Michael Connelly ‘Lincoln Lawyer’ giveaway

Part of me really wants “The Lincoln Lawyer” to tank.

Let me explain. Unlike many of my other favorite crime writers, Michael Connelly has had decent luck at the box office. Only one of his books has made it to the screen, and that was the decent Clint Eastwood film “Blood Work.” But several others are in various stages of development, and if this first of the Mickey Haller books is successful, the floodgates are likely to open and we’ll see more adaptations.

This could bring two problems: One, I’d rather see Connelly focus on Hieronymus Bosch. The Haller books are fine; I’m in the middle of the forthcoming The Fifth Witness right now, and it has me in its grip as usual. Haller is again wrapped up in a high-profile case (though this time Bosch is not really present). But The Bosch books are Connelly at his best, and though he has proven himself adept at the courtroom drama, there are plenty of those already. Well-written procedurals? Not so common.

Two, if the film is successful and more are made, Connelly will earn more money. A lot more. He’s surely doing all right, and I of course wish him the best. But comfort can lead to complacency. I want a hungry Connelly at the keyboard, not one cranking out another Haller book for the masses. That’s not to suggest that Connelly has or will phone it in, but I don’t want him to be nudged in that direction.

All of that is just a part of what I want. What I really want is for Connelly to be wildly successful. The guy has earned it. The source material is top notch. The Lincoln Lawyer as a novel is riveting, with a fast-paced plot of violence and deception. Connelly seamlessly transitions from the police side of the law to the attorney’s point of view, and has created a compelling protagonist in Haller. I don’t see Matthew McConaughey in the role, but I’ll reserve judgment until I see the finished product. The rest of the cast, from Marisa Tomei to William H. Macy to John Leguizamo, seems well chosen.

In the meantime, the folks behind Connelly’s books and the film have offered five copies of the mass market paperback version of the book and five copies of the movie poster for me to give away. So, here’s the deal: Leave a comment below by Feb. 11 listing what you think is the best movie adaptation of a crime fiction novel. I’ll randomly select five commenters and each will win a copy of the book and a poster.

In the meantime, here are some things to get you primed for the March 18 release of the film:

Read an except here