Book Review: The Proving Ground (The Lincoln Lawyer, #8) by Michael Connelly
As a long-time fan of Michael Connelly, I eagerly dove into The Proving Ground, the latest installment in the Lincoln Lawyer series. There’s something undeniably thrilling about peeling back the layers of a Connelly novel, especially when Mickey Haller steps onto the page. After immersing myself in his world through the Bosch series, my appetite was whetted for every story unfolding within that intricate universe. However, as I turned the pages of this new release, I found myself grappling with an unsettling realization: this book feels painfully rushed and uninspired.
It’s hard to ignore that Connelly once held a reputation as a master of crime fiction. His intricate plots were filled with courtroom tension and finely drawn characters that leaped off the page. Sadly, The Proving Ground comes across as a half-hearted attempt to tap into contemporary fears about artificial intelligence, a theme that, while timely, felt superficial in execution. The story revolves around a teenage boy’s unhinged act of murder—it’s an alarming premise, yes, yet one we’ve seen too many times before without the innovative twists that once characterized Haller’s cases.
Drawing in Jack McEvoy was a promising thread, given his background in the Bosch Universe, yet his role felt disappointingly minimal, leaving me longing for the rich interactions that once made these characters so compelling. Rather than the intricacies of courtroom drama, we get a narrative that is, at times, utterly bland. As I reached what should have been the climactic moments of the story, I couldn’t shake the sense of disappointment that washed over me. The ending itself felt like a missed opportunity, opting out of the bold and exciting conclusions that would have left readers breathless. It’s as if Connelly chose the safe path, and the result was underwhelming—a repeated notion embodied perfectly in a sentence from chapter 49: “And yet there was something underwhelming about it.”
In terms of writing, the prose felt lackluster, almost mechanical, to the point where I found myself imagining an AI generating it. This is a far cry from the captivating storytelling Connelly is known for. Where were the vivid courtroom strategies, the psychological depth, and the lyrical quality that typically grip me?
If you’re a completionist like I am, you’re probably going to pick this up despite the caveats. However, if you’re new to the series, I highly recommend diving into the earlier novels that showcase Haller’s brilliance instead. You’ll encounter the grit, suspense, and courtroom drama that has enthralled readers for years.
While I walked away from this latest installment feeling deflated, I still hold onto the hope that Connelly can regain the spark that made Mickey Haller’s adventures electrifying. As I look back on The Proving Ground, I could only muster a generous three stars out of five—a number that feels more like a plea for a return to form rather than a reflection of this book’s merits. For now, I’ll keep my fingers crossed for Connelly’s next return to the courtroom, where I hope we’ll see the mastermind at work once more.
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