A PLAGUE OF SECRETS
John Lescroart
Dutton Adult
Legal Thriller
ISBN: 9780525950929
A PLAGUE OF SECRETS, John Lescroart’s 20th published work, reads more like it was written by an inspired young bull, perhaps two or three books into a new career and still so full of ideas and talent that his story threatens to burst the binding of the cover.
Lescroart has done much in the past with his two primary characters, Abe Glitsky and Dismas Hardy. Glitsky, the veteran homicide lieutenant, and Hardy, the venerable defense attorney, have been an odd, though believable, pairing of friends. Set against the backdrop of his beloved San Francisco and its frequently quirky, occasionally weird culture, Lescroart has created a series of what might be called legal or courtroom thrillers shot through with the workings of a methodical police procedural, utilizing the best elements of both.
A PLAGUE OF SECRETS begins with two momentous events. The first is an accident that leaves Glitsky’s three-year-old son severely injured. The circumstances of the incident haunt Glitsky throughout the book, leaving him personally and professionally functioning on a single cylinder, if at all. The second is a murder that will ripple and resonate throughout San Francisco’s social and political culture. Dylan Vogler is the manager of Bay Beans West, a wildly popular independent coffee shop located in the notorious Haight-Ashbury district. When Vogler is discovered shot to death in an alley behind the establishment, with a knapsack full of carefully processed marijuana, it is clear that he has been dealing much more than caffeine.
Maya Townshend, the fabulously wealthy and politically connected owner of the store, finds herself under the scrutiny of the police and retains Hardy as counsel, if for no other reason than to provide her with legal support during the inevitable question and answer sessions. But when another of Townshend’s acquaintances is also brutally murdered, the police, in what perhaps appears to be an unfortunate rush to judgment, bring their suspicions to an arguably over-eager district attorney who sees multiple opportunities to be had in Townshend’s prosecution. Without Glitsky’s oversight, the progress of the case spins out of control, and Townshend finds herself arrested and charged with both murders. Hardy must contend not only with the prosecutors, but also with Townshend, who harbors a secret from her past that she will not reveal to Hardy.
When it is learned that Vogler may well have been blackmailing Townshend, it causes Hardy to privately doubt his client’s innocence. Hardy’s difficulties are further compounded by the judge presiding over the trial, a somewhat incompetent jurist who is barely able to conceal her outright dislike of Hardy. Still, the prosecution’s case is weak, and when a number of unexpected sources provide Hardy with new information, he is able to present an explosive revelation that might exonerate his client but may also leave others in terrible danger.
Lescroart wrestles with complex issues in A PLAGUE OF SECRETS, including the decriminalization of marijuana, the behavior of the homeless, due process under federal law, and seizure of assets, among others. His characters, particularly Townshend, are also multi-faceted. Townshend’s misrepresentations to the police, not to mention to her own attorney, are somewhat understandable in hindsight, but ultimately constitute the major elements leading to her arrest and trial. Glitsky attempts to make amends for the errors that occurred on his watch, in a manner that may or may not cause him difficulty later. What results makes A PLAGUE OF SECRETS a riveting work that will lead readers, once they start the book, to block out sufficient time to finish it in one sitting.
--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
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