Dismas Hardy
21 primary works • 35 total works
Book 19
From John Lescroart, New York Times bestselling author of THE OPHELIA CUT and THE KEEPER, comes THE FALL - the riveting new legal thriller featuring Dismas Hardy and introducing his daughter Rebecca.
Late one night, fostered teen Anlya Paulson plummets to her death from the overpass above San Francisco's Stockton tunnel.
But did she fall...or was she pushed?
Rushing to produce a suspect, homicide inspectors focus on naïve school teacher Greg Treadway, who volunteers as a Special Advocate for foster children. But by the time Greg's murder trial is underway, lawyer Dismas Hardy and his daughter, Rebecca, have unearthed some alternative harrowing possibilities: a missing stepfather, a roommate who ran an escort service, and even Anlya's own birth mother.
How will they get these theories in front of the jury? And, if they can, what price will they have to pay?
Defence attorney Dismas Hardy takes on his most personal case yet
When Moses McGuire's daughter is raped by her ex-boyfriend, Rick Jessup, he vows to get his revenge. So when Rick is found dead the next day, Moses is arrested for murder.
Dismas Hardy has no hesitation in defending his old friend but as the evidence against him starts piling up Hardy can't help wondering, what if he's actually guilty? And to make matters even more complicated, the case threatens to bring to light an old secret that could destroy Hardy's career.
With the trial going against him, Hardy must draw on all his legal ingenuity until he sees a new way forward that might just save them all. But at what price?
The Ophelia Cut pits lifelong friends against one another, where truth does not always lead to justice and where long buried secrets still have the power to redeem or destroy.
THE KEEPER is the latest thriller in the bestselling Dismas Hardy series by master of legal suspense, John Lescroart.
When prison guard Hal Chase's wife, Katie, goes missing on Thanksgiving Eve, he quickly becomes the prime suspect. Now it's up to lawyer Dismas Hardy to lead his defence.
Chase and Katie's marriage had been fraught with problems. He certainly had motive to want her out of his life. But as Hardy and former homicide detective Abe Glitsky delve deeper into the case, many details seem off, including the death of an inmate in the jail where Chase worked.
Amid a backdrop of conspiracy and corruption, Glitsky closes in on the elusive truth. And as the death count rises, he realises the next victim could be him...
He is obsessed with her innocence. He will be destroyed by her guilt...
John Lescroart writes a gripping courtroom thriller delving deep into the life and mind of the suspect in The Thirteenth Juror, the fourth novel in the Dismas Hardy series. Perfect for fans of J.J. Miller and John Sandford.
'I double-dare you to begin reading John T. Lescroart's new suspense trial novel and put it down... This one is on the money' - Larry King, USA Today
Dismas Hardy, lawyer/investigator, undertakes the defence of Jennifer Witt, accused of murdering her husband and their eight-year-old son as well as her first husband, who had died nine years earlier from an apparent drug overdose. While preparing his case, Hardy learns that both of Jennifer's husbands had physically abused her. But Jennifer refuses to allow a defence that presumes her guilt. She is not guilty, she claims. Hardy is now driven to seek an alternative truth a jury can believe. As the trial progresses, the complex truth itself begins to change, to bend, to fade in and out of focus as the clock keeps ticking on Jennifer's fate, until there seems only one person left to convince, and she is 'the 13th juror' - the judge. The 13th Juror is a stunning and suspenseful novel of moral ambiguity, of good intentions, bad judgements and the tortuous path to ultimate justice.
What readers are saying about The Thirteenth Juror:
'Intricate, multi-layered story that goes way beyond the basics'
'It was hard to put this book down!'
'Keeps you on the edge of your seat until the end'
The stakes have never been higher...
Dismas Hardy's home life and work life collide in John Lescroart's sixth book of the series, Nothing But the Truth, when Hardy's wife Franny finds herself caught up with the law. Perfect for fans of J.J. Miller and Sheldon Sigel.
'Lescroart writes the legal thriller as a modern-day morality play... In a world in which boundaries are blurred, Lescroart is able to put America on trial... [He] ties it together brilliantly' - Express on Sunday
Can you ever know the truth about what's coming next? When Lawyer Dismas Hardy's wife fails to pick up their children from school one Thursday afternoon, he's convinced something terrible has happened. It has. His wife has been keeping a secret from him - for which she is prepared to go to jail. It's a secret that threatens their marriage...and their lives. For Dismas Hardy a harrowing journey has begun, a search that exposes one stunning revelation after another, about the secrets men and women hide from the law, from each other - and from themselves...
What readers are saying about Nothing but the Truth:
'A great start and the plot just thickens and thickens'
'A compelling read from page one'
'Immensely engrossing'
A drug-based multiple-murder investigation has some shocking revelations in the page-turning thirteenth thriller in the Dismas Hardy series. A Plague of Secrets by the critically acclaimed John Lescroart is perfect for fans of J.J. Miller and Michael Connelly.
'The best of the best: the best yet in today's best legal thriller series' - Lee Child
When Dylan Vogler, the manager of the Bay Beans West coffee shop, is murdered, 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 socialite niece of the city's mayor, and the owner of the shop - know about what was going on inside her business? As another of Maya's acquaintances is murdered, and as the names of the celebrity, political, and even law-enforcement customers come to light, tabloid-fuelled 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.
What readers are saying about A Plague of Secrets:
'A brilliant case, brilliantly written, brilliant courtroom scenes, brilliant characterisation [...] brilliant, brilliant, brilliant!'
'The drama that unfolds kept my heart pounding, right until the shocking climax of the story'
'The dialogue was clever, at times funny, and always true to its character. A Plague of Secrets is truly a page turner that is enjoyable from beginning to end'
Was it suicide? Was it murder? Or was it mercy...?
Dismas Hardy takes on his most morally complex trial yet in The Mercy Rule, John Lescroart's fifth book of the series. Perfect for fans of Deborah Hawkins and Steve Cavanagh.
'Very entertaining... a large and emotionally sprawling novel' - Chicago Tribune
An old man suffering from the implacable advance of Alzheimer's is found dead, an empty morphine vial by his side: obviously suicide. Or did someone - a loving son, perhaps, help him die? Who would blame him? But Graham Russo insists he had nothing to do with his father's death. A claim, that as more and more incriminating evidence comes to light, even his lawyer, Dismas Hardy, finds increasingly hard to believe. But despite his unease about his engaging but unreliable client, Hardy knows there is no way he can abandon Russo when the politicians turn him into the pawn at the heart of the media issue of the year...
What readers are saying about The Mercy Rule:
'Breath-taking plot in a book you wouldn't miss'
'A constant page turner'
'Wonderful characters, intriguing mystery'
A midnight call that will change your life...
One of America's most thought provoking thriller writers, John Lescroart, presents the seventh novel in his Dismas Hardy series. The Hearing is yet another explosive courtroom drama, perfect for fans of Richard North Patterson and Jonathan Kellerman.
'Lescroart knows how to wind up the pressure to keep the page turning' - Sunday Telegraph
The call comes at midnight. An up-and-coming lawyer has been found dead in a dark alley, with a homeless heroin addict lingering over her body, holding a gun and carrying her jewellery in his pocket. It looks like a robbery gone awry, a tragic and petty murder. But for homicide lieutenant Abe Glitsky, the crime cuts close to home. Because, unknown to anyone - even Glitsky's best friend, lawyer Dismas Hardy - the victim was his daughter. Now, as the city's embattled, ambitious DA tries to save her troubled department by seeking the death penalty, Dismas Hardy warily takes on the defence. But as he attempts to put his personal feelings aside and secure a fair hearing for his client, fragile fault lines of corruption, conspiracy, and murder begin to tremble under his scrutiny - and send shock waves through the city of San Francisco.
What readers are saying about The Hearing:
'The courtroom scenes [...] are among the most exciting I've come across'
'A suspenseful mystery that deserves to fly up the bestseller lists'
'Enjoyable from cover to cover'
Betrayal, revenge and unsuspected truths...
Dismas Hardy gets caught up in the complicated world of government conspiracy when he takes on the challenging case of National Guard reservist Evan Scholler. Betrayal is the twelfth thriller in John Lescroart's Dismas Hardy series. Perfect for fans of John Sandford and J.J. Miller.
'A tour de force of a legal thriller... Easily usurps the latest from Grisham and Turow' - Providence Journal
When Dismas Hardy agrees to clean up the caseload of recently disappeared attorney Charlie Bowen, he thinks it will be easy. But one of the cases is far from small-time - the sensational clash between National Guard reservist Evan Scholler and an ex-Navy SEAL and private contractor named Ron Nolan. Two events in Iraq conspired to bring the men into fatal conflict: Nolan's relationship with Evan's girlfriend back home in the States; followed by a deadly incident in which Nolan's apparent mistake results in the death of an innocent Iraqi family as well as seven men in Evan's platoon. As the murky relationship between the U.S. government and its private contractors plays out in the personal drama of these two men, and the consequences become a desperate matter of life and death, Dismas Hardy begins to uncover a terrible and perilous truth that takes him far beyond the case and into the realm of assassination and treason. From the treacherous streets of Iraq to the courtrooms of California, Betrayal is a magnificent tour de force of pure storytelling.
What readers are saying about Betrayal:
'The courtroom scenes are simply brilliant [...] they kept me awake all night'
'So full of twists and turns that it was impossible to put down'
'Once again a compulsive read - kept me riveted from beginning to end'
A collection of three Dismas Hardy classics by master storyteller John Lescroart, in what has been described by Lee Child as 'Today's best legal series'. Perfect for fans of John Grisham and William J. Coughlin.
The First Law:
An elderly shop owner is found dead. Glitsky is hitting brick walls as he tries to get help from homicide, while Hardy finds himself defending a friend who's been accused of the death. Blocked at every turn, Hardy and Glitsky are forced to protect themselves, as well as their nearest and dearest, as they step into a world where the only law is survival...
The Second Chair:
Hardy has a high-profile and challenging case: a seventeen-year-old arrested for the double slaying of his girlfriend and his teacher. With little belief in his client's innocence, and even less in the legal system, Hardy has to conquer his own demons if he is to clear his client...and save himself.
The Motive:
Glitsky is thrust into a controversial double homicide investigation. Convinced the officer has the wrong suspect - Hardy's old girlfriend - he breaks ranks to continue his own investigation. And so begins a search that reveals a trail of deception that leads beyond San Francisco, where exposing secrets can be the most deadly offence...
What readers are saying about the Dismas Hardy series:
'The storylines are always strong and each book is satisfying on every level'
'If you like courtroom drama and legal thrillers, this series never disappoints'
'The more we get to know Dismas Hardy and the other characters of John Lescroart's San Francisco, the more we appreciate them as well-drawn, three-dimensional characters'
The first law. The last resort.
Forsaken by the law, Hardy, Glitsky and even their families are caught in the crossfire, under direct threat. The First Law is the ninth book in John Lescroart's Dismas Hardy series; perfect for fans of John Sandford and Michael Lister.
'Lescroart's expert crafting turns this legal thriller into quite a wild ride' - Booklist
Patrol Specials, a private police force that keeps watch for paying clients, date back to the wilder days of San Francisco's past. Unfortunately, Sam Silverman, an elderly shop owner, could no longer afford Patrol Special protection, and now he may have paid with his life. But Lt. Abe Glitsky, stuck in a paper-pushing job after being injured on duty, is hitting brick walls as he tries to get help from homicide. And his friend, Dismas Hardy, putting together a high-stakes lawsuit against the Patrol Specials, suddenly finds himself defending a friend and local bar owner who's been accused of Silverman's death. Now, blocked at every turn, both Hardy and Glitsky may be forced to protect not only themselves, but their nearest and dearest - as they step cautiously into a world where the only law is survival...
What readers are saying about The First Law:
'The First Law takes our relationship with the characters to a new level'
'Gripping, tense and shocking'
'The darkest book Lescroart ever wrote'
San Francisco is a city on the brink of panic...
John Lescroart skilfully and subtly weaves together a story of a privileged youth on trial for murder, and an entire city on the brink of panic, taking this popular series to new heights of stylish suspense. Perfect for fans of Lee Child and John Sandford.
'Lescroart plays out clues with the patience and cunning of a master fly fisherman' - Orlando Sentinel
To the outside world, it looks like Dismas Hardy is finally on top. A managing partner at his thriving law firm but beneath the surface bravado, Hardy has lost his faith in the law. Now he has a high-profile and challenging case: a seventeen-year-old arrested for the double slaying of his girlfriend and his English teacher. As the case moves swiftly to trial, Hardy can't even turn to his old friend Abe Glitsky for help. San Francisco has been seized by a wave of violence and an embattled Glitsky must somehow stop the criminal upsurge while being hounded by a hostile media. With the city on the verge of panic, Hardy's search for the truth takes him down a perilous path. With very little belief in his young client's innocence, and even less in the legal system, Hardy has to conquer his own demons if he is to clear his client... and save himself.
What readers are saying about The Second Chair:
'Once again, Lescroart proves he is the master of this genre'
'The Second Chair is second to none'
'John Lescroart weaves a tangled web of suspense back and forth with thick intensity'
Dismas Hardy and Abe Glitsky seek answers for San Francisco's mayor, in this gripping murder mystery. The Motive is the eleventh book in John Lescoart's Dismas Hardy series and is perfect for fans of Scott Turow and Deborah Hawkins.
'Surpasses anything Grisham ever wrote and bears comparison with Turow' - Washington Post
It starts with a double homicide. Because of the high profiles of the victims, the mayor of San Francisco herself demands that a high-ranking detective be put on the case. And so Abe Glitsky is thrust into the controversial investigation. Dan Cuneo, the officer on the case, is immediately wary of Glitsky and doesn't hide his distrust. Matters are made worse when Cuneo starts to focus on his primary suspect - an old girlfriend of Dismas Hardy. Convinced that Hardy's client is the wrong suspect, Glitsky breaks ranks within the police department to continue his own investigation. As Hardy's murder trial builds to its stunning conclusion, Glitsky's search for the truth does more than fuel suspicion against the two men. It reveals a trail of deception that leads beyond San Francisco, where exposing desperate secrets can be the most deadly offence.
What readers are saying about The Motive:
'Seamless writing'
'A great 'whodunit' and a terrific courtroom drama all rolled into one'
'Engrossing to the very last page'
