Rating: 
Summary: Crime and punishment in San Francisco.
Review: John Lescroart's "The Second Chair" is one of his best legal thrillers in years. It features a fascinating character, Amy Wu, who is a thirty-year-old associate in Dismas Hardy's San Francisco law firm. Wu has been on a downward spiral since her father died four months earlier. She is drinking heavily, picking up strange men in bars, and doing shoddy legal work. Dismas Hardy, a recurring character in Lescroart's novels, knows that Amy is in trouble, but he has problems of his own. Since a series of tragic events changed his life, he has been reluctant to get emotionally involved in his work.However, Dismas has to intervene when Amy's client, Andrew Bartlett, a seventeen-year-old rich kid, is arrested on a charge of double homicide. Amy tries to manipulate the system to guarantee Andrew a light sentence, but her plan backfires, leaving Amy and her boss with egg on their faces. To save his firm's reputation and extricate Amy out of the legal trouble that she has created for herself and her client, Dismas decides to take "second chair" in the Andrew Bartlett case. Dismas's close friend, Abe Glitsky, is also suffering from burnout and stress. Glitsky has been promoted to Deputy Chief of Investigations, and he the hates the bureaucracy and politicking that go with his job. He also despises the vultures in the media who are always second-guessing his every move. Abe yearns to do what he does best--solve homicides. He has his chance when a series of mysterious murders rock the city, and he is once again called upon to use his investigative skills to find the murderer dubbed the "Executioner." "The Second Chair" is complex, fast-paced, and suspenseful. The dialogue is sharp and realistic and the plot is complex without being convoluted. As always, Lescroart has done his homework, and the engrossing legal details add immeasurably to the book's appeal. Lescroart also effectively explores the shortcomings of our criminal justice system and how politics and the media too often pervert the truth. However, what I like best about this novel is its heart. Lescroart takes the time to get inside the minds and personalities of all the major characters, and this gives the reader an emotional investment in the outcome of the story. All in all, "The Second Chair" is a winner, and if you love legal thrillers as much as I do, you will put it at the top of your list.
Rating:
Summary: A terrific read.
Review: Lescroart is sort of a mix a Grisham novel and an episode of Law & Order. Read The First Law followed by The Second Chair. You won't be dissapointed!
Rating:
Summary: SECOND CHAIR .... FIRST RATE!
Review: Like many serial productions, picking up this volume and being transported back into the lives of Glitzky and Dismas (not to mention Diz' amazing black skillet) was like slipping on a favorite pair of houseslippers, comfortable -- familiar -- engrossing. I had the advantage of having read all the previous novels in this series, so it was with pleasure I snatched up Second Chair. Now there are only two questions to be answered: When do we get the next Lescroart epic ...... and how do you pronounce Lescroart, anyway?
Rating: 
Summary: Page turner and more
Review: Not too many book are actually page turners, but this one is. But aside from that there are myriad things that make this not only entertaining, but miles ahead of most other books on the market now. The Characters are all well-developed and multi-faceted, the dialogue is believable, and the descriptions are beyond compare. All-in-all this is a great read. I especially came to like some of the characters towards the end of the novel--ones that I didn't care so much for at the beginning. "Wu" comes to mind, as do a few others. Lescroart is really a master at giving us more than just a good story, and if you're interested in a book that should be on every bestseller list, this is it. Also recommended: The Da Vinci Code, Bark of the Dogwood, Life of Pi
Rating:
Summary: The Second Chair is Second To None
Review: Once again, Lescroart proves he is the master of this genre. While lesser authors cling to rehashed story lines and stale continuing characters Lescroart pushes the envelope.
In this story, after falling into a deep malaise following the events of the FIRST LAW, Dismas Hardy resurrects himself by sitting "second chair" to his young protege Amy Wu, who is dealing with some demons of her own. Miss Wu has gotten herself hopelessly entangled in a case where everyone: her client, his parents, the judge have turned on her. Hardy decides that rather than fire her he will sit second chair. This is an interesting plot device similar to that which Lescroart has used in the last several books, that of moving the legal story along in a setting other than the actual trial courtroom. Here all of the legal action takes place in the hearing to decide if the defendant should be tried as a juvenile or adult.
There are several secondary stories running throughout this book, most of them dealing with the hubris the other major characters who were involved with the FIRST LAW are carrying and their ultimate reconcilliation with that trama.
Lescroart continues to grow and strengthen his characters as they go about the business of life, keeping them vibrant and interesting.
This is the 12th Dismas Hardy book and it is as fresh and vibrant as the first!
Rating:
Summary: Average Lescroart
Review: See storyline above. This was an average novel for Lescroart. It moves at a steady slow pace and sometimes seems a little dry. Though the story was good, it just didn't pull me in like some legal thrillers can.
If you liked the previous Dismas Hardy novels you'll probably like this one.
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Summary: Lescroart and Hardy Both Tone it Down, With Great Results
Review: Something about The Second Chair by John Lescroart just did it for me. I have been reading the Dismas Hardy/Abe Gilsky series since very early and have experienced a lot along with this clever and entertaining pair. I have been there for judges accused of murder, wrongfully accused individuals fighting for their lives in the legal arena, political scandals, police misconduct, murder, mayhem and a huge gun battle that left not only my head spinning, but the collective heads of our protagonists and their friends and family about to explode. Now all seems well on the legal landscape of Lescroart's San Francisco. Hardy is now the managing partner of a profitable law firm, Abe is in a real position of power in the police force, the DA and police chief are both friends of our hero's and most importantly, no one is shooting at them. Yet, what may seem fine on the surface is decidedly not fine underneath. Hardy is now a "fixer" wielding influence for clients he never would have touched before and in-between his fixing sessions slipping a few nips from the ole' wet bar. Abe is frustrated by the seemingly futile nature of politics and dealing with the press, and becoming more and more concerned about the burning pain in his gut. To add to Hardy's troubles, one of his associates, Amy Wu, sick with grief over the death of her father, is taking on her first real murder case, and not doing that good of a job with it. Oh, and somebody is going around killing people too, for apparently no reason. Lescroart does something with The Second Chair that just really amazed me. Here Lescroart the writer and Dismas Hardy the Lawyer become one and find a way to solve their mutual problems. Lescroart's problem is a series with growing tension with each edition, bordering on getting out of control. Hardy's problem is a lost faith in the Law. So Lescroart steps back and goes to the root of his story telling, by letting Hardy go back to his roots, a murder trial. Gone are the corruption and conspiracies, the ever escalating cycle of violence. Lescroart takes us back to a human tale, a tale of flawed individuals working in a flawed system, yet good intentioned and honest. Here the lawyers aren't battling a corrupt DA or biased cops, but their own prejudices and problems. This is simply good story telling at it's core without cheap stunts or gimmicks. While this may not be a perfect book, it is the perfect tone for this edition that just might save a series.
Rating:
Summary: (4 1/2) An Intriguing Legal Thriller and Character Study
Review: THE SECOND CHAIR is an excellent addition to the series of legal thrillers by John Lescroart featuring San Francisco lawyer Dismas Hardy and his good friend Abe Glitsky, recently promoted to Deputy Chief of the Investigations Bureau. While the novel is adequate as a standalone story, I don't believe that I would have rated it as highly without the detailed background knowledge of Abe's and Diz's experiences that formed the basis of Lescroart's previous book, THE FIRST LAW ( 2/9/2003 review), which I strongly suggest be read prior to this book. (Since the events in THE FIRST LAW in some ways represented a crucial divide in the lives of all participants, perhaps the numbers incorporated into these titles indicate the author's intention to make it easy for new readers to understand the order of the subsequent books in the series. If so, his fans will be glad to see that he has left himself unlimited possibilities for additional sequels whereas the author Sue Grafton is already more than halfway through the alphabet.) In contrast with the two most recent novels somewhat deviating from the typical format of this series, this book much more closely resembles the earlier stories. FIRST LAW had been about the failure of the justice system and the emotional and physical damage that the episode described caused to everyone in Abe's and Diz's circles of friends and families. Prior to that THE OATH (9/11/2002 review) had basically been a story that cast Diz in the role of a detective with very little courtroom action and with Abe having only a very minor role. This story combines what initially seem to be unrelated murder investigations by Abe and Diz with legal maneuvering, courtroom drama, and more than the usual quota of psychological stress and character development. While supposedly recovered from the psychological trauma which he recently endured and now managing partner of a successful law firm, in reality the deep scars which Hardy received are far from healed. He has essentially switched from being a litigator defending the innocent to the highly lucrative legal business of negotiating deals for the guilty. And Glitsky has become enmeshed in the political pressures brought on by a recent wave of violence. The parents of Andrew Bartlett, a seventeen-year-old who Hardy's young associate Amy Wu has previously represented for a minor offense, contact her when he is arrested for the double murder of his girlfriend Laura Wright and his well loved high school drama teacher Michael Mooney. Amy ( who is introduced in a manner which suggests that she will be a new addition to the continuing cast of this series) believes the evidence against Andrew to be overwhelming and thus arranges a deal with the DA to accept a plea bargain in return for Andrew being sentenced as a juvenile offender rather than being tried as an adult. When the deal falls apart and Amy incurs the wrath of both the DA and the judge assigned to the case, Hardy concludes that it is necessary for him to sit as THE SECOND CHAIR with Wu (psychologically numb from the recent death of her father) and help in the preparation of Andrew's case for trial. As further apparently random murders occur and increasingly terrorize the city, a tenuous link finally appears between Glitsky's investigations and Andrew's case. The complex plot is ingenious and the conclusion satisfying. And fans of the series will be glad to see the inclusion of a strong legal element as an integral part of this story. I downgraded my rating from a full five stars for three reasons. First, the book certainly does not deserve five stars on a standalone basis, yet to make the background understandable to new readers it dwells on the events in the previous book in excruciating detail for readers already familiar with that background. Second, I thought that although Amy's self-destructive behavior and preoccupation with her own problems was a totally integral element of the plot, it was carried to such an extreme level that it made her behavior even more frustrating than was necessary. Third, in a few cases the perspective of the narrative made certain elements of the case clear to the reader well before it was obvious to the participants, which somewhat lessened the suspense. On a final note, this book also includes a strong negative perspective regarding the current childrearing practices and self-centeredness of many professional and upwardly mobile parents. In addition to the lack of communication between Andrew and his parents, we are introduced to two wonderful minor actors in this drama. First is Jeri (Honey) Croft, an actress in the play which starred Andrew and Laura, and whose wisdom and sensitivity contrast fiercely with her punk look and outward demeanor of disdain, Second is Catherine Bass, who is an attorney suffering from CDD (the well known but often misdiagnosed affliction Chocolate Deficit Disorder) but more importantly for this story is Mr. Mooney's former wife who specializes in areas which make her very knowledgeable regarding the troubled lives of psychologically estranged teenagers. So, if you enjoy literary series which employ plots with a lot of interwoven threads and that take the time to leisurely provide the necessary details for continuing character development, THE SECOND CHAIR is a very worthwhile addition to the Diz and Abe show. Tucker Andersen
Rating:
Summary: His best yet
Review: THE SECOND CHAIR is by far Lescroart's best work. While I loved FIRST LAW, THE OATH, and THE HEARING, this one is my all-time favorite. Well-drawn characters, a plot with just the right amount of twists and turns, and an excellent writing style make this one of the most enjoyable reads you'll come across for this genre. Yes, it does take a bit of time to build, but just wait--you won't be disappointed. And why shouldn't Lescroart take his time? He is, after all, miles above your average mystery/thriller writer. You can't go wrong with this one. Also recommended: THE FIRM by Grisham, McCrae's BARK OF THE DOGWOOD, and SPLIT SECOND
Rating:
Summary: COMPLEX AND WELL DONE
Review: This is my first Lescroart novel, and I found it entertaining and compelling. Lescroart weaves an intricate web of murder, guilt, revenge and human weakness. How the varying storylines eventually come together is excellent and the ending provides a twist that I half expected, just got the wrong "one".
The main plot revolves around a young teenager accused of murdering his girl friend and their drama teacher. We also have a killer called "The Executioner" who is killing random victims with no apparent connection.
The author maintains a tight pace, although slow initially, and affords us empathy with the book's many characters.
It has led me to seek out others in the Hardy series.
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