John Lescroart - The Suspect (2007)
Reviewed by David J. Montgomery
Author John Lescroart has been writing about San Francisco attorney Dismas Hardy and the world he lives in for almost 20 years. In recent years, with Hardy starting to get a little long in the tooth, Lescroart has shifted his focus to other characters who inhabit Hardy's orbit, and this clever move has breathed new life into his work.
In The Suspect, the protagonist is Gina Roake, Hardy's friend and law partner. Formerly a skilled defense attorney, she's taken the last several months off to recover following her fiance's death and to try to write a novel. Now she's ready to get back in the saddle, and the perfect case has come along: A popular outdoor writer has been accused of killing his hotshot surgeon wife.
Stuart Gorman came home from their cabin in Lake Tahoe to find his wife, Caryn, floating dead in the hot tub. Whether it was an accident, suicide or murder isn't known at first. But Stuart's subsequent actions, and his frank confessions about their marital difficulties and the financial windfall he stands to reap from his wife's death convince the police that there is only one suspect and Gorman is it.
Fortunately for Gorman, he has friends in high places, including his best friend, Jedd Conley, a member of the California State Assembly and a former attorney. Conley is no longer practicing, so he can't take the case himself, but he does send his friend to the best attorney he knows: Gina Roake.
Roake eagerly takes on the case, the first accused murderer she's ever defended, and she's got her work cut out for her. Gorman's alleged history of domestic violence, erratic behavior, and apparent attempts to avoid arrest all contribute to the appearance of guilt. After his daughter threatens a key prosecution witness, the circumstantial case against him seems insurmountable.
With the help of investigator Wyatt Hunt (who made his first appearance in Lescroart's last book, The Hunt Club), Roake starts to chip away at the prosecution's case. It proves difficult, however, because her client just seems so guilty. Roake herself is about the only person who doesn't think he did it, dangerous ground for an attorney to find herself on.
The Suspect includes just enough legal maneuverings and jargon to give the story the credibility it needs, but the emphasis is on fast-paced and suspenseful storytelling. Despite the fact that he's not a lawyer - or, perhaps, because he's not - Lescroart is able to narrate the legal battles in a way that is both entertaining and easy to follow. He gives the reader just enough information, but never lets the story get bogged down in the miscellanea.
Unlike many courtroom stories, this one is interesting even when there aren't any fireworks going off. This also adds a touch of realism to the story. After all, how often are real courtrooms the scene of shocking revelations, surprise witnesses and other drama? The fact that Lescroart can keep the pages turning anyway is a tribute to his skills as a storyteller.
Lescroart has built up a strong stable of characters over the years to populate his stories - Dismas Hardy, Abe Glitsky and Wyatt Hunt among them - and Roake promises to be one of the better ones. True, the romantic side of her life is neither as believable nor as compelling as the professional side - at various times she flirts, improbably, with Hunt, her client and Assemblyman Conley - but the rest of her character is solid.
As has been the case with all of Lescroart's work, the city of San Francisco plays a major part in the story. The author deftly provides the little telling details, like the Greek-Asian fusion restaurant that serves the worst food in town, but is still popular because of its proximity to the Hall of Justice.
The plot of The Suspect does falter toward the end, with Roake devising a clumsy stratagem to help trap the killer, whose identity will no doubt be a surprise, considering there was scant evidence for it. That turn of events comes out of the blue, and is fairly improbable besides, thus making the resolution less than ideal in what is otherwise an excellent story.
Even so, the pace is fast enough, and the characters interesting enough, that the few bumps in the road are barely noticeable. The Suspect is one smooth ride, and a fine legal thriller to boot.
Posted by David J. Montgomery in Book Reviews | Permalink
