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Slick defense attorney Mickey Haller makes his screen debut today as the film adaptation of Michael Connelly’s bestselling thriller The Lincoln Lawyer arrives in theaters. Though the mystery writer has created numerous bestselling novels, this is only the second time his work has been translated into a movie. The first was the Clint Eastwood helmed Blood Work, a production in which Connelly had virtually no input, according to an article in The Seattle Times. The final product was disappointing to the author and his fans, as the altered story line lacked the spark that made the book so engrossing. But The Lincoln Lawyer production is a whole different beast, and this time the writer was allowed to participate in its creation. Connelly provided feedback on various drafts of the script, made several visits to the set, and discussed the Haller character with star, Matthew McConaughey, before filming began.

The story follows legal bulldog Mickey Haller, who works mainly out of a mobile office in the backseat of his Lincoln Town Car. His client roster isn’t exactly A-list until he hits billing hour pay dirt with a new client from a wealthy family. Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe), the son of privilege, may not be as innocent as he proclaims and Haller is driven to discover the truth. It was essential to Connelly that the electric character interactions and intense momentum of the book be preserved on screen. Early movie critics’ reviews have been solid. But it is the author’s own words of praise that carry the most weight.

Connelly, a former crime journalist for the Los Angeles Times, picked up his pen again for the publication, writing an article about his latest movie experience for the Los Angeles Times Magazine. “Every writer should have this moment, the chance to see their work translated into the visual medium, realized in flesh and blood and pixels of color…Five minutes in, I know there is a good end to this story. They got it. All of them. Actors, producers, director, screenwriter, they all got it. This is the story, and those are the characters. This is the book.”

As The Lincoln Lawyer hits screens nationwide many of Connelly’s fans wonder if there is chance that LAPD Detective Harry Bosch, the author’s best-loved character, will soon get the star treatment. A deal to make a Bosch movie has been pending for years, and as reported by the Los Angeles Times, the writer “is poised to win a long legal battle with Paramount over rights to the Bosch character.”

Watch Michael Connelly and Matthew McConaughey discuss The Lincoln Lawyer