An enthralling and engrossing legal thriller, The Proving Ground puts you in the jury box to adjudicate a tragic murder and the perils of unchecked technology. Michael Connelly once again delivers a brilliant, emotional and timely story that will make you ponder the ethics and applications of AI as it comes barreling down the tracks with unstoppable momentum.
Mickey Haller moves from criminal to civil law as he files a suit against an artificial intelligence company alleging their negligently trained generative AI product led to a teenage boy murdering his ex-girlfriend. Joined by his usual team and journalist Jack McEvoy, Haller must dig through an avalanche of discovery documents, uncover key witnesses and convince them to testify, and overcome roadblocks and setback as he battles a powerful entity with everything to lose. And when it seems it’s all too much to overcome, Haller still has a few tricks up his sleeve from his criminal defense days he hopes will turn the tide. That is, if those tricks don’t land him in contempt of court first.
While moving into the civil court arena is something new for the Lincoln Lawyer, Haller’s relentless approach and antics are unchanged and on full display. However, his mission to hold a tech company accountable and win favorable judgment for his client can be seen as more righteous than defense law. Allowing readers to unapologetically root for him to stick it to the 800 pound gorilla who’s claiming no wrongdoing in the face of a grieving mother. So when Haller is playing in the gray areas and stepping over the line, it feels more than ok because the forces of corporate greed are stacked against him and that’s not something most of us can abide. Because we all love an underdog story.
All told, it’s another virtuoso performance by the Lincoln Lawyer that adds something special to this already brilliant series. You’ll stand up and cheer for Haller as he maneuvers, cajoles, jumps over roadblocks, dodges haymakers and fights with everything he’s got to win for his client. Incredibly well done by the great Michael Connelly.
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Barrington Books
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