Stylish and brilliant is the best way to describe this crisp looking series based on books by Michael Connelly. Based in California, this lawyer sure knows how to handle his business from a devilishly trendy car.
The series begins with a down and out lawyer- Mickey Haller, who has been battling personal demons for over a year as a result of an unsuccessful case. Somewhere along the line, his work had taken over his life which has led to a bitter divorce and his continuous struggles with alcoholism.
Now his struggles are behind him as he is trying to get back on his feet. As if on cue, he becomes the beneficiary of a thriving law practice of one of his ex-colleague- Jerry Vincent, who has been brutally murdered recently. Because of this connection, Mickey is automatically linked to this murder and becomes part of the murder investigation.
Mickey also becomes part of another murder investigation when he is hired as Defence Attorney by a tech wizard- Trevor Elliot.
Trevor is under suspicion for double murder of his wife and her lover when he caught them in a compromising manner at his home. Although, there are no circumstantial proofs for charging Trevor but being a suspect is proving bad publicity for himself and mainly for his business. So, he requires Mickey’s help to gain lost reputation and decide on the future direction for his company.
However, as he has inherited a stockpile of cases from Jerry, there are more than one cases he is involved with. And what best place to work rather than his car while moving from court to court. During one such case, he hires his client- Izzy Letts as his new driver since she is homeless and requires income for her survival. In no time, Izzy becomes fourth member of the close knit group forming the entire team of Mickey alongside his ex-second wife and current legal aide- Lorna Crane and her current fiancée and Mickey’s investigator- Cisco.
But this is not the only case Mickey is worried about. He is always thinking about that failed case which led to his downfall and resulted in incarceration of an innocent man for the crimes he didn’t commit. With the help of his team, he is still trying to bring a successful closure to that case. Will he be successful in either of these lawsuits? How? And mainly, at what cost?
Not to be forgotten is Mickey’s personal life which is again entangled with his professional career as his ex-first wife- Maggie McPherson is an established District Attorney, almost in opposite ends of him. Their personal and professional realities collide with their daughter becoming a casualty for no fault of her own.
Although there is so much of courtroom drama and legal arguments, still this series doesn’t become too dry or drudgery thanks to it’s lead actors. As the author provides a solid frame for character development, it becomes apparent that the actors fill all the necessary spaces to bring this plot line to the screen oh-so successfully.
There are so many undercurrent tensions and interconnected storylines which makes it a bit hard to keep track of all the parallel tracks. Having said that, it’s highly engaging and absolutely entertaining to watch how these loose pieces fall into their places by the series end. Of course, there is a cliffhanger ending which paves way for the next season. All in all, this series is certainly worth your time.