When Louis Ross Roulet (ru-lay, not roulette), a rich real estate broker from Beverly Hills, is charged in the attempted murder of a hooker, Michael "Mickey" Haller, son of the lawyer who represented the infamous Mickey Cohen, thinks he's finally found that "franchise client," the dream defendant with the deep pockets to afford a full, and well-paying, courtroom battle. It's exactly what Haller needs to help him support his fleet of 6 Lincoln cars that he disposes of like dirty laundry when the odometer reaches his arbitrary limit.

Haller takes over the case in a way that leaves no doubt for his family and family lawyer about who is running the show. It's clear from the start that family lawyer Cobb is a living monkey wrench in jurisprudence. Neither of these vested interests would entertain the notion that Mary Alice Windsor's son Louis could be guilty of anything, let alone what he's being accused of: a vicious knife attack on a hooker's life. Even Haller tends to believe his upstanding-citizen client is innocent.

But family's not the only faction he's co-opting by taking the case. His raven-haired ex-wife Maggie McPherson (aka, "Maggie McFierce" for her dedication) was the A.D.A. who was prosecuting and, since the system won't countenance the conflict of interest arising from married folk --even ex-married folk-- on opposing sides, she's obliged to turn it over to another Assistant D.A. Too bad. It means Haller'll have to work harder.

Haller's the kind of lawyer who takes nothing for granted and believes in total preparation for sneak attacks and tricks by a prosecutor bent on convictions even at the cost of justice. When it comes to discovery materials, he's used to stonewalling and blanket lies from D.A.'s.

When Haller finally does receive the assistant D.A.'s discovery file of case notes and developments, he sees for the first time the battered and swollen face of Gloria Dayton, the accuser. After reacting to the possibility of makeup exaggeration, something bothers him. Something that doesn't immediately gel. But, finally, it does. Gloria Dayton bears an uncanny resemblance to someone in his own files.

Going back two years, he finds a picture of the victim in a case he lost, in which Jesus Menendez was found guilty of the murder of a hooker, now doing time at San Quentin. When Haller puts the two pictures together, he suddenly realizes not only that his new client is guilty of the charges against him, but that he's guilty of Menendez' crime, as well.

But that's not going to make anything easy. His client's craftiness accounts for why he's still a free man, and he's not blind to a subtle change in Haller's manner toward him. Suddenly, client is manipulating counsel and, not only is Haller's career in jeopardy, but his and his family's lives are being balanced according to the favorable outcome of the trial.

Michael Connelly never disappoints. His "Blood Work," for its exceptional concept of unexpected relationships, is among my all time favorites in the genre. He now takes his first foray into the legal system and puts together another exceptional read, one in which the brilliance of his story craft shines with complexity, clarity and dramatic power. He quite ably instructs the reader as he might a jury in the subtleties of the legal system and its practitioners so that we understand the rich set of dynamics and interplay involved.

Prepare yourself to put everything else in your life aside as you find out how the lawyer contends against an evil threat that becomes very personal, within the precincts of his own arena.