A Plague of Secrets by John Lescroart

For all you mystery book fans, A Plague of Secrets will not disappoint you. John Lescroart has once again produced a novel that will capture your imagination and put your mind to work. Set in the San Francisco area, he blends in his longtime protagonist, Dismas Hardy, into another murder solution. Familiar with the Bay area, the author uses that as his setting for a murder that is baffling unto the end of the tale.

The title, A Plague of Secrets, is definitely represented as Hardy and his crew break down the alibis and persona of those involved. Starting out with the murder of a popular coffee shop manager in a back alley, he leaves little immediate clues. Complicating the plot, the wealthy woman owner of the shop not only selects Dis Hardy as her lawyer, but is more involved in the unfolding of the solution than originally presented. Adding to this is her relationship with the Mayor of San Francisco and the care taken not to involve her. Delving into each person’s background, acts come to the forefront that have been concealed. Some somewhat innocently, some arcane.

Sub-plots abound; an injured child, a college acquaintance and families trying to hold together are some of the intrigue. His investigative agency works diligently to delve into the facts; Hardy is hampered by being assigned a biased judge, but even with these hardships, manages to solve the mystery and captures the reader’s attention.

Well worth reading!