (UK)
Publication placeUnited States
Published in English
October 3, 2005
Media typePrint (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages404
ISBN 0-316-73493-4
OCLC 60311867
813/.54 22
LC Class PS3553.O51165 L56 2005
Followed by The Brass Verdict  

The Lincoln Lawyer is a 2005 novel, the 16th by American crime writer Michael Connelly. It introduces Los Angeles attorney Mickey Haller, half-brother of Connelly's mainstay character Detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch.

Contents

It was adapted as a 2011 film of the same name, starring Matthew McConaughey. It has also been adapted into a television series starring Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, which premiered in 2022 on Netflix.

Plot

Moderately successful criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller operates around Los Angeles County out of a Lincoln Town Car (hence the title) driven by a former client working off his legal fees. While most of his clients are drug dealers and gangsters, the story focuses on an unusually important case of wealthy Los Angeles realtor Louis Roulet, accused of assault and attempted murder. At first, he appears to be innocent and set up by the female "victim".

Roulet's lies and many surprising revelations change Haller's original case theory. He reconsiders the situation of Jesus Menendez, a former client serving time in San Quentin State Prison after pleading guilty to a similar and mysteriously related crime.

Haller outmaneuvers Roulet (revealed to be a rapist and murderer) without violating ethical obligations, frees the innocent Menendez, and continues in legal practice. He also conducts much self-examination and acquires some emotional baggage.

Characters

Reception

The New York Times wrote: "Mastering the [legal thriller] on his first try, Connelly delivers a powerhouse drama fueled by cynicism and driven by a criminal defense lawyer named Michael Haller ('People call me Mickey') who works for the scum of the earth and makes no apologies." [1]

Awards

The novel received much attention from the mystery community. It won the 2006 Shamus Award and Macavity Award for "Best Novel". [2] [3] It was also nominated in the 2006 Anthony Awards for the same honor. [4]

Additionally, in 2010 it was nominated in the "Best Mystery Novel of the Decade" category of the Barry Awards, although it lost to Stieg Larsson, author of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo . [5]

In other media

Film adaptation

The novel was adapted as a 2011 film of the same name, starring Matthew McConaughey as Haller and Marisa Tomei as Maggie McPherson. The film was directed by Brad Furman from a screenplay by John Romano and produced by Stone Village Pictures. Lionsgate holds the US distribution rights, and Lakeshore Entertainment holds international rights. [6] [7]

Television series

On June 25, 2019, it was announced that David E. Kelley had developed and written a television series based on the Haller series with a commitment from CBS. [8] However, on May 2, 2020, it was announced that the pilot would not be moving forward. [9] Netflix subsequently picked up the series and ordered a 10-episode series of The Lincoln Lawyer, with Kelley, on January 11, 2021. Despite the same name of the eponymous novel, the first season of the series is based on Connelly's second Mickey Haller novel, The Brass Verdict . [9] [10] Filming for the series began on March 31, 2021. [11] On April 6, 2022, the series was given a May 13, 2022, premiere date. [12] It was renewed for a second season in June 2022. [13] Based on the fourth novel in the Haller series, The Fifth Witness , the second season is released in two parts, on July 6, 2023 and August 3, 2023, respectively. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David E. Kelley</span> American television producer, writer and attorney (born 1956)

David Edward Kelley is an American television writer, producer, and former attorney. He has created and/or produced a number of television series including Doogie Howser, M.D., Picket Fences, Chicago Hope, The Practice and its spin-off Boston Legal, Ally McBeal, Boston Public, Goliath, Big Little Lies, and Big Sky. Kelley is one of very few screenwriters to have created shows that have aired on all four top commercial U.S. television networks as well as cable giant HBO.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Connelly</span> American author (b. 1956)

Michael Joseph Connelly is an American author of detective novels and other crime fiction, notably those featuring LAPD Detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch and criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller. Connelly is the bestselling author of 38 novels and one work of non-fiction, with over 74 million copies of his books sold worldwide and translated into 40 languages. His first novel, The Black Echo, won the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for Best First Novel in 1992. In 2002, Clint Eastwood directed and starred in the movie adaptation of Connelly's 1997 novel, Blood Work. In March 2011, the movie adaptation of Connelly's novel The Lincoln Lawyer starred Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Haller. Connelly was the President of the Mystery Writers of America from 2003 to 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harlan Coben</span> American fiction writer (born c. 1962)

Harlan Coben is an American writer of mystery novels and thrillers. The plots of his novels often involve the resurfacing of unresolved or misinterpreted events in the past, murders, or fatal accidents and have multiple twists. Twelve of his novels have been adapted for film and television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Crais</span> American author of detective fiction

Robert Crais is an American author of detective fiction and former screenwriter. Crais began his career writing scripts for television shows such as Hill Street Blues, Cagney & Lacey, Quincy, Miami Vice and L.A. Law. His writing is influenced by Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Ernest Hemingway, Robert B. Parker and John Steinbeck. Crais has won numerous awards for his crime novels. Lee Child has cited him in interviews as one of his favourite American crime writers. The novels of Robert Crais have been published in 62 countries and are bestsellers around the world. Robert Crais received the Ross Macdonald Literary Award in 2006 and was named Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karin Slaughter</span> American crime writer (born 1971)

Karin Slaughter is an American crime writer. She has written 24 novels, which have sold more than 40 million copies and have been published in 120 countries. Her first novel, Blindsighted (2001), was published in 27 languages and made the Crime Writers' Association's Dagger Award shortlist for "Best Thriller Debut" of 2001.

Jazzmine Raycole Dillingham is an American actress and dancer. She is best known for her role as Claire Kyle on the ABC sitcom My Wife and Kids during its first season. She is credited as Jazzmine Raycole.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher Gorham</span> American actor (born 1974)

Christopher David Gorham is an American actor. He is best known for his work on television, particularly for playing Henry Grubstick on the ABC comedy-drama series Ugly Betty, Auggie Anderson on the action-drama series Covert Affairs, Bob Barnard on the dark comedy-drama series Insatiable, Harrison John on The WB’s teen comedy-drama series Popular, Henry Dunn in the limited slasher series Harper's Island, and Trevor Elliott on the legal drama series The Lincoln Lawyer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Bosch</span> Fictional detective created by author Michael Connelly

Detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch is a fictional character created by American author Michael Connelly. Bosch debuted as the lead character in the 1992 novel The Black Echo, the first in a best-selling police procedural series now numbering 24 novels.

Ken Bruen is an Irish writer of hardboiled and noir crime fiction.

Bill Pronzini is an American writer of detective fiction. He is also an active anthologist, having compiled more than 100 collections, most of which focus on mystery, western, and science fiction short stories. Pronzini is known as the creator of the San Francisco-based Nameless Detective, who starred in over 40 books from the early 1970s into the 2000s.

<i>The Monkeys Raincoat</i> 1987 detective novel by Robert Crais

The Monkey's Raincoat is a 1987 detective novel by Robert Crais. It is the first in a series of linked novels centering on the private investigator Elvis Cole and his partner Joe Pike. Cole is a tough, wisecracking ex-Ranger with an irresistible urge to do what is morally right. The novel won the 1988 Anthony Award for "Best Paperback Original" at Bouchercon XIX and the 1988 Mystery Readers International Macavity Award for "Best First Novel"; and has since been named one of the 100 Favorite Mysteries of the Century by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association.

The Macavity Awards, established in 1987, are a group of literary awards presented annually to mystery writers. Nominated and voted upon annually by the members of the Mystery Readers International, the award is named for the "mystery cat" of T. S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. The award is given in four categories—best novel, best first novel, best nonfiction, and best short story. The Sue Feder Historical Mystery has been given in conjunction with the Macavity Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ntare Mwine</span> American dramatist (b. 1967)

Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine is an American-Ugandan stage and film actor, playwright, photographer and documentarian. He was credited as Ntare Mwine until 2008, and by his full name thereafter.

<i>The Brass Verdict</i> 2008 novel

The Brass Verdict is the 19th novel by American author Michael Connelly and features the second appearance of Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Michael "Mickey" Haller. Connelly introduced Haller in his bestselling 2005 novel The Lincoln Lawyer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mickey Haller</span> Fictional character

J. Michael "Mickey" Haller, Junior is a fictional character created by Michael Connelly in his 2005 novel The Lincoln Lawyer. Haller, a Los Angeles-based defense attorney, is the younger paternal half-brother of Connelly's best-known character, LAPD Detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch. The Mickey Haller series currently consists of seven published novels.

<i>The Lincoln Lawyer</i> (film) 2011 U.S. film by Brad Furman

The Lincoln Lawyer is a 2011 American legal thriller film directed by Brad Furman and written by John Romano, based on the 2005 novel of the same title by Michael Connelly. It stars Matthew McConaughey as the titular lawyer, Mickey Haller. Ryan Phillippe, Marisa Tomei, Josh Lucas, John Leguizamo, William H. Macy, and Bryan Cranston also star.

<i>Goliath</i> (TV series) American legal drama television series

Goliath is an American legal drama television series by Amazon Studios. The show was commissioned with a straight-to-series order of eight episodes on December 1, 2015 and premiered on October 13, 2016, on Amazon Prime Video. On February 15, 2017, Amazon announced the series had been renewed for a second season and confirmed that Clyde Phillips was joining the series as showrunner. The trailer for season 2 was released on May 1, 2018. Season 2, consisting of eight episodes, was released on June 15, 2018. On December 11, 2018, the series was renewed for a third season, which premiered on October 4, 2019. On November 14, 2019, Amazon announced the series was renewed for a fourth and final season, which premiered on September 24, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manuel Garcia-Rulfo</span> Mexican actor (born 1981)

Manuel García-Rulfo Lapuente is a Mexican actor. He is best known for his starring role as lawyer Mickey Haller in the Lincoln Lawyer TV series, as well as in films such as Cake and Bless Me, Ultima, and the television program From Dusk till Dawn: The Series. He also starred as one of the title characters in the 2016 remake of The Magnificent Seven.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul D. Marks</span> American novelist and short story writer

Paul D. Marks was an American novelist and short story writer. His novel White Heat, a mystery-thriller set during the Rodney King riots of 1992, won the first Shamus Award for Independent Private Eye Novel from the Private Eye Writers of America.

<i>The Lincoln Lawyer</i> (TV series) Television series from Netflix

The Lincoln Lawyer is an American legal drama television series created for television by David E. Kelley and developed by Ted Humphrey, based on the books of Michael Connelly. It stars Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Mickey Haller, a defense attorney in Los Angeles who often works out of a chauffeur-driven Lincoln Navigator. Neve Campbell, Becki Newton, Jazz Raycole, Angus Sampson, and Christopher Gorham also star.

References

  1. Stasio, Marilyn (October 9, 2005). "'The Lincoln Lawyer': One L" via NYTimes.com.
  2. "The Private Eye Writers of America and The Shamus Awards". Thrillingdetective.com. Retrieved 2012-04-05.
  3. "Mystery Readers International's Macavity Awards". Mysteryreaders.org. Retrieved 2012-04-05.
  4. "Bouchercon World Mystery Convention : Anthony Awards Nominees". Bouchercon.info. 2003-10-02. Retrieved 2012-04-05.
  5. "Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine- Barry Awards". Deadlypleasures.com. 2008-10-09. Archived from the original on 2012-04-23. Retrieved 2012-04-05.
  6. McDonough, Molly (30 March 2009). "Matthew McConaughey to Star in Legal Thriller". ABA Journal . Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  7. "The Lincoln Lawyer Movie Adaptation". michaelconnelly.com. 11 February 2011. Archived from the original on 15 September 2010. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  8. Andreeva, Nellie (June 25, 2019). "'The Lincoln Lawyer' Drama From David E. Kelley & A+E Studios Gets CBS Series Production Commitment". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  9. 1 2 Andreeva, Nellie (May 2, 2020). "'The Lincoln Lawyer' Drama Series From David E. Kelley Not Going Forward At CBS". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on January 12, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  10. Andreeva, Nellie (January 11, 2021). "'The Lincoln Lawyer' Drama From David E. Kelley Lands Netflix Series Order; Manuel Garcia-Rulfo To Star". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  11. "#1238". Production Weekly. March 18, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
  12. Mitovich, Matt (April 6, 2022). "The Lincoln Lawyer: Get First Photos, Premiere Date for Netflix Series Adaptation of Michael Connelly Novel". TVLine. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  13. Otterson, Joe (June 14, 2022). "'Lincoln Lawyer' Renewed for Season 2 at Netflix, Dailyn Rodriguez Joins as Co-Showrunner". Variety. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  14. Rice, Lynette (June 6, 2023). "'The Lincoln Lawyer': When To Expect Return Of Netflix Drama". Deadline. Retrieved June 6, 2023.