A Certain Justice

By: John Lescroart

Narrated by: David Colacci

In San Francisco - a city of tolerance and hope - everything came apart. One man died at the hands of another. The next victim was killed by a mob. Now fires burn in the night, helicopters throb through the air, and politicians, lawyers and cops vie for the remnants of power.

Somewhere in the once-placid streets of San Francisco, a young man is on the run, charged by the media with a crime he didn't commit, hounded by demagogues, hunted by a desperate police department. One cop knows that Kevin Shea is innocent of a brutal racial murder. An ambitious politician will use Shea for her own ends. And a down-and-out lawyer is all that stands between Kevin Shea and an even more atrocious crime. For when there's no law left, justice is the only hope.

©2006 John Lescroart (P)2008 Brilliance

Very good book

I love Lescroart! I wish Audible had more of his stuff.

Race riots ... in San Francisco?

I love all of John Lescroart's novels. This one begins with an unlikely premise: race riots in perhaps the most tolerant and diverse city on the planet. Having lived in San Francisco for many years, I would say that such a thing probably would never happen. Yet John Lescroart writes so well that we find ourselves believing the scenario, given the concatenation of circumstances Lescroart postulates. Like all Lescroart's novels, "A Certain Justice" has a complex, intricate plot, involving many well developed characters and entertaining dialogue. Like his literary colleagues Connelly, McBain, Wambaugh, and Ellroy, Lescroart understands police procedure and police banter, lending verisimilitude to his stories. On top of all that, Lescroart also knows the machinations going on in City Hall, and how legal finagling works. With all that insight and talent, it should surprise no one that Lescroart can pull off an unlikely premise like race riots in San Francisco. Then, masterful David Colacci comes along and provides us with a peerless reading of Lescroart's audiobooks. If you love good writing, good narration, and plots that combine police procedure, legal thrills, and human interest, buy this audiobook. I have only one caveat to offer: I recommend reading Lescroart's novels in chronological order; and "Guilt" actually comes before "A Certain Justice," despite the copyright dates. "A Certain Justice" will make more sense if you listen to "Guilt" first.

You know the plot but how is it going to turn out?

Would you listen to A Certain Justice again? Why?

I don't listen to books twice.

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Certain Justice?

The mob scene that gets the story going.

What does David Colacci bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The creation of his take on the characters and the flow of the story.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The series of events culminating in the hanging and the cornering of the suspect were the most gripping moments. As the events proceeded it left you wanting to step in to the story to correct the wrongs and change the outcomes.

A Good Listen

I have just begun to enjoy John Lescroart's books. I stumbled by accident on one in the middle of the Dismas Hardy series and have been trying to figure out the sequence. I don't know where this title fits but it does not really matter. The story is a strong one wth good, solid characters. None are perfect, all are flawed. And therein lies one reason why the story is not only good, but believeable. Except for the ending. I do not want to give it away, but there is a little too much "fairy tale" in how everything turns out so neat and justified at the end. I would not call it a bad ending but I cannot imagne it happening in real life. Regardless, the joy is in the journey and most readers would enjoy this journey. The narration is solid, great differentiation between gender and characters. I am looking forward to more from this author and narrator.

I almost didn’t continue to listen

I found the topic disturbing and almost stopped listening in the first 30 minutes I’m so glad I continued to listen it was great.

Catching up with Abe Glitsky

I am going back and catching up on the Lescroart books I have previously missed. In the past I've only listened to the Dismas Hardy books and Abe Glitsky plays an increasingly large role in them. It's interesting to go back and learn some back story I've missed, but I feel as though Abe wasn't as fully formed as I'm accustomed to. In any case, it's still a pleasure to catch up with my friends in San Francisco!

A big fan of John Lescroart!

Would you consider the audio edition of A Certain Justice to be better than the print version?

I read the print version a very long time ago so I don't remember. I did enjoy the audio a lot and the narrator did a good job.

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Certain Justice?

There was a surprising twist which I won't give away, towards the end of the book. I hadn't remembered it from when I read it and it was fun to find out about it. The end was very satisfying.

What about David Colacci’s performance did you like?

He did a very good job with the characters voices and he has a nice voice to listen to.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Can the injustice of a mob be punished ?

Any additional comments?

I look forward to listening to more books by John Lescroart.

Disappointing

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

This could be a very good book but the monotone, lifeless narrator has made it a story I can not get excited to listen to.

What didn’t you like about David Colacci’s performance?

Nothing

Enjoyable Read

Good storyline and well written