Rating: 
Summary: I used to be indecisive, but now I'm just not sure
Review: Dismas Hardy is a renaissance man. Vietnam veteran, bereaved father of a lost child, lawyer, bartender, bar owner, lawyer again, and, championship dart thrower. Hard Evidence is a play on words, I think, balancing on the fulcrum between lots of circumstantial evidence, individually or piece by piece not compelling, and direct evidence. In a manner of speaking, this Wigmore definition on evidentiary substance mimics life. Hardy's ex-wife, Jane, remains his friend and becomes, inter alia, his current wife's friend. I would think that the first circumstance would be difficult; the second preposterous. Hardy has joined (again) the San Francisco DA's office as a junior prosecutor, and inherits, almost by accident, a homicide case involving Owen Nash, an enormously wealthy financier. Hardy investigates his partner's status, exponentially more wealthy now that Nash is dead, the sexually obsessive daughter, the Japanese prostitute that Nash fell in love with, all the while drinking a huge amount of alcohol and having a lot of sex. Lescroart seems to be on the periphery of becoming a "sought after author" like Parker, Crais, and Burke, and to a lesser extent, Lehane and Pelicanos. You can see people ordering up in a bookstore or e-mailing Amazon asking, "when's the release date on the next Lescroart?" Or, if they're fairly young, "when's the release date on the next Lescroart, dude?" But although this is a 1991 novel, even now he seems to be still just on the edge. The writing is excellent; the plots are intricate and like a form-fitting rug, interwoven. I would say, too interwoven. And that amplifies that the interwoven characters are just, well . . . weird. Unbelievable. To follow the implied legalese, incredible. Nash, who has 8 gazillion dollars, falls in love with a prostitute. Wants to marry her. Not live with her. Marry her. As in, "Honey, what time are Trevor and Brie coming over to play Bridge?" Imperil the whole financial house of cards because at the age of sixty, darn it, it's time he did something for himself. Dismas is constantly having sex with his wife. OK, this is good. He worships her and her child, Rebecca. Also good. Yet he fools around, literally, with Nash's daughter. As they say on ESPN, "what's up with that?" Frannie, the current pregnant wife, is friends with Jane, the ex-wife, and they're all friends with Andy, the ex-father in law, who has his own secrets. The prosecutor is sleeping with the DA, one of Detectives on the staff, and another DA. Yeah. That's why the books are not in the inner circle. YOU NEED A SCORECARD! So eventually, the Hardy series gets better. You may want to skip this one though, or at least not start with Hard Evidence.
Rating: 
Summary: Hard Evidence is a well-written book with lots of hooks.
Review: Hard Evidence was published in 1993. I only just "discovered" John Lescroart several years ago and decided to go back to some of his older work. This book kept me on pins and needles for most of it. Lescroart's understanding of the subtleties of trial law and the legal world fascinated me, given that he's not a lawyer. Sometimes I felt he was too good at it, drawing out some of the legal manuvering a little too long in places (thus, 4 stars, instead of 5). Still, it's a superbly entertaining read. I recommend it to mystery and suspense fans, and certainly to fans of legal thrillers.
Rating: 
Summary: Not a Whodunit
Review: I figured out who the murderer was about half-way through the book. I'm not very bright - the clues were just that obvious. Unfortunately, after the mystery is solved there is little reason to continue with the book. The characters were poorly developed and generally unbelievable. I did get a laugh out of Hardy's wife, Frannie, who repeatedly whined about her attorney husband working, on occasion, until 7 pm or so, "what's your job doing to us." Most attorneys I know, even government, would love to be out of the office by 7 on a consistent basis. This is just one example of the silliness in this book. I take it that we are supposed to admire the great Dismas Hardy despite his few flaws. However, I find it hard to believe that Lescroart would build his literary career around such a jackass. I would have enjoyed Hard Evidence a lot more if Hardy had never made it back from Viet Nam.
Rating:
Summary: Getting to know Dismas Hardy
Review: I'm working my way back through Lescroart novels. In Hard Evidence, Dismas Hardy has recovered from his son's death and his long "drop out" period of running the bar with his brother-in-law. He has married Frannie, adopted her first child and they are expecting a baby of their own. He has gone back to work in the DA's office and as the new guy is stuck with the more mundane criminal cases that are usually pleaded out. He is waiting for a murder case to prosecute. Along comes a hand recovered from the belly of a shark. The first challenge is to identify the victim and to determine whether the hand belonged to a hapless swimmer or a murder victim. The suspense builds when a body washes up on the shore with bullet holes in the crotch and the head of a very dead male. What makes this book hard to put down is the rapid succession from one suspect to another without any "hard evidence." Lescroart explores the politics and ambitions of the people involved in the justice system revealing how much more personal it all becomes rather than a true search for justice. A large part of Hard Evidence is about Dismas Hardy and his return to the practice of trial law. He is a renegade within the system who just cannot accept the easy answer on the surface. His personal tempations and insecurities are a little tiring but add to the development of his hard working and driven quest for the truth.
Rating:
Summary: Getting to know Dismas Hardy
Review: I'm working my way back through Lescroart novels. In Hard Evidence, Dismas Hardy has recovered from his son's death and his long "drop out" period of running the bar with his brother-in-law. He has married Frannie, adopted her first child and they are expecting a baby of their own. He has gone back to work in the DA's office and as the new guy is stuck with the more mundane criminal cases that are usually pleaded out. He is waiting for a murder case to prosecute. Along comes a hand recovered from the belly of a shark. The first challenge is to identify the victim and to determine whether the hand belonged to a hapless swimmer or a murder victim. The suspense builds when a body washes up on the shore with bullet holes in the crotch and the head of a very dead male. What makes this book hard to put down is the rapid succession from one suspect to another without any "hard evidence." Lescroart explores the politics and ambitions of the people involved in the justice system revealing how much more personal it all becomes rather than a true search for justice. A large part of Hard Evidence is about Dismas Hardy and his return to the practice of trial law. He is a renegade within the system who just cannot accept the easy answer on the surface. His personal tempations and insecurities are a little tiring but add to the development of his hard working and driven quest for the truth.
Rating:
Summary: Another enjoyable entry in the Dismas Hardy series
Review: I've been reading Lescroart's series featuring attorney Dismas Hardy all out of order; fortunately, 'Hard Evidence' stands up well on its own. The author provides a brief update regarding what must be several novels worth of tumultuous events in the lives of Hardy and his wife while quickly moving on to the mystery at the core of the novel. Hardy has rejoined the San Francisco DA's office and, while toiling away at the sort of low-level crimes addressed by junior staff, finds himself investigating the murder of a wealthy and prominent businessman. With the help of his buddy, prickly police detective Abe Glitzky, Hardy searches for the murderer while striving to maintain the stability of his marriage and resolve his own doubts about his chosen career. It's not too hard to figure out who was the murderer, and the plot twist that puts Hardy on the side of the defense is so heavily foreshadowed (and practically given away altogether on the back cover of the book) that I spent the whole first half of the book wondering when it would finally arrive. However, 'Hard Evidence' strikes a good balance between plot-driven and character-driven elements ' the recurring characters are central to the story and are given plenty to do even as readers get to visit with old friends.
Rating:
Summary: not sure about Hardy
Review: I�ve been reading Lescroart�s series featuring attorney Dismas Hardy all out of order; fortunately, �Hard Evidence� stands up well on its own. The author provides a brief update regarding what must be several novels worth of tumultuous events in the lives of Hardy and his wife while quickly moving on to the mystery at the core of the novel. Hardy has rejoined the San Francisco DA�s office and, while toiling away at the sort of low-level crimes addressed by junior staff, finds himself investigating the murder of a wealthy and prominent businessman. With the help of his buddy, prickly police detective Abe Glitzky, Hardy searches for the murderer while striving to maintain the stability of his marriage and resolve his own doubts about his chosen career. It�s not too hard to figure out who was the murderer, and the plot twist that puts Hardy on the side of the defense is so heavily foreshadowed (and practically given away altogether on the back cover of the book) that I spent the whole first half of the book wondering when it would finally arrive. However, �Hard Evidence� strikes a good balance between plot-driven and character-driven elements � the recurring characters are central to the story and are given plenty to do even as readers get to visit with old friends.
Rating:
Summary: 4 and a half stars is not bad.
Review: Lescroart ewrote this fast paced thriller. I enjoed it a lot! "Undownputable". A great thriller. Dont miss this one. Its not bad for 4 and a half stars. The beginning is great the ending is a tour de force!
Rating:
Summary: Gives a nice sense of the City
Review: The Dismas Hardy series doesn't seem to attract much critical acclaim. Still, I read it every so often for what it does so very well -- taking the reader into that special world that is San Francisco. Lescroart does a great job with the little details that are lots of fun for those of us who know the city well - the bars of the Sunset, the rich cultural mix, and the crazy city politics. In this story, a severed hand is found in the belly of a shark when Dismas is watching. A bit of sleuthing determines that the hand belongs to the dead body of a computer millionaire. Dismas is working at the D.A.'s office - the prosecution begins. However, all is not as it seems as Dismas, Abe Glitzky and reporter Jeff find lots of contradictory evidence and even more potential suspects. A solid read for fans of the Grisham/Turow category and a special treat for fans of San Francisco. Dismas continues to grown into a character of intriguing complexity.
Rating:
Summary: Gives a nice sense of the City
Review: The Dismas Hardy series doesn't seem to attract much critical acclaim. Still, I read it every so often for what it does so very well -- taking the reader into that special world that is San Francisco. Lescroart does a great job with the little details that are lots of fun for those of us who know the city well - the bars of the Sunset, the rich cultural mix, and the crazy city politics. In this story, a severed hand is found in the belly of a shark when Dismas is watching. A bit of sleuthing determines that the hand belongs to the dead body of a computer millionaire. Dismas is working at the D.A.'s office - the prosecution begins. However, all is not as it seems as Dismas, Abe Glitzky and reporter Jeff find lots of contradictory evidence and even more potential suspects. A solid read for fans of the Grisham/Turow category and a special treat for fans of San Francisco. Dismas continues to grown into a character of intriguing complexity.
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