Q&A: Michael Connelly, Author of The Proving Ground

Q&A: Michael Connelly, Author of The Proving Ground

What is The Proving Ground about?

In this book, Mickey Haller, the Lincoln Lawyer, pivots and moves into civil court where he files a lawsuit against an AI company and there are billions of dollars at stake. So, it’s a David and Goliath story which is where I think Mickey operates the best. When the odds are against him, when it seems like he’s surrounded by giants and has little chance, that’s what he relishes! I think the book is also about Mickey rejuvenating himself as a lawyer and as a man… we’ll see where he goes from there. 

What was the inspiration for the story in The Proving Ground?

You can’t read a newspaper these days without some story about AI running amuck in some way and that was the inspiration for me. There was a lawsuit filed in Florida against an AI company where a young boy committed suicide and was encouraged to do so by his chatbot. That was the moment I said I’m going to write something like this and bring Mickey into it. 

What does the title mean?

The proving ground is the space in front of the jury box where the lawyer stands by himself and speaks to the jury, whether it’s in an opening argument or a closing argument, where he performs. It’s where you pretty much prove yourself to the jury. Mickey is definitely a performer when he’s in front of a jury and the proving ground is where he feels at home. 

How has Mickey evolved over your 20 years of writing about him?

I’ve been fortunate that I’ve been able to write stories and develop the character of the Lincoln Lawyer for 20 years. It’s quite a gift to any kind of writer. I’ve paid a lot of attention to his evolution as a lawyer and I think we’ve seen him go from a guy who’s in the trenches of the courts, to a guy who’s gotten some pretty big cases and some notoriety. 

The last time I wrote about him was in Resurrection Walk when he came to the conclusion that he needed to change the direction of his life. So, in The Proving Ground he has left criminal defense behind and is now a public interest lawyer which really  tests him because the rules are different in civil litigation and the odds are stacked against him. 

Buy a copy of The Proving Ground here.

Reviews

Absolutely Thrilling: Read an Extract from The Proving Ground by Michael Connelly

Review | Extract

20 October 2025

Absolutely Thrilling: Read an Extract from The Proving Ground by Michael Connelly

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              Publisher details

              Lincoln Lawyer #8: The Proving Ground
              Author
              Michael Connelly
              Publisher
              Allen & Unwin
              Genre
              Fiction
              Released
              21 October, 2025
              ISBN
              9781761473401

              Synopsis

              Mickey Haller has moved from criminal to civil court, but murder remains in his sights—in particular, the case of a chatbot encouraging the killing of a teenage girl.

              Mickey files a civil lawsuit against the artificial intelligence company responsible for the chatbot and instantly finds himself on the wild frontier of the billion-dollar AI industry. Grappling with a terrifying lack of regulation and data overload, Haller partners with journalist Jack McEvoy. But they are up against mega-forces, and even the bravest whistleblower faces grave danger.

              In 1997, IBM's Deep Blue defeated chess master Garry Kasparov with an unexpected gambit. In a Herculean new match of man vs machine, can Haller pull off a winning play for humanity?

              Michael Connelly
              About the author

              Michael Connelly

              Michael Connelly decided to become a writer after discovering the books of Raymond Chandler while attending the University of Florida. Once he decided on this direction he chose a major in journalism and a minor in creative writing - a curriculum in which one of his teachers was novelist Harry Crews.After graduating in 1980, Connelly worked at newspapers in Daytona Beach and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, primarily specializing in the crime beat. In Fort Lauderdale he wrote about police and crime during the height of the murder and violence wave that rolled over South Florida during the so-called cocaine wars.In 1986, he and two other reporters spent several months interviewing survivors of a major airline crash. They wrote a magazine story on the crash and the survivors which was later short-listed for the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing. The magazine story also moved Connelly into the upper levels of journalism, landing him a job as a crime reporter for the Los Angeles Times, one of the largest papers in the country, and bringing him to the city of which his literary hero, Chandler, had written.After three years on the crime beat in L.A., Connelly began writing his first novel to feature LAPD Detective Hieronymus Bosch. The novel, The Black Echo, based in part on a true crime that had occurred in Los Angeles, was published in 1992 and won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel by the Mystery Writers of America.Connelly's books have been translated in 31 languages and have won the Edgar, Anthony, Macavity, Dilys, Nero, Barry, Audie, Ridley, Maltese Falcon (Japan), .38 Caliber (France), Grand Prix (France), and Premio Bancarella (Italy) awards.Michael lives with his family in Florida.Michael also makes regular appearances on the TV show Castle .

              Books by Michael Connelly

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