By John Lescroart
Dutton, $26.95, 413 pages
In the formulaic style of Agatha Christie, John Lescroart slowly reveals his characters in this thrilling novel, A Plague of Secrets, drawing your attention to the plot so as to whet your suspicions on whodunit. A coffee shop murder unveils a drug ring, blackmail and more murder, causing the reader to hang on every clue, aiming to figure out who the murderer is and who it isn’t. Dismas Hardy is the attorney defending the owner of the coffee shop whose manager was shot outside the back door. Abe Glitsky is the homicide detective and Hardy’s friend. Schiff & Bracco are the detectives on the case and are questioning every possible piece of evidence and motive one step ahead of and behind the truth and many other characters to explore. The author of nineteen thrillers and twelve New York Times bestsellers, Lescroart does not disappoint in this detective story. This tale grabs you in the first chapter and engages you at every turn, revealing only the bits to keep you reading to the end. Plot twists and legal drama keep you on the edge of your seat. Five stars for this authentic drama!
Reviewed by M Chris Johnson