Rating: 
Summary: Not too hot
Review: As a health care professional, I hate HMO's but love HMO-thrillers. Well, "The Oath" is low on my list. In fact, after a while, I just skimmed it. The writing was poor and I, for one, wasn't drawn in the the "old favorite characters" who I felt detracted from the plot action. Don't waste your time.
Rating: 
Summary: Somewhat disappointing
Review: As a huge fan of Dismas Hardy, I found myself a bit let down by this latest work. There is none of the courtroom drama, and Dismas keeps telling himself he should spend more time with his family, but can't seem to get it together. There is a cheap trick at the end to mislead the reader. Lescroart does a better job writing about law than medicine--the forensic details are inaccurate, the mode of death described would not be detectable on autopsy.
Rating: 
Summary: A thrilling story of money and ethics in the world of medici
Review: Best-selling author of the fantastic The Thirteenth Juror & The Guilt, John Lescroart enters the Robin Cook territory of doctors & medical mysteries in his new thriller.Last year Phillip Margolin, an acclaimed practitioner of the legal thriller genre, took to the medico-legal mystery genre with "The Associate", & close on its heels comes this new thriller from John Lescroart. The Oath can at best be described as a medico-legal mystery, the author having mixed in right proportion the medical stuff & the legalese to bring up a top-notch thriller. Tim Markham the head of San Francisco's largest HMO dies seemingly of injuries suffered in a hit-&-run accident. At first, it is classified as an accidental death, but the autopsy reveals that Markham died due to potassium overdose. All evidence points to Markham's attending physician Eric Kensing. It seems that Kensing had every reason to kill Markham - for one thing, Markham was sleeping with Kensing's wife & for another, Markham had threatened to cut off funding to Kensing's patients, thus putting the life of the patients at risk. Kensing approaches attorney Dismas Hardy, (the hero of many Lescroart works) & Hardy attempts to clear the good doctor of murder, & bring home the guilt on the real culprits. Pitted against him is Homicide Cop Abe Glitsky who believes that Kensing is guilty & is trying hard for a conviction. What follows is top-notch action with Hardy discovering unpleasant truths in the running of HMO, & slowly discovering why & how Kensing was made a pawn in someone's bigger plans. The Oath is definitely not a whodunit - but it is a great whydunit. The suspense is riveting & the action is thick & steady throughout. Good medico-legal thrillers have been rare, save for a Fourth Procedure by Stanley Pottinger or Autopsy by John R. Feegel, & The Oath clearly satisfies the reader who is fond of this sub-genre. I enjoyed it, & for a good evening's read - it is highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: The Oath
Review: Boring and disappointing. The characters were uninteresting and the plot dragged. After reading more than half, I decided not to waste my time and I skipped to the ending which was predictable.
Rating: 
Summary: Better and Better
Review: Every book I read by John Lescroart I enjoy more. The Oath has twists and turns and one heart-stopping moment that give fans of his series continuous entertainment. Dismas and Abe are a formidable duo and the occasional friction between them only makes their deep friendship more realistic. I highly recommend this book and look forward eagerly to the next!
Rating:
Summary: Who killed Tim Markham?
Review: For all the readers who like their old friends back in stories, The Oath is a must read. Abe Glistky, the homicide cop, and Dismas Hardy, the one time DA who is now a defense lawyer begin by talking about hit and run homicides not being murder. A moving vehicle is just not a good murder weapon. Tim Markham, the CEO of an HMO in trouble, is hit by a hit and run driver with injuries so severe that no one thinks he will survive. The cause of his death in the intensive care unit of his own hospital appears to be fairly obvious until it comes to light that the death rate is unsually high. Eric Kensing, Markham's attending physician, is the chief suspect when an autopsy reveals that Markham died of an overdose of Potassiam. Kensing's wife had been involved with Markham; the head of the hospital had been intent on cutting costs at any price and everyone seemed unhappy with the care patients were receiving within the HMO. Lescroart has taken a popular current topic and brought to light some of the shortcomings of managed health care. He and Abe work the case from different angles but eventually get together with some suprises along the way. It's medical ethics vs. cost intensive care and the frailities of human personalities from page to page. It's a good read with Lescroart from start to finish....and there is a heartbreaker at the end with a final surprise. Oh yes, for Dismas Hardy fans, you will find that he is getting a little bored once again with Frannie and her needs, his kids and their needs, and still trying to figure out where his priorities should be. The death of his first son is still tormenting him and he goes to visit the grave on the day of his son's 28th birthday. The boy was a baby when we started reading the Dismas Hardy stories. They are still good. Who Killed Tim Markham is a questioned that gets answered finally at the very end of a page turner.
Rating:
Summary: A STUNNER !
Review: For those who are faithful readers of John Lescroart and have developed a "reader relationship" with his two primary characters, Abe Glitsky and Dismas Hardy, THE OATH is a stunner! As usual, Lescroart's plotting, characterization, and dialogue are excellent. However, what sets this book apart from his previous work, is the emotional reactions it creates. Reading THE OATH is very similar to watching two best friends fight and not being able to do anything about it. Glitsky, San Francisco Chief of Homocide, and Hardy, ex-District Attorney turned brilliant defense counsel, are at odds over the guilt or innocence of Dr. Eric Kensing, the prime suspect in the murder of the CEO of a high profile but financially troubled physicians' medical group. Throughout the book, the reader can only passively stand by while Glitsky and Hardy present their points of view and reveal their own personality traits and unique perspectives. Lescroart masterfully introduces and develops several suspects and motives in this complex, multi-layered legal puzzle. However, the concern for both Hardy and Glitsky is never far away. As the suspense and interest build toward the story's climax I was stunned and begging for answers in the final pages. Thankfully Lescroart provided satisfaction, but you'll have to read this highly recommended thriller to find out how.
Rating:
Summary: I take an oath not to listen to this reader again.
Review: I am currently listening to 'The Oath' (uabridged) on cassette. It's hard to tell much about the book because I concentrate so much on Robert Lawrence, the reader. I thought at first that things would get better, once Lawrence became familiar with the work. It's as if he is reading for the first time. He pauses when conversation does not warrant a pause, as if he were turning the page every couple of minutes, pauses, and continues reading. ('John walked into the other ... pause ... room') I am having a tough time getting through the book because I am not paying attention to the plot.
Rating:
Summary: Upon my oath, a great listen!!
Review: I don't remember how many of the Dismas Hardy series (not to be confused with the Hardy Boys!!) I have read or listened to, but I enjoyed them all, and to me, this most recent one is his best. Even if I guessed the denouement, as I did fairly early on, it made no difference to my enjoyment of this book. It's a real story that unfolds with passage of time and meaningful descriptions that involved me deeper and deeper into the tale. Certain events, that can't be disclosed here, tested my emotions.
The reader is excellent as well, so important in audio versions. He 'is' Dismas Hardy - just the voice one would expect from him if he were real.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and look forward to the next one. I only regret that there are no audio vesrions of some of Lescroart's earlier books (not that I don't read - it's just that these are excellent listens in the car!).
Rating:
Summary: Bad doctors, Bad HMOs, Bad hospital. Really Good Book!
Review: I found this book to be quite entertaining and based around the story that most of us can relate to given the current state of our healthcare system (visits with doctors that are too short, overcrowded ERs, and unfortunately delayed diagnoses.) The story twisted and turned and while i was guessing WHO DID IT, i ended up being wrong, and found that to be the most entertaining part. The characters were well written but the author still came up with surprises left and right. This should make the top of your summer reading list!
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