GROUP A BOOKS 2023-2024: 14 Nominated books. Vote for no more than 7.

A5 Type: Legal/Courtroom/Attorney A Plague of Secrets by John Lescroart, 2009 / MVLC: 21

Basics · Protagonists: Dismas Hardy, ex-cop, bartender, and ex-Assistant District Attorney turned defense attorney, and Abe Glitsky, a black, Jewish cop and homicide detective. Hardy's wealthy socialite client own's a business that is not at all what it seems to be, as more people associated with it are murdered. Plagued by lies and deception, there is one terrible secret that defense attorney Dismas Hardy is duty-bound to protect. Even if the price is his client’s life. · Setting: Contemporary San Francisco · Context: This is #15 out 22 books in the Hardy-Glitsky series. · % of Amazon readers giving 5-star ratings: 62% · Combined % of Amazon readers giving either 4 OR 5-star ratings: 89% · Total all Amazon ratings this book: 1,585 Long Form When Dylan Vogler, the charming manager of the popular Bay Beans West coffee shop in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district, is gunned down near the store, inspectors are shocked to discover that his knapsack is overflowing with high-grade marijuana. It soon becomes clear that San Francisco’s A-list flocked to Bay Beans West for more than a pricy caffeine fix. Maya Townshend is the absentee owner of the shop—and the beautiful and extremely wealthy socialite niece of the city’s mayor. When she becomes Dismas Hardy’s client, he thinks it will be a simple hand-holding exercise until the police identify a suspect. But then another of Maya’s past acquaintances turns up murdered, and the newspapers begin to reveal the names of the coffee shop’s celebrity, political, and even law-enforcement clientele. Hardy begins to question how much his client knew about what was actually going on inside her business—and whether she was also Vogler’s lover. All the while, Hardy’s best friend, homicide lieutenant Abe Glitsky, sick with worry over his severely-injured youngest child, barely functions in his job. Without his supervision, his inspectors are prey to the machinations of the many power brokers with interests in the case. And ambitious prosecutors, both state and federal, close in on Maya. As her trial gets underway, Hardy discovers that Maya harbors an explosive secret that is at the heart of the case. Regardless, Dismas Hardy is hostage to that secret, and privilege-bound to protect it. Perceptive, fast-paced and masterful, A Plague Of Secrets is sure to have fans and new readers of John Lescroart alike hungrily turning the pages. -------- "... you would think that given the author's ability to bring fascinating bits of knowledge about police work, legal and judicial practice, human nature and criminal behavior together in exciting storylines that after 12 books there couldn't really be much more that could surprise. You would be wrong. This story about a "simple" murder case turns out to involve illegal marijuana trade, old murders and robberies, political manipulations, money laundering and the basic deficiencies in human nature that allows all those issues to become one of Dismas Hardy's most interesting defense cases yet. ... if you want to learn a little about the legal system, human nature, the minds of murderers, and a world of secrets that always eventually come to light - buy this book. Just make sure you set aside a lot of reading time because you will not want to put this down until you reach the end." 5 stars. –An Amazon reader review "About 15 years ago, I read quite a few of Lescroart's books and really liked them. But I haven't kept up. I remember reading one book with a scene with Abe and his young son that brought out my tears- it was so real and precious. I wrote the author and thanked him for his perceptive description. So, I am a fan and personally nominate the whole series." –Dick No Awards for this Book from the 15 awarding groups as reported by SYKM.