Reviews for The Motive (Dismas Hardy Series #11)

The average rating for The Motive (Dismas Hardy Series #11) based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2015-05-11 00:00:00 Kimberly Bernard Flames engulf a picturesque, renovated San Francisco Victorian in the opening pages of this mystery. The entire first chapter is a mesmerizing drama pitting the fire against wave after wave of arriving fire fighters. As the fire is contained but not yet totally extinguished, Arnie Becker, the lead arson investigator begins initial questioning of the onlookers. "But suddenly Becker's partner in the Arson Unit, J.P. Dodd ' twenty eight years old, Army-trained, competent yet relaxed, appeared at his elbow. The night around them was a kaleidoscope of lights in the darkness ' the yellow flickering fire, the red bubbles on the trucks, the white glare from the firemen's helmets, now the kleigs of the TV camera crews. Dodd's earnest face looked particularly grave. 'They've found two bodies, Arn. Shaklee needs you to come on up.'"(p.7) Lescroat saturates this multiplex procedural with detail. He follows Becker's attentive precautions to preserve the crime scene in the midst of the ongoing fight to extinguish the blaze. He presents a vivid picture of Detective Dan Cuneo's personal tics and oddly disjointed round of interrogations. Lescroat ensnares his characters in a complex web of emotional family crises, political maneuvering, and personal animosity. Abe Glitsky is now fifty-five and deputy chief of inspectors for the San Francisco Police Department. His enjoyment of family tranquility and professional success is brief. His wife hesitantly discloses she is pregnant. The mayor pressures him to intervene in the arson murder investigation. Glitsky is reluctant. Not only is it bad form to interfere in another detective's case, but he and Cuneo have a past history that also involved Glitsky's close friend Dismas Hardy. Then, Hardy becomes involved in the case due to a past relationship with one of Cuneo's suspects. This is one of those cases with almost too many leads. The owner of the house was Paul Hanover, a prominent attorney, lobbyist and political backer of the mayor. One of Hanover's clients was a towing company whose lucrative contract with the city is coming up for review. Hanover was engaged to a much younger woman whom his ex-wife and three children disapproved of. He lavished money on this woman, giving her an expensive engagement ring and funding her a million dollars to renovate the Victorian house. After some rancorous exchanges with his family, he had announced his plan to alter his will in favor of his fiancée. The last person known to have spoken with him was his daughter-in-law Catherine, but she relayed the gist of their conversation to both Hanover's ex-wife and one of his daughters that same afternoon. The principals in the case are questioned at various times by Cuneo, Glitsky, and Hardy and significant details seem to emerge by happenstance as each of them pursues differing scenarios. Detective Cuneo seizes on one of these scenarios early in the investigation and halts further inquiry. The reader is surprised at how effectively he is able to assemble circumstantial evidence to secure the indictment of Hardy's client. The second part of the book is a gripping courtroom procedural. Hardy deflects damaging testimony to nudge the jurors toward any one of a number of alternative narratives, always seeking to instill that tiny seed of reasonable doubt. Without any other suspects, it's a risky strategy. Lescroat is masterful at depicting the changing rhythms of the courtroom. Hardy's objections are designed to break the prosecution's momentum. His carefully phrased questions target damaging testimony he hopes to convert into performances of either belligerance or confusion. Lescroat exploits Glitsky's family life to prime the reader's susceptibility. Thus there is the added drama of Glitsky's distraction by his wife's delivery and Hardy's attempt to be supportive in the middle of a tense murder trial. The success of this tactic will depend on the reader's previous engagement with the characters of this popular series. For the most part, the author is successful. This was an enjoyable book, and my only regret is not having read more of the earlier books in the series first.

Review # 2 was written on 2018-04-09 00:00:00 Norbert Matthias Karl I really enjoy this series. Dismas Hardy is a great character. If you like fast paced legal thrillers, this series is for you. I have read several of this author's books and they are always good. I am seeing him speak tomorrow night at my local library, so I am looking forward to the event.