As the title of The Reversal suggests, Mickey Haller agrees to prosecute the retrial of an alleged child kidnapper and murderer for the City of Los Angeles after growing frustrated with his role as criminal defense attorney. Haller only agrees to prosecute the case, however, if he can choose his own investigator and co-counsel. The City agrees, and he begins working with detective Harry Bosch as his investigator and his ex-wife Maggie McPherson as his co-counsel.
Melissa Landy, the aforementioned child, was killed in 1986. Her killer, a tow truck driver named Jason Jessup, was convicted based largely on the testimony of the victim's older sister, Sarah. In addition to Sarah's testimony, the victim's hair was found in Jessup's truck. However, the semen stains on the victim's dress was tested using new DNA technology, and stains on her dress were found to belong to their girls' stepfather. In the light of this new evidence, a new trial is ordered.
Jessup's defense attorney begins a media campaign to exonerate his client in hopes of getting him acquitted and getting him a large cash settlement from the City. Haller and his co-counsel respond to Jessup's attorney's campaign by allowing him to get out of jail on bail - with a police tail.
Bosch and Haller hypothesize that Jessup is a serial killer and that he killed young Melissa. Their theory is confirmed in the trial, when Sarah Landy confirms that her stepfather was raping her and that Melissa was wearing her dress, which accounts for the semen stains.
The trial continues and it becomes clear once again that Jessup is Melissa's killer. However, after the trial goes to lunch, Jessup escapes and kills several members of his defense team. Bosch and the rest of the police chase Jessup down, ultimately killing him at a pier and putting an end to the case once and for all.
