A Plague of Secrets (Dismas Hardy)

by: John Lescroart

Published by: Dutton (June 30)

Reviewed by Patricia E. Reid

Maya Townshend has a lovely home, a successful husband and a nice family. Maya also has a secret and it is one that haunts her so much she will even face a murder charge rather than reveal what happened years ago. Maya owns Bay Beans West, a very successful coffee shop in San Francisco. Maya is not active in the running of the shop. Dylan Vogler, the manager, is someone Maya knew from college. Dylan handles the business and Maya pays him a very large salary.

Dylan’s body is found in an alley near the coffee shop, dead of gunshot wounds. Investigators soon discover that Dylan was running another business on the side and that business is the sale of marijuana to the coffee shop clientele. His customer list is long and many well-known names show up on this list.

When the police question Maya, her brother, Harlan Fisk, suggests that she hire Dismas Hardy to represent her. Dismas feels that not much will come from Maya’s questioning but that could not be farther from the truth. When another former acquaintance of Dylan and Maya’s is murdered, Maya is taken into custody.

Dismas knows that there is more to the story than what Maya is revealing to him but she seems determined to keep her secrets. Eventually the matter goes to trial and Dismas must pull out all stops if Maya ever has a chance of going free.

Lescroart fans will be glad to see that Art Glitsky of the San Francisco Police Department and Wyatt Hunt, Private Investigator, both play a part in A Plague of Secrets.

Armchair Interviews says: A legal thriller that will keep you turning the pages.

Author’s Web site: http://www.JohnLescroart.com