Connelly has done it again.  While many writers of mysteries seem to run out of gas with their evident need to publish a book every year, Connelly has retained his sharp edge and his storytelling mojo.  He’s done it by introducing new characters as the years go by and having his primary one, the LAPD detective Harry Bosch age as the years have gone by instead of appearing to be frozen in time.  The result is another terrific book, his 41st.

Several years ago, he introduced his readers to Mickey Haller, a tough, fast-talking defense lawyer who was dubbed The Lincoln Lawyer because he worked out of his Lincoln Continental.  Haller happened to be the step-brother of Harry Bosch, Connelly’s sensitive, tough, and successful LAPD detective, and they often appear in each other’s books.  In this one, Haller has given up criminal defense work and has committed himself to civil suits to protect the downtrodden and needy.  In this case he represents the mother of a teen aged girl who was shot and killed by her ex-boyfriend who was under the influence of an avatar he named Wren.  Haller is suing the software AI company claiming they failed to safeguard their teen-aged users.

The book is a fast-moving and interesting look at AI and how it can go wrong.  Connelly keeps the action going with a number of bad guys for Haller to face down and a wonderful, stern, and tough woman judge,  and it proved to be a 2 day read for me, a pleasant diversion from the more serious reading I’ve been doing lately.  If you don’t know Connelly, rush to your library and take any one of his books out.  They’re great for planes, trains, and the beach.