Rating: 
Summary: Exciting thriller
Review: High-ranking police officers often receive calls to come to a crime scene in the middle of the night as just happened to San Francisco's Lieutenant Abraham Glitsky. Someone killed attorney Elaine Wager, a candidate for a judgeship, but this trip is personal as Elaine is Abraham's illegitimate daughter, a fact she never knew. He informs his staff that he expects them to "sweat" a confession from Cole Burgess, a two-bit junkie. They succeed and book Cole for first-degree murder. Cole's sister hires Dismas Hardy to at least obtain drug treatment so he does not linger in a cell going cold turkey. He agrees to handle that, but nothing more until the ambitious DA decides to use Cole to further her political ambitions by seeking the death penalty. Dismas takes on the role of defense attorney because he begins to have doubts that Cole is the killer. THE HEARING is one of the year's best legal thrillers as it entertains and shocks in a believable manner. John Lescroart masterly creates characters that are hard on the outside, but contain a soft spot inside their gut. The well-designed story line uses the motivations of the cast to propel the action forward, especially the humorous duels between Dismas and Glitsky. A great storyteller tells quite a story. Harriet Klausner
Rating: 
Summary: SUSPENSEFUL LEGAL THRILLER
Review: Homicide lieutenant Abe Glitsky gets the disturbing call at midnight. What appears to be a robbery/murder turns out to be much more. The victim, a rising star among San Francisco's legal circle, also happens to be Abe's daughter...a daughter nobody knows about. Seeking fierce justice, Abe puts the squeeze on the only suspect, a homeless, heroin addict who was found hovering over the body with the victim's jewelry in his pockets. Ambitious D.A. Sharon Pratt sees the opportunity of a lifetime by prosecuting this case and asking for the death penalty, thus enabling her to complete her own personal agenda. Defense attorney Dismas Hardy, lifelong pal to Abe, wants to see justice served...but not in the form of this homeless man. Aware of Pratt's personal reason's for prosectuing this case, and his gut feeling of the man's innocence, Dismas takes on the defense, in hopes of setting the man free, squashing Pratt's plans, and finding the real killer. As the case takes a deceptive turn, Dismas realizes nothing is cut and dry, and plotical corruption, legal conspiracy, and murder will begin to unravel, sending shock waves through the city of San Francisco. Dismas must be careful, and quick, for people in high places will stop at nothing to keep their secrets hidden...even murder. 'The Hearing' is a fast-paced, exciting legal thriller. The plot twists and turns; detailing the hard relationship of a father and daughter, a city caught in a web of corruption, and a twisted murder, to keep readers on the edge of their seat. John Lescroart has written a suspenseful mystery that deserves to fly up the bestseller lists. Nick Gonnella
Rating:
Summary: Couldn't put it down
Review: I had never read any of Lescroart's works before "The Hearing". I picked it up in an Airport book store, and read it on a cross-country flight. I couldn't put it down. I've read the less positive Amazon reviews, and, yes, there's some merit to criticism that some of the readers have meted out. All the same, "The Hearing" is an page-turner. I give it 5 stars for its shear entertainment value. BTW: After reading "The Hearing", I went back and read the "The Oath" and the "The 13th Juror". I'm afraid I found those clumsily written. Did Lescroart get a new editor with the "The Hearing"?
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book
Review: I picked this book up in a library wondering what it has to offer. It looked quite interesting and didn't disappoint me. The first pages made me want to read the whole book, the faster the better. The author really keeps you guessing until the end, the story is very human and quite believable. The best about this book are the characters, I want to read other books of John Lescroart because of them. 'The Hearing' is an easy read, a great introduction into the world of the law and at the same time an emotional book. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: DISMAS AND ABE - TOUGH GUYS WITH HEARTS
Review: I want to personally thank the author for he Dismas Harding series. I love nothing more than repeat characters in a good novel. And, with Lescroart's Dismas novels each character grows in strength, sincerity and family unity and develops self-identity. The reader enjoys the relationship of family and friends. Lescroart takes us into the homes and everyday lives of his characters and creates an atmosphere of warmth, love, unity, commitment and spirituality (Abe, his father, and children) while endowing his characters with a sense of humor. The relationship between Dismas and Abe (two tough guys) is really tender and caring.
The crux of a Lescroart Dismas Harding Series is, of course The Law; the way it should be but always isn't; but in the end, justice does prevail. He brings realism to a trial portrayal so lacking in other novels. He emphasis Dismas' frustration as a lawyer who is limited by courtroom procedure and yet gives Dismas the legal (and sometimes not so legal) tools to present his compelling evidence.
It also appears from reading this series that Mr. Lescroart has a respect for not only lawyers, but for the working staff in a law office such as the paralegals, clerks, etc. I like that in his novels.
Am I a fan of Lescroart? Of course and I can't wait to read The Oath.
Thank you Mr. Lescroart for a great series - don't ever stop giving me the pleasure of reading about my favorite characters.
Rating:
Summary: DISMAS AND ABE - TOUGH GUYS WITH HEARTS
Review: I want to personally thank the author for he Dismas Harding series. I love nothing more than repeat characters in a good novel. And, with Lescroart's Dismas novels each character grows in strength, sincerity and family unity and develops self-identity. The reader enjoys the relationship of family and friends. Lescroart takes us into the homes and everyday lives of his characters and creates an atmosphere of warmth, love, unity, commitment and spirituality (Abe, his father, and children) while endowing his characters with a sense of humor. The relationship between Dismas and Abe (two tough guys) is really tender and caring.
The crux of a Lescroart Dismas Harding Series is, of course The Law; the way it should be but always isn't; but in the end, justice does prevail. He brings realism to a trial portrayal so lacking in other novels. He emphasis Dismas' frustration as a lawyer who is limited by courtroom procedure and yet gives Dismas the legal (and sometimes not so legal) tools to present his compelling evidence.
It also appears from reading this series that Mr. Lescroart has a respect for not only lawyers, but for the working staff in a law office such as the paralegals, clerks, etc. I like that in his novels.
Am I a fan of Lescroart? Of course and I can't wait to read The Oath.
Thank you Mr. Lescroart for a great series - don't ever stop giving me the pleasure of reading about my favorite characters.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting and fascinating - Ghost story maybe ?
Review: I was enjoying this courtroom drama much as I enjoy Scott Turow, or D.W.Buffa, or Grisham (on occasion), until I got to page 360. And then lo and behold Elaine (yes Elaine !) who is supposed to have been dead in Page 2 walks across to room. You can imagine my astonishment ! I pointed this to the publisher. But, of course, they didn't bother to reply. After all, I am just a customer. They treat those with contempt.
Rating:
Summary: A Return to the Old Style
Review: I was very pleased to read "The Hearing" and found that I enjoyed it almost as much as his best book, "The Thirteenth Juror". There was a sense of urgency that has been missing lately. Even reading this book and "The Oath" back to back, this book was far superior. I believe Dismas does a better job when he is under the gun. Keep em coming like this.
Rating:
Summary: Lescroart Belongs on the Best Seller List
Review: I've read every one of John Lescroart's novels and he has never disppointed me. His characters are vivid and real and he is a master plotter. Why he is not an automatic best-seller author is beyond me, he is so much better than some of the authors who are always on the list. "The Hearing" is complex, satisfyingly long and very well plotted, typically Lescroart. Dismas Hardy, Abe Glitzky and all the usual characters are finely drawn and you feel you would recognize them if you met them on the street. This author is one of my very favorites, and I always look forward to a new book by Lescroart.
Rating: 
Summary: Tight Courtroom Drama Worth Reading
Review: In "The Hearing", Lescroart weaves a tale that is engrossing and entertaining, if not wholly believable. As another of the Dismas Hardy series, Lescroart brings back some familiar characters - Abe Glitsky among them - in a well crafted story that keeps the pages turning. Unlike James Patterson's "1st to Die", in which the San Francisco setting is superficial and cardboard, Lescroart's San Francisco is an accurate portrayal of the city's liberal political machine and lively culture. The "villains" are despicable enough - enough to want to see them go down, but not so much as to detract from the their credibility. The courtroom drama was as suspenseful and exciting as anything I can remember since the early works of Scott Turow. (I still consider "Presumed Innocent" the best of the genre). Why only three stars? A few too many distractions that cluttered an otherwise tightly wound plot and puzzling mystery. The relationship between Abe and Treya, for example, was predictable and unneccessary, and the family connection with Cole Burgess, the suspected killer, was just a bit too much "mush". The end, while climactic, was just a bit of a letdown, detracting ever-so-slightly from the superb tale that led up to it. And finally, while Lescroart did a credible job of tagging and tracking a large cast of characters, there were simply too many floating around the pages. But all things considered, this is a good read, great entertainment, and well worth the time.
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