The Proving Ground by Michael Connelly
A Mickey Haller novel has truly become a literary event, which is why I so celebrated publication of The Proving Ground, the latest in Michael Connelly’s seminal series that sets the standard for legal thrillers today.
This one presents us with a new and improved version of Haller, less jaded and more idealistic as he moves his skills from criminal to federal court, taking on the interests of aggrieved clients in the role of the proverbial David taking on all manner of Goliaths. In The Proving Ground, that Goliath is a tech giant shoe whose AI bot seemingly advised a teenage boy it was a good idea to murder his girlfriend. The girl is dead, the boy is in jail, and both sets of parents are suing to make sure it doesn’t happen again, while hopefully pocketing some substantial damages.
In typical Connelly fashion, the twists, turns, and surprises abound, making this a legal thriller extraordinaire even for him. A number of Grisham titles come to mind as apt comparisons, The Rainmaker, most notably. In form and function, though, The Proving Ground most resembles Jonathan Harr’s brilliant nonfiction tome A Civil Action. That’s high praise for the new proving ground Connelly has staked out for Haller, but much deserved.