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The Reversal
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The Reversal
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The Reversal
Audiobook (abridged)5 hours

The Reversal

Written by Richard Powers

Narrated by Peter Giles

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

Longtime defense attorney Mickey Haller is recruited to change stripes and prosecute the high-profile retrial of a brutal child murder. After 24 years in prison, convicted killer Jason Jessup has been exonerated by new DNA evidence. Haller is convinced Jessup is guilty, and he takes the case on the condition that he gets to choose his investigator, LAPD Detective Harry Bosch.

Together, Bosch and Haller set off on a case fraught with political and personal danger. Opposing them is Jessup, now out on bail, a defense attorney who excels at manipulating the media, and a runaway eyewitness reluctant to testify after so many years.

With the odds and the evidence against them, Bosch and Haller must nail a sadistic killer once and for all. If Bosch is sure of anything, it is that Jason Jessup plans to kill again.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateOct 5, 2010
ISBN9781607886495
Unavailable
The Reversal
Author

Richard Powers

Richard Powers is the author of thirteen novels. His most recent, The Overstory, won the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction. He is also the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship and the National Book Award, and he has been a four-time National Book Critics Circle Award finalist. He lives in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains.

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Reviews for The Reversal

Rating: 3.9384023825794032 out of 5 stars
4/5

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Veteran attorney Mickey Haller (known within LA legal circles as ‘the Lincoln Lawyer’ because of his tendency to work from the back of his Town Car rather than a conventional office) has established a reputation as one of the city’s leading defence advocates. This novel sees him crossing the void and agreeing for the first, and almost certainly last, time to represent the prosecution. It is, of course, no ordinary case. The defendant, Jason Jessup, had already served twenty-four years after having been convicted of the murder of a young girl, abducted from her family garden. Following a review of some cold cases, new evidence has emerged that potentially weakens the original prosecution case, although it falls far short of exonerating Jessup. Indeed, having reviewed all the remaining evidence, the District attorney’s office decides it wants to retry Jessup but, as this is an election year, the DA decides to appoint an ‘independent’ prosecutor. Based upon his successful career as a savvy defence lawyer, he decides that Haller might be the best person for the role.Haller is a natural supporter of the defence, but is enticed by a number of factors. Connelly handles this reversal of attitudes very adeptly, and we see Haller making a number of tactical errors early on, as his old defence habits get the better of him. He has a few things going for him, though, such as his former wife (a seasoned prosecutor) acting as his prosecution partner, and his half-brother, veteran LAPD detective, Hieronymus ‘Harry’ Bosch, acting as lead investigator to support the new case.Connelly’s books are always gripping, and one of his strengths is his ability to keep taking the detective story into different areas, yet still making it work. This novel successfully blends the John Grisham school of legal thriller with a traditional exciting police procedural. As always, his characters are very plausible, and his dialogue utterly convincing.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was good. I wasn't sure I'd buy the premise of a defense lawyer turned special prosecutor, but I did. Perfectly enjoyable, but the surprises were fairly minor. I guess I'd say this was like riding a kiddie roller coaster -- still fun, but not thrilling. His first two books in this series set a high standard though, so maybe if this one weren't being compared to those it would be four stars.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A little predictable but I enjoyed the combo of his two main series. A good summer read.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    With the inconsiderate death of Robert Parker, Michael Connelly is rapidly moving up in my list of favorite authors. The REVERSAL brings together two of Connelly's favorite leading men, Harry Bosch and Mickey Haller (Lincoln Lawyer). The book concentrates on a convicted murdered, who after having served 24 years in prison, is suddenly released due to the discovery of new evidence developed by technology that was not available at his original conviction. The District Attorney has decided to re-try rather than drop the charges which leads us down the path of two skilled attorneys using all their skills to present a new trial where many of the original witnesses are dead and some of the evidence has gone cold. A multi million dollar lawsuit for wrongful imprisonment hangs in the balance which attracts the brightest and best fully resourced law firm to the defense. The strategies and developments of the discovery and trial keep the reader totally involved. To fans of law and Courtroom drama, this book is a must and super reading even for those who think they are not into the machinations of the law.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    not as good as his others...
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The Reversal is Connelly's third book in the Lincoln Lawyer series about LA attorney Mickey Haller. The other books in the series are The Lincoln Lawyer, The Brass Verdict, the Fifth Witness, and the Gods of Guilt. Haller, in these books, is a fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants criminal defense lawyer who does not normally maintain an office like a normal lawyer, but instead works out of the back of his Lincoln which is driven by a former client who does that in order to work off his legal bills. Connelly is a former crime reporter both in Miami and for the LA Times and his familiarity with his beat is evident in his writing. His familiarity with the Los Angeles courtrooms is so good that it is surprising that he never practiced. These books, like Connelly's Harry Bosch novels, are good, easy reading that flow from page one to the end generally with a speed approaching that of the cars in the Indy 500.

    While it is obvious Connelly had fun writing this book and combining his most popular characters Harry Bosch and Mickey Haller (and also appearing are Maggie McFierce and Rachel Waller), the overall scenario of a defense lawyer being appointed a special prosecutor is simply not realistic and would never happen. Nor would he have been paired with his ex-wife as second chair. The talent of Connelly as a writer is that the reader can accept such an unrealistic scenario and get on with the story without having that jarring the reader from the story. There were also a few other points that did not ring true like the prosecution being worried about a motion to keep the key prosecution witness from testifying based on allegations about her credibility, which would be an issue for the jury to consider, not a point that would legitimately keep a witness from testifying. Also, the reference to the Ninth District rather than the Ninth Circuit at one point was a little jarring.

    But it is a good story and one that was hard to put down and that is perhaps the most important point, besides what might seem to be nitpicking. Haller in this book is a prosecutor retrying a man whose conviction for the murder of a twelve-year-old abducted from her front lawn was overturned on appeal twenty-four years after trial. To make the story more interesting (although not realistic), the defendant is released on his own recognizance and is up to something in his late night jaunts around town. Connelly writes well and takes the reader through the investigation and the trial testimony to the startling conclusion to this story. Well done and highly recommended.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Defense attorney Mickey Haller is approached to take on a new case -- as a prosecutor. Twenty-four years ago Jason Jessup was convicted of kidnapping and murdering a 12-year old girl, but his conviction is overturned when DNA testing of the semen found on the girl's dress turns out to belong to the stepfather. Since the DNA was only a small part of the evidence against him, the District Attorney's office is determined to try him again (and attempt to avoid a costly lawsuit at the same time), and they need someone independent to prosecute Jessup. Mickey agrees to take the case and appoints his ex-wife Maggie "Mcfierce" McPherson as co-council and his world-weary half-brother Harry Bosch as investigator. While Jessup is allowed out on bail, Harry makes sure he is kept under surveillance. During the day Jessup plays to the cameras, but at night he takes mysterious forays into the local public parks, sitting at picnic tables and burning candles. The first half of the book has Haller reviewing evidence of the first investigation and the testimony of the original trial, while Bosch interviews old witnesses and tries to find anything overlooked in the first investigation. The second half of the book covers the second trial.

    While this wasn't perhaps your typical "page-turner" where you have to find out what happens next, the plot is expertly put together, and by the end you feel as if you've lived through an actual trial. And the ending is shocking and unexpected. My only complaint is that not everything was neatly tied up and resolved at the end. While this may be realistic, it was not very satisfying.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Bosch and Haller team up in this novel about a convicted murderer who has been granted a retrial after 24 years after new evidence comes to light. Yes, Haller is the prosecutor - an interesting twist.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Mickey Haller... for the People?!!While I'm relatively new to the Lincoln Lawyer series, I already struggle as seeing Haller as anything but the Lincoln Lawyer (that includes the flash backs to his time as a PD in the previous book). But this worked. It was believable and I loved the teamwork between Haller, Bosch and Maggie McFierece, who I adore. The characters were all easily believable - with CLever Clive as slimy as Haller isn't.I need to go read the Bosch series to fill in some of the holes in the history (his daughter, Halling) and apparently Michael Connelly is my summer reading project. However I already see signs three books in of this being a lot like Linda Fairstein/James Patterson in "who is threatening the heroes' lives as the books end"The only thing I didn't care for with this book was the flipping between 1st and 3rd person. While I realized later that the 3rd person was Bosch, I found that confusing.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    In the Reversal we get a combination of Mickey Haller, his ex wife Maggie, and Harry Bosch. As a result we get a mystery and a legal thriller in one.

    This book watches Mickey move from defense attorney to prosecutor. It was a strange transition and feels a little off.

    I did not like this one as much as the first two Mickey Haller books, but it was still a good read. Mickey, Maggie, and Harry team up to try to re-convict a child murderer after his verdict is over-turned. What I liked best about this book was that it shows some of the fallacies of our legal system, but the end isn't a forgone conclusion just because our heroes are involved.

    If you enjoyed the first two books, I would recommend this book. If you didn't, you may want to give this one a pass.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    An interesting twist in this story as Harry Bosch teams up with Micky Haller, his half-brother, who has been persuaded by the DA to change sides from his usual defender role to act as prosecutor in a retrial of a convicted murderer. To add to the plot, Micky is assisted by his ex-wife Maggie "McFierce" from the DA's office and part of the sub-plot revolves around their evolving personal and professional relationships. As always Michael Connelly keeps you turning the page to find out what happens. Recommended.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Mickey takes a job prosecuting a convicted criminal about to be released because of modern DNA information.
    He uses the help of Harry Bosch as investigator and his former wife as a second in the prosectuion to build a formidible case.
    Unfortunately, justice isn't necessarily served by the games the legal profession employs. 4.5 stars
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Connelly was, at one time, one of my favorite crime fiction writers. He wrote great police procedurals that were not only well-written but also exquisitely plotted and researched. That's not the case any more, as it appears he's now 'mailing it in'. It's not quite the disappointment as 9 Dragons, but as someone who has followed his career since the beginning, I know he can do a lot better.

    This one places two of his best characters, Harry Bosch the cop and Mickey Haller the defense lawyer, together in a story about a killer who is being re-tried for his crime, the murder of a little girl. It's neither a police procedural nor a courtroom drama. That's not necessarily a bad thing, and the story is pretty interesting and moves at a good pace. The problem I have is with the number of logical holes, unlikely events, and the manner in which the conclusion comes about. I don't want to spoil the story, but it was all pretty unbelievable. I did like the tension between Bosch and Haller, but the fact the story was split between them sort of watered down their impact.

    For someone just starting out with this author, if you liked this one you'll love his early work. If you didn't care much for The Reversal, still give his earlier stuff a chance.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    This story teams two half brothers, Harry Bosch and Mickey Haller in the case focusing on the retrial of a low life that killed a little girl 25 years previously. Lots of it focused on courtroom drama.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Not a review, per se, just my ramblings. The Reversal was my first Michael Connelly novel and I wasn't overly impressed. He's a competent writer, obviously, a perennial best seller with, it looks like, over 20 books published, but until a few months ago I'd never heard of him. Which only proves that you don't have reach everyone to sell millions of books. I was looking for a legal thriller and someone at B&N told me if I liked Grisham, then I'd like Connelly only better. Didn't happen. Connelly has too many vulgarities for me, the writing isn't as snappy as Grisham, and I caught a few writer faux pas. There was a head hop in one scene and a "little did I know" slip. No big deal, but I was surprised when they popped out at me.

    As for the story itself, sorta plodding. Interesting legal stuff about a child murderer on death row being released to be re-tried (the "reversal" by the court), but not very suspenseful. The most exciting part was the last few chapters when finally something unexpected happened. I've heard that Connelly's Bosch novels are better...but this is a Bosch novel. The narrative alternates between first person Mickey Haller (evidently another of his ongoing characters) and third person Harry Bosch. I didn't mind the POV change, made for a change up in an otherwise forgettable story.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I remain not a big fan of the lawyer versions of Connelly's world. Harry does have a part in this but it is the court that dominates. It was an OK light read for me despite the subject matter.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is such a great series, one of my favorites. Great to see Haller, Bosch and McFierce all working together, with Haller serving as independent prosecutor for this one. Lots of courtroom drama and action after-hours. I'd somehow managed to miss this one in the series before skipping to the next, but now I can't wait to start reading Gods of Guilt.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Mickey Haller is sitting on the other side of the court room as the District Attorney has requested that Haller take on as prosecuting attorney for a case that happened 24 years ago. New DNA has shown up as a result of tests that weren't available 24 years ago. A fast-paced story with a somewhat disappointing end.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Perhaps the best of the Mickey Haller books. Sharing the limelight is the lead character for another Connelly series, Harry Bosch. Bosch is the vehicle for much of the action and crime detection, while Haller runs rings around the rule of law and jurisprudence. As usual Connelly puts together a delightfully convoluted plot, though this time there is no Reversal at the end of the book. Atypically, Connelly lets the story flow to a natural but no-less satisfying conclusion.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Mickey Haller, the Lincoln Lawyer (I liked the movie too, by the way), his ex-wife, Maggie McPherson, and his half-brother, Lt. Harry Bosch of the LAPD, are working together on this case. Haller has been called in to sit on the other side of the aisle as a prosecutor when a convicted child-killer is retried following a high court reversal of his 24-year-old conviction. Even
    Bosch's old girlfriend Rachel Walling gets involved. The story is riveting and the interactions among the characters well-done. I found the ending somewhat unsatisfying although it was probably a realistic picture of what might really happen in the situation. Still, don't miss this one.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Hey, it wont change your life, but very well crafted lawyer novel that gathers momentum from start to finish. Connelly injects plenty of tension and also provides some great insights into the down and dirty operation of the criminal justice system.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    This was a muddled, unsatisfying work from the basic premise: that the Los Angeles D.A. asks defense lawyer Misckey Haller to become a special prosecutor on a high-profile case. Haller's a bit like a fish out of water, but he's assisted by his ex-wife and Harry Bosch, Connolly's popular L.A. detective. The problem lies in not quite knowing what's at the core of the book: a police procedural? A courtroom drama? To resolve the lack of focus, Connolly tries to make it both,and he does not pull it off. There is little action on the detective side, and much time in the courtroom (with a discussion of legal strategies). Suspensse? Nope. Connolly tried, as the cliche puts it to "have his cake and eat it," but I think it gave him, and his readers, a sour stomach.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Another good Michael Connelly thriller, this time featuring both Mickey Haller (The Lincoln Lawyer) and Harry Bosch. Not quite as exciting as the Bosch series of books, but it flows along very nicely and the interaction between Bosch and Haller is shaping up nicely!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is an excellent Connelly. A young girl has been killed 25 years ago and the killer condemned. Then, the Supreme Court sends the killer back to trial. A DNA sample from the little girl's dress proves that the semen on the dress did belong to somebody else. Does it mean that the man condemned for the crime is innocent? We re dragged in all the difficulties of a trial that is 25 years old: witnesses that died or got on drugs, plus the inevitable lowlife who lies. Detective Bosh and the Lincoln lawyer in the unlikely role of a prosecutor, have to come up with a new analysis of the facts, a new interpretation of the killer's motives. It is well done, fascinating and small facts are tied in carefully.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Really good mystery with lots of courtroom drama and a knockout finish. The Lincoln Lawyer books are very good reading in my estimation
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Basically a good solid read as are all Michael Connelly's books. A couple of carps with this one,the main being is that both Mickey Haller (the lawyer) and Harry Boch (the detective) appear here. With two strong characters in the same story the reader is in danger of loosing attention and perhaps unwittingly concentrating on one strand of the story rather than the overall. Haller,in a complete turnabout,agrees to work a case for the DA's department. Most of the book takes place in Court,which works for me,but I know a lot of readers (including my wife) do not care for this type of thing.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    What I find interesting with Connelly novels is the way he mixes his characters. Some of his novels feature only one of the major characters, either Harry Bosch or Mickey Haller. Connelly introduced us to Mickey Haller in THE LINCOLN LAWYER (2005).There are 17 titles featuring Harry Bosch, 5 featuring Mickey Haller, and in THE REVERSAL Mickey works on the Prosecution with his ex-wife Maggie. Other characters like FBI agent Rachel Walling make appearances.Mickey Haller usually appears as a defence lawyer and the change of role required for him in THE REVERSAL reminded me strongly of Horace Rumpole who had great difficulty imagining himself not defending a client. Mickey is determined to maintain his independence and not simply to become the mouthpiece of the District Attorney's office. This brings him into conflict with the DA over media announcements and he becomes aware that there is a hidden agenda.It may just have been what happened in the abridging that happened in this audio version, but it seemed to me that there was quite a bit of repetition of content. Authors often do this to ensure that the readers are aware of all the facts and it may simply have been this ploy was a bit obvious in the abridged version.There's a twist towards the end of the novel that I didn't see coming (although my listening partner did).There is no doubt this will be a popular title with Connelly fans as it furthers the personal stories of both Haller and Bosch.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    very good - not much Harry Bosch, but good Mickey haller the lawyer. About a convicted murderer who is out and being retrialed - very good courtroom stuff. Liz would like
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I just found out from reading another review that I missed a book in the series...Nine Dragons....I'll have to go back and check that one out. This book again features Mickey Haller....this time across the aisle as a special prosecutor. I really enjoy the character a lot. I'm not sure why Harry Bosch is distancing himself somewhat in this one. I'll have to go back and check that out. The detective work involved in each case help to make the courtroom part even more interesting. Really enjoying these books.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Hmmm--I don't like these combo books. Bosch is the superior character and he's not only taking the back seat to Haller, he's being short-changed character-wise as well. There was a great possibility for two very interesting relationships to evolve with Bosch at the end of9 Dragons and while The Reversal definitely was not the place to go into them in length, Connelly instead chose to hint around at a relationship brewing between Bosch and Haller's first ex, for which I am eternally grateful he didn't pursue seriously. It would have been a much more interesting story if that time had instead been spent somewhat exploring the relationship between Bosch and Haller. Another complaint is Haller's strange bouts of conscience. They don't ring true--it's really just self pity which is getting tedious quickly. The most interesting aspect of The Reversal was the trial itself. I do think it was reasonably accurate with regards to that type of situation. The difficulties, the conflicts, the politics. Throw in a couple of interesting twists with regards to the killer and the ending of the trial was surprising. Unfortunately, the ending of this book was a let down.