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Dismas Hardy #5
The Mercy Rule
Justice...
Once Dismas Hardy was a cop. Now he spends his days in a lawyer's suit, billing hours to a corporate client in a downtown San Francisco office. Hardy's wife and kids like it that way. Then one client changes everything.
Compassion...
Graham Russo, a former baseball star, is charged with murdering his dying father. Was it suicide, the last desperate act of a dying man? Was it murder? Or mercy?
Murder...
Now, as a carnival of reporters, activists, cops, lovers, and families throng around the case, Dismas Hardy is going to trial with a client he doesn't trust, a key witness he cannot believe, and a system that almost destroyed him once. For Dismas, this case will challenge everything he believes about the law, about his family, and about himself. Because a chilling truth is beginning to emerge about an old man's lonely death. And what Dismas knows could put him next in line to die. . . .
Once Dismas Hardy was a cop. Now he spends his days in a lawyer's suit, billing hours to a corporate client in a downtown San Francisco office. Hardy's wife and kids like it that way. Then one client changes everything.
Compassion...
Graham Russo, a former baseball star, is charged with murdering his dying father. Was it suicide, the last desperate act of a dying man? Was it murder? Or mercy?
Murder...
Now, as a carnival of reporters, activists, cops, lovers, and families throng around the case, Dismas Hardy is going to trial with a client he doesn't trust, a key witness he cannot believe, and a system that almost destroyed him once. For Dismas, this case will challenge everything he believes about the law, about his family, and about himself. Because a chilling truth is beginning to emerge about an old man's lonely death. And what Dismas knows could put him next in line to die. . . .
640 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 8, 1998
About the author
John Lescroart
136 books1,329 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 192 reviews
October 3, 2023
An already dying man strolls through death’s door a little earlier than expected! Natural death, suicide, assisted suicide, or capital first degree murder?
Fans of John Lescroart could certainly be forgiven for picking up THE MERCY RULE expecting a suspense or legal thriller. After all, that’s how Lescroart rolls and his body of work speaks for itself. But, for my money, it’s much more accurate to describe THE MERCY RULE as comparable to a Jodi Picoult work in which some “issue” is raised, explored and addressed with a provocative plot that simply puts questions before its readers and leaves them to mentally explore the options to find the answers for themselves. Well, maybe, maybe not!
In this case, the issue is the right to a dignified death in the face of terminal disease or incurable injury, pain, suffering, and the loss of dignity; the deterioration of the mental capacity for self-determination; the ethics and legality of assisted suicide; the question as to whether assisted suicide is legally murder, in fact, first degree murder and possibly subject to capital punishment; and, of course, the intransigent response from organized religion that assisted suicide flies in the face of the plans of a deity whose wishes are not subject to mere human opposition.
An interesting presentation of the opposing sides of the question:
First, assisted suicide was presented as a “liberty interest issue, not too dissimilar to abortion. Provided, of course, you’ve got cruise control … CRUIS – competent, rational, uncoerced, informed, stable.”
And then there is the typical opposition to suicide or assisted suicide from a zealous, dogmatic Christian community:
There is “great caring, great love, great sacrifice, and great nobility in the face of death. But the end of pain is a blessing from God, and ministering to that end is the true meaning of Christianity.” Or (in my considered opinion, even worse and, frankly, quite disgusting) the sanctimonious Mother Theresa approach which sees virtue, blessing, and even good fortune in the pain and suffering inflicted by an all-knowing God, “suffering was part of life. It had a purpose. It ennobled and strengthened the sprit, especially when offered up to the glory of God.”
No prizes for guessing which side of the issue I found myself cheering for as a compelling trial drama unfolded in the novel.
THE MERCY RULE is a long novel – indeed, a door-stopper by most any reader’s standards. If you’re looking for the “suspense” or the “thrills” of a typical suspense or legal thriller, my guess is you’ll be disappointed and find the novel unduly long or even dragging. If you let it be an exploration of a pertinent 21st century issue, it’s a sure-fire winner.
Paul Weiss
Fans of John Lescroart could certainly be forgiven for picking up THE MERCY RULE expecting a suspense or legal thriller. After all, that’s how Lescroart rolls and his body of work speaks for itself. But, for my money, it’s much more accurate to describe THE MERCY RULE as comparable to a Jodi Picoult work in which some “issue” is raised, explored and addressed with a provocative plot that simply puts questions before its readers and leaves them to mentally explore the options to find the answers for themselves. Well, maybe, maybe not!
In this case, the issue is the right to a dignified death in the face of terminal disease or incurable injury, pain, suffering, and the loss of dignity; the deterioration of the mental capacity for self-determination; the ethics and legality of assisted suicide; the question as to whether assisted suicide is legally murder, in fact, first degree murder and possibly subject to capital punishment; and, of course, the intransigent response from organized religion that assisted suicide flies in the face of the plans of a deity whose wishes are not subject to mere human opposition.
An interesting presentation of the opposing sides of the question:
First, assisted suicide was presented as a “liberty interest issue, not too dissimilar to abortion. Provided, of course, you’ve got cruise control … CRUIS – competent, rational, uncoerced, informed, stable.”
And then there is the typical opposition to suicide or assisted suicide from a zealous, dogmatic Christian community:
There is “great caring, great love, great sacrifice, and great nobility in the face of death. But the end of pain is a blessing from God, and ministering to that end is the true meaning of Christianity.” Or (in my considered opinion, even worse and, frankly, quite disgusting) the sanctimonious Mother Theresa approach which sees virtue, blessing, and even good fortune in the pain and suffering inflicted by an all-knowing God, “suffering was part of life. It had a purpose. It ennobled and strengthened the sprit, especially when offered up to the glory of God.”
No prizes for guessing which side of the issue I found myself cheering for as a compelling trial drama unfolded in the novel.
THE MERCY RULE is a long novel – indeed, a door-stopper by most any reader’s standards. If you’re looking for the “suspense” or the “thrills” of a typical suspense or legal thriller, my guess is you’ll be disappointed and find the novel unduly long or even dragging. If you let it be an exploration of a pertinent 21st century issue, it’s a sure-fire winner.
Paul Weiss
January 27, 2017
REVIEW OF AUDIOBOOK; JANUARY 26, 2017
Narrator: David Colacci
I liked this for the most part but found it overly long - 18 hours! It could have been shortened without affecting the plot, IMO.
I did enjoy Dismas investigating the case against Graham and I found his wife, Frannie's interaction with Dis refreshing. She's smart, independent, and supportive towards her husband - something, at the start of the book, Dis doesn't seem quite aware of. So Frannie surprised me in a pleasant way because most writers tend to give their MCs a shrew. I like it when Glitsky makes an appearance though I haven't read/listened to any of his books in his own series.
What did pull me out of the story was the amount of money involved. A mere 50,000 dollars, yet all that drama. Then again, it involved Graham's family members and we all know what happens when relatives get involved.
I couldn't guess the killer and the identity came out of left field, for me. That cost the book a star. I like Colacci narrating the series (most of the current 16 books) and that helped me get through the 18 hours. I like long audiobooks but 18 hours is too much for a murder investigation. Action thrillers are okay so I hope the rest of the series is more manageable, lengthwise.
Narrator: David Colacci
I liked this for the most part but found it overly long - 18 hours! It could have been shortened without affecting the plot, IMO.
I did enjoy Dismas investigating the case against Graham and I found his wife, Frannie's interaction with Dis refreshing. She's smart, independent, and supportive towards her husband - something, at the start of the book, Dis doesn't seem quite aware of. So Frannie surprised me in a pleasant way because most writers tend to give their MCs a shrew. I like it when Glitsky makes an appearance though I haven't read/listened to any of his books in his own series.
What did pull me out of the story was the amount of money involved. A mere 50,000 dollars, yet all that drama. Then again, it involved Graham's family members and we all know what happens when relatives get involved.
I couldn't guess the killer and the identity came out of left field, for me. That cost the book a star. I like Colacci narrating the series (most of the current 16 books) and that helped me get through the 18 hours. I like long audiobooks but 18 hours is too much for a murder investigation. Action thrillers are okay so I hope the rest of the series is more manageable, lengthwise.
April 12, 2009
I have been a fan of John Lescroart since the first book of his that I read. I like the idea of having characters which recur in subsequent books--even ones like Dismas Hardy and Abe Glitsky, who are at times seriously flawed.
This is probably the longest of his novels, and quite entertaining with many twists and turns. The villains are villanous, and the hero not always heroic.
This is probably the longest of his novels, and quite entertaining with many twists and turns. The villains are villanous, and the hero not always heroic.
May 12, 2016
Another winner by Lescroart. Not quite as happy an ending as some of the previous ones I've read, but it all seemed to turn out OK in the end. A bit of a surprise at the end, which seems common for his books.
May 4, 2020
The Mercy Rule took a little too long in the groundwork and introduction, though enjoyable, to the main course. The issue of assisted suicide in the trial is interesting. The trial is fairly entertaining, though.
September 29, 2013
This is the second Dismas Hardy novel I've read (possibly the third - see below) and I will be reading the rest of the series. The characters are wonderful - flawed and human. I read too many books where all of the characters are almost superhuman - the men were at the top of their classes and the women aren't real. Dismas Hardy is real - loves his family but seems to love his career more. He has deep friendships, and sometimes he pushes them to the limits.
The book touches on assisted suicide, hence the title, but in the end stays noncommital, as it should. The book, at its heart, is a legal thriller, and one that was hard to put down.
I said earlier this is the second one I've read. I think I might have read a third either before I was on Shelfari, or when I was lazy and not updating my shelf. I'm hoping I'm wrong on having read a 3rd, because that means one less to enjoy!
The book touches on assisted suicide, hence the title, but in the end stays noncommital, as it should. The book, at its heart, is a legal thriller, and one that was hard to put down.
I said earlier this is the second one I've read. I think I might have read a third either before I was on Shelfari, or when I was lazy and not updating my shelf. I'm hoping I'm wrong on having read a 3rd, because that means one less to enjoy!
February 9, 2013
Although this story is much longer than necessary, the last 1/3 saves it from becoming a disaster. This is a rescue Houdini would be proud of. 7 of 10 stars
July 12, 2019
What a great book! It’s a well crafted combination of legal drama, police procedural and insights about the realities of the bureaucracy that governs the system. This is the 5th entry in a series but, while it’s helpful to know the background of the characters by reading the series in order, I think this could be easily read independently of the other books. While this is a different author with a different writing style, it reminds me of the quality of a Michael Connelly book and that’s high praise from me.
October 17, 2022
Dismas Hardy does not want another murder trial, but Graham Russo has gotten under his skin and he can't shake it off.
After being estranged from his father for years Graham and Sal have reconciled. But Sal is now battling advancing Alzheimer disease and an inoperable brain tumor.
Now Sal is dead and the coroner is not sure if it is suicide or murder. Did Sal kill himself, did Graham help him or did he murder him for the money and baseball card collection in his safe.
A well written thought provoking book. I look forward to reading more of John Lescroat's work.
After being estranged from his father for years Graham and Sal have reconciled. But Sal is now battling advancing Alzheimer disease and an inoperable brain tumor.
Now Sal is dead and the coroner is not sure if it is suicide or murder. Did Sal kill himself, did Graham help him or did he murder him for the money and baseball card collection in his safe.
A well written thought provoking book. I look forward to reading more of John Lescroat's work.
December 10, 2018
I have read at least seven of the Dismas Hardy books and this series has been very enjoyable.
This book continues the winning streak. I really enjoy Lescroart's writing style. His books are detailed and you need to read carefully to follow all the little clues hidden here and there. I don't want to say more because of spoilers, but this is a great addition to the Dismas Hardy series. They can be read out of order as each stands alone.
Highly recommended for fans of legal thrillers.
This book continues the winning streak. I really enjoy Lescroart's writing style. His books are detailed and you need to read carefully to follow all the little clues hidden here and there. I don't want to say more because of spoilers, but this is a great addition to the Dismas Hardy series. They can be read out of order as each stands alone.
Highly recommended for fans of legal thrillers.
April 28, 2012
This older John Lescroart novel finds Dismas Hardy defending another lawyer who is accused of killing his dying father. When the district attorney fails to prosecute a politically ambitious State Attorney steps in sending an assistant with a grudge against the defendant to prosecute. As usually with Lescroart lots of twists and turns and good legal action leaving you up in the air on how the case will turn out and who is the killer.
September 6, 2011
In rereading Lescroart I'm reminded about how topical his legal thrillers are--this is right to die--and how determined he is to solve the crime, not just get his client off. Investigative, good dialog, SF zeitgeist. And always a pleasure to listen to David Colacci.
February 21, 2019
Interesting and satisfying read. Lescroart is a good writer. I would definitely recommend this book. It is based partly on assisted suicide and murder filled with courtroom drama.
March 16, 2020
Good Tale!!
Reading John Lescroart was something like a palate cleanser. I needed a break from books about love, romance, angst and all of the rest that evolves from that four letter word. Just a good old murder/mystery coupled with extensive courtroom drama and backroom politics, and Lescroart, Dismas Hardy and Abe Glitsky ALWAYS deliver.
Buy it, read it and enjoy!!👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥
Reading John Lescroart was something like a palate cleanser. I needed a break from books about love, romance, angst and all of the rest that evolves from that four letter word. Just a good old murder/mystery coupled with extensive courtroom drama and backroom politics, and Lescroart, Dismas Hardy and Abe Glitsky ALWAYS deliver.
Buy it, read it and enjoy!!👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥
January 2, 2022
I loved the treatment of Sal Russo, the victim, in this story featuring Dismis Hardy. Sal had Alzheimers and a brain tumor, in order to cope he wrote down everything he wanted to remember from phone numbers to his 3rd grade teacher. Although estranged for many years, near the end Sal and his older son become best friends, now the son is accused of killing his father. Was if murder for profit, mercy killing or is the son totally innocent. To make matters even more interesting, the son has made enemies of many people in the legal community.
November 7, 2022
I found this an entertaining read. It was quite gritty in it's depiction of the courtroom dramas both in the courtroom itself and also out of it. There was a refreshing lack of the "superhero" element that seems to plague a lot of modern novels and everything that was found out was a logical progression. An unexpected but delightful twist at the end.
March 4, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed Mercy Rule. I’ve been a Lescroart fan for quite a while. I’d recommend this as a good quick read!!
April 8, 2020
Probably the best legal thriller I've read. Very thought provoking about the issue of assisted suicide. Great story with a lot of suspects but was it murder or suicide?
August 28, 2021
2.5 stars
December 17, 2017
AUTHOR: JOHN LESCROART
CHARACTERS: Dismas Hardy, Graham Russo,Sal Russo,Abe Glitsky, David Freeman, Sarah Evans,Gil Soma, Art Drysdale, and Dean Powell
LOCATION: SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA STATE ((USA))
GENRE : THRILLER ...
PLOT
Graham Russo, a former baseball star, is charged with murder of his dying father Sal Russo. Was it a suicide, the last desperate act of a dying man? or just mercy killing...!!!The autopsy report confirms that the cause of death is due to morphine overdose ,injected by syringe.
Graham Russo was arrested by detective inspector Sarah Evens, was charged with Murder-robbery, after a thorough search made by the detective inspectors. It was found in the search that Graham had deposited 50000 dollars and a collection of baseball cards from the early 1950s worth another many more thousands belonging to his father, in his safe deposit box of Wells Fargo Branch Bank, soon afrer his father Sal's death. It was also discovered in the investigation that Graham know the number combination of his father's safe vault, from a letter written by Sal Russo.
Graham Russo earned his living by playing baseball and softball matches. He switched jobs constantly. He was law student ,started his career as a clerk in a reputed law firm,left that job after few months. He was also a trained paramedic,skilled in giving injections.
Dismas Hardy, hates to be a criminal defendant lawyer.He feels that the hectic nature of the job will steal him away from his wife and two children. He, therefore spends his days in a lawyer's suit, a luxurious accommodation at the law office of David Freeman, in a downtown San Francisco office, billing hours to a Corporate client.
The death of Sal Russo and the arrest of Graham changes everything.After couple of meetings with Graham at his residence and later in jail, Hardy feels that Graham is wrongly convicted man and agrees to be his defense lawyer.
Dismas Hardy asks Graham to plead guilty, so that he can gey to his life after few years of imprisonment, but Graham rejects Hardy's advice and tells him firmly that he was innocent and loved his father very much.
Now, as a carnival of reporters,activitsts,cops,and families throng around the "Sal Russo case" Dismas Hardy is going to defend Graham Russo against a tough prosecution team led by Attorney General Dean Powell, Art Drysdale and Gil Soma.
THE TRIAL
Arguments of the PROSECUTION TEAM led by Dean Powell, Art Drysdale and Gil soma before the Jury and Judge Jordan Salter:
" Graham Russo, murdered his father Sal Russo for money. Graham Russo on 9th of May came to his father's apartment,killed his father with an injection of morphine took 20000 dollars from the safe and fled...
Sal Russo , the defendant's father was indeed suffering from Alzheimer's disease and from brain cancer. There may be evidence that on some days the defendant Graham might have come to his father's apartment to administer morphine to help Sal deal with his pain, but on that particular day Graham came not as a healer, but an assassin and thief..."
The prosecution team also brings professional witnesses before the Jurors to testify Graham was a trained paramedic,skilled in giving injections that he had constant access to syringes and in fact provided by the syringe that was used in this fatal injection. The prosecution team calls Fargo Bank's teller to testify that on the very afternoon of Sal's death,the defendant Graham placed in his own deposit box a sum of fifty thousand dollars and a collection of baseball cards from the early 1950s worth another many thousands more to show the defendants desperate need for money.
Finally, by calling the detective inspectors ,who investigated the homicide, the prosecution makes them to testify the lies Graham told to them and his motive, killing his father out of greed for money and baseball cards kept in his safe.The prosecution team rests its argument by accusing Graham as a cold blooded murderer.
Arguments of DEFENSE TEAM lead by Dismas Hardy and David Freeman before the Jury and the Judge..!!!
"Graham Russo cared for his father,protected and loved him. It is an obscenity that he has been charged with murder.Graham was indeed a regular visitor to his father's apartment. He went to administer shots for Sal's pain,but he also went there to visit,take his father to dinner,to organise and clean and help with the laundry. Graham did this for more than two years and frequently in the last six months.
Graham had his father's money as per his father's instructions and deposited in his bank vault on 8th may itself,a day prior to Sal's death.Sal's doctor had given him a form called DNR, stands for "Do not resuscitate" kinda medic alert bracelet that instructs paramedics to let a person die if that is nature's course.Sal had his DNR sticker out when he was found. No murder for money was done, no murder at all. The prosecution cannot prove that Graham Russo killed his father, he is innocent"
Defense Attorney Dismas Hardy by taking a bold stance and by ignoring the great majority of evidence presented by prosecution team and by intelligently cross examining the prosecution witnesses John Strout the doctor,Philip Parini the crime scene specialist, Sarah Evans the detective inspector andbank Manager Mrs.Li, painted his own picture of Graham,the sincere and devoted son who found himself in agonizing dilemma of his father's terminal illness.
The jury and the judge believed Hardy and gave a verdict of Graham's acquittal,by pointing that Graham did nothing wrong.
WHO KILLED SAL RUSSO...
During his meeting with Graham at his apartment and in jail, Hardy remembered Graham telling the last wish of his father. Sal wished his funds, entire 50000 dollars and amount derived by selling the baseball cards should go to an woman named "JOAN SINGLETERRY '. But there was no telephone number or address mentioned in Sal's belongings. Even though Hardy placed advertisements both in local and national newspapers the address was not traceable . Hardy was both confused and puzzled regarding Sal's connection to this Joan woman.
Before his death, on every Fridays Sal Russo sold Salmon fish to his customers, who were judges and police lieutenants. Because of the quality of the fish Sal supplied, he was fondly mentioned as "Salmon Sal" by his close friends.Sal owned a boat moored right behind the federal court.
One of Sal Russo's oldest and best friend was Mario Giotti, a well known federal judge in San Francisco. During his younger days Mario worked in his father's hotel named Grotto, back in the kitchen. Mario was also a young attorney with political aspirations. Hotel Grotto was having a very tough time,was suffering heavy losses. Giotti family received a notice from State of California, that the hotel should be properly renovated, because of the hotel's poor standard to meet out the needs of the tourists. The family needed forty-five thousand dollars to bring the place to the code prescribed by the State or the hotel would be shut down.
Mario Giotti and his best friend Sal came up with a smart idea. If there was a small fire in the kitchen, doing a little damage to the hotel, the insurance cost can cover the renovation. Mario and Sal thought the fire could never spread, with its backup and alarm systems. Unexpectedly because of the grease in the kitchen the fire spread fast, burning the entire hotel. In an attempt to put down the fire, a fisherman named Randall G.Palmieri, dead on the spot. Randall was a sweet faced young guy,with two kids and pretty wife Joan.
Out of sympathy towards Randall's wife Joan Palmieri, Judge Giotti helped her to run the family out of Trust fund, established by his family. Joan, later married Ron Singleterry,lived a peaceful life till her death.The judge also gave Sal Russo 50000 dollars out of gratitude and guilt, mainly to keep him shut.
Hardy learns these matters from Joan's daughter, who responded after seeing Hardy's advertisement. Hardy also interrogates judge Giotti after finding a leather hose,from Sal's belongings,first he mistook for belt and learning about the burnt down Hotel Gorotto,from the paper archives.
Judge Giotti's wife Pat Giotti, wants her husband to reach great heights in his career . She wants her husband to be a Supreme court judge without any hindrances.
Sal Russo became a great threat to her wish.Because of his Alzheimer's disease and cancer, he forgot that his son had taken his 50000 dollars as per his instructions . Sal began to yell and threaten the judge if he didn't give his money back, Sal will declare in public the tragic incident happened in Hotel Gortto,and their roles to hide the death of an young fireman.This, made the judge restless, even though he had confidence over his best friend.
So, Pat Giotti to help her husband, and to wipe away the blabbing Sal Russo who was posing a great threat to her husband, killed him with morphine overdose by visiting Sal's apartment secretly.
Pat ,also wanted to stop Hardy who was constantly digging Mario Giotti's past even after Graham's acquittal. Meeting ,Hardy at gun point,while he was working late. at his office,Pat narrates the entire truth to Hardy and leaves him with bullet injuries. She was arrested and sentenced six years jail at County prison.
As per his father's wish, Graham donates Sal's entire funds to Joan Singleterry and joins as law associate in David Freeman's office. Graham marries Sarah Evans,the detective inspector who had a soft corner towards Graham and firmly believed right from the beginning, he was innocent,
MY COMMENT
MERCY CODE...GRIPPING PAGE TURNER.
CHARACTERS: Dismas Hardy, Graham Russo,Sal Russo,Abe Glitsky, David Freeman, Sarah Evans,Gil Soma, Art Drysdale, and Dean Powell
LOCATION: SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA STATE ((USA))
GENRE : THRILLER ...
PLOT
Graham Russo, a former baseball star, is charged with murder of his dying father Sal Russo. Was it a suicide, the last desperate act of a dying man? or just mercy killing...!!!The autopsy report confirms that the cause of death is due to morphine overdose ,injected by syringe.
Graham Russo was arrested by detective inspector Sarah Evens, was charged with Murder-robbery, after a thorough search made by the detective inspectors. It was found in the search that Graham had deposited 50000 dollars and a collection of baseball cards from the early 1950s worth another many more thousands belonging to his father, in his safe deposit box of Wells Fargo Branch Bank, soon afrer his father Sal's death. It was also discovered in the investigation that Graham know the number combination of his father's safe vault, from a letter written by Sal Russo.
Graham Russo earned his living by playing baseball and softball matches. He switched jobs constantly. He was law student ,started his career as a clerk in a reputed law firm,left that job after few months. He was also a trained paramedic,skilled in giving injections.
Dismas Hardy, hates to be a criminal defendant lawyer.He feels that the hectic nature of the job will steal him away from his wife and two children. He, therefore spends his days in a lawyer's suit, a luxurious accommodation at the law office of David Freeman, in a downtown San Francisco office, billing hours to a Corporate client.
The death of Sal Russo and the arrest of Graham changes everything.After couple of meetings with Graham at his residence and later in jail, Hardy feels that Graham is wrongly convicted man and agrees to be his defense lawyer.
Dismas Hardy asks Graham to plead guilty, so that he can gey to his life after few years of imprisonment, but Graham rejects Hardy's advice and tells him firmly that he was innocent and loved his father very much.
Now, as a carnival of reporters,activitsts,cops,and families throng around the "Sal Russo case" Dismas Hardy is going to defend Graham Russo against a tough prosecution team led by Attorney General Dean Powell, Art Drysdale and Gil Soma.
THE TRIAL
Arguments of the PROSECUTION TEAM led by Dean Powell, Art Drysdale and Gil soma before the Jury and Judge Jordan Salter:
" Graham Russo, murdered his father Sal Russo for money. Graham Russo on 9th of May came to his father's apartment,killed his father with an injection of morphine took 20000 dollars from the safe and fled...
Sal Russo , the defendant's father was indeed suffering from Alzheimer's disease and from brain cancer. There may be evidence that on some days the defendant Graham might have come to his father's apartment to administer morphine to help Sal deal with his pain, but on that particular day Graham came not as a healer, but an assassin and thief..."
The prosecution team also brings professional witnesses before the Jurors to testify Graham was a trained paramedic,skilled in giving injections that he had constant access to syringes and in fact provided by the syringe that was used in this fatal injection. The prosecution team calls Fargo Bank's teller to testify that on the very afternoon of Sal's death,the defendant Graham placed in his own deposit box a sum of fifty thousand dollars and a collection of baseball cards from the early 1950s worth another many thousands more to show the defendants desperate need for money.
Finally, by calling the detective inspectors ,who investigated the homicide, the prosecution makes them to testify the lies Graham told to them and his motive, killing his father out of greed for money and baseball cards kept in his safe.The prosecution team rests its argument by accusing Graham as a cold blooded murderer.
Arguments of DEFENSE TEAM lead by Dismas Hardy and David Freeman before the Jury and the Judge..!!!
"Graham Russo cared for his father,protected and loved him. It is an obscenity that he has been charged with murder.Graham was indeed a regular visitor to his father's apartment. He went to administer shots for Sal's pain,but he also went there to visit,take his father to dinner,to organise and clean and help with the laundry. Graham did this for more than two years and frequently in the last six months.
Graham had his father's money as per his father's instructions and deposited in his bank vault on 8th may itself,a day prior to Sal's death.Sal's doctor had given him a form called DNR, stands for "Do not resuscitate" kinda medic alert bracelet that instructs paramedics to let a person die if that is nature's course.Sal had his DNR sticker out when he was found. No murder for money was done, no murder at all. The prosecution cannot prove that Graham Russo killed his father, he is innocent"
Defense Attorney Dismas Hardy by taking a bold stance and by ignoring the great majority of evidence presented by prosecution team and by intelligently cross examining the prosecution witnesses John Strout the doctor,Philip Parini the crime scene specialist, Sarah Evans the detective inspector andbank Manager Mrs.Li, painted his own picture of Graham,the sincere and devoted son who found himself in agonizing dilemma of his father's terminal illness.
The jury and the judge believed Hardy and gave a verdict of Graham's acquittal,by pointing that Graham did nothing wrong.
WHO KILLED SAL RUSSO...
During his meeting with Graham at his apartment and in jail, Hardy remembered Graham telling the last wish of his father. Sal wished his funds, entire 50000 dollars and amount derived by selling the baseball cards should go to an woman named "JOAN SINGLETERRY '. But there was no telephone number or address mentioned in Sal's belongings. Even though Hardy placed advertisements both in local and national newspapers the address was not traceable . Hardy was both confused and puzzled regarding Sal's connection to this Joan woman.
Before his death, on every Fridays Sal Russo sold Salmon fish to his customers, who were judges and police lieutenants. Because of the quality of the fish Sal supplied, he was fondly mentioned as "Salmon Sal" by his close friends.Sal owned a boat moored right behind the federal court.
One of Sal Russo's oldest and best friend was Mario Giotti, a well known federal judge in San Francisco. During his younger days Mario worked in his father's hotel named Grotto, back in the kitchen. Mario was also a young attorney with political aspirations. Hotel Grotto was having a very tough time,was suffering heavy losses. Giotti family received a notice from State of California, that the hotel should be properly renovated, because of the hotel's poor standard to meet out the needs of the tourists. The family needed forty-five thousand dollars to bring the place to the code prescribed by the State or the hotel would be shut down.
Mario Giotti and his best friend Sal came up with a smart idea. If there was a small fire in the kitchen, doing a little damage to the hotel, the insurance cost can cover the renovation. Mario and Sal thought the fire could never spread, with its backup and alarm systems. Unexpectedly because of the grease in the kitchen the fire spread fast, burning the entire hotel. In an attempt to put down the fire, a fisherman named Randall G.Palmieri, dead on the spot. Randall was a sweet faced young guy,with two kids and pretty wife Joan.
Out of sympathy towards Randall's wife Joan Palmieri, Judge Giotti helped her to run the family out of Trust fund, established by his family. Joan, later married Ron Singleterry,lived a peaceful life till her death.The judge also gave Sal Russo 50000 dollars out of gratitude and guilt, mainly to keep him shut.
Hardy learns these matters from Joan's daughter, who responded after seeing Hardy's advertisement. Hardy also interrogates judge Giotti after finding a leather hose,from Sal's belongings,first he mistook for belt and learning about the burnt down Hotel Gorotto,from the paper archives.
Judge Giotti's wife Pat Giotti, wants her husband to reach great heights in his career . She wants her husband to be a Supreme court judge without any hindrances.
Sal Russo became a great threat to her wish.Because of his Alzheimer's disease and cancer, he forgot that his son had taken his 50000 dollars as per his instructions . Sal began to yell and threaten the judge if he didn't give his money back, Sal will declare in public the tragic incident happened in Hotel Gortto,and their roles to hide the death of an young fireman.This, made the judge restless, even though he had confidence over his best friend.
So, Pat Giotti to help her husband, and to wipe away the blabbing Sal Russo who was posing a great threat to her husband, killed him with morphine overdose by visiting Sal's apartment secretly.
Pat ,also wanted to stop Hardy who was constantly digging Mario Giotti's past even after Graham's acquittal. Meeting ,Hardy at gun point,while he was working late. at his office,Pat narrates the entire truth to Hardy and leaves him with bullet injuries. She was arrested and sentenced six years jail at County prison.
As per his father's wish, Graham donates Sal's entire funds to Joan Singleterry and joins as law associate in David Freeman's office. Graham marries Sarah Evans,the detective inspector who had a soft corner towards Graham and firmly believed right from the beginning, he was innocent,
MY COMMENT
MERCY CODE...GRIPPING PAGE TURNER.
October 31, 2021
I wasn’t entirely happy with the ending but Lescroart as usual is very readable.
March 12, 2023
I've read this book before, but it's been years. Long enough that I could not remember the plot or the bod guy. Great book as all of the Dismas Hardy books are....also just a little long...as all the Dismas Hardy books are. You really do have to read them in order and everyone matures, but a very good series that I haven't kept up with and need to re-read before I start catching up.
August 1, 2014
"The Mercy Rule" is a story that one will remember long after the book is finished. Dismas Hardy is back in the role of defense attorney and sometimes that means being at odds with his best friend since the friend is Lt. Abe Glitsky now in homicide but both always remember where the friendship began when they were both young cops walking their beat. Diz's client, Graham Russo, an estate case suddenly becomes a client charged with murder. The prosecutor begins his case with "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury. The defendant, Graham Russo, murdered his father for money." But opening statements may be simple but there's always more to the story. This story is an evocative portrayal of the multiple complexities of assisted suicide between definitions - from the viewpoint of humanity vs. from the law.
The story is also compelling due to the introduction of new characters to the series, Sarah Evans and her partner, Marcel Lanier - the Sal Russo investigating team working for Abe. One of the wonderful things about Sarah is on a night home alone, "Carrying her afghan in from the bedroom, she gets herself settled in her chair and spent most of another hour finishing a paperback about Kat Colorado going on tour with a country singer in Nashville, saving the woman's life, of course, winning another one for the good guys. Sarah liked these books about women private eyes, especially the quick-witted, smart-mouthed ones. She didn't fancy herself like them, but it was fun to live in their shoes for the space of a book..." Oh yes, I definitely like Sarah Evan's choice of private eye, Kat Colorado, Sacramento Private Investigator created by Karen Kijewski.
As I've said in other reviews of John Lescroart's titles, this is not my first read of a title by John Lescroart nor my first read about character Dismas Hardy and definitely will not be my last.
The story is also compelling due to the introduction of new characters to the series, Sarah Evans and her partner, Marcel Lanier - the Sal Russo investigating team working for Abe. One of the wonderful things about Sarah is on a night home alone, "Carrying her afghan in from the bedroom, she gets herself settled in her chair and spent most of another hour finishing a paperback about Kat Colorado going on tour with a country singer in Nashville, saving the woman's life, of course, winning another one for the good guys. Sarah liked these books about women private eyes, especially the quick-witted, smart-mouthed ones. She didn't fancy herself like them, but it was fun to live in their shoes for the space of a book..." Oh yes, I definitely like Sarah Evan's choice of private eye, Kat Colorado, Sacramento Private Investigator created by Karen Kijewski.
As I've said in other reviews of John Lescroart's titles, this is not my first read of a title by John Lescroart nor my first read about character Dismas Hardy and definitely will not be my last.
April 18, 2021
THE MERCY RULE [1998] By John Lescroart
My Review Four Stars****
Dismas Hardy returns as the featured protagonist in Book 5 of 19 at the time of this writing (Spring 2021). Frankly, I am surprised that I opted to read still another chapter of Diz Hardy’s life and times so doggone soon, having previously read THE VIG in February (which I did enjoy quite a bit), followed by HARD EVIDENCE, and then THE 13TH JUROR early last month. Nevertheless, I was ready to become immersed in the time and the streets of San Francisco in the late 1990’s.
It has been three years since the events that occurred in THE 13th JUROR, and Hardy is 45 years old. Dean Powell, the prosecutor Diz had defeated at the 11th hour in the previous book, is now the State Attorney General. In another twist, his former mentor the quick witted and likeable Art Drysdale is also in the State Attorney General’s Office following a “shake-up” in the San Francisco DA’s Office. The black DA hard on crime in the city was voted out of the DA’s Office in favor of an ultra-liberal white female replacement named Pratt. Hardy’s close friend is the Head of the Homicide Division, and the reader learns that Abe has lost his beloved wife to the ravages of cancer in the time interval since HARD EVIDENCE. It has always been my stance that any book series will ultimately be more fulfilling and enjoyable if the reader starts at the beginning and reads the novels in chronological order. That is true of Lescroart’s Dismas Hardy series as well, but I will concede that THE MERCY RULE could be read as a standalone. Lescroart manages to inject a significant amount of the back story on Dismas Hardy.
The reader learns the essential facts about Hardy’s back story and finds out that Hardy is once again “sleepwalking” his way through life. He is killing himself putting in hours billing a corporate client, distancing himself from both his wife and family. Diz found himself caring too much and his fear made him pull away from his family and criminal law (everything he loved). Hardy recognizes that he needs to straighten up and embrace life without fear and start living it. The larger-than-life Defense Lawyer David Freeman from the prior novels is there to give Diz some reality orientation as well. An old acquaintance from his days at the Shamrock arranges to see him for legal advice, but this meeting is only a precursor to Hardy’s decision to embrace criminal defense again start preparing to be Defense Counsel for the highest profile case in his life.
The title of the book is derived from a phrase that was tossed out during a heated interchange between the homicide squad and the new DA Pratt. A man’s death is ruled by the Medical Examiner as “equivocal” with no definitive finding of suicide or homicide. The son is arrested prior to the DA’s Office making the decision to move forward with prosecution. DA Pratt tosses it out, decides not to pursue the victim’s son for either assisting his father to commit suicide or alternatively injected morphine into his dad’s vein to end his pain and suffering.
“So you’re saying that from now on in cases like this, the DA decides we don’t need a jury trial to get at the facts? And what do we call this, ‘the mercy rule’?”
Interestingly enough, an alternative definition to “The Mercy Rule” is later offered up in the novel, a sport’s term as it so happens.
I would venture to say that (THE MERCY RULE) is Lescroart’s longest novel (636 pages). That’s funny of course because the agonizing length of Lescroart’s storylines has been my principal complaint in two out of the three of his books preceding this one. By the 50% mark in the novel, the author had pretty much laid the groundwork and made all of the introductions to the characters. I approached this book knowing that it was going to be a character-driven story with “oodles” (as Hannibal would say) of character development, tons of entertaining and enjoyable dialogue, and of course populated with a colorful cast of characters both old and new. I must say that reading the novel at a leisurely pace, just taking time “to smell the roses” has staved off any boredom and impatience that I might have previously felt to “just get on with it”. Let’s face it, in Lescroart’s world “That ain’t gonna happen”. He is masterful with creating believable three-dimensional characters and writing snappy, gripping social discourse.
THE MERCY RULE was originally published in 1998, and only available in eBook format much later, the Kindle Version dated June 2019. In any case the novel didn’t appear to “knock the ball out of the park” on Goodreads with 2,487 Ratings resulting in an overall score 4.03. That represented only 30% of readers awarding 5-Stars. Amazon painted a different “tale of the take” with an impressive 4.5, but the sample consisted of only 261 overall ratings.
I finished the novel last night and I was gratified to see that my feelings are not far from those of “the maddening crowd”. Recently it’s like I have been an outlier when I post book reviews. Anyway, THE MERCY RULE deserves a solid four stars in my opinion. The second half of the book provided some sensational courtroom drama, in part because of the subject matter and the uniqueness of the defense strategy, but largely due to the incredible talent that Lescroart exhibits with character development. Yes, there are a LOT of pages, but the reader also learns to know the entire constellation of colorful characters who populate the book. The concept of death with dignity, and the topics of assisted suicide and euthanasia are put on slides under a microscope. It is impossible for the reader to avoid contemplation of these heavy issues. I found it interesting that San Francisco, the country’s hotbed of liberalism, was unable to legitimize or legalize assisted suicide in the late ‘90s and it remains illegal in all states of the union over two decades later. But the novel is a murder mystery at its core, and it isn’t until after the climax of the trial and the jury’s verdict rings out loud and clear that the murderer is revealed. I thought I had it all figured out from the bread crumbs of clues that were provided throughout the long narrative, but there was the one last plot twist I didn’t anticipate. Overall, this admittedly LONG novel is really more than pretty good. It’s an emotionally sprawling epic well worth the time that you invest.
My Review Four Stars****
Dismas Hardy returns as the featured protagonist in Book 5 of 19 at the time of this writing (Spring 2021). Frankly, I am surprised that I opted to read still another chapter of Diz Hardy’s life and times so doggone soon, having previously read THE VIG in February (which I did enjoy quite a bit), followed by HARD EVIDENCE, and then THE 13TH JUROR early last month. Nevertheless, I was ready to become immersed in the time and the streets of San Francisco in the late 1990’s.
It has been three years since the events that occurred in THE 13th JUROR, and Hardy is 45 years old. Dean Powell, the prosecutor Diz had defeated at the 11th hour in the previous book, is now the State Attorney General. In another twist, his former mentor the quick witted and likeable Art Drysdale is also in the State Attorney General’s Office following a “shake-up” in the San Francisco DA’s Office. The black DA hard on crime in the city was voted out of the DA’s Office in favor of an ultra-liberal white female replacement named Pratt. Hardy’s close friend is the Head of the Homicide Division, and the reader learns that Abe has lost his beloved wife to the ravages of cancer in the time interval since HARD EVIDENCE. It has always been my stance that any book series will ultimately be more fulfilling and enjoyable if the reader starts at the beginning and reads the novels in chronological order. That is true of Lescroart’s Dismas Hardy series as well, but I will concede that THE MERCY RULE could be read as a standalone. Lescroart manages to inject a significant amount of the back story on Dismas Hardy.
The reader learns the essential facts about Hardy’s back story and finds out that Hardy is once again “sleepwalking” his way through life. He is killing himself putting in hours billing a corporate client, distancing himself from both his wife and family. Diz found himself caring too much and his fear made him pull away from his family and criminal law (everything he loved). Hardy recognizes that he needs to straighten up and embrace life without fear and start living it. The larger-than-life Defense Lawyer David Freeman from the prior novels is there to give Diz some reality orientation as well. An old acquaintance from his days at the Shamrock arranges to see him for legal advice, but this meeting is only a precursor to Hardy’s decision to embrace criminal defense again start preparing to be Defense Counsel for the highest profile case in his life.
The title of the book is derived from a phrase that was tossed out during a heated interchange between the homicide squad and the new DA Pratt. A man’s death is ruled by the Medical Examiner as “equivocal” with no definitive finding of suicide or homicide. The son is arrested prior to the DA’s Office making the decision to move forward with prosecution. DA Pratt tosses it out, decides not to pursue the victim’s son for either assisting his father to commit suicide or alternatively injected morphine into his dad’s vein to end his pain and suffering.
“So you’re saying that from now on in cases like this, the DA decides we don’t need a jury trial to get at the facts? And what do we call this, ‘the mercy rule’?”
Interestingly enough, an alternative definition to “The Mercy Rule” is later offered up in the novel, a sport’s term as it so happens.
I would venture to say that (THE MERCY RULE) is Lescroart’s longest novel (636 pages). That’s funny of course because the agonizing length of Lescroart’s storylines has been my principal complaint in two out of the three of his books preceding this one. By the 50% mark in the novel, the author had pretty much laid the groundwork and made all of the introductions to the characters. I approached this book knowing that it was going to be a character-driven story with “oodles” (as Hannibal would say) of character development, tons of entertaining and enjoyable dialogue, and of course populated with a colorful cast of characters both old and new. I must say that reading the novel at a leisurely pace, just taking time “to smell the roses” has staved off any boredom and impatience that I might have previously felt to “just get on with it”. Let’s face it, in Lescroart’s world “That ain’t gonna happen”. He is masterful with creating believable three-dimensional characters and writing snappy, gripping social discourse.
THE MERCY RULE was originally published in 1998, and only available in eBook format much later, the Kindle Version dated June 2019. In any case the novel didn’t appear to “knock the ball out of the park” on Goodreads with 2,487 Ratings resulting in an overall score 4.03. That represented only 30% of readers awarding 5-Stars. Amazon painted a different “tale of the take” with an impressive 4.5, but the sample consisted of only 261 overall ratings.
I finished the novel last night and I was gratified to see that my feelings are not far from those of “the maddening crowd”. Recently it’s like I have been an outlier when I post book reviews. Anyway, THE MERCY RULE deserves a solid four stars in my opinion. The second half of the book provided some sensational courtroom drama, in part because of the subject matter and the uniqueness of the defense strategy, but largely due to the incredible talent that Lescroart exhibits with character development. Yes, there are a LOT of pages, but the reader also learns to know the entire constellation of colorful characters who populate the book. The concept of death with dignity, and the topics of assisted suicide and euthanasia are put on slides under a microscope. It is impossible for the reader to avoid contemplation of these heavy issues. I found it interesting that San Francisco, the country’s hotbed of liberalism, was unable to legitimize or legalize assisted suicide in the late ‘90s and it remains illegal in all states of the union over two decades later. But the novel is a murder mystery at its core, and it isn’t until after the climax of the trial and the jury’s verdict rings out loud and clear that the murderer is revealed. I thought I had it all figured out from the bread crumbs of clues that were provided throughout the long narrative, but there was the one last plot twist I didn’t anticipate. Overall, this admittedly LONG novel is really more than pretty good. It’s an emotionally sprawling epic well worth the time that you invest.
August 6, 2014
The story has many ideas: assisted suicide, right to life, care for the elderly, betrayal, and lust for power. Most of the characters react in some way to these concerns. Further, Dismas Hardy adjusts himself to married life with children and at the same time realizes he is a defense attorney rather than a prosecutor. I like the realistic way the recurring characters change a little to adapt to their circumstances.
September 10, 2026
The cops said Graham Russo killed his formerly estranged father. Salvatore (Sal) Russo was in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, and doctors said an inoperable brain tumor would likely kill him before the Alzheimer’s got much worse. San Francisco knew him as Salmon Sal, a Herb Caen nickname that stuck. He sold fish out of an old Ford pickup behind the Hall of Justice and lived poor. He had walked out on the family years earlier. Graham came back once the illness landed.
Graham insists he did not give his father the last injection. He had been giving morphine for pain. He says he was not there the night Sal died. Sure, he worked as a paramedic. Yes, the morphine prescription is in his name. Yes, his fingerprints are all over the bottle and the syringe. The state also found $50,000 and Sal’s baseball-card collection in Graham’s safe-deposit box and charged the death as murder with special circumstances for that theft. Graham had been a ballplayer who walked away from a federal clerkship to chase the game again, and he made enemies in the legal world doing it. He keeps amending his story. He hires Dismas Hardy to prove he did not kill the old man, and Hardy does not fully trust him.
Hardy did not want the file. He had been billing a corporate client, throwing darts in the office, and trying to stay home. His wife, Frannie, isn’t a fan of the case. She recognizes that he is happy only when a murder trial makes the law come alive for him. Lescroart writes her as someone Hardy would be more than a fool to lose. He loves the kids too, one of whom he adopted. Those three anchor him. They keep him from disintegrating. The Russo case also puts him across the table from Abe Glitsky, his old partner, now in homicide.
Sarah Evans is one of a tiny cadre of female homicide cops in San Francisco. I sat up at the name because a country singer made it famous in the early 2000s. The cop is just as arresting. She takes part in Graham’s arrest, then privately celebrates when District Attorney Sharron Pratt releases him days later, assuming he helped his father commit suicide. Evans falls in love with Graham and decides to spend a weekend with him before helping him turn himself in. You could argue she was not thinking clearly. She understood the choice could cost her not only the job but her whole career, and she took the chance anyway. I admire her for it.
The state’s attorney general sees a murderer, not an angel of mercy, and brings enough pressure to move the case into federal court. Graham’s siblings are still around. The rest of the Russos have not forgiven Sal for walking out, and they make live alternate suspects, not wallpaper.
Federal Judge Mario Giotti, a lifelong friend of Sal, is the one who found the body, checking on a missed fish order. He later tells Hardy, quietly, that even if the jury convicts, Giotti will overturn the conviction on appeal. Hardy tucks that fact away and hopes he never needs it.
The case does not look as if it will go Hardy’s way. Despite his best efforts, the jury is mostly working-class men. He had hoped for more sympathetic women and has to work with what he drew. The prosecution delivers a masterful opening, and even Frannie voices doubt about Graham’s innocence afterward. “There it was, Hardy thought—an honest take on the respective opening statements, and from his own wife no less, who might have been expected to give Hardy’s side the benefit of the doubt. If Frannie’s reaction was anything like the jury’s—and he had to assume it was close—he was in more trouble than he’d realized.”
I watched knowing Hardy would win and wondering how he would pull it off against odds this steep. That is the magic of this series. Things look hopeless for a long stretch, then they become something quite different. I know these books, so I was sure Graham was innocent and let murderer versus angel of mercy play out around me. The mercy argument is loud, and it is bait. The book is deciding something older than that debate: a secret from Sal’s life that the euthanasia fight was built to hide.
This is four stars of fantastic courtroom drama that will keep you reading to the last page. I thought it ran about 20 percent too long, and that knock may have been a cop-out. What I actually wanted was fewer sessions at the barbecue grill and fewer glasses of wine for Dismas and Frannie. Lescroart was after atmosphere. I didn’t need it quite to that degree.
Nothing here disappoints. The denouement sizzles. After the verdict, what Hardy learns about an old restaurant fire, a dead fireman, and money paid to keep Sal quiet puts him in front of a gun. The person holding it is not who the trial was built to try. That is the situation that left me reeling. Hardy pays in time away from Frannie and the kids, and that family cost is the one that frightened me. A hurried decision on a civil case that ate hours he needed for Graham costs him while an associate who took a different route made hundreds of thousands. If you get even mildly emotionally involved with your books as I do, this will have you gasping. Even knowing more books follow in the series, Lescroart writes so convincingly that you will believe, for a few words, that Hardy isn’t coming back from this.
Read the series in order if you can. This book still stands alone. I had been away from Hardy for weeks, maybe months, and I never felt lost.
Graham insists he did not give his father the last injection. He had been giving morphine for pain. He says he was not there the night Sal died. Sure, he worked as a paramedic. Yes, the morphine prescription is in his name. Yes, his fingerprints are all over the bottle and the syringe. The state also found $50,000 and Sal’s baseball-card collection in Graham’s safe-deposit box and charged the death as murder with special circumstances for that theft. Graham had been a ballplayer who walked away from a federal clerkship to chase the game again, and he made enemies in the legal world doing it. He keeps amending his story. He hires Dismas Hardy to prove he did not kill the old man, and Hardy does not fully trust him.
Hardy did not want the file. He had been billing a corporate client, throwing darts in the office, and trying to stay home. His wife, Frannie, isn’t a fan of the case. She recognizes that he is happy only when a murder trial makes the law come alive for him. Lescroart writes her as someone Hardy would be more than a fool to lose. He loves the kids too, one of whom he adopted. Those three anchor him. They keep him from disintegrating. The Russo case also puts him across the table from Abe Glitsky, his old partner, now in homicide.
Sarah Evans is one of a tiny cadre of female homicide cops in San Francisco. I sat up at the name because a country singer made it famous in the early 2000s. The cop is just as arresting. She takes part in Graham’s arrest, then privately celebrates when District Attorney Sharron Pratt releases him days later, assuming he helped his father commit suicide. Evans falls in love with Graham and decides to spend a weekend with him before helping him turn himself in. You could argue she was not thinking clearly. She understood the choice could cost her not only the job but her whole career, and she took the chance anyway. I admire her for it.
The state’s attorney general sees a murderer, not an angel of mercy, and brings enough pressure to move the case into federal court. Graham’s siblings are still around. The rest of the Russos have not forgiven Sal for walking out, and they make live alternate suspects, not wallpaper.
Federal Judge Mario Giotti, a lifelong friend of Sal, is the one who found the body, checking on a missed fish order. He later tells Hardy, quietly, that even if the jury convicts, Giotti will overturn the conviction on appeal. Hardy tucks that fact away and hopes he never needs it.
The case does not look as if it will go Hardy’s way. Despite his best efforts, the jury is mostly working-class men. He had hoped for more sympathetic women and has to work with what he drew. The prosecution delivers a masterful opening, and even Frannie voices doubt about Graham’s innocence afterward. “There it was, Hardy thought—an honest take on the respective opening statements, and from his own wife no less, who might have been expected to give Hardy’s side the benefit of the doubt. If Frannie’s reaction was anything like the jury’s—and he had to assume it was close—he was in more trouble than he’d realized.”
I watched knowing Hardy would win and wondering how he would pull it off against odds this steep. That is the magic of this series. Things look hopeless for a long stretch, then they become something quite different. I know these books, so I was sure Graham was innocent and let murderer versus angel of mercy play out around me. The mercy argument is loud, and it is bait. The book is deciding something older than that debate: a secret from Sal’s life that the euthanasia fight was built to hide.
This is four stars of fantastic courtroom drama that will keep you reading to the last page. I thought it ran about 20 percent too long, and that knock may have been a cop-out. What I actually wanted was fewer sessions at the barbecue grill and fewer glasses of wine for Dismas and Frannie. Lescroart was after atmosphere. I didn’t need it quite to that degree.
Nothing here disappoints. The denouement sizzles. After the verdict, what Hardy learns about an old restaurant fire, a dead fireman, and money paid to keep Sal quiet puts him in front of a gun. The person holding it is not who the trial was built to try. That is the situation that left me reeling. Hardy pays in time away from Frannie and the kids, and that family cost is the one that frightened me. A hurried decision on a civil case that ate hours he needed for Graham costs him while an associate who took a different route made hundreds of thousands. If you get even mildly emotionally involved with your books as I do, this will have you gasping. Even knowing more books follow in the series, Lescroart writes so convincingly that you will believe, for a few words, that Hardy isn’t coming back from this.
Read the series in order if you can. This book still stands alone. I had been away from Hardy for weeks, maybe months, and I never felt lost.
September 16, 2009
My mind wanders when I'm reading this book ... character development not what it should be. Perhaps that will change ... I'm 100 pages into the book -- and it's taken me over 2 weeks to get to that point ... not a good sign for me who can polish off a book in a couple of days.
Read
December 7, 2010I think I'd better mark this one done as "abandoned", I just can't get into the story at all. I like the premise, I just don't find myself wanting to read this book.
Read
March 30, 2012I liked this book. It was well done and was thought provoking.
August 17, 2016
California Sunshine. Know it so well, only too well. But here it does ask a valid and interesting question.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews