A Plague of Secrets (Dismas Hardy Series #13) » (Unabridged, 11 CDs, 13 hours)

Famous for his series of bestselling legal thrillers starring San Francisco lawyer Dismas Hardy, John Lescroart has an interesting perspective on the serendipity surrounding his success. "It almost makes me say I believe in justice," he explains in our exclusive audio interview, "but, of course, I've written too many of these books to make that stand!" he admits with a chuckle.

In a multiple murder case plagued by lies and deception, there is one terrible secret that defense attorney Dismas Hardy is duty-bound to protect. Even if the price is his client's life.
When Dylan Vogler, the charming manager of the popular Bay Beans West coffee shop in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district, is gunned down near the store, inspectors are shocked to discover that his knapsack is overflowing with high-grade marijuana. It soon becomes clear that San Francisco's A-list flocked to Bay Beans West for more than a pricy caffeine fix.
Maya Townshend is the absentee owner of the shop—and the beautiful and extremely wealthy socialite niece of the city's mayor. When she becomes Dismas Hardy's client, he thinks it will be a simple hand-holding exercise until the police identify a suspect. But then another of Maya's past acquaintances turns up murdered, and the newspapers begin to reveal the names of the coffee shop's celebrity, political, and even law-enforcement clientele. Hardy begins to question how much his client knew about what was actually going on inside her business—and whether she was also Vogler's lover.
All the while Hardy's best friend, homicide lieutenant Abe Glitsky, sick with worry over his severely injured youngest child, barely functions at his job. Without his supervision, his inspectors are prey to the machinations of the many power brokers with interests in the case. Ambitious prosecutors close in on Maya, and as her trial gets under way, Hardy discovers that his client harbors an explosive secret. A secret that Dismas Hardy is privilege-bound to protect.
Perceptive, fast-paced, and masterfully plotted, A Plague of Secrets represents John Lescroart working at the absolute top of his game.

Publishers Weekly

When Dylan, the manager of the successful Bay Beans West Coffee Shop, is found shot dead with a backpack full of marijuana, the evidence points toward the cafe's owner, Maya Townshead, as the killer. When another body is found and Maya is linked to that killing as well, she is charged with murder. Lescroart's stalwart San Francisco attorney, Dismas Hardy, is brought in as Maya's defense lawyer, and as he digs into the case, he uncovers secrets from Maya's past that, once revealed, may prove her innocence or may just as easily send her to prison. David Colacci's clear, deliberate delivery keeps the complicated story moving smoothly forward, while his gift for vocal characterizations shines in the author's expertly written courtroom scenes. A Dutton hardcover (Reviews, May 11). (July)