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Abe Glitsky #1
A Certain Justice
When the angry white mob poured out of the bar on San Francisco's Geary Street and surrounded an innocent black man, Kevin Shea was the only one who tried to stop them. He failed, and now, thanks to a deceptive news photo taken during the melee, he is wanted for the murder himself-and the real culprits have threatened his life if he says a word.
As riots rage and politicians posture, Lieutenant Abe Glitsky finds himself under pressure to bring Shea in at all costs. And as respect for the law crumbles-even among those sworn to uphold it-true justice is the only thing that can prevent the death of another innocent man.
As riots rage and politicians posture, Lieutenant Abe Glitsky finds himself under pressure to bring Shea in at all costs. And as respect for the law crumbles-even among those sworn to uphold it-true justice is the only thing that can prevent the death of another innocent man.
624 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1995
813 people are currently reading
2618 people want to read
About the author
John Lescroart
142 books1,299 followersJohn Lescroart (born January 14, 1948) is an American author best known for two series of legal and crime thriller novels featuring the characters Dismas Hardy and Abe Glitsky.
Lescroart was born in Houston, Texas, and graduated from Junípero Serra High School, San Mateo, California (Class of 1966). He then went on to earn a B.A. in English with Honors at UC Berkeley in 1970. In addition to his novels, Lescroart has written several screenplays.
Lescroart was born in Houston, Texas, and graduated from Junípero Serra High School, San Mateo, California (Class of 1966). He then went on to earn a B.A. in English with Honors at UC Berkeley in 1970. In addition to his novels, Lescroart has written several screenplays.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 178 reviews
July 2, 2023
A gritty, racially and politically motivated, slow burning but intensely heated thriller!
“The African Nation platform is clear,” says a black activist to a black female power politician on a fast track to the presidency.
“… when you say you want a voice, you want representation, the end of oppression, you want the laws applied fairly – who doesn’t? But then you go on to say you want your own separate system, and that just don’t fly. Can’t you see that? The numbers aren’t there, and the numbers drive the dollars. You want to take over a state? Move the people back to Africa? You want a black Israel on some sand in Africa? That what you want?” responds that black politician!
Given a lack of evidence and the clear certainty that a black punk car-jacker would be acquitted if he were brought to trial for murder, San Francisco’s DA drops the charges and reluctantly releases the suspect. But even in San Francisco, a city known for its diversity, tolerance and compassion, that’s a bridge too far. To many, the guilt of the black man who had been arrested was obvious and a conviction for murder should have been a slam-dunk inevitability. A mob of hot-headed white racists, fueled, of course, by generous helpings of alcohol and chest-thumping, lynch an unfortunate black man in response to what they claimed was an outrageous piece of reverse racial inequity.
But one young man in that mob, caught up in the emotions of the moment, knows that what is happening is beyond wrong. During his frantic attempts to rescue the innocent black man from a brutal racial murder at the hands of the now unstoppable mob, a passing journalist’s chance photograph portrays him as the mob’s motivator and the prime mover behind the ugly hanging. The young man is forced to go into hiding and San Francisco is faced with a repeat of Los Angeles Rodney King race riots!
A CERTAIN JUSTICE is not a high speed thriller but it’s definitely gripping. It’s a story motivated by the obvious reality that racism (not to mention misogyny) is a problem that is not a right wing-left wing issue. It’s an endemic problem and the USA would be well advised to read this novel to remind themselves that their society is anything but fair, tolerant, compassionate or post-racial.
And, by-the-bye, A CERTAIN JUSTICE is the debut novel of the now well established Abe Glitsky/Dismas Hardy series. What a great beginning! No wonder I’m a fan.
Paul Weiss
“The African Nation platform is clear,” says a black activist to a black female power politician on a fast track to the presidency.
“… when you say you want a voice, you want representation, the end of oppression, you want the laws applied fairly – who doesn’t? But then you go on to say you want your own separate system, and that just don’t fly. Can’t you see that? The numbers aren’t there, and the numbers drive the dollars. You want to take over a state? Move the people back to Africa? You want a black Israel on some sand in Africa? That what you want?” responds that black politician!
Given a lack of evidence and the clear certainty that a black punk car-jacker would be acquitted if he were brought to trial for murder, San Francisco’s DA drops the charges and reluctantly releases the suspect. But even in San Francisco, a city known for its diversity, tolerance and compassion, that’s a bridge too far. To many, the guilt of the black man who had been arrested was obvious and a conviction for murder should have been a slam-dunk inevitability. A mob of hot-headed white racists, fueled, of course, by generous helpings of alcohol and chest-thumping, lynch an unfortunate black man in response to what they claimed was an outrageous piece of reverse racial inequity.
But one young man in that mob, caught up in the emotions of the moment, knows that what is happening is beyond wrong. During his frantic attempts to rescue the innocent black man from a brutal racial murder at the hands of the now unstoppable mob, a passing journalist’s chance photograph portrays him as the mob’s motivator and the prime mover behind the ugly hanging. The young man is forced to go into hiding and San Francisco is faced with a repeat of Los Angeles Rodney King race riots!
A CERTAIN JUSTICE is not a high speed thriller but it’s definitely gripping. It’s a story motivated by the obvious reality that racism (not to mention misogyny) is a problem that is not a right wing-left wing issue. It’s an endemic problem and the USA would be well advised to read this novel to remind themselves that their society is anything but fair, tolerant, compassionate or post-racial.
And, by-the-bye, A CERTAIN JUSTICE is the debut novel of the now well established Abe Glitsky/Dismas Hardy series. What a great beginning! No wonder I’m a fan.
Paul Weiss
November 20, 2020
This is his best work in my opinion and still so relevant. It is soo soooo good. The kinda book that makes you believe in the innocence of people, displaced by their humanity. Plus, his books make you want to move to California. Despite the fact, he writes crime fiction, and his work deals with crime, criminals, justice, or lack thereof. And sometimes people getting their due comeuppances.
This is perfect.
October 31, 2020
In San Francisco a white man is killed during a carjacking. At his wake a black man is lynched setting off a raace war with burning and looting. Then the DA is murdered while in company of a US senator. Lt. Abe Glitsky attempts to solve both despite political manuvring as the main suspect is on the run in fear foe his life. Well uses America's social unrest as a setting.
November 17, 2016
Even though the publication of this book is 1996, it feels very apropos for today's political climate. Reacting to what they see as judicial injustice, a mob targets a black man. A white man is mistakenly identified as the ring leader, and is targeted to represent racial injustice in general. Politicians feed the frenzy and use every angle for ways to consolidate power and strengthen their own agenda. In the midst is Det. Gitsky struggling to follow correct police procedure to ensure a righteous arrest. That he is reeling from the recent death of his wife and make errors in judgment adds to his humanity.
January 22, 2011
This is well written, suspenseful and disturbing.
Kevin Shea is present at a modern day lynching. He pushes his way through the crowd and attemps to grab the victims legs to prevent his death, but he is too late. The arrival of the police causes everyone to scatter, including Kevin--it is too late to help the victim now.
Kevin wakes up the next day to find a free-lance photographer has snapped a shot of the scene--and his picture is all over the paper as the leader of the lynching!
Kevin is going to turn himself in, but soon becomes afriad--with good reason. The city has exploded with racial tensions and Kevin fears he will be shot on sight--or killed in jail by another prisoner.
To me, one disturbing thing is how things can get out of hand. The media digs up everything they can about Kevin--and prints a lot of negative things--with little basis in fact. A politician wants to use this case to win votes on a "law and order" platform. A female FBI agent wants to prove she can do as well as the male agents, so she's all ready with a sniper team to take Kevin down. The leader of a seperatist movement posts a cash reward--dead or alive.
Kevin becomes a symbol--no one seems to care if he is guilty or not. Abe Glitsky, researcing the case, finds some inconsistencies with the media's theories--but few people want to hear them.
Really disturbing--"we've made up our minds--don't cloud the issue with facts". One wonders occasionally how many people "everybody knows" were guilty really WERE guilty.
One of the best in the Glitsky-Hardy series by Lescroart. Highly recommended.
Kevin Shea is present at a modern day lynching. He pushes his way through the crowd and attemps to grab the victims legs to prevent his death, but he is too late. The arrival of the police causes everyone to scatter, including Kevin--it is too late to help the victim now.
Kevin wakes up the next day to find a free-lance photographer has snapped a shot of the scene--and his picture is all over the paper as the leader of the lynching!
Kevin is going to turn himself in, but soon becomes afriad--with good reason. The city has exploded with racial tensions and Kevin fears he will be shot on sight--or killed in jail by another prisoner.
To me, one disturbing thing is how things can get out of hand. The media digs up everything they can about Kevin--and prints a lot of negative things--with little basis in fact. A politician wants to use this case to win votes on a "law and order" platform. A female FBI agent wants to prove she can do as well as the male agents, so she's all ready with a sniper team to take Kevin down. The leader of a seperatist movement posts a cash reward--dead or alive.
Kevin becomes a symbol--no one seems to care if he is guilty or not. Abe Glitsky, researcing the case, finds some inconsistencies with the media's theories--but few people want to hear them.
Really disturbing--"we've made up our minds--don't cloud the issue with facts". One wonders occasionally how many people "everybody knows" were guilty really WERE guilty.
One of the best in the Glitsky-Hardy series by Lescroart. Highly recommended.
November 11, 2023
This, the 1st of the Abe Glitsky books by John Lescroart is about a guy caught up in a racially motivated lynching in San Francisco. You know from the beginning that he's actuall more of a hero than the villain he's made out to be by the public, the DA and the cops. Except, of course, for Lieutenant Glitsky.
All sides are portrayed believably and Lescroart explores the feelings and motivations of all the players, though you know most of what's going to happen before it does. There's a surprise or two, but not much more than that. I liked it but thought is was too long, I kept looking to see how much was left to listen, never a good sign. I rounded up from 3.5 to 4.
All sides are portrayed believably and Lescroart explores the feelings and motivations of all the players, though you know most of what's going to happen before it does. There's a surprise or two, but not much more than that. I liked it but thought is was too long, I kept looking to see how much was left to listen, never a good sign. I rounded up from 3.5 to 4.
July 6, 2012
John Lescroart looks what happens when a mob mentality takes over San Fransisco and everyone is willing to condemn a man for being in the wrong place at the wrong time
Kevin Shae really just wanted a night of drinking by himself, but when the pub he is sitting in starts to get rowdy and making racial remarks, Kevin knows it is time for him to leave. He never imagined that the men drinking in the bar would spill out to the street and start a frenzy of events that will change Kevin's life forever. The mob has decided to attack the lone black man and string him up like they used to in the 1960s. The few men from the pub has attracted more people and they all seem to be saying the same thing, Hang Him. Kevin seems to be the only individual who has some sense, he attempts to save him. But Kevin's photograph is taken and this image is immediately misinterpreted by everyone. Kevin has just become San Fransisco's enemy number one. And while some are willing to search for the truth and others are willing to condemn Kevin, one thing is sure everyone is looking for Kevin, but not everyone cares whether he gets turned over alive.
This is the first book that I have read by John Lescroart and I thought it was good, it started off great the first chapter of the mob scene were fantastic, but it was unable to completely hold this fast paced start. This novel was well written and you could tell when Lescroart was in his element of knowledge and the premise of the plot was very interesting and it had everything to make a great thriller novel but I felt that it lacked the suspense that is key in any thriller. I never felt that I was on the edge of my seat as I was reading this book. There points where it should have been suspenseful but the events were never able to get there.
I also found it interesting that the character that is supposed to be the book smart, not street smart character turned out to be the individual that Kevin came to rely on and it was Melonie who had better ideas of how to keep Kevin safe. This did not seem very realistic as Kevin was in the military and you think would know a thing or two about staying hidden. I also could not believe that they decide part way through the book, when everyone in the book is looking for them (and there is a price on Kevin's head) they go out for pizza and the only thing that Kevin uses to disguise himself is a cap. When an individual's picture is plaster all over the news and he is the person who everyone is talking about I think more than one person would recognize them espically with police lining the street. Not very realistic at all.
The political aspect of this book was awesome, very interesting how there were many individuals willing to condemn one man just to further their own political careers. You can tell that Lescroart is in his element when he is talking about law and politics. These were the high points of the book, the interchange between the police department, the D.A.'s office and the elected officials. This is where the decisions in this book are made, whether they are good or bad and it really highlighted the flaws in the justice system especially the one about being presumed innocent until proven guilty.
I liked that Lescroart highlighted that there still an ever present idea of racism within people and that one event can cause a mob mentality where people do loose their own morals and since of right and wrong and that this mob mentality. Also I liked that Lescroart showed how easily people will condemn an individual based upon very little information
I really liked Abe Glinsky as a character, he was everything you want a Homicide Lieutenant to be, he is always after the truth and when events and the evidence do not add up, he has no problem going against the grain of the higher ups and elected official's beliefs in order to make sure that justice is served. I would read another novel with Abe as the main character. I just really enjoyed his detective style.
This book is not an easy read, but not for the wrong reasons. The dialogue and the plot can make an individual think way beyond what an easy read would. If you are looking for something more in a thriller novel than just sitting on the edge of your seat, then you will enjoy this book. For me I just wanted a little bit more suspense in the novel, but I would read another novel by Lescroart.
Enjoy!!!
Kevin Shae really just wanted a night of drinking by himself, but when the pub he is sitting in starts to get rowdy and making racial remarks, Kevin knows it is time for him to leave. He never imagined that the men drinking in the bar would spill out to the street and start a frenzy of events that will change Kevin's life forever. The mob has decided to attack the lone black man and string him up like they used to in the 1960s. The few men from the pub has attracted more people and they all seem to be saying the same thing, Hang Him. Kevin seems to be the only individual who has some sense, he attempts to save him. But Kevin's photograph is taken and this image is immediately misinterpreted by everyone. Kevin has just become San Fransisco's enemy number one. And while some are willing to search for the truth and others are willing to condemn Kevin, one thing is sure everyone is looking for Kevin, but not everyone cares whether he gets turned over alive.
This is the first book that I have read by John Lescroart and I thought it was good, it started off great the first chapter of the mob scene were fantastic, but it was unable to completely hold this fast paced start. This novel was well written and you could tell when Lescroart was in his element of knowledge and the premise of the plot was very interesting and it had everything to make a great thriller novel but I felt that it lacked the suspense that is key in any thriller. I never felt that I was on the edge of my seat as I was reading this book. There points where it should have been suspenseful but the events were never able to get there.
I also found it interesting that the character that is supposed to be the book smart, not street smart character turned out to be the individual that Kevin came to rely on and it was Melonie who had better ideas of how to keep Kevin safe. This did not seem very realistic as Kevin was in the military and you think would know a thing or two about staying hidden. I also could not believe that they decide part way through the book, when everyone in the book is looking for them (and there is a price on Kevin's head) they go out for pizza and the only thing that Kevin uses to disguise himself is a cap. When an individual's picture is plaster all over the news and he is the person who everyone is talking about I think more than one person would recognize them espically with police lining the street. Not very realistic at all.
The political aspect of this book was awesome, very interesting how there were many individuals willing to condemn one man just to further their own political careers. You can tell that Lescroart is in his element when he is talking about law and politics. These were the high points of the book, the interchange between the police department, the D.A.'s office and the elected officials. This is where the decisions in this book are made, whether they are good or bad and it really highlighted the flaws in the justice system especially the one about being presumed innocent until proven guilty.
I liked that Lescroart highlighted that there still an ever present idea of racism within people and that one event can cause a mob mentality where people do loose their own morals and since of right and wrong and that this mob mentality. Also I liked that Lescroart showed how easily people will condemn an individual based upon very little information
I really liked Abe Glinsky as a character, he was everything you want a Homicide Lieutenant to be, he is always after the truth and when events and the evidence do not add up, he has no problem going against the grain of the higher ups and elected official's beliefs in order to make sure that justice is served. I would read another novel with Abe as the main character. I just really enjoyed his detective style.
This book is not an easy read, but not for the wrong reasons. The dialogue and the plot can make an individual think way beyond what an easy read would. If you are looking for something more in a thriller novel than just sitting on the edge of your seat, then you will enjoy this book. For me I just wanted a little bit more suspense in the novel, but I would read another novel by Lescroart.
Enjoy!!!
June 28, 2016
Much of this book was depressing because it show how easily a potential hero can be turned into someone many people want dead by our wonderful trial by media. Innocent until proven guilty is a nice concept, but when everyone assumes you are guilty, it doesn't take much to convict you.
Things were getting so bad that it seemed that nothing would be able to make this story end well - it was truly hopeless. It would have been a miracle to even think the hero would live to get a fair trial.
Fortunately, this was only a book, not the real world, so of course, the miracle comes through in a most unexpected way.
Things were getting so bad that it seemed that nothing would be able to make this story end well - it was truly hopeless. It would have been a miracle to even think the hero would live to get a fair trial.
Fortunately, this was only a book, not the real world, so of course, the miracle comes through in a most unexpected way.
December 14, 2015
This first in the series of Lescroart's novels featuring Abe Glitsky was a refreshing closer look into what makes Dismas Hardy's friend and former police partner tick. It could be read as a stand-alone.
I found the crime itself very disturbing. Had I not already had an appreciation for Lescroart's writing and the protagonist, I might not have gotten past those first chapters.
"A Certain Justice" is compelling reading from cover to cover.
I found the crime itself very disturbing. Had I not already had an appreciation for Lescroart's writing and the protagonist, I might not have gotten past those first chapters.
"A Certain Justice" is compelling reading from cover to cover.
December 24, 2019
The scene opens as a man accidentally locks himself out of his BMW and when he tries to get in, he sets off his own car alarm. He’s not exactly in the right area of town and his alarm attracts the attention of a group of white hoodlums who see a black man stealing a BMW. They lynch him. Coincidentally Kevin Shea is in the bar that the hoodlums exited from and when he sees what’s happening he fights his way in to try to save the life and stop the carnage. You know how that ends. A passing photographer catches Kevin trying to lift the black man up and give him a knife to cut the rope, but that’s not what it looks like in still life.
Senator Loretta Wager takes this opportunity to demand instant justice, vilifying the identified white man, Kevin Shea. Now Shea isn’t the brightest bulb, he’s already gone to ground and the story around the event grows expotentially, minute by minute, making his life worth more and more in bounty. Shea contacts a ex-lawyer, Wes Farrell and Lieutenant Abe Glitsky hoping they can save him.
With the Senator and the DA stridently demanding Abe do his job by finding and charging Shea, Abe risks all to discover the real story, as bodies continue to fall around him.
Senator Loretta Wager takes this opportunity to demand instant justice, vilifying the identified white man, Kevin Shea. Now Shea isn’t the brightest bulb, he’s already gone to ground and the story around the event grows expotentially, minute by minute, making his life worth more and more in bounty. Shea contacts a ex-lawyer, Wes Farrell and Lieutenant Abe Glitsky hoping they can save him.
With the Senator and the DA stridently demanding Abe do his job by finding and charging Shea, Abe risks all to discover the real story, as bodies continue to fall around him.
January 31, 2018
A very compelling story that may have been A hundred pages too long. Still, I might have given five stars if it weren't for a MAJOR BOMBSHELL that was revealed yet allowed to languish and wither on the vine with no further acknowledgement or resolution of said huge reveal!!!
I'd really really really like to know what John Lescroart was thinking when he chose this ending for his novel. This ending was almost as bad as the last episode of the Sopranos!!! A very good book ruined by an unfulfilling conclusion.
I'd really really really like to know what John Lescroart was thinking when he chose this ending for his novel. This ending was almost as bad as the last episode of the Sopranos!!! A very good book ruined by an unfulfilling conclusion.
January 21, 2017
A long but very good novel about a man who tried to prevent a lynching of a black man, and how he became the hunted. San Francisco setting. (An Abe Glitsky story)
November 4, 2024
I found a batch of Lescroart paperbacks on bottom shelf of our book case. Most of them are 600 plus pages and are dated prior to 2000. I randomly picked this one and thoroughly enjoyed it. The themes of race relations, rush to judgement, political hypocrisy, and family interaction all seemed current. I plan to read the other books of his as I find them.
January 31, 2014
In San Francisco, people come to a bar to pay their last respects to a former patron who was murdered in a car jacking. As the alcohol flows the talk turn from the memorial to the black man who was released due to lack of evidence; by the time the successful black man leaves his keys in the car when he parks it near the bar, the mentality of the crowd had turned to that of a mob. As the mob begin to lynch the black man, a single bar patron attempts to help him but a nearby photographer snaps a picture of the helper and he is instantly turned into the bigot murderer.
Lieutenant Abe Glisky, homicide, finds himself blocked during the entire fourth of July weekend as the mobs riot and the city burns. Despite being placed on leave, Glisky figures out what is happening and helps bring a lynch mob to its knees, and a city to tolerance. How it happens makes this book a must read.
5 stars to Lescroat, he is definitely a master of suspence. I found a Lescroat book at the book exchange located within our local post office and have been reading his books ever since!
Lieutenant Abe Glisky, homicide, finds himself blocked during the entire fourth of July weekend as the mobs riot and the city burns. Despite being placed on leave, Glisky figures out what is happening and helps bring a lynch mob to its knees, and a city to tolerance. How it happens makes this book a must read.
5 stars to Lescroat, he is definitely a master of suspence. I found a Lescroat book at the book exchange located within our local post office and have been reading his books ever since!
June 15, 2011
AN ORIGINAL POLITICAL THRILLER
This book, a political thriller has an original plot and is interesting enough to keep the reader riveted as never slackens its pace. Had the author added more twist and turns throughout all the story, it would have been more attractive and enjoyable and had also the author recreated more action packed suspense i.e.(the FBI tracking down Shea- the Pizzaiola shop episode) it would have been a hell of a -blockbuster--could-not -put- it- down. From my experience as a reader, in this book all the situations involved are solved in a short time and then the story goes back on. Overall, this novel has some twist and turns at the beginning, the run in a straight line and repeats the same scheme at the end with a lot of surprises. It is a fairly entertaining book and I would recommend it.
This book, a political thriller has an original plot and is interesting enough to keep the reader riveted as never slackens its pace. Had the author added more twist and turns throughout all the story, it would have been more attractive and enjoyable and had also the author recreated more action packed suspense i.e.(the FBI tracking down Shea- the Pizzaiola shop episode) it would have been a hell of a -blockbuster--could-not -put- it- down. From my experience as a reader, in this book all the situations involved are solved in a short time and then the story goes back on. Overall, this novel has some twist and turns at the beginning, the run in a straight line and repeats the same scheme at the end with a lot of surprises. It is a fairly entertaining book and I would recommend it.
June 15, 2017
Lescroart writes a LONG mystery. He spends a long time fully developing the many characters related to the plot and the narrator of the audio book performed the many parts very well.
This book is a great example of let-no-good-deed-go-unpunished. A man who tries to prevent a lynching becomes the chief suspect. The SFPD, DA's office and FBI become involved and territorial.
A complex, yet straightforward plot.
6-15-17 Read again 5 years later, this time in paperback from gym swap table. I think when I read it previously, I didn't know many of the characters who appear repeatedly in many of his later books. Early introduction to Wes Farrell, Elaine Wager, Dismas Hardy, and, of course, Abe Glitsky. All this and not a serial killer in sight which has become (more and more) a recommendation for me!
This book is a great example of let-no-good-deed-go-unpunished. A man who tries to prevent a lynching becomes the chief suspect. The SFPD, DA's office and FBI become involved and territorial.
A complex, yet straightforward plot.
6-15-17 Read again 5 years later, this time in paperback from gym swap table. I think when I read it previously, I didn't know many of the characters who appear repeatedly in many of his later books. Early introduction to Wes Farrell, Elaine Wager, Dismas Hardy, and, of course, Abe Glitsky. All this and not a serial killer in sight which has become (more and more) a recommendation for me!
September 10, 2022
Lt. Abe Glitskey San Francisco Homicide tracks Kevin Shea (28 - San Francisco graduate student) and hanging of Arthur Wade (black lawyer). Did Kevin try to save -or- kill Arthur? Phillip Hohadas (African National Platform leader) follows photos from hanging to say Kevin's guilty (white guilty before black). Thureau's book "Presumed innocent" before guiltily is not followed. Melanie Sinclair (girlfriend), Wes Farell (Kevin's lawyer) and D.A. Elaine Wager (Sen. Wager's daughter mentioned below) try to help/save him from a $100,000 dead-or-alive award. Romance between Sen Loretta Wager (D.A. Elaine Wager's mom) from past boyfriend/girlfriend had marriages to white (vs. black) and now are involved in case. End: a surprise with Kevin's guilty/not guiltily and Loretta Wagner set ups.
July 1, 2011
I actually did not finish reading this book. It was so incredibly slow. I knew what was going to happen at the end at around page 300. Then I realized there were 200 pages left. Yikes! So I read the last 20 pages and got it over with.
I usually like Lescroart's books. But this was NOT his best work. The editing was horrible as well. There were many misspelled words and grammar mistakes. Sometimes it was very distracting. But most of all, the book was slow and boring. I don't recommend A Certain Justice, but I do recommend all of his other's.
I usually like Lescroart's books. But this was NOT his best work. The editing was horrible as well. There were many misspelled words and grammar mistakes. Sometimes it was very distracting. But most of all, the book was slow and boring. I don't recommend A Certain Justice, but I do recommend all of his other's.
July 22, 2019
I found this to interesting due to the fact of racial set ups. A politician setting up a poor Irish lad whom was only trying to save a black man being lynched. A picture incriminated him but as proved was only trying to save the man a lawyer. The twists of corruption were many. This all started from an incident involving a black man car jacking and killing an Irish man. To me the irony being that both sides historically were slaves. Blame this all on the British! LOL, truly a complex story. Maybe I read more into it than I should’ve but nevertheless interesting.
August 15, 2013
Mmmm, nope, don't recommend it. It's very slow to start even though there is lots of action-you don't care about anybody, it's very unbelievable, and it just seems to drag. Even by the end, the people have pretty much stayed as caricatures... Life s too short, read something else :-}
I see I am in a minority with this review, but I guess I'll stick with it. There are just so many BETTER books to read!
I see I am in a minority with this review, but I guess I'll stick with it. There are just so many BETTER books to read!
July 12, 2017
too many characters for me and too long, I think it could have been over sooner
November 21, 2021
This book, published in 1995, is the 12th John Lescroart book I have read. Most, if not all of them, are set in San Francisco and feature a small cast of characters, including Dismas Hardy, Wes Farrell and Abe Glitsky, all of whom appear in this book. Abe, The homicide chief for the San Francisco Police Department, is the star of A Certain Justice.
Even though this was published 26 years ago, the issues central to the plot remain timely. Racial tensions and the ability of the police to manage racial conflicts and mete out justice in a manner deemed fair by the public remain major issues in 2021.
In A Certain Justice, a white mob hangs an innocent black man outside of a tavern. One white man, Kevin Shea, attempts to save the black man from the mob by using his knife to cut the rope being used for the hanging/murder. He fails, but a photographer catches him in the act. The actions captured in the photo are misinterpreted and Kevin is accused of the murder. He goes into hiding.
Abe Glitsky is under pressure to find Shea and prosecute him, but Abe is unconvinced that Shea is guilty. Everyone but Abe has already rushed to judgment. And the black community is up at arms over the fact that a guilty white man is running free.
Lots of inside politics and a few secrets revealed and plot twists at the end. Another strong effort by John Lescroart.
Even though this was published 26 years ago, the issues central to the plot remain timely. Racial tensions and the ability of the police to manage racial conflicts and mete out justice in a manner deemed fair by the public remain major issues in 2021.
In A Certain Justice, a white mob hangs an innocent black man outside of a tavern. One white man, Kevin Shea, attempts to save the black man from the mob by using his knife to cut the rope being used for the hanging/murder. He fails, but a photographer catches him in the act. The actions captured in the photo are misinterpreted and Kevin is accused of the murder. He goes into hiding.
Abe Glitsky is under pressure to find Shea and prosecute him, but Abe is unconvinced that Shea is guilty. Everyone but Abe has already rushed to judgment. And the black community is up at arms over the fact that a guilty white man is running free.
Lots of inside politics and a few secrets revealed and plot twists at the end. Another strong effort by John Lescroart.
September 13, 2021
The wrenching lynching scene by a drunken mob that opens this story almost made me not read any further. But I'm glad I did. I've always liked Lieutenant Abe Glitsky and this one featured him, with his private detective friend Dismas Hardy taking a back seat role.
In a scene reminiscent of the stoning in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson, a white man, Kevin Shea, tries unsuccessfully to save a black man from a mob. Instead, Shea finds himself accused of the murder. He's on the run from howling partisans and from power brokers with their own agendas, both of whom who would be glad to use him as a whipping boy. Now it's his own lynching he's trying to prevent. San Francisco roils in racial tension and each action throws another match on the fires that are burning throughout the city. Glitsky has doubts about Shea's guilt, but he's pressured by his bosses to bring Shea in. He's squeezed from all sides and is desperately trying to hold some saner middle ground.
Mob rule - whether in the streets or in back room political deals - prevails from beginning to end, and makes the "justice" of the title hard to achieve. It does, but that qualifier "certain" is a clue that it's not always found in a court room or inside the criminal justice system.
In a scene reminiscent of the stoning in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson, a white man, Kevin Shea, tries unsuccessfully to save a black man from a mob. Instead, Shea finds himself accused of the murder. He's on the run from howling partisans and from power brokers with their own agendas, both of whom who would be glad to use him as a whipping boy. Now it's his own lynching he's trying to prevent. San Francisco roils in racial tension and each action throws another match on the fires that are burning throughout the city. Glitsky has doubts about Shea's guilt, but he's pressured by his bosses to bring Shea in. He's squeezed from all sides and is desperately trying to hold some saner middle ground.
Mob rule - whether in the streets or in back room political deals - prevails from beginning to end, and makes the "justice" of the title hard to achieve. It does, but that qualifier "certain" is a clue that it's not always found in a court room or inside the criminal justice system.
Want to read
April 15, 2021From Follett: San Francisco: An ideal American city, modern and enlightened. Or is it? When an innocent black man is lynched by a group of whites bent on a kind of twisted justice, Kevin Shea is wrongly identified as the mob's ringleader. Riots erupt all over the city, and he goes into hiding. Hunted, hounded, and nearly destroyed for an act he never committed, Shea becomes a lightning rod for the misplaced passions of a community. He could emerge from his self-imposed exile, but he might not survive long enough to clear his name. Abe Glitsky, returning from his appearance in Lescroart's earlier novels, is San Francisco's Chief of Homicide. Half-black and half Jewish, raising three sons on his own, struggling to work and live "by the book, " Glitsky is troubled by the powerful and complex emotions raised by this case, and ultimately haunted by its repercussions. His ex-lover Loretta Wager now a Senator and out to excoriate Shea has an electrifying effect on his struggle to do the right thing.
September 15, 2023
This book is intense and covers some heavy themes, especially given its original time of publication.
When I read Guilt, there was a point where it seemed like something had happened, but not in the story. It mentioned that the San Francisco DA had died in some riots the prior summer... but he had been in the book earlier, and there was no other mention of the riots. Some time jump had occurred, but it was unclear how much. And the characters had moved on, cleaned up, gotten pregnant, etc.
Reading A Certain Justice, I realized that this story takes place entirely within that gap in Guilt. These are the riots. So I had to work with what happened in the first half (or more) of that book, because it happened before this story. And one of the supporting characters in Guilt has his character arc explained here.
When I read Guilt, there was a point where it seemed like something had happened, but not in the story. It mentioned that the San Francisco DA had died in some riots the prior summer... but he had been in the book earlier, and there was no other mention of the riots. Some time jump had occurred, but it was unclear how much. And the characters had moved on, cleaned up, gotten pregnant, etc.
Reading A Certain Justice, I realized that this story takes place entirely within that gap in Guilt. These are the riots. So I had to work with what happened in the first half (or more) of that book, because it happened before this story. And one of the supporting characters in Guilt has his character arc explained here.
March 17, 2019
I’ve been reading as many of Les Croart’s Hardy and Glitsky books as I could find over the years. I finally found book #1! Wow! This book 1 is better than all of the others, and I love them! I just wish it hadn’t taken me so many years to find this one, but I’m so happy I have!
Mob mentality at its worst brings the city to the brink of a race war. Fueling the violence is a corrupt and egotistic politician who is so self serving that she declared herself the judge, jury and executioner of a man who, as the result of her purposeful and hateful behavior, has gone underground.
Will the truth win out? Not always. Who will pay for the violence that sparked the violent clashes? Psychological suspense at its finest. The book is so hard to find, but if you do find it, read it!
Mob mentality at its worst brings the city to the brink of a race war. Fueling the violence is a corrupt and egotistic politician who is so self serving that she declared herself the judge, jury and executioner of a man who, as the result of her purposeful and hateful behavior, has gone underground.
Will the truth win out? Not always. Who will pay for the violence that sparked the violent clashes? Psychological suspense at its finest. The book is so hard to find, but if you do find it, read it!
July 1, 2022
I have always been a fan of Abe Glitsky in the Dismas Hardy series and to see that he has three spinoff are perfect.
It never really occurred to me that Abe's spinoff would be after the death of his wife. This one brought back a love Abe thought he had and did not cause she had her sights on being better than...in the process there was racially charged killing in which she pushed and come to find out she committed to make her self greater than what she was. Abe being the man he is gave her an out and she took it not because it was the right thing to do but because, I would like to think, she found her heart again.
The question remains to be seen - is Elaine his daughter? hopefully, that will be answered in the next book.
It never really occurred to me that Abe's spinoff would be after the death of his wife. This one brought back a love Abe thought he had and did not cause she had her sights on being better than...in the process there was racially charged killing in which she pushed and come to find out she committed to make her self greater than what she was. Abe being the man he is gave her an out and she took it not because it was the right thing to do but because, I would like to think, she found her heart again.
The question remains to be seen - is Elaine his daughter? hopefully, that will be answered in the next book.
October 15, 2022
Haven't read a lot of John Lescroart detective stories based in San Francisco but recently read two..."A Certain Justice"...featuring San Francisco policeman Abe Glitsky. Story of white anger fomenting into white mayhem on the streets following the release of a black man from jail after murder charges had been dropped. How a good guy black man was lynched by an angry drunken crowd of white guys, a white guy tries to save him, a news reporter gets a picture of the white guy trying to save him but the picture led the city to believe he was trying to ensure death, the good guy trying to be a savior goes into hiding and so forth. The overall story has similarities to the Rodney King fiasco and so forth. Good detective story...three stars ***.
November 29, 2024
I have liked everything I have read by John Lescroart, and I always try to start with the first book in a series.
I liked the characters, but it took awhile to get into the plot. There is a mob hanging and the one person who tried to stop it is made into the poster boy for white racism. The black community believes the story fed to them by a black Senator, who is only out for political points.
Abe Glitsky also has to battle the city politicians and find the wanted man before more mob justice is performed.
It was nice seeing Dismas Hardy from his other series, but it may take some time to get into this police procedural series.
I borrowed a copy from the public library.
I liked the characters, but it took awhile to get into the plot. There is a mob hanging and the one person who tried to stop it is made into the poster boy for white racism. The black community believes the story fed to them by a black Senator, who is only out for political points.
Abe Glitsky also has to battle the city politicians and find the wanted man before more mob justice is performed.
It was nice seeing Dismas Hardy from his other series, but it may take some time to get into this police procedural series.
I borrowed a copy from the public library.
February 9, 2020
A Certain Justice had a great initial story idea especially when viewed with the events transpiring at the time Lescroart was writing the book. The rush to judgment related to picture that was not what it seemed in the face of racial tension is that inspired premise. The detractors for me were being overly long and not written concisely. There were also a few things that seemed too impractical in the context of the book. Nonetheless, A Certain Justice elicits thinking by readers which makes it a successful venture.
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