The Second Chair (Dismas Hardy Series #10) » (Reprint)

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.

John Lescroart, the master of the legal thriller, delivers a brilliantly suspenseful novel of deadly secrets, privileged youth, and uncertain justice. . .

To the outside world, it looks like Dismas Hardy is finally on top. A managing partner at his thriving, newly reorganized law firm, heís a rainmaker and fix-it guy for clients leery of taking their chances in a courtroom. But what the world sees is a mirage. For beneath the surface bravado and the lucrative deal-making, Hardy has lost his faith in the law.

Now Hardyís young associate Amy Wu, suddenly rootless and grieving over the recent death of her father, brings the firm a high-profile and challenging case: Andrew Bartlett, the seventeen-year-old son of a prominent San Francisco family, has been arrested for the double slaying of his girlfriend and his English teacher. The D.A. wants to try him as an adult, but Wu cuts a deal to keep him in juvenile court -- a deal that sheís forced to break.

Overwhelmed by the mounting evidence against their client, and hoping to salvage his firmís reputation in the face of the D.A.ís righteous wrath, Hardy sits second chair with Wu in Bartlettís defense.

As the Bartlett case moves swiftly to trial, Hardy is unable to turn to his old friend Abe Glitsky for help. Newly promoted to Deputy Chief of the Investigations Bureau, Glitsky has problems of his own when San Francisco is seized by a wave of violence. With fear and anxiety building, all eyes in the panicked city fix on an embattled Glitsky, who must somehow stop the criminal upsurge while being second-guessed and hounded by a hostile media.

The city around them on the verge of panic, Hardyís search for the truth takes him and Amy Wu down a path that becomes more perilous with each step. With very little belief in his young clientís innocence, and even less in the legal system, Hardy has to first conquer his own demons if he is to clear his client . . . and save himself.

Emotionally powerful and exquisitely suspenseful, The Second Chair showcases John Lescroart as an author of ìbrilliant courtroom dramaî (The Washington Post), writing at the height of his powers.

Publishers Weekly

Lescroart starts slowly and takes too much time building reader interest in this latest addition to his acclaimed San Francisco legal suspense series featuring lawyer Dismas Hardy and cop pal Abe Glitsky (The First Law, The Oath, The Hearing). Dismas is firmly ensconced at the top of his flourishing law firm, and Abe has been made deputy chief of investigations, but neither man really enjoys his exalted executive status. Dismas, who seldom finds himself in a real courtroom these days, has become a high-priced legal fixer who takes meetings, goes to lunch and drinks too much, while Abe yearns for the intellectual challenge and physical thrills of a good murder investigation. Dismas's up-and-coming associate, Amy Wu, lands a case defending Andrew North, a troubled 17-year-old who's been arrested for murdering his girlfriend and high school drama coach. In an attempt to have him tried as a juvenile rather than an adult, Amy commits the inexplicable error of admitting her client's guilt to the district attorney-before even speaking to the accused teenager. After this egregious blunder, Dismas joins his normally stellar associate as "second chair" in the trial and manages to rescue the case and shake his own disillusionment with the legal system. While readers new to the series might feel a bit left behind (Lescroart spends too much time referring to events in past books, particularly The First Law), old fans and those who persevere will be rewarded with a compassionate look at life's vicissitudes and a thorny multiple murder case. (Jan. 26) Forecast: Lescroart has a loyal fan base and The First Law debuted at number four on the New York Times's list. Strong publisher marketing would suggest that this new one will do well. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.