Suspect [Hardcover]

With each succeeding novel, now 18 in all, John Lescroart (pronounced "less-kwah" so you can tell your friends about this book) garners a host of new fans. He is an author one cannot ignore as his plots are scrupulously drawn, his characters likable, and he choreographs the escalation of suspense masterfully.

Gina Roake, a 47-year-old partner in Dismas Hardy's law firm and a secondary character in previous Lescroart tales, is given center stage in this story of truth and justice. Still reeling from the death of her beloved fiancé, an icon in San Francisco's law world, she has gone camping by a Sierra Nevada alpine lake to be alone and, hopefully, heal.

Across the lake outdoor writer Stuart Gorman has a very different reason for seeking tranquility - his wife, Dr. Caryn Dryden, had just announced that she wanted a divorce. This was a shocking, infuriating kick in the head to Stuart as he had long ago realized that their marriage was not all he wished it but had determined to remain faithful - they had made promises to each other and he, for one, intended to keep them.

Nonetheless, he was furious when Caryn as much as said he no longer mattered to her and he took off for their cabin at Echo Lake. Once there, he vented his anger by polishing off half a quart of vodka then going a few rounds with the cabin - plates ricocheted off walls, chairs were broken and framed family photos smashed. Unable to find any peace, he decided to drive back to the city for a final showdown with Caryn.

It was not a showdown but it was final as he found Caryn dead, her nude body by their hot tub. Knowing that he had nothing to do with his wife's death, Stuart was frank when interrogated by Sergeant Devin Juhle, admitting that they were not getting along and that she had asked for a divorce. Further, her death will make him a millionaire three times over. To Juhle, if a wife is murdered, the spouse did it. Thus, he has not doubt that Stuart is guilty - all he has to do is prove it.

Upon the advice of his good friend, California Assemblyman Jedd Conley, Stuart hires Gina as his attorney. She jumps at the chance even though she has never defended a murder case. However, as she comes to know Stuart there are a few unpleasant surprises in store for her - he has twice been arrested for domestic violence, he spent a few days alone at the family cabin with Caryn's attractive sister, Debra, a young girl living across the street from Stuart swears she saw him come home at the time Caryn was killed.

As the investigation proceeds it appears that a recent invention of Caryn's awaiting FDA approval may have had something to do with her death. But, who would and perhaps more importantly who could have killed her?

Lescroart treats readers to some of his trademark crackling courtroom scenes, and a surprising, satisfying finish,. In addition, he leaves us to ponder whether or not we are really believed innocent until we're proven guilty.

Don't miss this one!

- Gail Cooke

Talk about your weekend from Hell. Try Stuart Gorman's. Stuck in what has become a rather routine, now loveless yet comfortable marriage, Gorman is jolted out of his complacency by his wife's demand for a divorce. They have just become empty nester's as their only child has gone off to college. This, at a time when his wife, a beautiful orthopedic surgeon is about to start a new medical venture with another physician and see FDA approval of a hip prosthesis which she has invented and patented. Gorman makes an adequate but modest income as an outdoor novelist, has been the parent most involved in raising their rather difficult daughter and is not prepared for the divorce demand.

He handles it angrily and badly and goes storming off to a fishing cabin for the weekend, where he gets drunk, trashes the place in his anger and then returns home in the wee hours of Sunday morning to find his wife in their hot tub, both naked and dead.

A slightly over eager police inspector has numerous circumstancial reasons to suspect him of murder which causes him to hire, at the suggestion of a friend, Gina Roake, an attorney in the Dismas Hardy firm to defend his interests.

For the unintiated, Hardy and Police Inspector Abe Glitsky have been the main characters in Lescroat's writings and The Suspect is a departure from that, other than a few cameo appearances by Hardy.

The switch in characters has done nothing to diminish the writing and telling of an intriguing legal thriller/mystery, however as Roake sees her client go from a suspect to the accused, notwithstanding a largely circumstancial case against him and the presence of other, even more likely suspects.

Hopefully, that is enough to whet you interest. Lescroart will do the rest.

A fifty-year old writer named Stuart Gorman is "The Suspect" in John Lescroart's engrossing new thriller. Gorman's marriage to his wife of twenty-two years, Caryn Dryden, had been in trouble for quite a while. She was a brilliant and upwardly mobile orthopedic surgeon whose workaholic lifestyle did not mesh well with her husband's. A few days after Caryn asks Stuart for a divorce, she is found dead in her hot tub, a possible homicide victim. At his own admission, Stuart flew into a rage when Caryn insisted that their marriage was over. However, he denies having any role in his wife's death, claiming that at the time Caryn was killed, he was staying in his rustic cabin where he went to think things over. Upon his return, he found his wife's body and promptly called the police. Unfortunately, Inspector Sergeant Devin Juhle doesn't buy Stuart's story. After all, Gorman had motive and opportunity: he was clearly furious at his wife (who was insured for three million dollars), and his alibi is shaky. An eyewitness claims that she saw his car pull into his garage around the time that Caryn was killed.

Squarely on Stuart's side are his sister-in-law, the beautiful Debra Dryden, and Kymberly, Stuart's troubled eighteen-year-old daughter. The suspect also has an old friend, San Francisco State Assemblyman Jedd Conley, who convinces Stuart to hire criminal defense attorney Gina Roarke to represent him. Until now, Gina played a secondary role in Lescroarts novels. The main characters have usually been criminal defense lawyer Dismas Hardy and his best friend, Abe Glitsky, deputy chief of inspectors in the San Francisco Police Department. Now, forty-seven year old Roarke takes center stage and she is an appealing heroine. Still grieving over the death of her lover, the charismatic David Freeman, Gina finds herself at loose ends. She has difficulty concentrating on work and is reluctant to start dating again. However, taking on Stuart Gorman's case gives Gina the mental and emotional boost that she needs. She is soon convinced that her client is innocent, and she tackles his case with a tenacity and passion that she hasn't felt in years. The reader cannot help but root for Gina Roarke, who is handling her first homicide case and feels nervous and insecure about her ability to get her client off. Gina faces formidable obstacles, including an ambitious assistant DA eager to nail Gorman, and voracious reporters who are quick to try Stuart's case in the press.

Lescroart's cast of characters is varied and well-drawn. Wyatt Hunt, the chief investigator in Gina's law firm, is smart, funny, and supportive, and he capably handles most of the legwork for Gina. Devin Juhle is a dogged cop who stubbornly refuses to chase any leads that point to a suspect other than Gorman. One possible area of inquiry is Caryn's invention, known as the Dryden socket, which she created to repair hip joints. Caryn was about to withdraw the socket because of safety concerns shortly before the FDA was scheduled to grant its approval. Taking the socket off the market would have cost investors a great deal of money. Could this possibly have been a motive for murder? Before he is placed under arrest, Gorman decides to track down and interview some of Caryn's associates to learn more about what was going on in her life in the weeks before she was killed.

"The Suspect" is tightly written, carefully plotted, and fast-paced. It has beautifully written dialogue and a few welcome moments of humor to lighten the mood. Lescroart skillfully examines the psyches of his main characters and exposes the feelings that they keep hidden from public view. He also focuses on the unsavory aspects of human nature, such as duplicity, greed, and ambition, which often lead to violence. The courtroom scenes are compelling and the suspense builds steadily until a series of twists and turns brings the story to a slightly contrived but still satisfying resolution. Giving Gina Roarke her own novel was a smart move; she brings new life to a long-running series that had begun to show signs of age.