The Motive (Dismas Hardy Series #11)

Synopsis

Hardy and Glitsky are embroiled in a murder that begins in the upper echelons of San Francisco society, where money and political influence collide. . . .

It starts with a double homicide. Because of the high profiles of the victims—a politically connected socialite and his glamorous fiancée—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 already working 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—who also happens to be an old girlfriend of Dismas Hardy. For Hardy and Glitsky, this is an awkward and uncomfortable coincidence. But for Cuneo, it's proof positive of collusion, and yet another instance of Glitsky cheating with his insider friends and cronies.

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 offense.

The Washington Post - Patrick Anderson

Before Turow and Grisham, novels by lawyers were rare. Today it seems as though half the lawyers in America are trying to write fiction. Of late I've praised thrillers by lawyers Robert Reuland, William Lashner, Stephen Horn and Dylan Schaffer, but Grisham and Turow remain the two best-known writers in the genre. There is, however, a third novelist at work today who deserves to be considered alongside Turow and Grisham. His name is John Lescroart (it's French and pronounced Les-kwah), and he has just published The Motive, the 13th installment in his series about two friends in San Francisco, defense lawyer Dismas Hardy and homicide detective Abe Glitsky. I've read six of the Hardy-Glitsky novels, and they're all good, but The Motive is the best of them, a smashing legal thriller that surpasses anything Grisham ever wrote and bears comparison with Turow.