The Gods of Guilt is the sixth novel by Michael Connelly featuring lawyer Mickey Haller. In this novel, Mickey is hired by a digital pimp to defend him in the murder of a prostitute. Mickey discovers that the prostitute is a former client, a woman he liked and tried several times to help. For this reason and because he honestly believes his client is innocent, Mickey takes on two dirty cops in a case that will have long reaching consequences for Mickey and his associates. The Gods of Guilt is a legal thriller that will leave the reader breathless with the final sentence.

Mickey Haller is still reeling from his daughter’s decision to cut herself out of his life as a direct result of the fact that a client he got out of jail was responsible for the death of a mother and daughter who were popular at his daughter’s school. To distract himself, Mickey throws himself into his work, which includes a new case in which a digital pimp is accused of killing one of his prostitutes. Mickey is thrilled to have a paying customer. However, when he discovers the victim is a former client and friend, he begins to wonder if there is more to the case than what he can see.

Mickey goes back over the cases he handled for the prostitute and remembers a deal he made for her on her last arrest. This deal resulted in the conviction of a Mexican cartel drug dealer. When Mickey discovers that this drug dealer had recently begun a new appeal into his case that is related to the deal Mickey made for the prostitute, he wonders if one has something to do with the other. When Mickey is subpoenaed in that case along with a prostitute who once worked with his former client, he decides to speak to the drug dealer himself.

Mickey drives to the federal penitentiary and learns that the drug dealer believes that Mickey’s former client planted a gun in his hotel room that led to him getting a life sentence. The dealer thinks a DEA agent named Marco had the prostitute set him up. As Mickey leaves the prison his car is rammed and forced off the road, killing his driver and nearly killing him.

A month later, the trial for the digital pimp has begun. Mickey waits until the prosecution has presented their case to give his opening argument and present his case. Mickey focuses on the connection between this case and the drug dealer’s case. Mickey brings in multiple witnesses who help him make the connections, allowing him to eventually call a former LAPD detective named Lankford. When Mickey begins his examination of Lankford, he discovers that a tape he has shown Lankford in secret showing Lankford and Marco setting up a potential witness has encouraged Lankford to come clean. Lankford admits to following the prostitute home the night she died and sending a text of her address to Marco. Lankford also admits that he believes Marco killed the prostitute. After finishing his testimony, Lankford kills himself on the stand.

Mickey’s client is set free and wins a lawsuit against the city that claimed it was their fault he was stabbed in custody during his trial. Marco disappears, but Mickey gets an anonymous video that shows a dead man hanging in an anonymous locale, leaving him with the impression that the Mexican cartel got revenge on Marco.