This stand-alone novel is a fine example of award-winning John Lescroat’s writing skills when it comes to crime thrillers. His formula of suspense, compelling characters and great pacing works yet again.

Recently introduced at a couples’ dinner, Kate can’t take her mind off of Peter. Impulsively, she phones Peter for a dalliance. The consequences of their one-night stand upends their lives; family loyalties put in jeopardy. Then one day, Peter is found murdered.

8 years on the job, police inspector Beth Tully leads the investigation into Peter’s death. I love Beth’s character - she is committed to the pursuit of justice, trying hard to balance her all-consuming career with her personal life, a life that always seems to take a back seat. Coincidentally, Kate is her best friend. That discovery simmered in my mind while potential murderers are introduced - Kate’s husband Ron, Peter’s secretary, his landlord, friends and family, motives pile up. The variety of the characters add color to the storyline; they are realistically flawed. Suspense builds as the investigation unfolds, clues are discovered and webs of deceit and unsavory behavior revealed. The book had a great pace and kept me guessing. I couldn’t wait to find out how the story would end. I highly recommend this book to fans of cop mystery thrillers.

Kate is happily married; she loves her husband. But when she meets Peter at a dinner party, she cannot get him out of her head. After a night of passion, she vows that it will never happen again. Six months later, after tragedy strikes, Peter winds up dead and soon, the police are left to untangle a web of deceit.

Fatal is an upcoming standalone novel by John Lescroart (best known for his Dismas Hardy series). I was pulled in immediately when I read the synopsis for this book and it did not disappoint. This novel ended up being kind of a mix between a twist on a domestic thriller and a police procedural. I read it over the course of an afternoon. I absolutely adored every second.

The beginning of the novel focuses on Kate and her initial encounter with Peter. This first half had some serious Fatal Attraction vibes and I was loving it. Surprisingly, Lescroart switches gears and the novel shifts to Kate’s best friend Beth, a police officer, who is leading the investigation into Peter’s murder. It was this connection between all the characters that makes this one especially entertaining; the players intertwine and the reader is privy to this information long before the characters are aware. This adds to the tension of the plot.

The plot, itself, is a roller coaster ride with twists, turns and red herrings aplenty. I found myself consistently guessing whom the culprit was and how everything was going to fit together. I also loved how the plot contained a little bit of everything; adultery, mental health issues, a terrorist attack, family dynamics. I thought for attacking so many issues, the author fused them together wonderfully creating many complex characters that kept me wanting more.

The novel is told chronologically but contains jumps in time; I loved this technique, it made the novel very easy to follow but also remained realistic. One of my pet peeves when I read crime fiction is the fact that some take place from beginning to end over the course of three days, when, in reality, police cases take months or years to be solved in some cases. I liked that Lescroart kept it real.

Overall, I highly recommend this read to anyone who is a fan of the popular domestic thriller genre or anyone who likes a good, solid police procedural. This novel is the perfect blend of both. Be sure to add Fatal to your lists - you won’t want to miss it!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC of this book.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
This is a standalone novel by the author of the Dismas Hardy series. It is well written with an interesting and not totally predictable plot. The characters were well-developed and, except for Beth and Ike, homicide officers, were not very likable, yet the felt real and fit the plot. The book, for me, was strictly entertainment. I probably didn't really learn much but it engaged me and kept me reading. It was more of a police procedural than the book description would indicate. I wonder if this might be the start of a series featuring Beth and Ike.

Fatal is the story of how the selfish pursuit of illicit desires, cheating spouses and a devastating act of terrorism all have a far reaching ripple effect on the individuals involved, their families, friends and colleagues. It is a gripping novel filled with suspense and intrigue, murder and mayhem, but also friendship and romance. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was riveted from start to finish. I must admit however, that I missed Dismas Hardy :) Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

Kate and Ron Jameson are happily married with two savvy teenagers and a nice house in San Francisco. Things take a turn, however, after a dinner party hosted by Ron's law partner, Geoff Cooke. At the party, Kate meets attorney Peter Ash and develops an insatiable desire to have sex with him. Without mentioning Peter's name Kate confides her obsession to her best friend, Beth Tully - who happens to be an SFPD detective - and is advised to forget about the man.

Against Beth's advice - and her own better judgement - Kate tricks Peter into meeting her in a hotel room, then brazenly seduces him. Afterwards, Kate immediately wants to end things. Having got Peter out of her system, Kate blithely feels she can go on with her life as it was before. For his part, Peter, who has a wife and twin teenage sons, seems to have an existential crisis after the affair. He takes to drinking and womanizing....and seems to lose interest in his marriage and job.

A couple of weeks after 'the affair' Kate and Beth are having coffee at the Ferry Building Marketplace when terrorists barge in and shoot the place up. The two women are seriously injured: Kate is shot in both legs and Kate sustains dire chest injuries, but both women slowly recover.

Six months after the terror shooting, Beth - who's still limping - gets a new case. She and her partner, Detective Ike McCaffrey, are assigned to investigate the homicide of Peter Ash - who was found floating in San Francisco Bay. Of course Beth doesn't know about Kate's previous liasion with Peter......yet.

The investigators talk to Peter's wife, sons, secretary, colleagues, friends, and so on. And Geoff Cooke - who considers himself Peter's best buddy - offers to assist in any way he can. More deaths occur, and the detectives have plenty of suspects to consider.

In a side story, Beth and her daughter Ginny befriend an anorexic young woman named Laurie, who fell into despair after her married lover was killed.

Eventually Beth and Ike discover who did what. For me, the ending wasn't completely satisfying.....but that's all I can say without spoilers.

This standalone novel isn't as good as John Lescroart's 'Dismas Hardy' series. The plot of 'Fatal' feels a little raw and some of the characters aren't believable. For instance, Kate's sudden obsession for Peter doesn't ring true. I expected to discover she'd been hypnotized or drugged - and given a 'post-hypnotic suggestion' to have sex with Peter (but apparently not). I also think a 'nice woman' like Kate would consider the consequences of seducing a married man - and possibly ruining his life.....but she doesn't give this a second thought.

When it comes to Peter, it's unlikely that a sensible, hard-working guy like him would change so dramatically after one sexual encounter. Peter's a grown man, not a hormone-driven teenage boy.

I also have a quibble about the anorexic girl, Laurie. Anorexia is a serious condition, and anorexics don't suddently start eating just because a new friend brings over a tasty meal. This plot point doesn't seem well thought out.

As I was reading, I thought this might be an early Lescroart book, being published now to make a few bucks. However - in the acknowledgements - Lescroart says he recently wrote the book, so that's not the case. Maybe it's just a new 'Beth Tully' series that's getting off to a bit of a rough start.

All in all, this is an okay mystery. If you're a suspense fan who's planning a vacation or plane trip, this book would provide suitable company.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for a copy of the book.

Great read!! This one will grab you right from the start and keep you totally engrossed. Lots of action and suspense.

Kate and her husband Ron, have a seemingly perfect life: happily married, two kids, etc. So Kate is thrown off by her attraction to another man, Peter Ash, when she meets him at a dinner party held by one of Ron's colleagues and his own wife. Peter himself is married, with twin sons. Unable to get Peter out her mind, Kate ignores the warnings of her friend Beth, and arranges an encounter. Shortly after that event, Kate and Beth are involved in a horrific terrorist attack, and it seems like nothing will ever be the same.

This was a slightly bizarre novel with an interesting premise: a sort of anti-adultery treatise, in a way. The novel confounded me slightly with its two different tracks: one of personal angst and murder (I don't think it's a spoiler to state that shortly after the terrorist attack, Peter Ash winds up murdered) and then the terrorist attack, which seems somewhat oddly inserted into the novel's plot. Kate's friend Beth is a police detective, and for me, Beth was driving force of the book (and seriously, practically the only sane person in this story). I enjoyed her character and while it's been noted that this was a standalone novel for Lescroart, I could see another book featuring her.

Beth is perplexed as she tries to solve Peter Ash's murder. For us: not really. I felt as if the suspect was fairly easily identifiable the whole time. Lescroart did a fairly good job as casting suspicions on someone else; at one point, I finally thought, oh, ok, maybe I really am wrong (but I wasn't). There's a whole host of characters in the novel and they are interesting, but not really as complex or intricate as Beth. Overall, I enjoyed this novel-- I haven't read anything by Lescroart since some of his early Dismas Hardy books ages ago-- but I didn't find it to have an amazing "wow" factor or anything. It was an interesting, if somewhat predictable thriller, with some strange plot points thrown in.

I received a copy of this novel from Netgalley and the publisher (thank you!) in return for an unbiased review; it is available everywhere as of 01/24/2017.

3..5 Stars
I think I've read almost every Dismas Hardy book John Lescroat has written and most of his other series’ books as well. And I found them uniformly good. So I was thrilled to get this stand alone book from netgalley. The plot concerns a married woman who acts on an attraction to a married man she meets at a dinner party. Her best friend, Beth, is a police detective who tries to talk her out of acting on her fantasy, to no avail. Given the premise, I had trouble liking Kate, the married woman in question. I never felt like her strong attraction to Peter was ever sufficiently explained, so it just seemed so odd that she decided to cheat.

It's also not adequately explained why Peter goes off the rails after this one encounter and upends his life. From a single encounter to leaving the wife, kids and screwing everything in sight. I just didn't get it.

It's not until ⅓ of the way in after a terrorist attack and Peter is killed does the book start to come alive. It's a big old messy case for Beth with either no suspects or hundreds. I like that it's not nice and neat. Or that Beth’s life isn't nice and neat. The novel moves along at a good clip once Peter is murdered. Beth is a good character and I would be interested in seeing her show up in her own series.

This was a decent mystery. Yes, you have a pretty good idea where it's heading, but that doesn't make it any less of a page turner.
My thanks to netgalley and Atria Books for an advance copy of this book.

I have been a big fan of John Lescroart for years. Especially his series with Dismas Hardy, Abe and the rest of the crew. I hate to admit, but I was disappointed in his stand alone effort.

The novel seemed a bit disjointed and I did not like the protagonist, which usually does not bode well.

I will stick with Dismas, Abe and their motley crew in the future.

What drew me to this book was that awesome cover and title. It just seems to scream doom and gloom and the possibility of creepiness. Based on the blurb, which is enticing although somewhat misleading , and my past enjoyment of stories centered around the consequences of infidelity...think Presumed Innocent, Fatal Attraction, Unfaithful, The Kind Worth Killing...I was excited to give this one a go. I have to say, for the first 30 percent (kindle reading:) I was engaged with the story and feeling that there was definitely a set up of dire consequences coming for Kate and Peter. A possible Fatal Attraction type of scenario felt imminent and I was excited. I was, however, also ignoring my small reading voice that said there are parts here that don't add up and the motivations of Kate and Peter's characters aren't really making sense. I won't give away any of the plot but I will say my hopes for where the story might be going didn't pan out. In fact, for me it took some odd turns.

As the story progresses and we get to know a rather large cast of unlikeable characters, there was one character I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know and that was Beth, Kate's good friend and walking buddy. Beth is also a cop and will come to feature prominently in the mystery that ensues. Beth and her partner Ike were (thankfully) two people I could root for. As I said, Beth plays a large role in the story as there occurs a particular crime where the list of possible suspects is endless. I always enjoy a good crime puzzle with lots of potential suspects so that part of the story worked for me. I had many theories as to who the guilty party was and they kept changing as new evidence came to light. Although the story didn't at all go where I thought and hoped it was going to, I managed to stay engaged with the narrative but the farther along the plot progressed, the harder it became to do so. It felt like there were too many threads that didn't connect or if they did they felt forced for the sake of trying to make parts "fit." In addition, there were a couple subplots that I just didn't care about and I was left wondering how they contributed to the overall plot. I'm still not sure.

Overall, what really worked for me was Beth's character and the fact that the narrative was told in a linear framework; there were no back and forth perspectives or past/present switchbacks which I appreciated. I also thought the setting was perfect for the story and the dialogue was top notch. Unfortunately, too many other parts just didn't work for me including the ending which I will let you all judge for yourself.

Everything we do, even the slightest thing we do, can have a ripple effect and repercussions that emanate... - Victor Webster

The above quote really fits with this book so below is the whole quote, not just what I could fit in a title:

Everything we do, even the slightest thing we do, can have a ripple effect and repercussions that emanate. If you throw a pebble into the water on one side of the ocean, it can create a tidal wave on the other side. - Victor Webster

I think all of us, at one time or another, has done something without thinking of the consequences. And that is the gist of this story, along with moral and immoral decisions and not being faithful to your spouse (or significant other).

Kate and her husband, Ron, go to some very good friends' house for dinner and another couple happens to be there. Kate fixates on the husband, Peter, of this other couple and makes a decision that changes countless lives.

SPOILER ALERT:
I enjoyed this story but felt there was just too much crammed into it.
The whole terrorist sequence could have been left out of the story and it would have made a stronger tale.

I really liked San Franciso police Sergeant Beth Tully and the sections she was in but there were some very unlikable characters in the story - who made terrible decisions.

So...the story was written well although it could have had quite a bit cut out and strengthened the remaining storylines.

I received this book from Atria Books through Net Galley in exchange for my unbiased review.

I am a veteran reader of Lescroart and have really enjoyed most of his books especially those that focus on Dismas and Abe. this is a standalone tho it does take place in San Francisco and sharp eyed readers will recognize a familiar crime scene chief. this starts of featuring Kate who seems to be looking for some outside of her marriage romance and the man she gets involved with Peter, also married with kids. things seem to be of the one and done variety until it seems Peter becomes addicted to having affairs. then things literally blow up when Kate and her best friend Beth (a homicide detective) get caught in a terrorist event and both need several months recovery time. 6 months later Peter is dead and Beth takes over the lead of the book as she tries to solve the case. the pages turned in this one, but I found most of the characters and motivations to be 2 dimensional. the characters were not fleshed out enough for me and I had trouble believing motivations with what I was given on the page. Beth was the most developed and there were some nice moments with her partner, daughter and side plot featuring the anorexic sister of a potential love interest. who also of course knew the victim. lots of suspects, but it was pretty obvious from the premise, etc who the guilty party would be, so not a surprise there. so 3 stars for this one, but if he writes Beth again I might give it a shot, hopefully one with more developed characters and a less predictable plot.
thanks to NetGalley for and advance review copy, much appreciated.

Do not start this book anywhere near bedtime. It will keep you up. That is, if you get far enough into it.

Can you imagine, you are happily married, but just once, for just one afternoon, you want to meet a man in a hotel and get it on. You think that's the end of it. Then a couple of days later, you think maybe again and you call him. He knows you called, but you hang up. Then your involved in a terrorist plot and your disabled for 6 months. You forget about this man. He doesn't forget about you. You've pushed that rock, started it rolling down the hill, it's gathered momentum. It's a boulder now. Now, what are you going to do?

This was such a great book. So many plot twists and turns. So many suspects. Kate had no idea of the monster she opening up when she invited Peter to that hotel room. I kept thinking that Peter had some kind of vibe or something and that he was actually charming her, but he was totally surprised that Kate had come on to him. I definitely could not put this one down. Kudos Mr. Lescroart for a job well done and lastly, merci for the entertainment!

Huge thanks to Atria Books for approving my request and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

Fatal was a good surprise for me. It had good characters and I like the way the author built out the suspense.

In the beginning, we meet two friends on their regular jog, Kate Jameson and Beth Tully. Kate is married to Ron and she has two kids. Beth is a police officer. She's also a widow with a teenage daughter. Kate confides in Beth. She tells her she has met a man over a dinner party the night before and she can't stop thinking about him. She is attracted to him. Beth tries to dissuade her but Kate just can't seem to give up on the idea. She meets Peter in a hotel room and in one afternoon, they both break their marriage vows.

Fast forward days later and Peter finds himself unable to forget about Kate. He also starts questioning his marriage to Jill and his relationship with his own kids. He realizes he's not happy with them and he doesn't love his wife anymore. This sends him into a downward spiral of women and alcohol. To say Peter changes is an understatement.

Meanwhile, Beth and Kate's lives are dramatically changed when they're both victims during a terrorist attack. Fast forward six months and Beth is recuperating from bullets hitting both of her legs. She's walking with a cane and back at work while Kate is finally home after several respiratory complications she suffered after a bullet collapsed her lung.

When the body of a man, soon to be discovered as Peter's, washes close to the Cliffhouse restaurant, Beth, and her partner Eisenhower "Ike" McCaffrey are named the lead investigators. Beth will have to put together the pieces of Peter's life in the last six months. Nothing is easy since everyone seems to be lying to Beth, including Kate.


From all the characters in Fatal, my favorite was Beth. I was able to connect with her. She was a good detective, friend, and a good mother. I was happy the author inserted a little bit of romance in her life as well. Alan was a catch!

I didn't think there was much surprise in regards to who had done it but I liked the way the story was told and even though, I was not crazy about the end, I was still happy with how the author got me there.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Three Events: Weaving the narrative of three people. Kate, Peter and Beth. What may have been intended to feel like a cohesive storyline felt like a mishmash of confusing ideas that never melded together, leaving “Fatal” by John Lescroart, to fall short.

Kate is a supposedly happily married to Ron, living in San Francisco. There she meets Peter at a dinner party. Immediately thereafter she can’t stop thinking of him. In a fleeting moment, she makes what she realizes is a mistake. She sleeps with him. And he becomes obsessed. Confused, she confesses to her best friend Beth, who is also a detective, one day while they are at lunch. That day, they fall victim to a terrorist attack and their lives are forever changed. However, Beth, doesn’t just survive the attack, she thrives. Thereafter, in her job as a Detective, she is called in to investigate a homicide; the homicide of Peter and she begins to connect the dots and realizes that this case involves her best friend, Kate.

Though the synopsis of this novel is all about Kate and Peter, in reading it, it truly involved Beth and her journey. Her ability to survive and adapt and her need to solve the case she was called in to investigate. That said, there were way too many holes in this plot to make it readable or enjoyable and the fact that there were so many storylines made the novel’s narratives hard to follow at times. Further, the novel itself was somewhat formulaic and lacked mystery and excitement.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and John Lescroart for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 1/4/17.

**Will be published on Amazon on 1/24/17.