John Lescroart writes mysteries for readers who want to think while they read; and it’s a lot of fun. His books move quickly but offer twists and turns that ask readers to puzzle along with the story. It’s almost impossible not to think about the moral conundrums buzzing within the plot. THE MISSING PIECE has more than its fair share as murders beget murders and one mistake follows upon another. Attorneys don’t believe in their clients and innocence is nowhere to be found. This is a juicy tale that has red herrings galore. Finding the truth will take dedication and creativity. The book is a delight. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

I had been missing books by this author, and I’m so glad he got back into writing during the pandemic. As usual, there is lots of suspense in this book, and plenty of twists. Retired from the police department, Abe Glisky is now a private investigator and is intent on finding the murderer in this case, and several murders like it in other cities. This book also focuses on The Exoneration Initiative, a group that looks into what they believe are people being falsely sent to prison. They are often able to get a prisoner released from prison on technicalities, whether correct or not. Anyone who likes a good mystery will like this book. I received an arc of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was such a good page turning beach read. It's been a while since I'd been part of the Dismas Hardy and Abe Glitsky world and this didn't disappoint.

Paul Riley is convicted of raping and murdering Doug Rush's daughter Dana. Then the Exoneration Initiative steps in and the conviction is overturned. Paul Riley is not a good guy and he gets out of jail. Then he is murdered. This is the story of the Doug Rush, Paul Riley, the police, Mr. Rush's attorney, Dismas Hardy and Abe Glitsky, the private investigator who can't let the whole mess go unanswered.

A well drafted procedural with a number of unsavoury suspects and a startling denouement.

I enjoyed this book, which kept me guessing till the very end.

I’m amazed with this book. This was not disappointing. I will read more of John.
I didn’t like to much the thrillers but this one changed my perspective of the things

I didn't even know that this book was the 19th book out of 19... But the characters were well developed and the story line wasn't too out of place - so even though I read the only book from this series and it was the last one, I felt like I didn't miss much. A page turner with a good resolution to the crime stories.

As usual, John Lescroart does not disappoint! While this is the 19th book in the series and I hadn't read a Dismas Hardy novel in a few years, it was easy to pick back up with these familiar characters. Lescroart introduces the characters well and you do not feel like you need background knowledge from any of the previous books to jump right into the plot. This book follows a few threads as Paul Riley is released from prison after the Exoneration Initiative gets his murder and rape conviction overturned. Riley turns up dead and the suspect is the father of the victim in that original crime. Wes Farrell, now a private practice attorney with Dismas Hardy, takes the case of the father, Doug Rush, but when he goes missing more questions pop up. Abe Glitzky, another well known character and now working as Private Investigator, delves into the search for Rush but quickly finds that nothing is easy to piece together in this case! Each dead end, each lead, and every character takes us on a winding path to find the truth. This book includes Lescroart's signature style with a mix of legal procedural and murder mystery. This book was engaging and made for a solid page turner that I did not want to put down! Even if you are new to Lescroart's work, you could start here and find this a fast-paced interesting read. Thanks to Lescroart adn NetGalley for the ARC of this book in return for my unbiased and honest review. I will definitely be looking to catch up on the Lescroart books I have missed in recent years after becoming reaquainted with this work here!

Usually a huge fan of Jon Lescroart, this one fell short for me. I have only missed 2 books in the Dismas Hardy series, so I was super excited to get an ARC of this one.
While I enjoyed the mystery portions, the writing was a little jumpy this time. I had a hard time keeping track of some things. It was a solid read, but just lacking the usual depth I come to enjoy with Dismas tales.

I always enjoy John Lescroart's books that feature Dismas Hardy. This one did not disappoint, It is well-written. The characters are realistic. The plot kept me engaged until the very end. Thumbs UP!

*About a third of the way into the book*
Ever read someone you really enjoyed, and due to some life randomizations, completely lost track of, only to discover the writer decades later, with the added joy of having, what, 15-16 more books to read, since, while you were busy getting on with life and other over-rated nonsense, the fab Mr Lescroart was writing a Dismas Hardy book every couple of years? That's where I am, and many thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.

*Update after completing the book*
Still really enjoyed the characters and the crime and the resolution, but one particular part of the investigation just felt, for some reason, inauthentic. (I’m not going into spoiler territory here, but it’s about a key character confiding investigation details in someone.) That crashed my suspension of disbelief and since it took place about two-thirds of the wag in, it took me a little while to get back into the zone.

At the beginning, I’d have given the book a solid 5, but it’s now settled into a 3.5 or 4.

Once again Lescroart has scored a home run! I always enjoy his books featuring Abe Glitsky and/or Dismas Hardy. He took on some delicate issues in this story, but resolved it all well, as usual.

I was thankful to receive an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher, Atria Books. This review is voluntary and my own thoughts.

I have always enjoyed John Lescroart’s novels and this one was no exception. The characters are well-drawn and it was lovely to revisit those who have become like old friends – amongst others, Abe Glitsky, now retired and entering the realm of Private Detection, and Dismas Hardy, who had only a small role to play in this novel. The story line was interesting and enthralling, requiring Glitsky’s analytical detection skills and perseverance to unravel the skeins of convoluted evidence in order to get to the truth. Highly recommended! Thanks to John Lescroart, NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

Abe and Dismas again...just love to read Lescroart. Always comfortable and reliable, a good story with a twist or two and characters that are what real people are like.
In this novel we have a lawyer that is a bit burnt out, Dismas the boss and Abe investigating in his hard headed and not always safe way.
As always the killer is a surprise till the very end and everything gets wrapped in a big bow ...no loose ends in these novels.
I reccomend

Even though I hadn't read previous books in this series, I had no problem connecting with the characters and storyline. I really liked that the main character was very tenacious in solving the murder. The story line was told in a way that that I didn't guess the real killer until almost the end. Very well written and plan to read more books from this author.

It has been a number of years since I read a John Lescroart novel. Thanks to NetGalley I recently finished reading the 19th Dismas Hardy murder mystery entitled “ The Missing Piece.” Lescroart is a reliably good read and I found myself enjoying catching up with the universe of Dismas Hardy and Abe Glitsky. Sadly for me Hardy makes only token appearances in the plot as most of the time the story focuses on the now-retired Glitsky tracking down an unknown murderer. The theme of his story centers around the pro’s and cons of the Innocence Initiative, a group dedicated to looking to free prisoners that may be incarcerated inappropriately either due to their innocence or due to a flaw in their court proceedings.
I shan’t give away the plot so that potential readers can enjoy the ride as I did. I would have decreased the preachiness about 16% and added some more sinister goings-on by that same 16%. I was surprised by the “whodunit” and I hope you also will be.

Even though this book is part of a series, it's really easy to get into it even if, like me, you haven't read any of the author's previous work before. The plot follows the murder of Paul Riley, released from prison as a result of the Exoneration Initiative, and the hunt for his killer by lawyer Wes Farrell and PI Abe Glisky. All in all I found this an exciting and enjoyable read, just the kind of murder mystery that you can end up finishing in a weekend!

Sometimes you get blamed when YOU didn't do it! There are lots of twists and turns before the time RUNS out? Did he do it?

Apparently this is the 19th book in the series. And I haven't read any books in this series before this one. But I still dived in. I was pretty sure that I would be a lost case but surprisingly I was not. The characters were described well and I didn't think I was losing the plot. So that's a plus point. Also the mystery in this book is sooo good. Overall as a newbie in the mystery world, it was a pretty good start.
I would also like to thank NetGalley for the copy and also the publisher. #themissingpiece

After the Exoneration Initiative springs Paul Riley from prison, he’s found murdered. If he was truly innocent, who would want to kill him? Suspicion falls on the father of the girl Riley supposedly raped and murdered, and even his lawyer thinks he’s guilty.

Abe Glitsky follows a tortuous path through clue after clue to a thrilling and unexpected conclusion. John Lescroart is a master of suspense, keeping this reader guessing to the very end. Recommended.

This book is apparently 19th in the series which is not usually a great place to start. But the characters were introduced well and I didn’t feel all at sea by not having read any of the previous titles.

It was a good read. Interesting characters, several crimes(interconnected or were they?) lots of red herrings, but we had an experienced detective who followed the clues. Some good discussions about the adversarial approach to justice and some lawyers who were maybe a bit jaded by it all.

I will be reading mor of this series for sure.