The First Law by John Lescroart was a very good thriller. It features San Francisco defense attorney Dismas Hardy and police lieutenant Abe Glitsky who are the primary characters in all the John Lescroart novels I have read so far. This novel was slightly different as there was no primary legal proceeding that the plot was centered on.
The plot revolves around the San Francisco Patrols Specials, a private police force for paying customers. The story begins when Sam Silverman, an elderly pawnshop owner and friend of Abe Glitsky’s father, is murdered during a robbery. Glitsky has been promoted from heading the San Francisco homicide division to payroll. Even though he knows he will be stepping on the toes of the new homicide division chief, Glitsky starts asking questions about the murder. Glitsky investigation soon leads him to believe that the primary suspect, Hardy’s client, is not the real killer.
The First Law was very hard to put down. I recommend it to anyone who likes police and legal thrillers. While I didn’t purposely mean to read it next, The First Law is the prequel to The Motive, the last John Lescroart novel that I read.
