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The Proving Ground

The Brand New Blockbuster Lincoln Lawyer Thriller

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The Proving Ground

By: Michael Connelly
Narrated by: Peter Giles
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Mickey Haller - The Lincoln Lawyer - leaves criminal court behind for his first civil lawsuit. But to him, this is still a murder trial.

An AI company's chatbot encouraged a sixteen-year-old boy to kill his ex-girlfriend. Can Haller prove the company knew the dangers of its own creation?

To do so, he turns to Jack McEvoy - a journalist who knows how powerful the coming wave will be - and together they soon uncover a whistleblower in hiding.

As the tech titans try to buy or bully their way out, the scale of their courtroom battle before them becomes clear. Because billions are at stake - along with countless lives - in an all or nothing case, which could change everything...

From the author of the books behind the #1 Netflix show The Lincoln Lawyer, and #1 Amazon Prime series Bosch and Ballard.

*****

PRAISE FOR MICHAEL CONNELLY & THE LINCOLN LAYWER THRILLERS:

'An incredible writer' RICHARD OSMAN

'The Lincoln Lawyer series keeps getting better' WASHINGTON POST

'A superb natural storyteller' LEE CHILD

'The pre-eminent detective novelist of his generation' IAN RANKIN

'Mickey Haller is a worthy colleague of Atticus Finch' LOS ANGELES TIMES

'A master of the genre' STEPHEN KING

'A terrific writer' THE TIMES

'A powerhouse, an unstoppable force in crime fiction' MICK HERRON

'Crime thriller writing of the highest order' GUARDIAN

'Nobody writes a better modern thriller' EVENING STANDARD

'One of the world's greatest crime writers' DAILY MAIL

'The master of modern crime fiction' EXPRESS©2025 Hieronymus, Inc. Crime Thrillers International Mystery & Crime Mystery Police Procedurals Thriller & Suspense Crime Exciting Scary Abraham Lincoln Murder
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Critic reviews

Another edge-of-your-seat thriller from a master writer
It's the electrifying legal thriller of the year
Connelly proves once again why he's the master of the modern legal thriller. The Proving Ground is razor-sharp, timely, and utterly compelling - a courtroom drama that grapples with technology, accountability, and the human cost of progress
A must-read
This tale smoulders away as assuredly as Connelly's fan could want
Ferocious storytelling
All stars
Most relevant
I really enjoyed this latest booking the Micky Haller series. It's interesting how the author keeps reinventing the character as time passes, so we get to witness a new set of obstacles to overcome. There were a few plot strands which were left without explanation, and I was a bit disappointed how things ended, but overall it was excellent.

Another great Haller novel

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Another Lincoln Lawyer (and his crew)! As usual, the plot is consistent and never predictable. The AI theme was a risky choice, but it’s handled with balance and never in a trivial way. It’s been a very enjoyable listen.

Good novel on a very contemporary subject.

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After a few disappointing books MC is back to his best. Great story with up to date themes

back to his best

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Michael Connelly never fails to deliver a fast paced and exciting read with plenty of twists and turns. This novel is very topical as it points to the risks we all face as AI develops with very few checks and balances. I’m an optimist by nature and I can see the potential upsides but the downsides to the human race are existential. The genie is out of the bottle…

The dangers of AI in a gripping courtroom drama.

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This story is so relevant to current day use of AI technology.
It adds a level of fear as scary as the worst serial killer

AI. The most frightening serial killer

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