“The Missing Piece,” by John Lescroart, Atria Books, 304 pages, March 29, 2022.

Eleven years ago, Paul Riley was convicted of the rape and murder of his girlfriend, Dana Rush. San Francisco District Attorney Wes Farrell was the prosecutor.

Farrell is now in a private law firm of Freeman, Farrell, Hardy & Roake, where Dismas Hardy is the managing partner.

Riley is released from prison because the Exoneration Initiative uncovered evidence that exonerated him. Deacon Moore, who is mentally challenged, committed a similar crime and is now the suspect. Riley is having financial trouble because he can’t get a good paying job. He starts committing burglaries.

Riley has just returned home from a burglary when he is fatally shot. Homicide Detectives Ken Yamashiro and Eric Waverly go to the scene. James Riley, his father, says he saw the shooter; it was Doug Rush, Dana’s father. When Yamashiro and Waverly arrest Rush, he assaults them and the detectives fight back. But Waverly continues to hit and to kick Rush after he is handcuffed.

Rush asks Farrell to represent him. When he is released on bail, Rush doesn’t show up for his preliminary hearing. At a loss, Farrell and Hardy ask Abraham Glitsky, who retired from homicide and is a private investigator, to track down Rush. This leads Glitsky down several paths, including Rush’s two girlfriends, his motorcycle buddies and members of the Exoneration Initiative.

This is the 19th in a very good legal and police procedural series with engaging characters. The novel starts off featuring Farrell, then switches seamlessly to Glitsky. Lescroart focuses on complex themes; in this case the moral issue of what if someone released on a technicality after being convicted of murder was, in fact, guilty.

The plotting is good with some misdirection, although it was easy to figure out who the killer is. “The Missing Piece” can be read without reading the others in the series.

In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Timely. Superb. Dazzling. Fans of Legal/Cop Thrillers will devour this one! And John's fans.

Set in San Francisco, John's enthralling 19th installment of (Dismas Hardy) crime/legal thriller —THE MISSING PIECE pulls these guys into a complex twisty case, a dangerous web of deceit, murder, and much more. PI Abe Glitsky takes center stage.

Eleven years ago, DA Wes Farrell put Paul Riley in prison for the rape and murder of Riley's girlfriend, Dana Rush. Now Wes Farrell is in a law partnership with Dismas Hardy. Wes no longer wants to defend people he believes are guilty.

They receive the news The Exoneration Initiative has uncovered evidence that points to someone else. Paul is released. Shortly after being released Paul winds up murdered in his apartment. If he were innocent, who would want him dead, unless it was the real killer?

The fingers point to Dana's dad, Doug Rush, even though there are no witnesses, but Paul's dad and he is not even sure which photo is which to identify. Not a reliable witness.

Also, there was police brutality caught on video and they are manipulating evidence. (dirty cops) —They want to convict Doug and close the case. Wes does not think Doug is guilty but needs to prove so. Paul was also a member of a motorcycle gang, and they all look alike. Who killed Paul?

Doug calls Wes to represent him. He and Dismas take on the case. However, he is arrested and then they get him out on bail. They are planning their strategy, and he disappears. He would not lose his million-dollar bail by skipping his preliminary hearing? Where is Doug?

Dismas and Wes hire PI Abe Glitsky. Abe also has an office in their building. Of course, Abe is not a regular PI. A former ex–Homicide detective, he is smart and intuitive with skills! You are not going to get anything past him. He and Dismas take off on a hunt which leads them to a woman that was involved with Doug. Then after their visit, the woman and her husband wind up dead.

Things get more complex, and still no Doug. Dead? If so who killed him? The same person who killed Paul?

Abe's wife is upset that this case is too dangerous and wants the guys to cut him off from payroll since he is supposed to be semi-retired and more laid-back cases. Of course, if you know Abe, he is in it too deep and wants to see it through. The cops are not doing their job or finding the real killer.

THE PLOT THICKENS. There are so many twists, red herrings, turns, and suspects but this team is unstoppable! Non-stop action leads to the explosive finale leaving you holding your breath! Will there be justice?

What do I love about John Lescroart's Dismas Hardy and Abe Glitsky series?

First, John Lescroart is not going to be retiring anytime soon, just like Dismas Hardy, Abe Glitsky, or myself. We must have our hand in something. All in or out. Seriously, besides being one of my favorite legal thriller authors, and a long-time fan of Dismas, Abe, and these compelling cases, I adore the characters and their wives. I am in their age group, and their home and workplace seem as inviting as their warm personalities. I feel as though I could show up at their home for a casual dinner party with flowers and wine, and they would welcome me and I would feel right at home with interesting conversation. These are multi-faceted characters that keep me coming back. Each installment is fresh and unique. Lescroart puts his characters through the wringer but he knows they are strong and resilient.

I loved THE MISSING PIECE! If you have followed my blog for years, you know legal thrillers are my favorites and John Lescroart is TOPs. I cannot wait to see where the guys land next! Please keep this series coming. Highly recommend!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for a digital ARC to read, enjoy, and review.

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@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5/5 Stars
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Pub Date: March 29, 2022

Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC digital copy of THE MISSING PIECE by John Lescroart. This is billed as a Dismas Hardy novel and though he appeared throughout the book, the main character was Abe Glitsky who appeared in most, if not all of the Dismas Hardy books. The focus of the book is the endeavors to find who killed a man, Paul Riley, who'd recently been released from prison because of efforts made by The Exoneration Initiative. They then have to find the person who was thought to have killed Riley. The whole book had me wondering who did, were these murders related or just coincidence. All in all, this was an excellent read and I do recommend it.

The Missing Piece by John Lescroart. Pub Date: March 29, 2022. Rating: 🌟🌟🌟. Even though this is the 19th installment in the Dismas Hardy series, this book can totally be read as a stand alone. I’ve read a few others in this series, so I was familiar with some of the characters. This is a legal thriller that circles around the Exoneration Initiative, which focuses on exonerating wrongfully convicted people. A story that involves two mysteries that are somehow interwoven leaves the reader turning the pages to figure out how and why. Murder, deceit, secrets and the reader is left with wondering what actually happens when the actual killer is let out of prison? Thanks to Atria books and NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #netgalley #bookstagram #bibliophile #atriabooks #igreads #bookworm

The Missing Piece is the nineteenth installment in John Lescroart's Dismas Hardy series. The expected publication date for this book is March 29, 2022.

Paul Riley had been convicted of the rape and murder of Dana Rush. After serving eleven years for the crimes, and with the help of the Exoneration Initiative, Riley was cleared of the crimes and released.

When Riley was murdered four months after his release, police arrested Dana's father, Doug Rush. And Doug hired Wes Farrell, the former district attorney and current partner of Dismas Hardy.

Hardy's longtime friend, Abe Glitsky, had been an inspector in charge of homicide with the San Francisco Police Department; he was now retired and doing some work for Hardy's firm as a private investigator. When Doug failed to show for a court appearance, Hardy asked Abe to locate him.

And, Abe investigates with the dogged determination that we have come to expect from him. But, as Doug had failed to appear, there was no client and, hence, no case. Nonetheless, this doesn't stop Abe. We accompany Abe as he follows the convoluted twists and turns that arise in this complex plot. There are multiple suspects, multiple motives.

Although The Missing Piece is a Dismas Hardy novel, it feels a bit more like an Abe Glitsky novel. Hardy's role doesn't feel as "front and center" as we are accustomed to in Lescroart's previous Hardy books, and this is a refreshing change. Regardless of how it is categorized, The Missing Piece is another great addition to the continuing Hardy/Glitsky saga. It remains one of my favorite series.

Highly recommended.

3.5 stars

The Missing Piece is a multilayered mystery/legal thriller/procedural about a convicted murderer and rapist who, when evidence demonstrates his innocence, is released from prison only to be murdered months later.

The mystery centers around a defense attorney, his boss, and a PI investigating multiple crimes all linked to the death of the accused murdered. What seems like a cut and dry case is much more complicated than it initially appears, resulting in a moral quandary.

I haven’t read this series before, and I think I made a mistake starting with book #19. There were many characters to keep track of and multiple points of view to wade through. I struggled to keep track of who was who, but Abe Glitsky stood out from the others. I liked most of the characters, but I need to get to know them better to truly care. Since I had no attachment to the characters, I didn’t find myself invested in their personal lives, but I was intrigued by the case.

The plot goes in many directions, takes some surprising twists and turns, and often misdirects with red herrings to unravel the events surrounding the mysterious murders. At the same time, the plot is tightly wound, and all angles eventually tie together. I found The Missing Piece to be fast-paced and easy to read. Although there are many characters and pieces to keep track of, they all flow together. This was an enjoyable read, but not one I loved, but I feel like if I read the earlier books in the series that my love will grow!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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thanks to the publisher/NetGalley

I rate it 4.5/5
Kindle Edition, 304 pages
Expected publication: March 29th 2022 by Atria Books

I feel like many people who would like to read this author are a bit put off by his 30-ish titles already out there, but in this series he's only up to #19 of the Dismas Hardy character, who over the years was a cop, then an Irish Pub owner (he still has his fingers in this throughout the series), a Prosecutor, and now a Defense attorney. The series grows as it goes along, dealing with his family members, his partners, his friends, his cases, his politics. These books are short on atmosphere and long on character development. There is much dialogue, but it can be sarcastic, friendly, humorous along the way, and the chatter between the legal community makes for an absorbing series. He reminds me of a similar folksy character like Cork O'Connor from the William Kent Krueger series, another fave author of mine.
The reason for 30 titles is because he wrote a handful of stand-alones and has two of the main characters (Wyatt Hunt and Abe Glitsky) split off into their own mini-series of about 3-4 books each but also entwine with the Diz Hardy one. There is talk of crimes such as kidnapping, assault, drug use, or murder, but it's rather cut and dried, & does not linger on the actual event and there are no garish details, nor explicit sex scenes at all. Truthfully I don't favor his stand-alones as much, and I'm guilty of reading much of the series out of order (his first book is from 1990 and I started reading him just a few years later!!), but Lescroart does drop in crumbs of information from previous books if you want to start here. This is a really interesting one, and a very current plot idea from the headlines.

These books are legal mysteries/legal thrillers but don't let that stop you unless you just can't get pulled into anything about the law: cops, detectives, politicians, private investigators, defense attorneys, prosecutors, legal aid, rape crisis network, prisoners, victims, innocence project, and so forth. His wide web of characters takes place in San Francisco. From what I can tell, he mentions real streets and points of interest in that city. Last year I reread the first couple and they seem dated, but then again so is the very early Bosch series. So while I always recommend trying to get a very character-driven series from book one, you can jump in further on and see if you like the style, then backtrack. I hope I have piqued someone's interest!

Don't worry if you haven't read the earlier books in this long running series- this latest complex mystery will be fine as a standalone because Lescroat has both given you enough back story and crafted a tale that works well as a singleton. Know that it's not a legal thriller but more of a procedural. The Exoneration Initiative worked to get Paul Riley released from prison and when he's murdered shortly after, Doug Rush, the father of the woman he raped and murdered, is the prime suspect. But Rush maintains he didn't do it and then Rush himself is killed. Wes Farrell, who as DA put Riley in prison, represents Rush until his death and he's put former Chief of Homicide Abe Glitsky on the case to investigate- and Glitsky is intrigued enough by the circumstances that he keeps going to find out what happened to Rush. This goes in multiple directions as Glitsky works through several theories- and the questions get bigger. Lescroat has a way with characters- they stand out on the page (even if some of his attitudes especially about women could use an update- wearing Birkenstocks for example does not make one a hippie). The mystery is quite twisty (I didn't guess the answer). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A very good read.

The Missing Piece by John Lescroart


Dismas Hardy series returns with this relentlessly twisty murder thriller.
Reading this was like visiting an old group of friends.

Wonderful cosy mystery.

Thank you to @netgalley,

My Thoughts

When a legal thriller/mystery/murders investigations becomes available to me in this series no matter how long it has been, or how many of the books I have not read, eagerly anticipate reading the book.

Thankfully as a fan of this series reentering the world of Abe Glitzsky and Dismas Hardy, after not reading many books in the long running series, was neither difficult or a chore for me.

Rather, as expected and hoped, it was a genuine pleasure to rejoin these characters in their twisting winding search for the truths needed that would serve justice for a man’s death who was a murder suspect in an ongoing investigation.

Along with finding the truth about deceased client Doug Rush other secrets are uncovered that link together forming the pieces needed to solve a deadly puzzle of others murdered that had gone unsolved in other cities besides San Francisco.
As per my expectations once again engrossing read with an unexpected perpetrator revealed at story's end that tied loose ends up nicely for me.

[EArc from Netgalley].

On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

I received an ARC of this upcoming novel through NetGalley. Many thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley.

“The Missing Piece” is latest entry in John Lescroart’s long-running Dismas Hardy legal thriller series. I am a big fan of this series and greatly enjoyed this novel. This one does not contain much courtroom drama or legal maneuvering, and is more focused on the investigation/procedural aspect of the mystery involved.

Thank you to the author, Atria Books and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Apparently this is the 19th book in Lescroart’s Dismas Hardy series, and I am astonished that it's the first of them I've read. Of course the characters will be well-known to fans, but I found it also worked well as a stand-alone police/PI procedural. The characters are well-drawn and distinctive, and the author draws the reader into the moral quandry of guilt and innocence, and situations that result in the (most probably) guilty being let off on a technicality. I look forward to catching up on the 18 earlier books in the series!

Eleven years ago San Francisco DA Wes Farrell successfully sent Paul Riley to prison for life after he was tried for the rape and murder of his girlfriend, Dana Rush. Now he has been released under the Exoneration Initiative which reviews old cases, looking for holes in the evidence, and in Riley’s case found evidence that someone else could have raped and killed Dana. However, her father Doug Rush remained convinced that Riley was to blame and swore he would kill him.

A few months after Riley’s release, he is living in the apartment above his father’s garage, working at a restaurant and doing a little burglary on the side to pay the rent. After his father hears a single gunshot coming from the garage after work one day he sees a man he identifies as Doug Rush racing down the stairs. Although Rush loudly proclaims his innocence heis arrested for Riley’s murder and hires Wes Farrell, now a defence lawyer. However after Farrell gets Rush bailed he disappears the night before he’s due in court, leaving a puzzled Farrell to look into his case with the aid of PI Abe Glitsky.

As this is the 19th book in Lescroart’s Dismas Hardy series, all the characters will be well known to his fans. Although it is the first book in the series that I’ve read, I felt it also worked well as a stand-alone novel as the characters were easy to get to know, especially through their casual, and often witty, dialogue with one another.

The plot, although complex, was well paced with plenty of false turns as Glitsky delves deeper into Doug Rush’ life and friends. Farrell is struggling with his misgivings about being a defense lawyer. After so many years as a prosecutor, he can’t help believing that most of his clients are guilty of the crimes they are accused of and he is having difficulty justifying the morality of his decision to defend them. Glistsky is a very able and smart investigator who turns up a number of intriguing directions in the case, eventually sending the investigation in a totally different direction. This is a well put together murder mystery with a touch of legal thriller and has convinced me I should add this series to my reading list.

I’ve read a lot of detective/mystery books. I liked many of the characters in this book but especially Abe, who was persistent in finding the truth at all costs. I also like that this book shows the fatal flaws in the justice system such as how sometimes people are wrongly convicted and how sometimes they are rightfully convicted and get off on technicalities. I also like how this book addressed police brutality and the consequences of such. I was however shocked with the ending and who the killer turned out to be when this storyline took so many twists and turns.

Net galley and Atria Books offered me this book to read and it sounded awesome. I went into it thinking it was a stand alone come to find out it’s book 19 in a series. I was terribly confused and I think if you choose you could read it as a stand alone. It’s well written and the mystery is awesome. I loved the characters and it was fast paced. I think I’m going to have to read the rest of the series.

I enjoyed this one! The story itself was quite interesting and kept me guessing, but coming into a series at book 19 wasn't ideal. I didn't realize this was a series when I took the ARC, so shame on me there, but this was a well-done procedural, albeit a bit dialogue-heavy, that kept me invested despite not being as familiar with the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the gifted eARC!

3.5 stars

In this 19th book in the Dismas Hardy series, the attorney gets involved when a released prisoner is murdered. The book can be read as a standalone but familiarity with the characters is a bonus.

*****

Eleven years ago, Paul Riley was convicted of the rape and murder of a young woman named Dana Rush. Riley's case was subsequently taken up by the Exoneration Initiative (EI), which helps people who were wrongly convicted. The EI got a confession from another convict, and Riley was released from prison.

Since then Riley has moved into a garage apartment on his father's property, got a job in a restaurant, and taken up his old vocation - burglary. One evening, Riley comes home with a good haul of jewelry and money and gets shot in the head. Riley's dad tells the police he heard the shot and saw Doug Rush, the father of the raped girl Dana Rush, leaving the property. The police take the ID seriously because Doug - who STILL believed Riley was guilty - railed against his release and threatened to kill him.

The police arrest Doug Rush and botch the job by kicking and beating him while he's helpless on the ground. A video of the assault is uploaded to the internet and the police are vilified for brutality. This being the case the police want a quick conviction, so they look a tad less bad.

Meanwhile Doug hires Wes Farrell - a former District Attorney who's now a defense lawyer in Dismas Hardy's law firm - to represent him. Being on the prosecution side has infiltrated Wes's psyche and he believes all defendants are guilty, including Doug. As things play out, Doug forfeits his million-dollar bail by not showing up for his preliminary hearing, and Wes feels somewhat vindicated in his opinion.

Then Doug is found murdered and the police, who are embarrassed by the whole business, drag their feet on the investigation. Wes Farrell and Dismas Hardy - whose law firm got a $100,000 retainer from Doug - feel they owe him a debt. So the lawyers enlist the help of private detective Abe Glitzky, who was once Head of Homicide for the San Francisco Police Department. Abe sets out to discover who killed Doug, believing it's the same man who shot Paul Riley. So two birds with one stone.

During Abe's investigation he speaks to various people, including Doug's neighbor, Doug's lady friend, the members of Doug's motorcycle club, and people associated with Paul Riley.

Additional deaths blur the picture, and at one point Abe, a happily married man, gets the come-on from an interviewee, which made me laugh. 😄 Abe also contacts a lawyer at the EI, who admits the EI doesn't always get it right and some guilty convicts have been sprung from prison.

Though this is a Dismas Hardy book, the novel is mostly a police procedural focused on Abe Glitzky. I like police procedurals and Abe is an appealing character, so that's fine with me.

Thanks to Netgalley, John Lescroart, and Atria Books for a copy of the book.

After a 3 year hiatus/sabbatical from the Dismas Hardy/Abe Glitsky series, John Lescroart has returned to form with book #19. The Missing Piece has almost all the characters from earlier books including, Gina, Wes, Wyatt, etc. and centers around the murders of a newly exonerated prisoner and the father of the woman who the prisoner had allegedly murdered 11 years prior.

While there is no courtroom drama, Abe, as a private investigator, decides to track down all the loose ends and to make sense of the murders.

Another clear winner for Author Lescroart; here's hoping he doesn't take another 3 years before the next installment. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read the pre-publication Kindle version in exchange for this review which i will share on Goodreads.

Recently I received a copy of The Missing Piece by John Lescroart. The blurb sounded good, so I looked him up and realized that this was book 19 in the Dismas Hardy series. As embarrassed as I am that I am just now discovering this author, I am so excited that there are EIGHTEEN books in the backlist that I get to read!! That's not even counting the 9 other books that he has published!! I love finding new authors!!

In, The Missing Piece, Paul Riley was just released from prison. He had been in for the rape and murder of Dana, his girlfriend. The Exoneration Initiative (think: Innocence Project) gets Paul released when evidence shows another man did the crime. Paul is trying to live his life and trying to make enough money to survive when he is killed. What follows is a roller coaster of who did it, and more murder. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride and I look forward to reading more of John Lescroart's books! 4⭐

Thank you to Netgalley, Atria Books and John Lescroart for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

A man convicted of rape and murder eleven years ago is suddenly innocent? - thanks to the Exoneration Initiative. In standard Lescroart fashion, there is no clear or simple answer.
The ex-con has a lawyer (Wes Farrell) who thinks he's guilty but Farrell has a former enforcement person turned PI (Abe Glitsky) who believes the ex-con is innocent.
The novel deals with the struggles to find the truth and the conflicts it repeatedly causes. A struggle that leads in strange twists and turns but causes great misery to all involved persons who were torn up over the process eleven years ago and find themselves again in conflict along with rubbing up against some new people.
The logical solutions are not correct.
What's missing? You need to keep digging along with the team to find the pieces of the puzzle and put them together in the correct order.
This is an intriguing and well written story that uses the appropriate lingo and emotions for the situations that arise from that investigation.
Always happy to read John Lescroart's epistles that feature Farell, Glitsky & Dismas Hardy, this novel does not disappoint. It will keep you from your work, your housework, your family and, very likely, from your bed until you finish it at one sitting so maybe save it for your days off.
Thank-You, Net Galley, for allowing me to read & review this advance copy.