Customer Reviews

The Fifth Witness

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust. This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men." -- Acts 24:15-16 (NKJV)

What if no one followed their consciences? That's the troubling portrait that Michael Connelly brilliantly displays in this courtroom drama featuring Mickey Haller, the Lincoln Lawyer. We are used to a world in which lawyers know no limits in their lust for winning. What if everyone was like that? And how would it feel to be someone like that?

Those are just some of the many interesting themes and questions that The Fifth Witness exposes.

As the book opens, Mickey Haller has fallen on hard times, scrounging foreclosure defense cases from people who can't make their mortgage payments. He's not scamming the clients . . . because there are irregularities in the paperwork associated with the foreclosures. At best, his clients will stay in their homes a little longer as owners, before being ousted or having to becoming a renter of their former property. The arrest of one of his most outspoken clients, anti-foreclosure activist Lisa Trammel, brings Mickey back to doing what he does best -- criminal defense.

Most of the book is taken up with Mickey's investigation, preparation for trial, conducting the trial, and dealing with the aftermath. If you don't like legal strategies and ups and downs, this may get a little tedious for you. As an attorney, I was impressed by how simply and how well the logic behind the legal moves is explained. In the background, Mickey is a lonely man . . . wishing he could remarry his prosecutor ex-wife, Maggie McPherson ("Maggie McFierce"), and become a full-time dad again for his teenage daughter, Hayley.

While the case proceeds, Mr. Connelly also builds up an impressive indictment of banks, mortgage processors, police, prosecutors, defense lawyers, preening judges, Hollywood deal makers, unscrupulous businesspeople, and those who look out for number one in all circumstances. Some of the characters even start to dislike themselves.

The book is very well written, spare in ways that keep the story moving . . . but with lots of unexpected plot twists to make things interesting at just the right times. I particularly liked the stream-of-consciousness parts of Mickey Haller's narration.

To me, The Fifth Witness is a breakthrough book for the Lincoln Lawyer series and for Michael Connelly. I'm looking forward to future books in this series!

Bravo, Mr. Connelly.

As some people have noted, once again a major publisher has charged too much for Canadian buyers. If you feel strongly about that, borrow a copy of the book at the library.

I have always liked Connelly's books keeps you in suspense for the most part, by almost the end you know who dunit

Agréable et bonne lecture de vacances
Suspense bien construit.
Fin un peu prévisible
Je l'ai recommandé à des amis et connaissances

Mickey Haller is a real guy in my mind ... but his moves are impossible to forecast ... what a great story and the framing is totally unique. I even agree with his taste in offices - a Lincoln is perfect. A terrific book.

I purchased this book for my father and he loves it. He said it's one of those books you can't put down. I'm so pleased as he loves his book during the winter months to keep him busy.

This novel was a plesant suprise! Too often sequals are never as strong as the series launch. This was the best todate. Great pace, real content, great characters, it was the complete package.

Great "who dunnit" read. A real page turner....surprised me right to the end. A wonderful author, looking forward to reading more of his books.

A new Michael Haller novel, this time we get a full-fledged blow-by-blow court case. The defendant is accused of murdering a banker who worked for the bank foreclosing on her home (something like that, crude simplication of course), Haller digs up some things that make him optimistic and we end up with a full-fledged court battle. With new information constantly coming in that keeps shedding new light on events, courtroom successes and setbacks, Connelly keeps us off-balance throughout the whole narrative. The big reveal at the end turns some of the events that happen earlier in the novel into nonsense, but besides that hiccup, we have what amounts to a thriller that never lets up and is certainly an improvement over The Reversal. It should be mentioned also that Connelly gives Haller a worthy opponent this time - in previous novels the prosecutors have tended to be inferior in competence to Haller but Connelly gives Haller his match here.

Times are tough for Mickey Haller, the lawyer we first met in `The Lincoln Lawyer'. While crime continues, few clients seem to have money to pay lawyers. So, in order to make a living, Mickey has moved on to one of the few growth areas in contemporary law: foreclosure defence. For four or five thousand dollars a case, Mickey can help people stay in their homes for a little longer. Things seem to be going comparatively smoothly for Mickey, working out of the back of his Lincoln, until his first foreclosure client, Lisa Trammel, is charged with the murder of Mitchell Durant, the banker who held her mortgage.

Lisa Trammel has lost her job as a teacher. Her husband has already left, leaving her with a young son and a massive mortgage. But there's another side to Lisa, and while Mickey is committed to representing her, he doesn't have to like her. What he does have to do is try to cast enough doubt to achieve a not guilty verdict. This search leads him into dangerous territory where he also discovers that organized crime is part of the mortgage business.

The first half of the novel concerns the investigation and the second half the trial. There are a number of interesting characters and, of course, at least one twist in the tale. The trial has its own suspense and, while it's clear that the process is about winning rather than truth, Mickey's thinking about the cost, and the future.

My first Michael Connelly novel was `The Lincoln Lawyer' and I'm a Mickey Haller fan. This novel had me turning the pages, keen to find out how the case would end. While the story held my attention throughout, I have mixed feelings about aspects of it. I enjoyed the courtroom suspense; I'm interested in Mickey Haller's personal angst about integrity, but less interested in some aspects of his increasingly convoluted personal life. That said, I'll be looking for the next Haller book because I'm keen to see what will happen next.

`In the courtroom there are three things for the lawyer to always consider: the knowns, the known unknowns and the unknown unknowns'

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Book 4 in the Mickey Haller series

If you are a fan of Hollywood spun down and dirty courtroom scenes, you won't be disappointed with this one. Michael Connelly's latest novel is a real blast and one of the best legal dramas I have read in a long time.

'"The Fifth Witness'" exploits the scandal in the USA that developed around the sometimes unethical means employed in the bundling and reselling of mortgage loans and the live altering grief it caused some of the homeowners. Lisa Trammel is one of those clients, who should never have been lured into such a deal, but now is faced with losing her house and hope for the future. To make things worse, she is also accused of murdering the ruthless banker who was tasked with forcing the issue. Lucky for her, Haller is up for the challenge and is defending her in court.

Mr. Connelly is undoubtedly a master of courtroom drama, the main part of this novel describes Lisa's trial and Mickey's defence strategy. His writing paints a clear picture of the three way battle of wits between attorneys and the judge. The constant war of words between the attorneys, each one trying to score points but looking at the evidences from completely opposing angles is vividly created and provides all the twists and turns needed to heighten the reader's interest to the end. Your mind mirrors the adrenaline swings the defendant experiences.

The story is very dynamic, quite suspenseful and character driven. The trial of Lisa Trammel turns into a chess match, with Haller highly skilled at seeing the value of each move. He is a defense lawyer who understands that a trial is not a search for the truth but rather a game of survival where winner takes all. This novel has great characterization. Mickey's team consists of his ex-wife Lorna, his investigator Cisco and an associate Jennifer Aronson. All three of them work alongside Mickey to ensure that Lisa Trammel has the best defense possible. They do not want to be influenced by knowing if she is guilty or not'.and Mr. Connelly keeps us wondering and guessing to the very end.

The profound plotting with a touch of humour is absolutely absorbing. This was another memorable experience between the pages.