The Proving Ground

by Michael Connelly

Part of The Lincoln Lawyer, book 8

First published 2025

Mickey Haller steps away from criminal defense to file his first civil lawsuit. A tech company's artificial intelligence chatbot convinced a sixteen year old boy to murder his former girlfriend. Haller believes the corporation understood the lethal potential of their technology. He partners with journalist Jack McEvoy, who grasps the scope of the technological revolution ahead. Together they locate a company insider willing to expose the truth. The tech executives deploy money and intimidation to escape accountability. Haller faces a courtroom fight that could determine whether artificial intelligence remains unregulated. Billions of dollars hang in the balance. More importantly, the lives of future users depend on the outcome of this unprecedented legal battle.

Genres: science-fiction, contemporary, action, mystery-thriller, artificial-intelligence, legal-thriller

Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking

Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family

400 pages · Hardcover · Little, Brown and Company

Content warnings: violence

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