Michael Connelly

In 2005 Michael Connelly revitalized his career by adding Mickey Haller, a.k.a. the Lincoln lawyer, to his stable of characters. Rakish, trick-loving Mickey seemed like the diametrical opposite of Mr. Connelly’s stolid, jazz-loving Hieronymus Bosch, known as Harry, the battle-weary Vietnam veteran and L.A.P.D. detective, now retired, who has trodden his way, clue by clue, through most Connelly novels.

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Mickey is best known for three things: his place of business, a Lincoln Town Car; his vanity plates, which read “IWALKEM”; and his way of trawling for clients by advertising on bus benches near the courthouse. He’s also Harry’s admiring half brother and now his lawyer, too, as Harry sues the Los Angeles Police

Credit Mark DeLong

Sure, the Rudd customized van is fancier than the Haller Lincoln: Mr. Grisham’s jacket copy establishes that its furnishings include “fine leather chairs,” for one. Haller has a biker assistant named Cisco, while Rudd has a driver-fixer-companion called Partner. Rudd insists vehemently that ads on bus benches are beneath him. But the M.O.s of these rogue lawyers overlap.

That’s because both Mr. Grisham and Mr. Connelly are idealists and reformers, and both like to say so. Mr. Grisham is the more outspoken, to the point that the word “soapbox” actually figures in “Rogue Lawyer” when Rudd mercifully promises that he’ll try not to overuse his. Mr. Grisham’s recent books have included long, speechy harangues about subjects like the death penalty. His skills as an entertainer can be overshadowed by his eagerness to hector. But “Rogue Lawyer” is one of his better recent books, partly because of the format: It’s broken up into short episodes that interlock only as the plot reaches its final

Connelly, doesn’t offer Mickey Haller much chance to shine. That’s because Mr. Connelly has trouble letting Harry and Mickey occupy the same book at the same time. Harry dominates this story, with Mickey’s important function reflected mostly in the title: Mickey has asked Harry to help him investigate a criminal case, and this ought to be right up Harry’s alley. He’s an investigator, after all. But he’s used to working for the police, not for the defense. Crossing over to the dark side, as Harry puts it, is not going to make him popular with his former police colleagues. Hence, “The