Rating: 
Summary: Murder and mayhem in San Francisco.
Review: In John Lescroart's new thriller, "The First Law," San Francisco resembles the Wild West. A corrupt and malicious individual named Wade Panos wields tremendous political power. Panos and his gang rob and murder whomever they please with impunity, and the police either cannot or will not stop them. Abe Glitsky, a veteran detective, has been moved out of homicide and into the payroll department of the police force, much to his chagrin. However, when Sam Silverman, an elderly friend of Abe's father, is robbed and murdered, Abe takes a look at the case. Much to his surprise, Abe is stymied in his inquiries at every turn; it soon becomes clear that his colleagues on the force do not want Abe interfering in their investigation. To make matters worse, Abe's good friend, Dismas Hardy, represents a man who is being framed for killing Sam. As Abe and Dismas continue to challenge Wade Panos, dead bodies begin piling up and it becomes clear that if Dismas and Abe do not back off, they may be risking their lives. I love the characters of Dismas Hardy and Abe Glitsky. They are macho and sensitive as well as intelligent and compassionate. I admit that the plot of "The First Law" is a bit far-fetched. It is difficult to believe that such lawlessness would prevail in a city as cosmopolitan as San Francisco. However, Lescroart makes the point that evil people with no conscience do exist. If normally law-abiding citizens are to fight such individuals, they sometimes have to act in unorthodox ways in order to survive. At four hundred pages, "The First Law" is a bit too long. However, the plot and the dialogue are lively and compelling and the characters are nicely drawn. Lescroart maintains a high level of suspense and excitement until "The First Law" reaches its dramatic and action-packed conclusion.
Rating:
Summary: Murder and mayhem in San Francisco.
Review: In John Lescroart's new thriller, "The First Law," San Francisco resembles the Wild West. A corrupt and malicious individual named Wade Panos wields tremendous political power. Panos and his gang rob and murder whomever they please with impunity, and the police either cannot or will not stop them. Abe Glitsky, a veteran detective, has been moved out of homicide and into the payroll department of the police force, much to his chagrin. However, when Sam Silverman, an elderly friend of Abe's father, is robbed and murdered, Abe takes a look at the case. Much to his surprise, Abe is stymied in his inquiries at every turn; it soon becomes clear that his colleagues on the force do not want Abe interfering in their investigation. To make matters worse, Abe's good friend, Dismas Hardy, represents a man who is being framed for killing Sam. As Abe and Dismas continue to challenge Wade Panos, dead bodies begin piling up and it becomes clear that if Dismas and Abe do not back off, they may be risking their lives. I love the characters of Dismas Hardy and Abe Glitsky. They are macho and sensitive as well as intelligent and compassionate. I admit that the plot of "The First Law" is a bit far-fetched. It is difficult to believe that such lawlessness would prevail in a city as cosmopolitan as San Francisco. However, Lescroart makes the point that evil people with no conscience do exist. If normally law-abiding citizens are to fight such individuals, they sometimes have to act in unorthodox ways in order to survive. At four hundred pages, "The First Law" is a bit too long. However, the plot and the dialogue are lively and compelling and the characters are nicely drawn. Lescroart maintains a high level of suspense and excitement until "The First Law" reaches its dramatic and action-packed conclusion.
Rating: 
Summary: WARNING! DO NOT READ the first 4 pages of part one
Review: In The First Law Lescroart did NOT separate the prologue from Part One. Therefore he gives the ending away. And between that and the first few pages of the real beginning of the
book everything is given away. The criminals, their targets, their motivations and their MOs. No mystery left. I never read prologues for that very reason. I do NOT want to know the ending or anything for that matter before it actually happens. I'm disinclined to read further. What a waste of my
money. I'm Disgusted! So DO NOT READ the first 4 pages of Part One. As reviewer Tucker Andersen states as a consequence of this unannounced prologue, "Thus, there is never any real mystery of who
the murderers and criminals are..." So what's the motivation of reading further? Lescroart's writing is not that hot to where I'll read it regardless.
Rating: 
Summary: great legal thriller
Review: It is a little known fact that some selected areas of San Francisco are policed by Patrol Specials, licensed private security specialists accountable to the SFPD. Wade Panos has six areas that he and his team patrol, but they are also into payola, shakedowns and when somebody gets in their way, they use intimidation tactics to get in his way. Pawn Shop dealer Sam Silverman couldn't afford their rates anymore and suddenly he is robbed and killed. The police led by the Patrol Special's tips are convinced that bar owner John Holiday and two of his friends are the guilty parties because Wade wants his shop and this is a cheap way to get it. John's lawyer is Dismas Hardy, who is bringing a civil suit against Wade and his men for brutality and intimidation. Dismas is threatened twice and he thinks Wade is behind the threats to him and his family. To obtain justice, he, his brother-in-law, Lt. Abe Glitsky, and John might have to go outside the law to see justice done. Make room John Grishan for John Lescroart as the new king of legal thrillers. THE FIRST LAW is full of action, seat-of-your pants suspense, and plenty of chilling scenes. The hero doesn't want to fight and even leans towards caving in when he and his family are threatened but in the end he stands for justice when the law doesn't work. Readers will definitely want to put this legal thriller in the keeper shelf. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: WHO WILL REMAIN ALIVE BY THE END OF THIS STORY ?
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: The premise of this story is a good one: a disappointed cop,
and his protective lawyer-buddy, have to take the law into their
own hands to stop some heavily-entrenched, protected, thugs and criminals from further injuring the innocent. But the exciting
promise is never reached. The author spends so much time trying
to be "politically correct," his personal goals get in the way
of a good story, and the book is disappointing.
Only for a few, so be careful about how much time you put into
this one.
Rating: 
Summary: NOT UP TO PAR FOR LESCROART
Review: The story is good but buried in so much folderol that at times you lose it. I would read a section and wonder if I had picked up a different book. Abe Glinsky is back after his accident but assigned to payroll instead of chief and Abe isn't happy. A friend of his father is killed during a holdup and papa wants Abe to expedite the investigation. But he has been on sick leave for over a year and the department is not the same. When he approaches the new chief, he is told to butt out. Some Rent A Cop members are linkd with some of the detectives and everything is not Kosher. Abe's lawyer friend, Hardy, is having some problems, too with a big lawsuite. When an honest cop is killed, the two put some clues together but by now the two are being set up for an ambush. If you can stick with the endless babble you will like the ending.Clever detective work by Glinsky saves the book from a rating of only 1 or 2 stars Let us hopeLescroart gets his next book together.
Rating:
Summary: End of Hardy/Glitsky era?
Review: This is the first book by Lescroart I was really disappointed with. Dismas Hardy and Abe Glitsky seem depressed and burned out. It seemed neither one wanted to do anything about anything. There is no actual mystery - the prologue gives the ending away and the story just seems to plod along. Only near the end of the book does it begin to pick up and show some life. Don't think I'll read anymore in this series - these characters are too depressing!
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed!
Review: This is the first book by Lescroart I was really disappointed with. Dismas Hardy and Abe Glitsky seem depressed and burned out. It seemed neither one wanted to do anything about anything. There is no actual mystery - the prologue gives the ending away and the story just seems to plod along. Only near the end of the book does it begin to pick up and show some life. Don't think I'll read anymore in this series - these characters are too depressing!
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: This one is not even close to his best and after reading everything he has put out with these characters this one leaves me a bit disapointed. The Prologue pretty much tells you what happens where you are going to end up once you get through the next 400 odd pages. Glitsky is hanging on to a desk job waiting for his pension and the partnership of Dismas and David Freeman is broken up.
| 
