San Francisco Attorney Dismas Hardy Finds Himself Up Against a Determined Opponent

The eighteenth Dismas Hardy novel takes time to do a little housekeeping and clean up some story threads from earlier in the series. While it can be read as a stand-alone, it's another excellent argument for reading a series in order.

Those who have read at least some of the earlier books in the series will be happy to see that the usual cast of characters is back in place. As the book opens, Wes Farrell, a former partner in Hardy's law firm, is returning to the firm after having been defeated for reelection as San Francisco District Attorney. Dismas is very happy to have him back and to be reconstituting the firm, but the new D.A., Ron Jameson, has a chip on his shoulder with regard to Farrell and, apparently by extension, Dismas Hardy and the rest of the firm as well. Hardy did support Farrell for reelection, but he assumes that this was just politics as usual and that there's no reason for Jameson to get all bent out of shape about it.

Jameson, though, has delusions of grandeur and is a man who knows how to carry a grudge. He opens his campaign by arresting Hardy's long-time personal assistant, Phyllis, and charging her as an accessory to murder. To make his declaration of war as dramatic as possible, Jameson has his goons arrest Phyllis at her desk, handcuffing her and marching her off to jail, dislocating her shoulder in the process.

Hardy, of course, is furious and immediately races to assist Phyllis and to fire back at the new D.A. From there the battle will escalate into an all-out war, which may result in Hardy and a number of his colleagues winding up in jail as well.

As always with Lescroart, this is a very well-written and well-plotted book. The tension builds from the first page, and Ron Jameson proves to be a particularly detestable villain. It's always fun to see Dismas Hardy and his associates in action and although this book does not have the brilliantly-drawn and tension-filled courtroom scenes of most of the Hardy novels, it makes up for it in other ways. I had a little trouble with the ending, which I thought was just a bit too convenient, but I otherwise enjoyed the book very much.