New Releases by John Lescroart

The later you pay, the steeper the price... Dismas Hardy returns in The Vig, the second instalment in John Lescroart''s stirring series. Perfect for fans of Michael Connelly and Scott Turow. ''The plot twists and turns...Hardy is one of the more real and engaging characters in... crime solving'' - Los Angeles Times Payback is murder. A beautiful woman paid it with her body. A seedy lawyer used somebody else''s money. It''s the vig - the exorbitant interest mob loan sharks take on their money. Now everyone has to pay... Down-and-out lawyer Rusty Ingraham left behind a murdered woman and a houseboat splattered with blood. All the evidence said Ingraham was in San Francisco Bay. Dead. But a friend of Ingraham''s, former cop and prosecutor Dismas Hardy, isn''t so sure. And Hardy has to find out, because a stone-cold killer, now paroled, once threatened to kill Ingraham and Dismas Hardy both. To save his own skin, Hardy must face down liars and killers on both sides of the law. From mob foot soldiers to broken-hearted lovers to renegade cops, a dozen lives are tied to the fate of Rusty Ingraham - and the payback has only just begun. What readers are saying about John Lescroart: ''[John Lescroart] develops characters and storylines like no other author I have read'' ''Lescroart is a very talented and imaginative crime writer'' ''I am never disappointed by any books from John Lescroart''

He was hoping for a little peace, but is propelled back into all the things he was trying to escape... John Lescroart introduces Dismas Hardy for the first time in Dead Irish, the gripping crime thriller. Perfect for fans of John Grisham and Scott Turow. ''With John Lescroart''s polished writing, Dead Irish becomes more than a mystery novel with a bartender as detective. With razor precision, characters stand out, flawed and human... Chilling in its intensity, this is an ingenious tale of many different kinds of people'' - Pasadena Star-News An ex-policeman, ex-husband and ex-lawyer, Dismas Hardy is now a barman wondering what to do with the rest of his life. Then he hears that one of his friends, Eddie Cochran, has just lost his. It seems that Eddie killed himself but, recently married to Frannie McGuire, the sister of Dismas'' boss Moses, Eddie had a lot to live for. Reluctantly, Dismas agrees to use his long-neglected skills to investigate the death, if only to rescue Frannie from the agony of believing her husband killed himself. At first it appears Eddie was silenced when he stumbled on a drug deal. But Dismas gets to know Eddie''s family and starts to uncover a reservoir of anger rotting the fabric that binds the generations. And then another member of the Cochran clan goes missing... What readers are saying about Dead Irish: ''Nail-biting'' ''[This] book is a joy to read'' ''Intricate and fraught with complications, nuanced characters, and believable relationships''

Bestselling author Jeffery Deaver and Suspense Magazine offer "Nothing Good Happens After Midnight," consisting of 13 original short stories representing suspense/thriller, mystery and more. Readers'' favorites exploring the mystery of midnight include Rhys Bowen, Heather Graham, John Lescroart, Kevin O''Brien, Hank Phillippi Ryan and more.

“A stylish whodunit . . . Lescroart [is] in his best form yet.”—People Once Dismas Hardy was a cop. Now he spends his days in a lawyer’s suit, billing hours to a corporate client in a downtown San Francisco office. Hardy’s wife and kids like it that way. Then one client changes everything. Graham Russo, a former baseball star, is charged with murdering his dying father. Was it suicide, the last desperate act of a dying man? Was it murder? Or mercy? Now, as a carnival of reporters, activists, cops, lovers, and families throng around the case, Dismas Hardy is going to trial with a client he doesn’t trust, a key witness he cannot believe, and a system that almost destroyed him once. For Dismas, this case will challenge everything he believes about the law, about his family, and about himself. Because a chilling truth is beginning to emerge about an old man’s lonely death. And what Dismas knows could put him next in line to die. . . . Praise for The Mercy Rule “Very entertaining . . . a large and emotionally sprawling novel.”—Chicago Tribune “As usual in a Lescroart novel, character dominates plot as the author proves, yet again, that resonant drama can be found in family.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer “An edge-of-the-seat legal thriller that has it all—hot-button issues, deception, greed, corruption, and a labyrinthine plot that will keep you guessing until the very last page.”—Faye Kellerman

From the bestselling author whose prose “matches the best of John Grisham and Scott Turow” (Providence Journal) comes a gripping thriller featuring attorney Dismas Hardy as he investigates the murder of a wealthy man whose heirs are all potential suspects. Finally recovered from two gunshot wounds, Dismas Hardy is looking forward to easing into retirement and reconnecting with his family. But he is pulled back into the courtroom when Grant Wagner, the steely owner of a successful family business, is murdered. The prime suspect is Wagner’s bookkeeper Abby Jarvis, a former client of Hardy’s, who had been receiving large sums of cash under-the-table from the company—but she insists that she’s innocent. Preparing for trial, Dismas investigates the Wagner clan and discovers dark, twisted secrets, jealous siblings, gold-digging girlfriends, betrayals, and blackmail. The closer he gets to the Wagners, the clearer it becomes that Dismas has a target painted on his back. With razor-sharp dialogue and whip-smart plotting, Poison once again demonstrates that “Lescroart is a master craftsman” (Associated Press).

Kate loves her life. At forty-four, she''s happily married to her kind husband, Ron, blessed with two wonderful children, and has a beautiful home in San Francisco. Everything changes, however, when she and Ron attend a dinner party and meet another couple, Peter and Jill. Kate and Peter only exchange a few pleasant words but that night, in bed with her husband, Kate is suddenly overcome with a burning desire for Peter. What begins as an innocent crush soon develops into a dangerous obsession and Kate''s fixation on Peter results in one intense, passionate encounter between the two. Confident that her life can now go back to normal, Kate never considers that Peter may not be so willing to move on. Not long after their affair, a masked man barges into the cafe Kate is sitting in with her best friend, firing an assault weapon indiscriminately into the crowd. This tragedy is the first in a series of horrifying events that will show Kate just how grave the consequences of one mistake can be.

A “courtroom thriller extraordinaire” (Providence Journal) from “master craftsman” (Associated Press) John Lescroart puts Dismas Hardy and his daughter in the middle of an uncertain murder case where winning the trial could mean losing everything. On a cool night in May, a teenage foster child named Anlya Paulson plummets to her death from a San Francisco overpass. But did she fall…or was she pushed? Homicide inspectors focus their attention on a likeable but naïve middle school teacher and volunteer foster care advocate. At first, his only connection to Anlya’s death is the meal they shared earlier that night. But soon his story falls apart, and Rebecca Hardy, now an associate at her father’s law firm, is drawn into his defense. As the case rushes toward trial, Dismas and Rebecca battle an aggressive prosecutor, a disinterested police force, and their own client, who isn’t faring well in jail. When a dying woman’s last words cast a surprising new light on the evidence and problems develop with a key witness, the father-daughter duo begins to glimpse the intricate web that connects the young victim to the city’s complex political and judicial machine. Proving their case in court, however, will be harder, as Rebecca comes to realize that a trial doesn’t always end with the truth.

A selection of excerpts from many top-notch mystery authors, including Christine Carbo, John Connolly, Mindy Mejia, Matthew Betley, William Kent Krueger, Thomas Mullen, John Lescroart, Vince Flynn and Kyle Mills, as well as Adi Tantimedh.

An unprecedented collective features pairings by 23 best-selling and critically acclaimed suspense writers, who in short high-action stories pit their most popular characters against one another.

In this short story from the thrilling anthology FaceOff, John Lescroart and T. Jefferson Parker team up for the first time ever, along with their characters—Wyatt Hunt, hero of three of Lescorart’s Hunt Club thrillers; and Joe Trona from Parker’s Edgar Award–winning Silent Joe. What begins as a relaxing fishing vacation among friends quickly descends into chaos when Hunt and Trona are drawn into a local gang war in the heart of a tiny Mexican village. When an innocent family is taken hostage, Hunt and Trona have no choice but to set aside their fishing poles and set a trap for some much bigger prey. For more exciting pairs, check out all eleven stories in FaceOff!

There is no such thing as an open and shut case... The Keeper is the fifteenth thriller in the bestselling Dismas Hardy series by master of legal suspense John Lescroart. Perfect for fans of Steve Cavanagh and Michael Connelly. ''The courtroom drama king'' - Independent When prison guard Hal Chase''s wife, Katie, goes missing on Thanksgiving Eve, he quickly becomes the prime suspect. Now it''s up to lawyer Dismas Hardy to lead his defence. Chase and Katie''s marriage had been fraught with problems. He certainly had motive to want her out of his life. But as Hardy and former homicide detective Abe Glitsky delve deeper into the case, many details seem off, including the death of an inmate in the jail where Chase worked. Amid a backdrop of conspiracy and corruption, Glitsky closes in on the elusive truth. And as the death count rises, he realises the next victim could be him... What readers are saying about The Keeper: ''A gripping novel from start to finish'' ''As always, Lescroart keeps you guessing until the very end'' ''Absolutely one of his best. Excellent in every way''

From two bestselling masters of suspense, a gripping, erotic story about a female assassin whose unsettling past comes back to haunt her… Beautiful twenty-something Lucy Delray has spent two months in therapy when she says to her psychologist, "When I destroy someone...I don’t feel anything." An avenging angel who lures men into her bed and then kills them, she qualifies this shocking confession: "I only kill men who deserve it. Who have done the unforgivable. Who need to be punished." But when Lucy lures an influential man from her childhood back into her life—a painter she befriended when she was only seven years old—the charming temptress may be committing the ultimate crime: letting a long-buried secret interfere with the job at hand…

Within the law. Outside the system. The first book in an exciting series from New York Times bestselling crime author John Lescroart, featuring private investigator Wyatt Hunt. Perfect for fans of J.J. Miller and Sheldon Siegel. ''Compulsively readable'' - San Francisco Chronicle A federal judge is murdered, found shot in his home together with the body of his mistress. To homicide inspector Devin Juhle, it looks like a case of a wife''s jealousy and rage. But the judge had some powerful enemies... Meanwhile, Private Investigator Wyatt Hunt finds himself smitten with the beautiful and enigmatic Andrea Parisi, a celebrity television lawyer. But Andrea, too, had a connection to the judge, along with a client that had everything to gain from the judge''s death. And then she suddenly disappears... Andrea becomes Juhle''s prime suspect. Wyatt Hunt thinks she may be a kidnap victim, or worse, another murder victim. And far more than that, she''s someone with whom he believes he may have a future. As the search for Andrea intensifies, Hunt gathers a loose band of friends and associates willing to bend and even break the rules, leading to a chilling confrontation from which none of them might escape. What readers are saying about The Hunt Club: ''As in other Lescroart books, this reading leads you deep into the story... and then turns you around'' ''Another thrilling tale of justice in San Francisco'' ''The Hunt Club is fast-paced, exiting, suspenseful and filled with surprises''

The death of his boss sparks a worried Dr Eric Kensing to enlist the help of lawyer Dismas Hardy. He is right to be worried... Hardy defends yet another questionable client in The Oath, the eighth fantastic crime thriller in John Lescroart''s Dismas Hardy series. Perfect for fans of Michael Connelly and Lee Child. ''Gripping, timely and extremely satisfying... a stellar novel that has broad appeal'' - Booklist Doctor Eric Kensing is living in fear that he is about to be indicted for the death of a patient. That patient was his boss, Tim Markham. But Kensing and Markham aren''t just connected by work - Kensing''s wife is one of Markham''s many lovers. It''s not looking good for Kensing, so he enlists the help of lawyer Dismas Hardy. Some say Kensing is not worth saving, although others say that Kensing is a special doctor, prepared to do anything to save a patient''s life, even defying proper medical procedure. Despite all the damning evidence, Hardy becomes increasingly sure that Kensing is innocent. Against mounting pressure for an arrest, Hardy knows that the only way to save Kensing is to find the real murderer. And like Kensing, he seems to be working within a system that is set up to thwart him and any attempt at real justice... What readers are saying about The Oath: ''Lescroart keeps the reader guessing until the last page'' ''I don''t like to put it down and can''t wait to pick it up and read at night'' ''The Oath stands far ahead of the rest for its twisting plot, fleshed out characters, lightning fast pace and surprises along the way''

San Francisco is a city on the brink of panic... John Lescroart skilfully and subtly weaves together a story of a privileged youth on trial for murder, and an entire city on the brink of panic, taking this popular series to new heights of stylish suspense. Perfect for fans of Lee Child and John Sandford. ''Lescroart plays out clues with the patience and cunning of a master fly fisherman'' - Orlando Sentinel To the outside world, it looks like Dismas Hardy is finally on top. A managing partner at his thriving law firm but beneath the surface bravado, Hardy has lost his faith in the law. Now he has a high-profile and challenging case: a seventeen-year-old arrested for the double slaying of his girlfriend and his English teacher. As the case moves swiftly to trial, Hardy can''t even turn to his old friend Abe Glitsky for help. San Francisco has been seized by a wave of violence and an embattled Glitsky must somehow stop the criminal upsurge while being hounded by a hostile media. With the city on the verge of panic, Hardy''s search for the truth takes him down a perilous path. With very little belief in his young client''s innocence, and even less in the legal system, Hardy has to conquer his own demons if he is to clear his client... and save himself. What readers are saying about The Second Chair: ''Once again, Lescroart proves he is the master of this genre'' ''The Second Chair is second to none'' ''John Lescroart weaves a tangled web of suspense back and forth with thick intensity''

New York Times bestselling author John Lescroart “creates compelling, credible characters” (Publishers Weekly), none more so than San Francisco attorney Dismas Hardy, a man who seeks out the truth—no matter the cost. These are three of his top-tier thrillers featuring Dismas Hardy and his colleagues in the quest for justice in the courtroom—and when necessary, outside it. HARD EVIDENCE THE 13TH JUROR NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH

New York Times bestselling author Lee Child and the International Thriller Writers, Inc. present a collection of remarkable stories in First Thrills. From small-town crime stories to sweeping global conspiracies, this is a cross section of today''s hottest thriller-writing talent. This original collection is now split into four e-book volumes, packed with murder, mystery, and mayhem! First Thrills: Volume 4 contains stories seven original stories by: John Lescroart Alex Kava and Deb Carlin John Lutz and Lise S. Baker CJ Lyons Cynthia Robinson Marc Paoletti Bill Cameron At the Publisher''s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

The widow of a major player in the world of San Francisco nonprofits believes that his alleged mistress killed him-and she''s putting up fifty grand to whoever helps prove it. Wyatt Hunt and his investigation firm want in on that action-no matter where it takes them...

Dismas Hardy wordt gevraagd om het werk van een vermiste advocaat over te nemen. Aanvankelijk verwacht hij er niet al te veel tijd aan te hoeven besteden. Maar als hij zich over de zaak van Evan Scholler en Ron Nolan buigt, ontdekt hij een ijzingwekkend complot dat hem gevaarlijk dicht in de buurt brengt van huurmoordenaars en hoogverraad.Van de levensgevaarlijke wegen in Irak tot de rechtbanken van Californië - Verraad is niet alleen John Lescroarts meest ambitieuze en uitdagende roman, maar ook een spannende tour de force van buitengewone vertelkunst.

Dismas Hardy, Abe Glitsky, and Wyatt Hunt return When high-grade marijuana is found on a coffee-shop manager murdered in San Francisco, it suggests that the shop''s owner, Maya Townshend, may be behind more than a caffeine fix. But when another murder exposes a drug-buying A-list celebrity and political clientele, a tabloid-fueled controversy takes the investigation into the realms of conspiracy and cover up.

On Spain''s Costa Brava, passion and intrigue are everywhere- especially in the hearts of those who dwell there. As the dictator Franco teeters on the edge of overthrow, two couples are entwined. One is a husband and wife bored with the existence they have drifted into, the other a passionate, combative pair who relish every moment of life. Into this potent mix comes a young American seeking his missing lover-bringing a shadow of danger into the machinations already at work. Soon, loyalty will be tested and blood will be shed as the country of Spain prepares for revolution. And none of them-lovers, fighters, man or woman- will ever be the same.

New York Times bestselling author John Lescroart presents an ambitious thriller featuring San Francisco defense attorney Dismas Hardy. “Betrayal is provocative…a tour de force of a legal thriller.”—The Providence Journal Dismas Hardy agrees to take an appeal to overturn the murder conviction of National Guard reservist Evan Scholler. Scholler had plenty of reasons for revenge—but as Dismas delves into the case, he begins to uncover a terrible truth that drops him right into the complicated world of government conspiracy, assassination, and betrayal...

When the angry white mob poured out of the bar on San Francisco''s Geary Street and surrounded an innocent black man, Kevin Shea was the only one who tried to stop them. He failed, and now, thanks to a deceptive news photo taken during the melee, he is wanted for the murder himself-and the real culprits have threatened his life if he says a word. As riots rage and politicians posture, Lieutenant Abe Glitsky finds himself under pressure to bring Shea in at all costs. And as respect for the law crumbles-even among those sworn to uphold it-true justice is the only thing that can prevent the death of another innocent man.

With their park view and old-fashioned detail, the Victorian houses on San Francisco''s Steiner Street were highly valuable. But with their wooden construction, they were also highly vulnerable. So when Paul Hanover''s multimillion-dollar home went up in flames, it was all over very quickly. And when the bodies of Hanover and his girlfriend were found in the charred debris, it appeared that the end came even more quickly for them-judging from the bullet holes in their heads. But this isn''t just any double homicide. Hanover was a friend-and donor-to the mayor, who wants answers. And in trying to provide them, Abe Glitsky and Dismas Hardy will face an old lover and an old enemy-and follow a trail of evidence that stretches far beyond their usual jurisdiction.

THE FIRST NOVEL IN THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING DISMAS HARDY SERIES! In his new life as a bartender at the Little Shamrock, Dismas Hardy is just hoping for a little peace. He’s left both the police force and his law career behind. Unfortunately it’s not as easy to leave behind the memory of a shattering personal loss—but for the time being, he can always take the edge off with a stiff drink and round of darts. But when the news of Eddie Cochran’s death reaches him, Hardy is propelled back into all the things he was trying to escape. And forced to untangle a web of old secrets and raw passions, for the sake of Eddie’s pregnant widow, Frannie—and for the others whose lives may still be at risk...

#1 New York Times bestselling author John Lescroart weaves together a story of a privileged youth on trial for murder and an entire city on the brink of panic in this suspensful and stylish Dismas Hardy legal thriller. Although he appears to have reached the top, Dismas Hardy, rainmaker and managing partner of his thriving San Francisco law firm, has lost his faith in the justice system. When his young associate, Amy Wu, brings in a high profile, controversial double murder case, he decides to sit second chair—in defense of a wealthy, privileged young man even he has trouble believing. At the same time, Hardy’s friend Abe Glitsky has just been promoted to deputy chief of the Investigations Bureau, and has trouble of his own. Hounded by a hostile media, distanced from day-to-day police work, Glitsky must struggle against a wave of violence that has put the city on the verge of panic. As the tension builds around them, Hardy and Amy’s search for the truth will take them down a perilous path, and force Hardy to face his own demons in order to clear his client—and save himself.

In this thrilling novel from the acclaimed Dismas Hardy series, Hardy’s friend and client finds himself the prime suspect in a homicide investigation. While Dismas Hardy has built a solid legal practice and a happy family, his friend John Holiday, a proprietor of a rundown local bar, has not followed the same path. Despite this, Hardy has remained Holiday’s attorney and confidant, and when Holiday is suspected of murder, Hardy and Glitsky find ample reason to question Holiday’s guilt. But Hardy’s case falls on hostile ears, and to avoid arrest, Holiday turns fugitive. The police now believe three things: that Hardy is a liar protecting Holiday, that Holiday is a cold-blooded killer, and that Glitsky is a bad cop on the wrong side of the law. As the suspense reaches fever pitch, Hardy, Glitsky, and even their families may be caught in the crossfire and directly threatened—and this time, the police won’t be on their side.

Auguste Lupa, reputed son of Sherlock Holmes, the greatest detective of all time—and possessor of a brilliant deductive mind in his own right—is summoned to the court of the Czar. There, with a bit of assistance from none other than Holmes and Watson, he untangles a chilling plot that holds the Winter Palace in a lethal grip…Don''t miss this historical mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of the Dismas Hardy series. "It was good to have Holmes and Watson drop in on the action...There''s a lot of Sherlock in his son."—Abilene Reporter-News "The perfect vehicle for mystery fans who relish a good detective story.” —Macon Telegraph and News Praise for John Lescroart''s Dismas Hardy novels "Today’s best legal thriller series.”—Lee Child “Grisham and Turow remain the two best-known writers in the genre. There is, however, a third novelist at work today who deserves to be considered alongside Turow and Grisham. His name is John Lescroart.”—Chicago Sun-Times “Lescroart''s books are high entertainment, with accurate legal and police procedures leading the action.”—Sacramento Bee “A gifted writer….I read him with great pleasure.”—Richard North Patterson “Blistering courtroom sequences.…the undisputed king of the legal thriller.”—Providence Sunday Journal “Unfolds like a classic Law & Order.”—Entertainment Weekly John Lescroart is the New York Times bestselling author of numerous legal thrillers and mysteries, most of them set in contemporary San Francisco. Among his novels are The Fall, The Keeper, The Ophelia Cut, The Hunt Club, The Second Chair, The First Law, Nothing But the Truth, and Dead Irish, as well as two novels featuring Auguste Lupa, the reputed son of Sherlock Holmes.

When HMO executive Tim Markham is hit by a car during a morning jog through his exclusive San Francisco neighborhood, he has the bad luck to be transported to one of his own hospitals . . . and winds up dead in his ICU bed. But in spite of the rumors about his company''s substandard care, this death appears to be a case of malice, not of malpractice—especially after Markham''s entire family is gunned down in their home. Lt. Abe Glitsky has strong suspicions about a doctor with opportunity, means, and motives to spare. But working up a case against Eric Kensing might not be easy, especially when Glitsky has to rely on two bumbling rookies to gather the evidence. When defense attorney Dismas Hardy takes Kensing on as a client, both Glitsky and Hardy have to worry not only about losing the case, but about losing a best friend as well. And as the investigation leads to something bigger than they expected, they may both be in danger of losing their lives as well. . .