police procedurals

THE FIRST LAW is the latest book in the series involving San Francisco lawyer Dismas (Diz) Hardy and police lieutenant Abe Glitsky. However, it is neither a legal thriller or courtroom drama as the earlier books have been, but is a straight police procedural (with the investigation handled in a totally inept way) interspersed with fast paced action. Glitsky has recovered from the severe wounds suffered in THE OATH, but has been replaced as head of the Homicide Unit during his recuperation and is now head of payroll. When his father's best friend is murdered during a robbery at his pawnshop, Glitsky soon finds his requests and suggestions during the investigation are viewed as interference and an attempt to regain his former position. Meanwhile, the detectives in charge uncover evidence that points to a good friend and former client of Diz, John Holiday.

As subsequent murders occur and Hardy uncovers evidence that calls into question Holiday's guilt, he tries to convince an increasingly reluctant Abe to enlist the help of the police and subsequently their mutual friend DA Clarence Jackman. However, these leads point in the direction of the family of Wade Panos, the politically well connected head of the Patrol Special, a private SF police force which has been the source of much of the information being used to develop the case against Holiday. Concomitantly, Hardy and his long time mentor and associate David Freeman are pursing a multimillion dollar civil case against Panos and his organization (and also the police department as their liaison) based on allegations of brutality and evidence tampering. Thus, when apparently conclusive evidence against Holiday appears and Holiday subsequently disappears, Hardy is viewed as having lost all credibilty because of his conflict of interest. Further murders and violence incidents occur, eventually both the Hardy and Glitsky families are directly threatened.

This story is filled with the characters that we have come to know through the course of the previous books, including Diz' wife Frannie and kids Rebecca and Vincent, his brother-in-law Moses McGuire, Treya Glitsky, and Gina Roake. They and their relationships are further developed and are an integral element of this story. The reader has to accept the premise that police investigators can be so totally misled, and the compounding of their errors is extremely frustrating at times. However, the story proceeds in a way that is totally internally consistent, and it will immediately resonate with any reader who has either has experienced police incompetence/malfeasance or knows someone who has.

In the author's preface preceding the story, Lescroart acknowledges the inspiration derived from BLOODY SEASON, a book about the gunfight at the OK Corral. THE FIRST LAW then begins with a brief scene involving Diz and Moses that takes place chronologically very near the end of the story, and that effectively creates the tension that will build for the rest of the book with regard to whether the faith in the law upon which Hardy and Glitsky have relied their entire lives is misplaced. Midway through page three Moses defines "the first law" for Diz as "you protect your life and the people you love", and we immediately are aware that this story may well end with the modern day equivalent of the OK Corral shootout. Thus, there is never any real mystery of who the murderers and criimnals are, although there are a few minor surprises. The real question is who will be left standing and who might suffer collateral damage, and it is not pretty. In fact, even several of the good guys and long time characters in the series are not immune from the violence which results from the original botched robbery and murder.

So, if you want an action filled story with some legal twists and are a fan Hardy and Glitsky, you should like this book.

I'm a big John Lescroart fan, and have read all of his novels. While this one doesn't have quite the page turning, I can't put this down, quality of his past works, he has never wriien a bad novel. I do have to say, he has guts. One of his most interesting characters, David Freeman, well let's just say some of us could never get enough of Mr. Freeman and leave it at that.
I'll be eagerly awaiting Mr. Lescroart's next novel, and hopefully Dismas Hardy will be the center of it. Missed that courtroom stuff this time around.

I once wrote a n essay in uni, for a play of which I had not read the last act. I received a decent enough grade, considering my prof wondered how I could come to my conclusions in light of the fifth act. I wish I'd done the same here. This is the familiar Abe and Dismas story, and none the worse for that; but the slam-bang, dismissive, wrap it up before I get to 450 pages ending is:
1. Unworthy of the excellent writing;
2. Unworthy of the two sympathetic protagonists;
3. Unworthy of our, the readers', respect.
Lescroart has done much better in this fine series...on second thoughts, three stars (for whatever my opinion is worth).