Defense attorney Mickey Haller is forced to bend the law until it breaks when he is hired to defend a man accused of killing a prostitute in this novel of courtroom suspense, the "best one yet" (The Washington Post).Mickey Haller gets the text, "Call me ASAP - 187," and the California penal code for murder immediately gets his attention. Murder cases have the highest stakes and the biggest paydays, and they always mean Haller has to be at the top of his game.When Mickey learns that the victim was his own former client, a prostitute he thought he had rescued and put on the straight and narrow path, he knows he is on the hook for this one. He soon finds out that she was back in LA and back in the life. Far from saving her, Mickey may have been the one who put her in danger.Haunted by the ghosts of his past, Mickey must work tirelessly and bring all his skill to bear on a case that could mean his ultimate redemption or proof of his ultimate guilt.The Gods of Guiltshows once again why "Michael Connelly excels, easily surpassing John Grisham in the building of courtroom suspense" (Los Angeles Times). **Amazon.com ReviewAn Amazon Best Book of the Month, December 2013:What distinguishes Connelly's Lincoln Lawyer books from the average legal thriller (in the same way his Harry Bosch series transcends "cop story") is the complicated likeability of his flawed hero, Mickey Haller, a criminal defense lawyer who works mostly from the backseat of a chauffeured Lincoln Town Car. InThe Gods of Guilt, Haller agrees to defend a former client's pimp on a murder charge, and his messy past comes back to taunt him--an ideal introduction to Haller for newcomers, and catnip for fans. As a former newspaper court reporter, I've always appreciated Connelly's attention to the messy particulars of the legal system, and his ability to convey real courtroom drama, the humanity and inanity of bringing criminals to justice--or not. (The title refers to the imperfect judgment of a jury.) Like his peers, Laura Lippman and George Pelecanos, Connelly writes crime fiction verging subversively on literature, and Haller is becoming an increasingly complex literary figure, cruising LA's darkest corners in a style that feels like a modern twist onChinatown. (Think Clint Eastwood-Dirty Harry-San Francisco, but in LA, and without the big guns and the unresolved anger.) Incredibly, Connelly just keeps getting better. --Neal ThompsonFrom Booklist*Starred Review* When we last saw Mickey Haller (The Fifth Witness, 2011), the hot-shot maverick attorney who works out of his Lincoln Town Car was fed up with defending bad guys and had decided to run for district attorney. Well, that didn’t work out. Too much politics. Now Mickey’s back with the bad guys, defending a high-tech pimp accused of killing one of his “girls,” who happens to be a former friend of Mickey’s. Naturally, the case has multiple levels, involving a bent DEA agent and requiring an unholy coalition with a drug lord. As he’s done throughout the Haller series, Connelly shows a remarkable ability to bring the courtroom alive—not just the details of the case at hand and the procedural machinations but also the personal drama simmering below the surface of the thrust and counterthrust of legal strategy. There is tragedy along the way to a verdict this time, and Mickey must confront his personal “gods of guilt” just as he does the jury in the courtroom. Connelly’s Harry Bosch series has typically dug deeper into personal demons and questions of existential identity than the Haller novels, but this time the fast-talking attorney is forced to look inward, where his tricks of the trade do him little good. A gripping novel, both in the courtroom and outside of it, and a testament to the melancholy maturing of Mickey Haller. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: As always, a national media campaign will support the launch of Connelly’s latest, as it climbs best-seller lists. Connelly’s books have sold more than 50 million copies worldwide. --Bill OttReviewPRAISE FOR MICHAEL CONNELLY:"Haller is the kind of slick, cynical showman who can't resist making high drama out of every legal procedure....There's always something deadly serious behind Connelly's entertaining courtroom high jinks."―Marilyn Stasio,New York Times Book Review"Connelly knows when to put his foot on the gas and when to take it off. Once he has you on board, turning the pages, you won't want to climb off."―Boston Globe"Connelly continues his streak of telling stellar crime stories."―Associated Press"Connelly's work has it all---sharply drawn, engaging characters, snappy dialogue, and a plot that moves like a shot of Red Bull."―San Francisco Chronicle"Michael Connelly may be the best thriller writer we have."―Jane Henderson,St. Louis Post-Dispatch"Connelly excels....the consistency of his excellence is remarkable."―Richard Rayner,Los Angeles Times"Any new book by Michael Connelly is a cause for celebration....Connelly is one of the best crime story writers on the scene today. Each new novel refines his talent and makes its story one to be remembered."―Jackie Cooper,Huffington PostAbout the AuthorMichael Connelly is the author of twenty-five previous novels including the #1 New York Times bestsellers The Black Box, The Drop, The Fifth Witness, The Reversal, "The Scarecrow," "The Brass Verdict," and "The Lincoln Lawyer, " as well as the bestselling Harry Bosch series of novels. He is a former newspaper reporter who has won numerous awards for his journalism and his novels. He spends his time in California and Florida.