The Proving Ground (The Lincoln Lawyer #8)

The Proving Ground (The Lincoln Lawyer #8) by Michael Connelly is out now, published October 21, 2025.

See if this book is on Audible (Free Trial)

The Proving Ground (The Lincoln Lawyer #8)
As an Amazon Associate we may earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.
The Proving Ground (The Lincoln Lawyer #8) Release Date: October 21, 2025

Published

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Michael Connelly, the Lincoln Lawyer is back with a case against an AI company whose product may have been responsible for the murder of a young girl.

Following his “resurrection walk” and need for a new direction, Mickey Haller turns to public interest litigation, filing a civil lawsuit against an artificial intelligence company whose chatbot told a sixteen-year-old boy that it was okay for him to kill his ex-girlfriend for her disloyalty.

Representing the victim’s family, Mickey’s case explores the mostly unregulated and exploding AI business and the lack of training guardrails. Along the way he joins up with a journalist named Jack McEvoy, who wants to be a fly on the wall during the trial in order to write a book about it. But Mickey puts him to work going through the mountain of printed discovery materials in the case. McEvoy’s digging ultimate delivers the key witness, a whistleblower who has been too afraid to speak up. The case is fraught with danger because billions are at stake.

It is said that machines became smarter than humans on the day in 1997 that IBM’s Deep Blue defeated chess master Garry Kasparov with a gambit called “the knight’s sacrifice.” Haller will take a similar gambit in court to defeat the mega forces of the AI industry lined up against him and his clients.

Reader Anticipation Rating:
[Average Rating: 0]

Book Club Journal: Reading Log For Adults & Kids Who Love Books!
Check Latest Price
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

Genre: Thriller


Michael Connelly

More books from Michael Connelly


🎧 While You Wait for The Proving Ground (The Lincoln Lawyer #8)

Prefer audiobooks?

Check Audible to see if The Proving Ground (The Lincoln Lawyer #8) is available to listen to.

Start a free trial and get your first audiobook free.

✔ Listen while commuting or relaxing
✔ Your first audiobook is free with the trial
✔ Cancel anytime

Start Audible Free Trial

Book Club Journal: Reading Log For Adults & Kids Who Love Books!
Check Latest Price
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *