This article is about both The Lincoln Lawyer and Harry Bosch. |
The Brass Verdict is the nineteenth novel written by Michael Connelly, and the second novel featuring Los Angeles defense attorney Mickey Haller, as well as the third featuring reporter Jack McEvoy and featuring LAPD detective Harry Bosch. The book was published on October 14, 2008, and won the 2009 Anthony Award; it was also nominated for the 2009 CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger, but lost to John Hart's the Last Child.
The Brass Verdict was adapted for the first season of The Lincoln Lawyer series.
Plot Synopsis[]
After a year recovering from injury and addiction, defense attorney Mickey Haller is thrust back into practice when fellow lawyer Jerry Vincent is murdered. Haller inherits Vincent’s cases, including the defense of Hollywood mogul Walter Elliot, accused of killing his wife and her lover. As Haller scrambles to prepare for trial, he clashes and collaborates with his half-brother, detective Harry Bosch, who suspects Vincent’s death is tied to Elliott’s case. The deeper Haller digs, the more he realizes that both the trial and Vincent’s murder conceal layers of corruption, deception, and deadly stakes.
Plot Summary[]
Mickey Haller has been out of the courtroom for a year, nursing wounds from a gunshot and struggling with painkiller addiction. Just as he begins to consider returning to law, fate intervenes: Jerry Vincent, a colleague and friend, is murdered. In a startling twist, Vincent’s will names Haller as the successor to his practice, handing him a portfolio of cases—among them, the trial of Walter Elliot, a powerful Hollywood executive accused of murdering his wife and her lover. With the trial looming in less than two weeks, Haller is forced to dive headfirst into the case, despite missing files and mounting pressure.
As Haller prepares, he encounters [[Harry Bosch], his half-brother and relentless LAPD detective investigating Vincent’s murder. Bosch warns Haller that Vincent’s killer may target him next, but Haller is bound by attorney-client privilege, unable to share everything he uncovers. Their uneasy alliance becomes a tense dance of trust and suspicion, with Bosch probing for leads and Haller guarding his client’s secrets. The interplay between the two men drives much of the novel’s energy, blending courtroom drama with police procedural grit.
Inside the courtroom, Haller faces formidable challenges. Elliot insists on a speedy trial, leaving little time to build a defense. Evidence points damningly toward Elliot, but Haller begins to suspect manipulation behind the scenes. His instincts sharpen as he uncovers inconsistencies in jury selection and hints of bribery. Meanwhile, Bosch’s investigation reveals that Vincent may have been entangled in a scheme to rig the trial, planting a juror to ensure Elliot’s acquittal.
The climax arrives when Haller discovers the truth: Elliot did indeed kill his wife and her lover, and Vincent’s murder was part of a larger cover-up involving organized crime. The trial collapses under the weight of fraud, and Elliot’s confession seals his fate. For Haller, the case becomes more than a professional comeback—it is a crucible that forces him to confront his own integrity, his relationships with his ex-wives and daughter, and his uneasy partnership with Bosch.
In the end, The Brass Verdict delivers a layered narrative where justice is not always clean, truth is elusive, and survival depends on navigating both the courtroom and the streets of Los Angeles.
Characters[]
- Michael “Mickey” Haller – Defense attorney, protagonist of the Lincoln Lawyer series.
- Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch – LAPD detective, investigating the murder of Jerry Vincent.
- Jerry Vincent – Defense attorney and Haller’s colleague, murdered early in the novel; his caseload is inherited by Haller.
- Walter Elliot – Hollywood mogul accused of murdering his wife Mitzi and her lover.
- Mitzi Elliot – Walter’s wife, one of the murder victims.
- German lover (unnamed in summaries) – Mitzi’s partner, also murdered.
- Patrick Henson – Former surfing champion, addicted to painkillers, becomes Haller’s driver after a theft case.
- Cisco – Haller’s investigator, loyal and resourceful.
- Lorna Taylor – Haller’s office assistant and ex‑wife.
Differences to Adaptations[]
- Walter Elliot is renamed to Trevor Elliott in the first season of The Lincoln Lawyer
- Mitzi Elliot is renamed to Lara Elliott in the first season of The Lincoln Lawyer
- Harry Bosch does not appear in the first season of The Lincoln Lawyer