MostlyFiction Book Reviews » John Lescroart We Love to Read! Wed, 14 May 2014 13:06:32 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.3 DAMAGE by John Lescroart /2011/damage-by-john-lescroart/ /2011/damage-by-john-lescroart/#comments Tue, 04 Jan 2011 15:05:16 +0000 /?p=14918 Book Quote:

“He’s been through difficult times before in his trials, his failed marriage, with his children, in his life, but never before had he completely abandoned his essential view of himself as a good man, an honest man, a man of good character.”

Book Review:

Review by Eleanor Bukowsky  (JAN 04, 2011)

The arch villain in John Lescroart’s Damage is Roland Curtlee, the pampered son of Cliff and Theresa Curtlee. The Curtlees are a wealthy and politically connected couple who own San Francisco’s number two newspaper, the Courier. Ro has been released from prison after serving nine years, well shy of his original sentence–twenty-five years to life. Although Ro was found guilty of raping and murdering his family’s housekeeper, Dolores Sandoval, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal reversed the conviction and ordered a new trial. This leaves the new San Francisco District Attorney, Wes Farrell, in an awkward position. The Curtlees supported Wes’s candidacy and provided him with favorable press coverage. Now they expect payback. They want Ro to be freed on bail and furthermore, they do not want him to be retried.

Damage is a searing indictment of a criminal justice system that is riddled with flaws. The District Attorney is an elected official who is answerable to the public, and he is subject to the same pressures as any other politician. He needs money and influence to win, which robs him of the independence that a DA should have in order to make sound decisions. Long story short, a loathsome and sadistic sociopath goes free on bail, and then the bodies start to pile up. Fifty-seven year old Abe Glitsky, a long-standing Lescroart character, is head of San Francisco’s homicide department, and he is no shrinking violet. He has “a flat, deathless, and menacing stare,” which he uses to good effect. Amanda Jenkins is an ambitious prosecutor who helped put Ro away and now works under Will in the DA’s office. Glitsky, Amanda, and others will knock themselves out trying to find a way to keep Ro from causing further mayhem.

This is one of John Lescroart’s most compelling legal and psychological thrillers in years. Damage has sardonic humor, strong dialogue, lively characters, and a complex but well constructed plot. An exception is a twist that the author throws in at the end. Most alert readers will see it coming. In addition, defense attorney Dismas Hardy, who has been the protagonist of many of Lescroart’s previous novels, makes a few superfluous cameo appearances. It is more than enough to observe the determined Glitsky wrestling with Wes, the mayor, and the chief of police; Farrell vacillating between doing what is right and what is expedient; and Ro and his family using their money and power to manipulate public opinion.

To Lescroart’s credit, he does not provide us with a “feel-good” story. On the contrary, he clearly demonstrates that sometimes, judges, detectives, and prosecutors—as much as they might want to do the right thing—fail in their mission to keep criminals behind bars. Damage is a hard-hitting look at what can happen when immoral individuals do battle with those sworn to uphold the law.

AMAZON READER RATING: stars-4-0from 76 readers
PUBLISHER: Dutton Adult (January 4, 2011)
REVIEWER: Eleanor Bukowsky
AVAILABLE AS A KINDLE BOOK? YES! Start Reading Now!
AUTHOR WEBSITE: John Lescroart
EXTRAS: Excerpt
MORE ON MOSTLYFICTION: Our review of previous books in the series:

And a review of his stand-alone thriller:

Bibliography:

Auguste Lupa Series:

Dismas Hardy / Lt. Abe Glitskey Series:

Wyatt Hunt / Insp. Devin Juhle:

Gina Roarke / Insp. Devin Juhle:

Music by the author:

]]> /2011/damage-by-john-lescroart/feed/ 0 A PLAGUE OF SECRETS by John Lescroart /2009/a-plague-of-secrets-by-john-lescroart/ /2009/a-plague-of-secrets-by-john-lescroart/#comments Sat, 11 Jul 2009 23:52:28 +0000 /?p=2715 Book Quote:

“Never mind that their convictions flew in the face of the first law of criminal investigation—facts must flow from demonstrable evidence, and not the other way round, where the evidence is massaged or explained to fit a set of predetermined perceptions.”

Book Review:

Reviewed by Eleanor Bukowsky (JUL 11, 2009)

In John Lescroart’s A Plague of Secrets, San Francisco-based criminal defense attorney Dismas Hardy once again takes center stage, along with his close friend, Abe Glitsky, the head of San Francisco’s Homicide Department, and Hardy’s investigator, Wyatt Hunt. Hardy’s latest client, thirty-two year old Maya Townshend, is a wealthy woman whose husband makes millions in the real estate business. She also owns Bay Beans West, a popular coffee shop. When the shop’s manager, Dylan Vogler, who sidelines as a marijuana dealer, is found shot dead, suspicion falls on Maya. An aggressive homicide inspector, Debra Schiff, contends that Maya had a strong motive to want Vogler dead and a flimsy alibi to account for her whereabouts during the shooting.

Schiff is concerned because Maya’s brother is Harlen Fisk, a former cop and member of San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors and Maya’s aunt is Mayor Kathy West. With connections like these, it will be difficult to nail her. However, Debra is willing to go the extra mile to insure that Townshend is arrested, even if it means widening the probe with the help of federal attorney Jerry Glass. Because of a serious personal issue that has is preoccupying Abe Glitsky, he gives Schiff more leeway than he normally would in such a high profile matter. Fearing that his sister is being railroaded, Fisk asks Dismas to be Maya’s criminal defense attorney; she will need Hardy’s considerable skills and courtroom savvy to get out of this mess. When another body turns up, the stakes are instantly raised. Although there is only a small amount of physical evidence pointing to Maya, the circumstantial evidence is damning.

Unsurprisingly, political shenanigans, underhanded tactics, and jockeying for favorable media attention all take precedence over the dispensation of justice. Hardy fears that “the entire courtroom drama could unfold as a large multi-tentacled conspiracy fueled by drugs and moral turpitude in high places.” On the plus side, Hardy is an old pro who has rarely lost a case, and he is not easily intimidated. In addition, he knows how to navigate the difficult terrain of a criminal trial with the best of them. The most absorbing scenes are those that take place in the courtroom. Diz and his opponent, assistant DA, Paul Stier, both try to score points with the jury and attempt to stay on the “good” side of the ill-tempered and sardonic Superior Court judge, Marian Braun. If Maya is innocent, then it is reasonable to assume that she was framed by a clever perpetrator. This is the famous SODDI (Some Other Dude Did It) defense. While Hardy and his team search for the “other dude,” the only clear thing about this murky case is that a number of witnesses are lying, including Maya herself.

This is not one of Lescroart’s best works. The complex plot generates few sparks and most readers will not be sufficiently invested in the lifeless Maya to care very much about her fate. Rather slow moving at times, A Plague of Secrets lacks the freshness, character development, and thought-provoking themes that have made Lescroart so popular in recent years. Although red herrings abound to keep readers guessing, this novel lacks the electricity and originality that would have lifted it above the mundane.

AMAZON READER RATING: stars-4-0from 59 readers
PUBLISHER: Dutton Adult (June 30, 2009)
REVIEWER: Eleanor Bukowsky
AVAILABLE AS A KINDLE BOOK? YES! Start Reading Now!
AUTHOR WEBSITE: John Lescroart
EXTRAS: Excerpt
MORE ON MOSTLYFICTION: More reviews of books in this series:

And a review of his stand-alone thriller:

Bibliography:

Auguste Lupa Series:

Dismas Hardy / Lt. Abe Glitskey Series:

Wyatt Hunt / Insp. Devin Juhle:

Gina Roarke / Insp. Devin Juhle:

Music by the author:

]]> /2009/a-plague-of-secrets-by-john-lescroart/feed/ 0