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constantreader471's review against another edition
4.0
A solid 4 stars.
Another taut thriller from John Lescroart. The bad guys are revealed early on, so the book is more of a thriller than a mystery. This book resolves murders that took place in a stand alone by Lescroart, Fatal, and I urge you to read that before this book. This is book 18 in the series and they work better if read in order, although I have not done that.
I can't reveal too much about the plot, without spoilers to Fatal. The book revolves around a nasty feud between the District Attorney, Ron Jameson, and Dismas Hardy, a lawyer and friend of Wes Farrell. Farrell was Jameson's opponent in the election and Jameson is out for revenge. I did not expect the ending.
Some other characters who play a role in the book:
Abe Glitsky, retired San Francisco PD Chief of Detectives
Chet Greene DA investigator
Beth Tully, SFPD detective
Some quotes:
"Which meant that both of them, husband and wife, were killers.
And after you murder someone, life is never the same."
"Lawyers looking for fun" Glitsky said. There's something you don't hear everyday."
Thank You Tasha Hilton at Atria Books for sending this book through NetGalley
Another taut thriller from John Lescroart. The bad guys are revealed early on, so the book is more of a thriller than a mystery. This book resolves murders that took place in a stand alone by Lescroart, Fatal, and I urge you to read that before this book. This is book 18 in the series and they work better if read in order, although I have not done that.
I can't reveal too much about the plot, without spoilers to Fatal. The book revolves around a nasty feud between the District Attorney, Ron Jameson, and Dismas Hardy, a lawyer and friend of Wes Farrell. Farrell was Jameson's opponent in the election and Jameson is out for revenge. I did not expect the ending.
Some other characters who play a role in the book:
Abe Glitsky, retired San Francisco PD Chief of Detectives
Chet Greene DA investigator
Beth Tully, SFPD detective
Some quotes:
"Which meant that both of them, husband and wife, were killers.
And after you murder someone, life is never the same."
"Lawyers looking for fun" Glitsky said. There's something you don't hear everyday."
Thank You Tasha Hilton at Atria Books for sending this book through NetGalley
meganly823's review against another edition
2.0
I had a hard time getting into this book. DNF after about 180 pages.
martyfried's review against another edition
4.0
First, thanks to NetGalley for providing an advanced review copy of this book.
A great read, but not as good as many of the ones from the past, in my opinion. But I still had trouble putting it down toward the end.
I'm a big fan of this series, and already knew most of the characters, and also the back story from The First Law. I'd advise anyone to at least read that book before this one for maximum enjoyment. Reading more of the previous books, or all, would be better.
I think this is the first book to feature Hardy's secretary, Phyllis, as more than a butt of Hardy's jokes or complaints, and she's shown to have a somewhat surprising secret life - surprising because she's usually such a no-nonsense, business-only character. This part of her private life explodes in a way that causes many unforseen consequences, resulting in her arrest as an accessory to murder, and almost to the arrest of Hardy and some of his friends.
It was a pretty exciting story, but I believe there was also a political motive to the story, which was to highlight some of the problems facing undocumented aliens in the US, especially the younger ones who were brought here as infants and have no life or knowledge of their legal homes. One was even born in the US, but didn't have proof of any kind. These people are all, in their minds at least, as American as any of us, and would suffer greatly if deported. So they try to keep a very low profile, and are totally unprotected by our normal laws. If they accidentally get noticed somehow, their only choice is to go into hiding. I think the author did address some of the related issues, such as criminals who might get deported instead of arrested for their crimes, etc.
One thing I didn't like so much is that the characters seemed a little too one-dimensional in this book. The bad guys were really bad, the good guys were really good, and there wasn't much gray area. Also, there wasn't as much of the humorous bantering, it seemed, although there was some.
I hope there will be another in the series, now that Hardy's firm has collected a few old friends such as Wes Farrell and Gina Roake back as active partners, and Phyllis has been shown to have an actual life.
A great read, but not as good as many of the ones from the past, in my opinion. But I still had trouble putting it down toward the end.
I'm a big fan of this series, and already knew most of the characters, and also the back story from
I think this is the first book to feature Hardy's secretary, Phyllis, as more than a butt of Hardy's jokes or complaints, and she's shown to have a somewhat surprising secret life - surprising because she's usually such a no-nonsense, business-only character. This part of her private life explodes in a way that causes many unforseen consequences, resulting in her arrest as an accessory to murder, and almost to the arrest of Hardy and some of his friends.
It was a pretty exciting story, but I believe there was also a political motive to the story, which was to highlight some of the problems facing undocumented aliens in the US, especially the younger ones who were brought here as infants and have no life or knowledge of their legal homes. One was even born in the US, but didn't have proof of any kind. These people are all, in their minds at least, as American as any of us, and would suffer greatly if deported. So they try to keep a very low profile, and are totally unprotected by our normal laws. If they accidentally get noticed somehow, their only choice is to go into hiding. I think the author did address some of the related issues, such as criminals who might get deported instead of arrested for their crimes, etc.
One thing I didn't like so much is that the characters seemed a little too one-dimensional in this book. The bad guys were really bad, the good guys were really good, and there wasn't much gray area. Also, there wasn't as much of the humorous bantering, it seemed, although there was some.
I hope there will be another in the series, now that Hardy's firm has collected a few old friends such as Wes Farrell and Gina Roake back as active partners, and Phyllis has been shown to have an actual life.
claudetteb's review against another edition
1.0
Reads like John Lescroart having his morning coffee and ranting over the newspaper. What story there is in this novel is so far-fetched as to be laughable. Not an enjoyable read :(
pageturner42's review against another edition
2.0
All in all the the plot of this story was zero-sum. Nothing happened of import at all and that's usually not the case for books in this series.
booksuperpower's review against another edition
3.0
The Rule of Law by John Lescroart is a 2019 Atria Books publication.
It feels like old times, now that the gang is back together, working as a unit again. However, that also means there has been a new DA elected to office- a DA that was once suspected of murder.
But, Dismas Hardy finds himself embroiled in a prickly situation involving his longtime secretary Phyllis, whose brother has just been released from prison. When Phyllis is arrested as an accessory to murder, Hardy must work quickly to discover who really killed Hector Valdez and to what extent Phyllis’ brother was involved.
Meanwhile, the new DA has gotten himself in hot water, right off the bat. Not only that, it would appear he is still on the hook in that old murder case!!
I’ve read this series on and off for many years. This book is one in which the author is basically tying up a few loose ends from previous chapters. But, sadly, my memory just could not recall the details needed to connect the dots vaguely alluded to here.
A little time spent on refreshing the reader’s memory might have been prudent, since some time has passed since I last picked up a book in this series, and some people may have simply picked this book out randomly.
All the same, the thread centered around Phyllis is easy to follow, and I basically got the gist of the story involving the new DA, although I was apparently missing some key parts of the backstory and plot lines JL felt the need to tidy up.
Simply put, this is not one of JL’s best efforts. Some parts of the story were good and concluded satisfactorily, while others were unimaginative and anticlimactic after such a big build up.
Overall, this was just an okay read for me. It was enjoyable enough, but in truth, this is a weak and tepid addition to this long running series.
It feels like old times, now that the gang is back together, working as a unit again. However, that also means there has been a new DA elected to office- a DA that was once suspected of murder.
But, Dismas Hardy finds himself embroiled in a prickly situation involving his longtime secretary Phyllis, whose brother has just been released from prison. When Phyllis is arrested as an accessory to murder, Hardy must work quickly to discover who really killed Hector Valdez and to what extent Phyllis’ brother was involved.
Meanwhile, the new DA has gotten himself in hot water, right off the bat. Not only that, it would appear he is still on the hook in that old murder case!!
I’ve read this series on and off for many years. This book is one in which the author is basically tying up a few loose ends from previous chapters. But, sadly, my memory just could not recall the details needed to connect the dots vaguely alluded to here.
A little time spent on refreshing the reader’s memory might have been prudent, since some time has passed since I last picked up a book in this series, and some people may have simply picked this book out randomly.
All the same, the thread centered around Phyllis is easy to follow, and I basically got the gist of the story involving the new DA, although I was apparently missing some key parts of the backstory and plot lines JL felt the need to tidy up.
Simply put, this is not one of JL’s best efforts. Some parts of the story were good and concluded satisfactorily, while others were unimaginative and anticlimactic after such a big build up.
Overall, this was just an okay read for me. It was enjoyable enough, but in truth, this is a weak and tepid addition to this long running series.
crazyoverbooks's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
5.0
canada_matt's review against another edition
4.0
First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, John Lescroart, and Atria Books for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
Returning to add to his legal thriller series, John Lescroart crafts another winner that pulls much of the previous novels together, while offering interesting pathways for narrative development. Dismas Hardy continues to excel as a defence attorney in San Francisco, having seen many changes in the field of criminal law. From those who arrest suspects to the leaders seeking to put them away, Hardy is now forced to stomach a new District Attorney, the victor after a friend’s election falls short for a third term. This permits his old firm to cobble itself back together, slowly, though the law continues to evolve at break-neck speed. Hardy’s assistant of many years has gone missing from her desk, an anomaly not lost on the attorney. When she returns, Phyllis McGowan wishes not to speak of it. Days later, Phyllis is arrested at the office, charged as an accessory to the murder of an immigration coyote. It soon becomes apparent that Phyllis’ brother, Adam McGowan, has recently finished a prison term and is working with undocumented immigrants to America. A swift indictment in the grand jury and a DA who wants to take the case himself are only two aspects that are troubling to Hardy. When SFPD Detectives blow the whistle as well, Hardy is sure that the rush to judgment is meant to hide something else. It is then that the reader learns of a shootout from years before that this new DA is sure he can use to nail many of the prominent members of the legal and police community, creating his own witch hunt, which includes Hardy and those closest to him. By bending the rule of law, the DA might be setting his crosshairs on ridding San Francisco of some key players in the legal community, all while harbouring his own dark secret. Another great legal thriller for fans of Lescroart to enjoy. While the series is long and quite involved, for reasons I’ll discuss below, this one might actually work as a standalone for the curious reader looking to dive in.
I have long been a fan of Lescroart’s novels, particularly the multiple series than connect this larger San Francisco collection. These novels are rich with legal banter, but have also helped tie the reader down to a core group of characters, who weave their lives together in different ways and with varied degrees of importance, depending on Lescroart’s omnipotent decisions in that particular publication. Dismas Hardy, long the staple of the series and a strong protagonist, plays another central role in this novel. While the reader does not get a great deal of backstory, there is some development of his character as a defence attorney. Hardy has long had a passion for the law, something that is equalled only by that of those in his close circle. Lescroart shows that Hardy is willing to rise above and defend anyone in need of a legal mouthpiece, particularly when that person has been an essential part of his sustained profession. The handful of other series regulars also show themselves in ways that help progress their individual storylines, without crowding the pages with too much to remember. There are also those who are new to the scene, some who will surely appear only in this book, while others who might become new regulars, given the chance. Lescroart uses them effectively and pulls the reader into the middle of the story, while sifting through much of the questions left to simmer in previous novels. On that note, while Lescroart admits in his acknowledgments that this piece of writing was meant to tie off some loose ends rather than develop new and exciting plot lines, I could not help but notice an odd feature used throughout. While I understand that authors will sometimes remind readers about characters and situations in a series, as a refresher of sorts, there is some expectation that anyone jumping into the middle of the series ought to have a passing understanding. Lescroart repeatedly uses the “abc—xyz123–def” technique, overindulging in the editorial aside. While this can be done effectively, Lescroart uses it to remind the reader of so many of the names and places mentioned. Rather than using what I would call a more refined technique, the reader or forced to leap over these ‘bar hurdles’, for lack of a better word, and the momentum is lost. I do not remember seeing things as much in past pieces, though I will readily admit that I spent years choosing the audiobook version of Lescroart’s series. Still, this is a strong series that I hope many will discover in their own time. It spans decades (of writing), but novels can surely be devoured in short order.
Kudos, Mr. Lescroart, for another winner. I am eager to see where to take things, with many of the developments or resolutions presented with this novel
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons
Returning to add to his legal thriller series, John Lescroart crafts another winner that pulls much of the previous novels together, while offering interesting pathways for narrative development. Dismas Hardy continues to excel as a defence attorney in San Francisco, having seen many changes in the field of criminal law. From those who arrest suspects to the leaders seeking to put them away, Hardy is now forced to stomach a new District Attorney, the victor after a friend’s election falls short for a third term. This permits his old firm to cobble itself back together, slowly, though the law continues to evolve at break-neck speed. Hardy’s assistant of many years has gone missing from her desk, an anomaly not lost on the attorney. When she returns, Phyllis McGowan wishes not to speak of it. Days later, Phyllis is arrested at the office, charged as an accessory to the murder of an immigration coyote. It soon becomes apparent that Phyllis’ brother, Adam McGowan, has recently finished a prison term and is working with undocumented immigrants to America. A swift indictment in the grand jury and a DA who wants to take the case himself are only two aspects that are troubling to Hardy. When SFPD Detectives blow the whistle as well, Hardy is sure that the rush to judgment is meant to hide something else. It is then that the reader learns of a shootout from years before that this new DA is sure he can use to nail many of the prominent members of the legal and police community, creating his own witch hunt, which includes Hardy and those closest to him. By bending the rule of law, the DA might be setting his crosshairs on ridding San Francisco of some key players in the legal community, all while harbouring his own dark secret. Another great legal thriller for fans of Lescroart to enjoy. While the series is long and quite involved, for reasons I’ll discuss below, this one might actually work as a standalone for the curious reader looking to dive in.
I have long been a fan of Lescroart’s novels, particularly the multiple series than connect this larger San Francisco collection. These novels are rich with legal banter, but have also helped tie the reader down to a core group of characters, who weave their lives together in different ways and with varied degrees of importance, depending on Lescroart’s omnipotent decisions in that particular publication. Dismas Hardy, long the staple of the series and a strong protagonist, plays another central role in this novel. While the reader does not get a great deal of backstory, there is some development of his character as a defence attorney. Hardy has long had a passion for the law, something that is equalled only by that of those in his close circle. Lescroart shows that Hardy is willing to rise above and defend anyone in need of a legal mouthpiece, particularly when that person has been an essential part of his sustained profession. The handful of other series regulars also show themselves in ways that help progress their individual storylines, without crowding the pages with too much to remember. There are also those who are new to the scene, some who will surely appear only in this book, while others who might become new regulars, given the chance. Lescroart uses them effectively and pulls the reader into the middle of the story, while sifting through much of the questions left to simmer in previous novels. On that note, while Lescroart admits in his acknowledgments that this piece of writing was meant to tie off some loose ends rather than develop new and exciting plot lines, I could not help but notice an odd feature used throughout. While I understand that authors will sometimes remind readers about characters and situations in a series, as a refresher of sorts, there is some expectation that anyone jumping into the middle of the series ought to have a passing understanding. Lescroart repeatedly uses the “abc—xyz123–def” technique, overindulging in the editorial aside. While this can be done effectively, Lescroart uses it to remind the reader of so many of the names and places mentioned. Rather than using what I would call a more refined technique, the reader or forced to leap over these ‘bar hurdles’, for lack of a better word, and the momentum is lost. I do not remember seeing things as much in past pieces, though I will readily admit that I spent years choosing the audiobook version of Lescroart’s series. Still, this is a strong series that I hope many will discover in their own time. It spans decades (of writing), but novels can surely be devoured in short order.
Kudos, Mr. Lescroart, for another winner. I am eager to see where to take things, with many of the developments or resolutions presented with this novel
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons
skinnypenguin's review
4.0
Another legal thriller by John LesCroart. It helps if you have read some of the previous books in this series. The story is full of lots of intrigue and legal maneuvering.
Dismas Hardy's secretary, Phyllis, gets arrested and Dismas comes to her defense. Her brother, who had been in prison, gets here involved in helping a woman, who is an illegal alien, try to leave the country. The woman is suspected of murder. Phyllis has been helping out with the "underground railroad" which assists illegals get to Canada. Her arrest is rushed by the D.A. and it does not go well. The D.A. has issues with lots of people, Hardy is one of them as his friend was the D.A.'s opponent. Hardy decides to go after the D.A. and sets some things in motion that snowball. It has far reaching consequences and the D.A. then decides to go after Hardy and anyone associated with him.
Several of the detectives are on Hardy's side and believe the D.A. is actually responsible for a murder several years ago. They start investigating further. There are a lot of interconnected relationships in the story and you need to pay attention to keep them all straight.
While the D.A. tries to hide his own crimes and go after the "good guys" lots of people are aligning against him.
Enjoyable story.
Dismas Hardy's secretary, Phyllis, gets arrested and Dismas comes to her defense. Her brother, who had been in prison, gets here involved in helping a woman, who is an illegal alien, try to leave the country. The woman is suspected of murder. Phyllis has been helping out with the "underground railroad" which assists illegals get to Canada. Her arrest is rushed by the D.A. and it does not go well. The D.A. has issues with lots of people, Hardy is one of them as his friend was the D.A.'s opponent. Hardy decides to go after the D.A. and sets some things in motion that snowball. It has far reaching consequences and the D.A. then decides to go after Hardy and anyone associated with him.
Several of the detectives are on Hardy's side and believe the D.A. is actually responsible for a murder several years ago. They start investigating further. There are a lot of interconnected relationships in the story and you need to pay attention to keep them all straight.
While the D.A. tries to hide his own crimes and go after the "good guys" lots of people are aligning against him.
Enjoyable story.
deearr's review
4.0
The telling of this tale is decidedly different than most.
Most of the murders are many years in the past, and the only current events of note are the recent District Attorney election and the efforts of Dismas Hardy and his lawyer friends to rebuild their law business. All the players are known here, and the book becomes an elaborate chess game, with moves to block yet eventually aimed to checkmate and end the game. The option of simply killing someone and removing them from the board is not out of the question.
There are multiple murder cases here, and the most recent one is almost a distraction. The separate murders that could involve Dismas Hardy and new DA Ron Jameson are the focus of this story. Hardy and Jameson are in a race to find enough evidence to convict the other and both realize the outcome will be a winner-take-all scenario.
Author john Lescroart shines in what could easily have become a boring reconstruction of a couple of cold cases. Somehow, he makes the day-to-day efforts of detective work look fascinating, slowly increasing the tension as the book winds its way toward the climax. Rather than gunfights and brawls, this is a cerebral tale detailing the work necessary to dig through potential clues and find the ones necessary to the case.
The book is not overloaded with characters, and it is easy to follow their separate stories. The author provides enough information to allow us to identify with the good characters and dislike the bad ones. The plot works its way to an abrupt, though satisfying conclusion. This was my first Dismas Hardy book, and I was not disappointed. Crisp writing, interesting plot, and realistic characters make it easy to recommend this book. Four-and-a-half stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advance electronic copy of this book.
Most of the murders are many years in the past, and the only current events of note are the recent District Attorney election and the efforts of Dismas Hardy and his lawyer friends to rebuild their law business. All the players are known here, and the book becomes an elaborate chess game, with moves to block yet eventually aimed to checkmate and end the game. The option of simply killing someone and removing them from the board is not out of the question.
There are multiple murder cases here, and the most recent one is almost a distraction. The separate murders that could involve Dismas Hardy and new DA Ron Jameson are the focus of this story. Hardy and Jameson are in a race to find enough evidence to convict the other and both realize the outcome will be a winner-take-all scenario.
Author john Lescroart shines in what could easily have become a boring reconstruction of a couple of cold cases. Somehow, he makes the day-to-day efforts of detective work look fascinating, slowly increasing the tension as the book winds its way toward the climax. Rather than gunfights and brawls, this is a cerebral tale detailing the work necessary to dig through potential clues and find the ones necessary to the case.
The book is not overloaded with characters, and it is easy to follow their separate stories. The author provides enough information to allow us to identify with the good characters and dislike the bad ones. The plot works its way to an abrupt, though satisfying conclusion. This was my first Dismas Hardy book, and I was not disappointed. Crisp writing, interesting plot, and realistic characters make it easy to recommend this book. Four-and-a-half stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advance electronic copy of this book.
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