Lescroart, John – THE MOTIVE

[LJ Roberts]

THE MOTIVE (Legal Thriller-San Francisco-Cont) – VG Lescroart, John – 16^th book
Dutton, 2005- Hardcover

A fire in one of the Painted Lady Victorian houses in San Francisco's Alamo Square reveals bodies of a man and woman; both shot. The man is a successful attorney with political connections and the woman, his fiancée. When the Mayor asks Deputy Police Chief Abraham (Abe) Glitsky to become involved in the investigation, it places him in a difficult position, as the lead investigator on the case, Dan Cueno, is suspect of Glitsky and his close friend, attorney Dismas Hardy. Things become more complicated when Cueno arrests the victim's daughter-in-law, Catharine; a woman Hardy once dated.

Dismas and Abe have a strong, realistic friendship and personal lives. Lescroart obviously knows and loves San Francisco to the point that it almost becomes another character in the story. The story itself is interesting and involved me from beginning to end. I've only read one other book by the author, but didn't feel lost in the series. I enjoy books with strong, believable characters, and Lescroart certainly knows how to write them.