“The Proving Ground is the most relevant and compelling legal thriller of the decade, and Michael Connelly proves once again that nobody captures courtroom drama and the high-wire act of justice quite like him.” — Ryan Steck, The Real Book Spy and Author of Gone Dark
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When a teenage boy murders his ex-girlfriend after a chatbot tells him his actions are justified, defense attorney-turned-civil litigator Mickey Haller takes on the victim’s mother’s lawsuit against a powerful AI company—facing billion-dollar tech interests, buried evidence, and dangerous secrets in a landmark case where justice itself is on trial in this standout thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Michael Coonnelly.
Set after the events of Connelly’s phenomenal 2023 novel, Resurrection Walk, Mickey Haller, the Lincoln Lawyer, is back, and this time, he’s taking on a monument case against a tech company he believes should be held responsible for encouraging the murder of a teenage girl in California. Shifting from criminal defense to public interest litigation, Haller agrees to represent Brenda Randolph. Months prior, Brenda’s teenage daughter, Rebecca, was murdered by her ex-boyfriend, who consulted a ChatGPT-like chatbot before committing the unthinkable act.
Setting his sights on TidalwAIv, the tech company behind the chatbot, which is courting billions in buyouts while skirting accountability, Haller and his client prepare to go to legal war. Attonries for the tech company, though, want to settle and offer her a substantial amount of money, in hopes that adding a few zeros to Mrs. Randolph’s bank account will buy her silence and make everything go away. Brenda, however, still grieving the loss of her child, doesn’t want their money; she wants them to apologize, publicly, and take responsibility, then put steps in place to safeguard their chatbot from ever encouraging another killing. From a public relations standpoint, though, those terms don’t really align with TidalwAIv’s agenda, as the company is being aggressively courted by investors interested in growing, expanding, and taking TidalwAIv’s chatbot and AI technology to the next level.
With the parties unable to reach a settlement, Haller readies his case for trial.
On the other side, the defense team, well aware of Haller’s reputation for big wins in the courtroom, attempts to throw Mickey off his game by presenting a massive amount of discovery, believing that Haller won’t have enough time to sift through the vast amount of information before the trial begins. Then comes an ally Connelly’s fans will recognize and appreciate, in journalist Jack McEvoy—the protagionist of Connelly’s 1996 novel, The Poet, The Scarecrow (2009), and more recently, 2020’s Fair Warning—who’s planning to write a book about the crime and subsequent trial. The continued merging of his different universes, starting with the worlds of Harry Bosch and Renee Ballard, is another brilliant move by Connelly, who has set the gold standard for developing and creating franchise-leading characters. Haller, realizing McEvoy could be a powerful asset, trades unprecedented access for the journalist’s keen eye for detail, and together, they delve into the discovery, uncovering something that Haller hopes might be the “smoking gun” they need. Proving it won’t be easy, though, and with time running out, Mikey’s only play is to take the biggest risk of his career.
Set against the backdrop of a Los Angeles that’s still ablaze following tragic wildfires, Mickey Haller enters the courtroom for what he knows is the most significant case of his career, and as things heat up, Michael Connelly once again reminds readers why he’s unquestionably one of the greatest crime writers of our time.
A murder sparked by an AI chatbot. A mother demanding justice. And Mickey Haller, stepping into the courtroom to take on the most powerful tech forces in the world—where one gamble could change the future, and the law, forever… or destroy his life entirely. The Proving Ground is the most relevant and compelling legal thriller of the decade, and Michael Connelly proves once again that nobody captures courtroom drama and the high-wire act of justice quite like him.
Book Details
Author: Michael Connelly
Series: Mickey Haller #8
Pages: 336 (Hardcover)
ISBN: 031656382X
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Release Date: October 21, 2025
Praised as “One of the hardest working, most thoughtful, and fairest reviewers out there” by New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline, Ryan Steck has “quickly established himself as the authority on mysteries and thrillers” (Author A.J. Tata). Steck also works full-time as a freelance editor in addition to running TRBS. He is the author of FIELDS OF FIRE, which #1 New York Times bestselling author Jack Carr says “will leave you speechless and begging for more,” LETHAL RANGE, OUT FOR BLOOD, GONE DARK, and TED BELL’S MONARCH. For more information, follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and BookBub. For even more content and book news, subscribe to The Real Book Spy Substack!