Dismas Hardy, Abe Glitsky, and Wyatt Hunt return in a compelling and timely legal thriller filled with blackmail, political intrigue, and multiple murder.
The first victim is Dylan Vogler, a charming ex-convict who manages the Bay Beans West coffee shop in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district. When his body is found, inspectors discover that his knapsack is filled with high-grade marijuana. It soon becomes clear that San Francisco's A-list flocked to Bay Beans West not only for their caffeine fix.
But how much did Maya Townshend-the beautiful socialite niece of the city's mayor, and the absentee owner of the shop-know about what was going on inside her business? And how intimate had she really been with Dylan, her old college friend?
As another of Maya's acquaintances falls victim to murder, and as the names of the dead men's celebrity, political, and even law- enforcement customers come to light, tabloid-fueled controversy takes the investigation into the realms of conspiracy and cover-up. Prosecutors close in on Maya, who has a deep secret of her own-a secret she needs to protect at all costs during her very public trial, where not only her future but the entire political landscape of San Francisco hangs in the balance, hostage to an explosive secret that Dismas Hardy is privilege-bound to protect.
Amazon.com Review
Amazon Exclusive: Steve Berry Reviews A Plague of Secrets
Steve Berry is the New York Times bestselling author of international suspense thrillers, The Venetian Betrayal, The Alexandria Link, The Amber Room, The Templar Legacy, The Romanov Prophecy and The Third Secret. His latest novel is The Charlemagne Pursuit.
John Lescroart is a master at building worlds. Over the course of his many novels, hes created a supple, elegant theater of San Francisco, populating it with an entourage of fascinating people.
At the top of that list is former-policeman, now defense lawyer, Dismas Hardy. Next is Hardys close friend, Abe Glitsky, of the San Francisco Police Department. A few books back in the series (The Hunt Club) we met Wyatt Hunt, a local private detective.
A Plague of Secrets brings these three personalities together again when Dylan Vogler, the manager of a coffee shop in San Franciscos Haight-Ashbury district, is found dead cradling a knapsack full of marijuana. When Hardy learns that Vogler is actually supplying dope to many of San Franciscos business and political elite, the tension and turmoil ratchet up into high-stakes suspense. Add in a murder charge that Hardy is called upon to defend, and Lescroarts feisty, devil-may-care hero is once again thrust into the epicenter of a raging legal hurricane. The books title says it all. There is indeed a plague of secrets, one in particular that Hardy becomes legally bound to protect.
Through tight prose, surgical plotting, and relentless pacing, Lescroart offers more of his unadorned reality, expertly exploring the seamier side of law, politics, ethics, and morality.
A Plague of Secrets is lush and lusty, fascinating and smart, told in a wry, appealing voice. Im often asked if I will ever write a legal thriller. Maybe. Who knows? But if I ever do I hope its half as good as one of John Lescroarts. Hes in the top echelon of thriller masters. Ive been a fan for a long time (dont tell him, okay?). Guilt is one of my all time favorite books. A Plague of Secrets is a prize to be savoredanother of John Lescroarts beguiling and entertaining romps.
From Publishers Weekly
A brisk pace, sharp dialogue and believable characters propel bestseller Lescroart's 13th thriller to feature San Francisco defense attorney Dismas Hardy (after Betrayal). When someone shoots Dylan Volger in an alley near the coffee shop he managed, Bay Beans West, the cops discover a load of marijuana in the victim's backpack, a crop of weed growing in his attic and a customer list that includes a judge and several local officials. Suspicion centers on Hardy's client and Bay Beans West's owner, Maya Townshend, who's the sister of a city supervisor and the mayor's niece. That Maya was paying Volger an unusually high salary of $90,000 suggests he was blackmailing her. An arrogant U.S. attorney decides to turn the trial into a career-making moment, invoking a little-known law to prosecute Maya. Lescroart skillfully juggles myriad plot threads, including one involving homicide detective Abe Glitsky, a series regular, whose young son is in a coma after a car accident. (July)
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