Michael Connelly weaves current affairs into his books, none more so than The Proving Ground, where he references the recent, devastating fires around Los Angeles (Micky Haller’s ex-wife Maggie loses her house and everything in it in the fires).
Just as relevant is the subject matter of this book – an AI company launches a companion chatbot that encourages a teenager to kill his ex-girlfriend. Haller is suing the company in civil court, as it is a sure thing that the perpetrator is guilty, but the company is otherwise likely to escape accountability. The stakes are high, as the firm TidalWaiv (great name!) is set to IPO and could be worth billions.
Micky Haller is assisted by Jack McEvoy, another of Michael Connelly’s main characters. McEvoy is a journalist and in this case dives into the technical detail as well as discovering vital background information.
I’m really enjoying these Lincoln Lawyer books, even more than the Harry Bosch titles. Whilst Bosch has many flaws (especially in his uncompromising approach professionally), I find Micky Haller a warmer character that is easy to like.
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musingstudio 