John Lescroart

In the world of legal thrillers John Grisham usually gets all the hype, but John Lescroart and Robert Tannenbaum are much better writers. A Plague of Secrets is Lescroart's twentieth book in his Dismas Hardy series; that's pretty impressive.

I like this series, set in San Francisco, partly because it's set in San Francisco, but also because the recurring characters & their lives are interesting. After twenty books in the series, I really care about these people, they feel fleshed out and real show more to me. Additionally, Lescroart has avoided the trap of making his series character massively irritating (Patricia Cornwell, I'm looking at you). I don't know why so many series writers turn their characters into people I wouldn't want to spend ten minutes waiting on a bus with, but they often do. I'm glad Lescroart hasn't.

This isn't the best in the series, but it's a good read - tightly plotted, good character development, lots of suspense & a surprise ending. What more could you want from a thriller? show less

Paul Riley was convicted of raping and murdering his girlfriend, Dana. After eleven years on death row, the Exoneration Initiative gets his conviction overturned on what many people consider a technicality. Four months later, he’s murdered. Riley’s dad identifies Doug Rush as the man he claims to have seen fleeing Riley’s apartment. Rush is quickly arrested but disappears after being released on bail. PI Abe Glitsky is hired by Rush’s attorney to find him. He soon learns that Riley show more wasn’t the only prisoner freed by the Exoneration Initiative who was murdered shortly after. Is it a coincidence or is someone enacting the justice they believe the Initiative has denied?

The Missing Piece is the nineteenth in the Dismas Hardy series by John Lescroart. It’s been quite a while since I read one of the books in the series but I didn’t find that this interfered with my ability to follow the story. And what a smart, twisty story it is. This is a well-plotted well-written legal thriller, more a clever puzzle than an action-packed roller coaster of a thrill ride but that doesn’t mean it isn’t completely engrossing. It is populated with multiple characters, all of whom hold a piece of the puzzle, many seemingly small and unimportant until fitted together. it kept me engaged and guessing, completely tied to the page until the aha moment at the end. I’d like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. show less

This fascinating medical thriller is a terrifying look behind the scenes of Portola, a failing hospital in San Francisco, and the corrupt Parnassus Physicians’ Group (PPG) that runs it. When Tim Markham, director of PPG, becomes a victim of a hit-and-run accident, he winds up fighting for his life in the ICU at the hospital he works for. One would think he’d be well cared for in his own hospital, surrounded by the many doctors and nurses he employs. However, one would be wrong! People show more are dying in this ICU, and not from their various injuries and illnesses. When Tim winds up dead, Detective Abe Glitsky heads up the investigation and quickly singles out his chief suspect, Dr. Erik Kensing, a doctor who holds a grudge against Tim and PPG. Things get complicated when Dismas Hardy, a renowned Defense Attorney and Detective Glitsky’s best friend, takes the case. Together, they discover a serial killer is stalking the halls of Portola, CEOs are taking kickbacks to promote unstable drugs, and patients’ lives are taking a back seat over profits. Well-written and full of colorful characters, the author gives the reader a horrifying glimpse into the medical insurance world where money means more than The Oath. show less

I really enjoyed this book. Lescroart's The Hunt Club is a well-paced, well-structured, well-written detective story that maintains an ever-increasing level of suspense, effective red herrings, and a believable cast of characters.

A federal judge and a young woman are found shot in the judge's home. Problem: the judge is married, but not to the young woman, who isn't who she apparently claimed to be. Then a popular lawyer-turned-TV-court-analyst goes missing (presumed dead), and she just show more happened to be working with the judge in an effort to dissolve the dysfunctional California Correctional Peace Officer Association (prison-guard union). Enter Wyatt Hunt, P.I., who happens to have just started a relationship with the popular lawyer.

Without ever losing sight of the fact that this is a murder mystery, The Hunt Club manages to be easy-going and breezy (except when it needs to be serious). Lescroart does an excellent job of creating good characters, likeable good-guys, excellent narration. He has, in particular, a real skill for creating effective dialogue - in particular, the banter between friends and associates.

You cannot do better than this for a good summer read. show less