The Motive

Dismas Hardy, Book 11

By: John Lescroart

Narrated by: David Colacci

It starts with a double homicide. Because of the high profiles of the victims - a politically connected socialite and his glamorous fiancée - the mayor of San Francisco herself demands that a high-ranking detective be put on the case. And so Abe Glitsky is thrust into the controversial investigation.

Dan Cuneo, the officer already working the case, is immediately wary of Glitsky and doesn't hide his distrust. Matters are made worse when Cuneo starts to focus on his primary suspect - who also happens to be an old girlfriend of Dismas Hardy. For Hardy and Glitsky, this is an awkward and uncomfortable coincidence. But for Cuneo, it's proof positive of collusion, and yet another instance of Glitsky cheating with his insider friends and cronies.

Convinced that Hardy's client is the wrong suspect, Glitsky breaks ranks within the police department to continue his own investigation. As Hardy's murder trial builds to its stunning conclusion, Glitsky's search for the truth does more than fuel suspicion against the two men. It reveals a trail of deception that leads beyond San Francisco, where exposing desperate secrets can be the most deadly offense.

Check out more titles in the Dismas Hardy series.©2004 John Lescroart (P)2004 Brilliance Audio

One of the best of the great Hardy-Glitsky series.

This is a great mystery story. Although there are enough hints to anticipate the big surprise, it didn't detract from wanting to find out who and why! Readers new to the series are likely to get bored with all the details of the Hardy and Glitsky families, but if, as I do, I find their relationships and histories interesting and realistic, you won't mind. Further, the characters age and change, so it is best to read most of this series in sequence.
Colacci does his usual excellent work as narrator. Highly recommended.

Pretty good ... with reservation

The story was engaging, the characters good, not great and not easily discernible. Too many look-alike women, cars, etc. Different format, with the book being broken into parts that feature Glitsky then Hardy. An odd thing happened near the end: Past tense changed to present tense during the high tension "solving" of the crime. Odd to me, disjointed in the hearing/reading.

I think I would have liked more integration of the various story lines rather than what felt like discrete parts. Glitsky played a stronger role, which I do like, and Franny fell into the same old "perfect wife" role that Trea also does.

Not my favorite, but not the least liked either.

First impressions are blown all to ****

This is another series that I have ignored for too long, particularly knowing, as I did, how much I like and get fulfillment from the books!
This particular book is divided into three parts. The first part, as I recall it, is more of an introduction to the characters and situation than anything else. The second part is a trial, and the third part sort of ties up loose ends and gives motivation and the reason for the whole situation. It was done well, but original alliances and character likes and dislikes are muddied, and in the end, the reader's not sure whether or not to agree with the actions and outcomes around the main character of the third part!
Not wanting to spoil the book or the plot with this review, I really can't be more specific, but Lescroart weaves a complex and satisfying plot with several characters whose personalities are mixed. Excellent book!
This review left on GoodReads

Not as good as he should be

Lescroart wanders into areas he doesn't know well enough, to the story's detriment. He also displays a lot of the laziness he's prone to: bad grammar, often using the wrong word/s and not finding his end product important enough to warrant the effort of finding the right one. The worst failure is that he crams an entire sub-novel (and a lousy one) into the last moments of the book, rather than weaving it in or trimming it down in a competent way. I got the sense that, by the time he'd gotten that far, he just lost interest and wanted to be done with it. It shows.

AUDIO: Not a terrible reader, but not a good one. Too much overemphasis, and too many nits like mispronunciations and the bizarre decision to make life-long Bay Area residents speak with a New York City accent any time they're feeling macho.

Should be made into a movie!

Very engaging. Twists and turns! Why does the review have to be at least fifteen words?

Last hour lost it a star

I came across this title in paperback and was intrigued by a Washington Post blurb on the back cover that read, "Surpasses anything Grisham ever wrote ... " I like Grisham so I checked the availability on Audible and ultimately downloaded it. The good news is that the listen was a good one. The bad news is that the Washington Post was wrong. This novel told a couple of stories that were skillfully linked. I truly enjoyed both the investigative pursuits and the courtroom dialogue. I correctly guessed "who done it" about halfway through the listen and was pleased when some of the assumptions I made were revealed. There is misdirection but Lescroart gives the reader enough information to deduce what might have happened. What disappointed me was the history behind the "culprit" and what drove him/her to commit the crime. I thought it was a tad far fetched. But don't let that stop you from giving a listen to this otherwise entertaining book. I'll try another in the Hardy series.

another great Dismas Hardy book

I loved this story and the narration is fabulous. looking forward to the next one.

Another good SF murder mystery

This is another murder mystery taking place in San Francisco. If you are familiar with Lescroart's previous works, you will find attorney Dismas Hardy and SF Deputy Chief of Inspectors Abe Glitsky working together on case involving two bodies found in a house fire. As in all Lescroart's works, his description and use of SF scenes is excellent and makes me want to go back and visit.

There are plenty of interacdtions between characters. The story pits Glitsky against the detective assigned to the case and the main suspect is one of Hardy's old girlfriends. Glitsky and Hardy are also worried about the spectre of their role in a police shooting that they were involved in many years ago. The courtroom scenes are good with Hardy doing an excellent and clever job of cross examining the prosecution witnesses.

The story is very entertaining but it lags in two areas. Unfortunately, it starts with a note all the interesting, VERY detailed of the burning of a house...although this is when the bodies are discovered, I was getting very impatient with the speed of the story. The other place was in some personal, non crime related, issues that came up for Glitsky...although I'm sure there are some fans who liked getting to know Glitsky in a deeper way, this side story had nothing to do with the main story (near as I could tell) other than to distract Glitsky. I estimate the book could have been 10% or more shorter if there was less detail about the fire and Glitsky's personal traumas without harming the story.

However, don't let that take away from the story. I loved it and would recommend it highly. Enjoy.

My favorite book in the Hardy/ Glitsky series so far

John Lescroart book provides another fascinating police procedural/ legal thriller. In addition, the reader learns about many topics ( arson, banking procedures, San Francisco political games).
I was particularly interested in learning more about the crisis and struggles in Algérie between the French supported FNL and Islamic resistance.

Dismas delivers

Mr. Lescroart's stories consistently deliver. I am grinding through them one after the other...now with just a few left I am worried what author to turn to next to fill the void? We'll see...