Book Review: The Rule of Law (Dismas Hardy #18) by John Lescroart

The author touches on the controversial topics of illegal immigration and sanctuary cities with the legal eagle protagonist's administrative assistant in deep trouble as a direct conduit to harboring illegal aliens.

As a first-time reader of Lescroart, I approached this book as a standalone, and was engrossed by the style and smoothness of his work and the meticulous development of his plots and sub-plots. Dismas Hardy and company are certainly likable characters.

As the 19th book in the series, I was perhaps three or four novels away from fully understanding and appreciating references to past events and relationships. But none of that took away a pleasant reading experience.

Review based on an advance reading copy provided by NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and Atria Books.

This is one of many John Lescroart books I have enjoyed over the years. Excellent author who uses the Bay Area, where I live as his backdrop. That contributes to my liking all of his books. This book was entertaining in many ways. A number of twists take place, some predictable, and some surprising. Regardless, as always these twists hold my interest and make me eager to keep reading. This book did some to be dealing with three plots so early in the book this kind of confusing but towards the end things clarified. The ending worked very well for me and tied things together for the most part. I will continue to enthusiastically read books written by John Lescroart.

John Lescroart has given us another great Dismas Hardy book in The Rule of Law. Loose ends are tied up as an intriguing end is delivered.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a review.
A other fine book about Dismas Hardy. I enjoy this whole series. They are always up to a little no good and a lot of crime fighting.

In the years I've been posting book reviews online, I've read just two of the author's 18 books featuring attorney Dismas Hardy: "Poison" last year, and "Fatal" in 2017 - and loved them both. This one's very good as well, but I have to say I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the other two. I suspect it's because, as the author notes in the acknowledgements, his intent was to "tie up" loose ends from past books rather than conjure up new plots. And while I had no problem following what was happening even though some of those ends didn't ring any familiarity bells for me (another way of saying this book stands alone well), the parts related to years-earlier events just didn't seem quite as interesting to me than the current goings-on.

On the other hand, the whole gang is back together (well, except for a couple who bit the dust in previous happenings) and Dismas is trying to put the old law firm back together again. On the other side of the fence is new District Attorney, one who clearly has a beef with Dismas and his crew. Noteworthy to me, by the way, is that readers learn early on who the bad guys and gals are and what they've done - then they get to follow along as the Hardy boys and girls figure out what's going on.

At the beginning, the firm's longtime, ultra-loyal secretary, Phyllis McGowan, suddenly takes off work for several days with no explanation. When she returns, she remains tight-lipped - until, out of the blue, the police rush through the door with a warrant for her arrest in connection with the murder of a man who had made a nice living smuggling women into the United States. Needless to say, Dismas becomes her attorney of record, and he quickly learns there's much more to his secretary (and her just-out-of-prison brother) than he ever thought possible.

Making an example out of Dismas's secretary, though, is only the tip of the iceberg for the new D.A., who is determined to dig up dirt on that years-earlier case that will take down Dismas and his law partners once and for all. The ending didn't come as a total surprise to me, but it did wrap things up and clear the decks for a whole new chapter to begin next time around.

And to be sure, I'm eager to read it. Meantime, many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review this one. Good job!

John Lescroart, the master of the legal thriller, is back with a captivating read: The Rule of Law. A definite page turner!

5 stars

The whole gang is back in this installment of John Lescroart’s latest adventure of Dismas “Dis” Hardy. It was good to meet all of them. The book also has an evil-doer new attorney general Ron Jameson. He was suspected of killing his wife’s lover some time ago. He is out to get the former DA Wes Farrell –r at least Wes thinks so.

The group gathers and discusses the possibility of getting the old firm back together. They agree. Now retired for good, Abe Glitsky former police commander is asked to join the new firm as well.

Dis’ long-time secretary Phyllis McGowan is acting odd. She has missed work for two days running and has offered no excuse. Dis is determined to find out what is wrong. Soon, the awful scene in the office where Phyllis is arrested as an accessory to murder! It seems her brother Adam is working at bringing illegal aliens to America. She is quickly indicted by a grand jury.

Enter the hated Ron Jameson. He is not only out to get Dis and his partners, but cops and any attorney he personally doesn’t like. He is sneaky, underhanded and lies to get his way. He’s a baddie for sure. Can Dis and the gang overcome this obvious noose around their collective necks?

The case takes a turn when it harkens back to another murder years ago.

I’ve been reading John Lescroart’s novels since book one. I’ve enjoyed them all to one degree or another. I’ve always liked Dis and the gang and enjoy reading about them. I like their relationships; they all pull together when the chips are down, but they disagree too – like grownups though. This book is well written and plotted as are all of Mr. Lescroart’s novels. His writing is smooth and his paragraph transitions are flawless. The book flows so quickly that the reader is completely unaware of time passing. More please, Mr. Lescroart.

I want to truly thank NetGalley and Atria Books/Simon & Schuster for forwarding to me a copy of this absolutely great book for me to read, enjoy and review.

3.5 stars

The latest in the Dismas Hardy series has his long time Secretary, Phyllis, charged with accessory after the fact in the murder of a notorious human trafficker. I’ve missed a few of the recent books in the series, but I had read the one that counted, so I didn’t feel the loss at all and it was easy to reconnect with all the characters. If, however, this is the first book you’ve read in the series, I think there could definitely be a problem connecting the dots.

What makes things difficult for Dismas is the election of a new DA. His friend and former partner, Wes Farrell, lost the election and is back at Dismas’ firm. The new DA seems to have a grudge against Wes and all his associates. Plus, he’s already plotting his next political move and sees this case as a way to make a splash. There are several current political issues in this book - undocumented immigrants, Dreamers and sanctuary cities, for starters.

The book moves at a good clip. As typical, there’s more here than meets the eye, including a nasty backstory about the DA and also a prior open murder case involving Hardy and his associates. The mystery is how Hardy will prove the DA is guilty while staying out of trouble himself. Lots of legal maneuvering, which I always find interesting. Not to mention lots of political sparring. This book skates on the border of unbelievable. But I’ll give that a pass because it held my interest and kept me engaged. The ending felt a bit rushed after all the lead up with the loose ends put together a tad too conveniently.

My thanks to netgalley and Atria Books for an advance copy of this novel.

Excerpt from the feature article:

Immigration and sanctuary cities play an important role as the author wanted to draw parallels between these issues and what was, and is, going on in the real world. “My villain’s cynical manipulation of the political climate helped, I hope, to create a powerful, resonant, and above all, believable scenario that showcased the truly evil nature of the man.”
Read full article at
http://www.thebigthrill.org/2018/12/up-close-john-lescroart/

This is the latest in the long running Dismas Hardy series. All the familiar characters are here; some with changed circumstances. Wes Farrell has been defeated as DA by the up and coming but unscrupulous Ron Jameson who harbors some devastating secrets. Those familiar with this series know that Hardy, Farrell, Gina Roake, and their pal, Abe Glitsky, have secrets of their own. It all comes to a head when Hardy’s long time assistant, Phyllis, is arrested as accessory to murder after the fact.

This book is very suspenseful as investigators on both sides work to unravel those secrets. Despite feeling that the ending was a bit contrived, I really liked The Rule of Law. It was so engrossing, I didn’t want to put it down.

If you haven’t read the prior Dismas Hardy novels, this can read as a stand alone; Lescroart fills in the necessary background information. But, treat yourself and go back and read the prior books in the series. It’s fun to follow the professional progress as well as the aging of the characters.

John Lesacorts legal thrillers always engage involve me.Another Dismas Hardy mystery multi layered characters that pop off the pages.Already looking forward to his next thriller.#st.Martins #netgalley #theruleof law,

I have loved John Lescroart for years (even though I didn’t know how to pronounce his name until not so long ago), and am a big fan of the whole Dismas Hardy series, so I was happy to get a copy of The Rule of Law (thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books) in exchange for my honest review.

In this latest in the series, it seemed like JL wanted to tie up some loose ends as well as expand the familiarity with some peripheral characters. In this case, it is Dismas’s trusted secretary, Phyllis. Always reliable, she is suddenly disappearing from work and acting a bit off. Dismas learns that her convict brother has recently landed on Phyllis’s doorstep after being released from prison, where he served 25 years for armed robbery and attempted murder.

The shock comes when Phyllis is arrested at work, and we learn that she has been providing sanctuary at her home for people utilizing the sort of underground railroad that is helping them get to Canada where they can apply for political asylum. Phyllis is charged with murdering Hector Valdez, a man who works with Phyllis’s brother and as a side job smuggles women from El Salvador and Mexico into the country.

Dismas isn’t quite sure how these pieces fit together, but he needs to act fast, while at the same time dealing with the vendetta against him and Abe Glitsky by their old nemesis who has just been elected the new District Attorney. (WHEW)

Although some of the resolution was a bit contrived, I decided to just go along and enjoy the ride—and I did! Four stars.

When Ron Jameson is elected District Attorney, narrowly defeating Wes Farrell, a very personal battle begins — one that will test the very rule of law.

Farrell’s law partner, Dismas Hardy — and a local police detective — are sure that Jameson got away with the murder of at least one man, and probably two.

Jameson is resentful that Hardy and his law firm worked hard for his defeat at the polls, and now it’s time for payback. He’s determined to make them pay, and is not about to play by the rules.

John Lescroart has tied up loose ends from a few Dismas Hardy books, and in the process delivered an engaging, suspenseful novel about the intersection of law and politics . Highly recommended.

The Rule of Law
Dismas Hardy, Abe Glitsky, Wes Farrell and the rest of the group returns. Wes has recently lost the election to Ron Jameson who would love to rub Wes’ face in it. Wes and Gina returned to the law firm where he, Dismas, Gina Roske, and David Freeman had all been. partners in Freeman, Farrell, Hardy & Roake. With David’s death, Wes’ election as DA, Gina’s sabbatical to write.
This is down and dirty local politics set in San Francisco.
Dismas Hardy’s secretary Phyllis gets arrested for being an accessory to helping a murderer flee the area thinking that she was helping a poor illegal immigrant get to Canada.
It is soon obvious that Phyllis is a pawn in DA Jameson’s desire to make Wes Farrell miserable as well those around him.
Adding to this, there is the story of trying to show that Ron Jameson’s did not commit suicide but rather was murdered by none other than DA Jameson.
This is another in a long string of wonderful books by John Lescroart. You should read them all, especially the Dismas Hardy series.

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.

This well known author is on my personal favorite list; over the last several years, each subsequent book in this series has gotten more and more burdened by details. Details are important, especially to police/mysteries, but having so many that there is hardly any flow makes for an uncomfortable reader experience. Add some flow or tighten this up, . please.

There are excellent characters, a great plot, some unexpected character reveals, and a whole lot of slogging to get to end. It took ALL of my willpower to finish this book and that includes skipping at least fifteen chapters along the way. A good book shouldn't be this hard to stick with, or finish. 4 stars for plot, 2.5 stars for writing style = 3 stars overall.

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

This is my first read of this series featuring Dismas Hardy and the attorneys in his law firm, which why it is probably unsurprising that I struggled in comprehending aspects of what was going on at times. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed reading this overall. Dismas's secretary, Phyllis becomes a matter of concern, as her brother, convicted of armed robbery and attempted murder and imprisoned for twenty five years is released. When Hector Valdez, who smuggles in women into the country is shot dead, Phyllis is arrested as an accessory to his murder. The ambitious and new self serving DA Ron Jameson is gunning for Dismas, his law firm and anyone associated with him and he doesn't care how he does it. Dismas is to be tested to his limits as he tries to save Phyllis and himself. This is a twisted legal thriller with plenty of intrigue, tension and suspense. Many thanks to Atria for an ARC.

I’ve enjoyed reading this series for years, though it’s been a while since picking up my last John Lescroart novel. Fortunately, all the characters came right back to life, as if I’d just picked up where I left off.

There’s a new DA in town! And make no mistake. He’s going to be running things his way... not necessarily the right way! And he has no problem stepping on anyone who is foolish enough to get in his way. Maybe even going so far as exacting a little revenge against those he believes wronged him in the past! Now he may be in for the fight of his life!

If you’re new to this series I would suggest starting at the beginning. With so many long standing characters in this book, and without the background of how they all interact, it may be difficult to clearly follow. To John Lescroarts’ credit, he does a fabulous job of filling in the backgrounds of most of these characters. But with so many, even a long-time fan of this series like myself it was still a bit difficult keeping everyone straight.

John Lescroart pens a gritty, legal crime drama that will appeal to most fans of the genre. I loved reconnecting with all the characters and look forward to his next release.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and John Lescroart for an ARC to read and review.

John Lescroat has a winning team of lawyers in his Dismas Hardy novels. The main characters have evolved into an interesting group. I loved the opening of this book. "After you murder someone, life is never the same."

Ron Jameson is the new District Attorney. He has a personal vendetta against Dismas Hardy, his law firm and anyone who has ever associated with them. Dismas campaigned hard for his friend and associate Wes Farrell to win that race. Jameson, with his new position and power, has decided he will take down Hardy anyway he can legal or not. Lots of secrets are uncovered during this story. I felt there were so many characters and subplots that the story dragged at times. This is not my favorite Dismas Hardy novel.

I received an Advanced Reader's Copy from Atria Books through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are completely my own.
#TheRulesofLaw #NetGalley