A legal thriller that is timely and explosive as it deals with the contemporary issues surrounding the development of artificial intelligence.
In this 8th book in a long running series, Mickey Haller handles his first civil case after leaving criminal defense and his reputation as the Lincoln Lawyer behind. The trial is very high profile as it tackles the ethical and legal dangers of unregulated AI. Although the main premise centers on the allegation that a teenaged boy shot and killed his ex girlfriend at the behest of a chat bot companion, the parents of the teens sue the multibillion dollar company, Tidalwaiv, because their app lacked essential guardrails that should have protected the children.
The story was so good and the issues so interesting that I could not put this down and read it in a single sitting. I love the author’s writing and I am a huge fan of legal and courtroom drama. I liked everything about the book from the characters (all the ones we know and love from previous Haller installments) and the new journalist character was a great addition. Most of the book centered on the legal maneuvering and the skirmishes between opposing attorneys and the judge. The whole concept and reality of the dangers of AI and the evolution of chatbots and how they are programmed and trained were so riveting. When so many people, especially young ones who are easily influenced, spend so much time interaction with devices and AI, it seems inevitable that many lawsuits will follow as damages become evident and the dangers exposed.
This was not action packed and the criminals were not the usual types found in previous Lincoln Lawyer novels, but were actually more insidiously malignant. It was gripping and thought provoking and I think it serves as a wake up call and cautionary tale as well as legal fiction that could just as easily be true crime.
I was able to listen to the audiobook while also following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. The narrator, Peter Giles, did an amazing job of voicing the characters in this book. He has a great delivery style and has excellent pacing that fits whatever is happening in the story. He is not overly dramatic and sounds like the voice of authority making him a good match for strong male characters. I like his deep voice as it is pleasant to listen to and he can adapt to other characters’ voices though I always wish for a female cast member for these productions. Overall, the audio definitely added to my enjoyment of the book.
This is the 8th book in a long running series. Probably best to read in order.
Tags and genre - legal thriller, contemporary issues, artificial intelligence, chatbots, civil law
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