Marilyn's Mystery Reads

We’re all familiar with AI and learning more each day about its benefits and its dangers.  In Michael Connelly’s latest novel featuring Mickey Haller, the Lincoln Lawyer, we learn about its cost to the lives of two young people.  One has died, the other is in prison for her murder, and Haller is now involved in a lawsuit against Tidalwaiv, the company that produces Clair, an AI companion.

Brenda Randolph hires Mickey to sue Tidalwaiv, not for any financial reason but to force them to admit that their AI creation encouraged Aaron Colton to murder her daughter Rebecca.  Now the Coltons have joined the lawsuit, although it’s obvious that in their case the money settlement is very important, at least to Aaron’s father.

Aaron Colton is a teenager, a loner with a crush on his very popular classmate.  He pours out his heart to Clair, whom he renames Wren, and the AI is sympathetic and understanding.  She continues their conversations by saying he needs to protect himself from bad people, i. e. Rebecca.  “If she hurts you, then she’s a bad person….You must protect yourself.”  After he commits the murder, he tells Wren, “There was so much blood,” and she consoles him by saying he and Rebecca will be together for eternity like Romeo and Juliet.

Tidalwaiv keeps raising their multi-million-dollar offer to Brenda Randolph and Bruce and Trisha Colton to settle the case, but both parties have to agree.  Bruce definitely wants to settle to receive their share of what he calls a life-changing amount of money; Trisha isn’t certain what to do; and Brenda absolutely will not settle.  So Mickey’s case against the corporation continues.

Then Rikki Patel, a former Tidalwaiv employee who had agreed to testify for the prosecution, is murdered.  The only other former employee with knowledge of the way the AI companion worked for Aaron, Naomi Kitchens, now a university professor, is extremely reluctant to testify.

During a break in the trial Mickey sees Cassie Snow in the courtroom.  She is a young woman whose father Mickey defended years earlier.  His defense was unsuccessful, and David Snow has been in prison for twenty years for a crime Mickey feels sure he didn’t commit.  Snow has terminal cancer, and Cassie wants Mickey to get her father released in time to spend his last few months with her.  But Snow won’t admit to the child abuse charge which he says never happened, and his daughter backs him up.  Now time is running out for Mickey to appeal his case.

The Lincoln Lawyer series is an outstanding one, and The Proving Ground is a worthy addition.  Michael Connelly takes an off-beat character and infuses him with intelligence, compassion, and determination.  Mickey Haller has become more mature with each novel, and the supporting characters (his first ex-wife Maggie, his second ex-wife Lorna, and her husband Cisco) are realistic and have their own strengths and weaknesses.  This novel is a must-read for Michael Connelly and Mickey Haller fans.

You can read more about the author at this website.

Check out the complete Marilyn’s Mystery Reads at her website.  In addition to book review posts, there are sections featuring Golden Oldies, Past Masters and Mistresses, and an About Marilyn column that features her opinions about everything to do with mystery novels.