Author: Michael Connelly

Title: The Fifth Witness

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Michael Connelly is, to quote Will Ferrell's character in the movie Zoolander, "so hot right now." In the past six weeks, the New York Times-bestselling mystery writer has seen a movie based on his The Lincoln Lawyer open to solid critical response, and made a cameo appearance alongside Dennis Lehane as one of Nathan Fillion's poker buddies on ABC's drama Castle. The Fifth Witness, Connelly's latest novel, is a reminder of what rocketed Connelly to the top of the heap, an intriguing puzzle of a legal thriller, which, while not entirely splashy, is rock-solid in its construction.

Like the three other "Lincoln lawyer" novels, Witness features LA attorney Mickey Haller, a man-of-the-people type who, when the novel opens, is still doing business from his mobile office, the backseat of his armor-plated Lincoln Town Car. Since his last appearance in 2010's The Reversal, Haller has moved into the foreclosure business, representing those with beefs against the shady dealings of banks and mortgage lenders. The plot of Witness focuses on Haller's defense of one of those clients, Lisa Trammell, accused of murdering banker Mitchell Bondurant. Haller's defense of Trammell takes him out of the Lincoln and into a legitimate downtown office, accompanied by a cast of characters familiar to Connelly readers. While Harry Bosch, star of several other novels, only makes a cameo, Haller's ex-wife, Maggie McPherson, secretary Lorna Taylor, and investigator Cisco Wojciechowski are all in on the action. Connelly introduces a new nemesis, prosecutor Andrea Freeman, a take-no-prisoners type who functions as the perfect foil for Freeman.

Having ditched the Lincoln, the remainder of the novel progresses like a straightforward mystery. Connelly is wise to never reveal Trammell's guilt or innocence to either Haller or the reader, and gives few clues either way. He paces the trial with the touch of a master storyteller, laying out enough bread crumbs for the eager reader to follow through the intricacies of the trial. While much of the novel focuses on Trammell's trial, the novel never falters in its momentum. This must be credited to Connelly's ability to interpret legal maneuverings for the laymen. He's peerless at providing the reader a color commentator's perspective on legal strategy. For each move Haller or Freeman makes in the courtroom, Connelly is careful to provide an explanation about the why's and how's. He's no fool, and so, by extension, neither is Haller.

Connelly's primary strength in Witness is Haller. Just as he did with Harry Bosch, Connelly has created another everyman hero, a lawyer who's savvy enough to play the game and go toe-to-toe with Freeman, the ruthless state's attorney, but possessed of enough of a conscience that he's worried about getting dragged down into the obsequious, closed door dealings. He's the reason we're rooting for Trammell's acquittal, despite her obnoxious whining. This metacognition is the source of Haller's appeal.

In order to not reveal major spoilers, not much more can be said about the way this mystery plays out, but suffice it to say Connelly provides enough twists to make the payoff worthwhile, and his ending sets up a tantalizing preview of Mickey Haller's next adventure. Connelly is playing in the same league as John Grisham, but has managed to carve out a nice niche for himself. His is a world of mystery and intrigue, not hot-button issues. What both share in common, however, are an uncanny knack for what makes people tick, and what tension lies below the surface of everyday life.

*This review first published 4/26/2011