Book review: Bosch and Haller find common purpose in Michael Connelly’s ‘Resurrection Walk’
‘Resurrection Walk’ by Michael Connelly. Little, Brown, 416 pages, $30
The title “Resurrection Walk” takes on myriad meanings as Michael Connelly pairs his two most popular, and iconic, characters — “Lincoln Lawyer” Mickey Haller and L.A.P.D. detective Harry Bosch — in his tightly coiled 38th novel.
For prisoners who have just been exonerated of their crimes, declared innocent and set free, this walk is their resurrection back to their lives. For Haller, it’s the feeling of having used his expertise to “resurrect” a wrongly convicted person “from the dead,” bringing the lawyer a “fulfillment” he had never known in “the practice of law or in life.” And for Bosch, now retired with health problems, facing his mortality, a resurrection walk is a way to restore his mission of seeking justice. Work is Bosch’s own prescription for feeling better.
Connelly has combined Haller and Bosch in other thrillers, playing off their different backgrounds and approaches to the law, but for these half-brothers the dynamic is different in “Resurrection Walk.” The relationship has changed. This time Bosch is working for Haller, but, of course, the former detective is no ordinary employee; he’s at the center as the attorney refocuses his law practice. While Haller narrates most of “Resurrection Walk,” Bosch is vital to the plot.
On a career high, having helped free a man wrongly convicted of murder, Haller begins his own “in-house innocence project” to investigate possible unjust convictions. The work will be completely pro bono — a major step for Haller, who enjoys a big salary. Haller’s recent success at getting an exoneration has brought an avalanche of mail from prisoners proclaiming their innocence. Bosch reads each letter first, deciding if the prisoners’ claims are legitimate or not.
Bosch also has become Haller’s driver, going from courthouses to clients in the vehicle that doubles as Haller’s office, which earned Haller the moniker Lincoln Lawyer. Driving and waiting gives Bosch time to vet potential pro bono clients.
He is foremost an investigator. But Bosch refuses to call himself a “defense investigator,” preferring his own term “truth work.” Bosch also is not Haller’s chauffeur, insisting the lawyer sit beside him in the front seat and refusing to put the Lincoln in drive until Haller does. In addition to using his detective skills, Bosch also took the job because he gets access to private health insurance. Haller arranged for him to participate in an UCLA experimental nuclear medicine trial for his form of cancer.
Bosch suggests they look into the case of Lucinda Sanz, five years into her conviction for shooting her ex-husband Roberto, an L.A. County sheriff’s deputy, following an argument at her home. She claims innocence, saying she pled no contest to manslaughter to avoid a life sentence. The records on her case are thin. Bosch finds witnesses claiming they were coerced, as well as a conspiracy within the deputy squad, while Haller files a federal claim that his client is unlawfully imprisoned.
Connelly’s superb plot maintains high suspense until the final page, a hallmark of this author’s reputation. The team of Bosch and Haller is not always smooth — Bosch usually has ongoing acrimonious relationships with his employers. While each is aware of the other’s strong skills, they have to learn to trust each other’s instincts and relinquish a bit of control with every twist of the investigation.
Haller’s tendency to sometimes skirt the boundaries of the law often butts up against Bosch’s more traditional style. The intense courtroom scenes move fast and furiously as Haller relies on state-of-the-art forensic advances as well as several sleight-of-hand moves. “Resurrection Walk” also shows a renewal of the half-brothers’ connection as Connelly brings a rich patina to the individual personalities of Haller and Bosch.
“Resurrection Walk” isn’t Connelly’s only current project. The TV series “Bosch: Legacy S2” is now streaming on the Freevee channel. The second season of the Netflix series “The Lincoln Lawyer” came out this past summer; a third season is planned.
Connelly is among 24 authors who have raised more than $3 million to help PEN America open an office in Miami and expand its efforts to counter the surge in book bans. The other authors include Judy Blume, James Patterson, Amanda Gorman, Nora Roberts and David Baldacci. Two TV series based on Connelly characters also are in development — one drama would focus on Bosch’s former partner, Detective Jerry Edgar, working undercover for the FBI in Little Haiti, Miami; the other is centered on Detective Renée Ballard, who is leading the LAPD’s new cold case division.
A virtual discussion with Michael Connelly
Michael Connelly will discuss “Resurrection Walk” during a national online discussion with S.A. Cosby as part of Barnes & Noble Midday Mystery Virtual Event series beginning at 3 p.m. Nov. 8. The live discussion is free; the discussion including a signed copy and shipping of “Resurrection Walk” begin at $38. Details at https://tinyurl.com/ms9y824y. For information on Connelly’s other events visit michaelconnelly.com.