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A plague of secrets : a novel Cover Image Book Book

A plague of secrets : a novel

Lescroart, John T. (Author).

Summary: The first victim is Dylan Vogler, a charming ex-convict who manages the Bay Beans West coffee shop in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district. When his body is found, inspectors discover that his knapsack is filled with high-grade marijuana. It soon becomes clear that San Francisco's A-list flocked to Bay Beans West not only for their caffeine fix. But how much did Maya Townshend-the beautiful socialite niece of the city's mayor, and the absentee owner of the shop-know about what was going on inside her business? And how intimate had she really been with Dylan, her old college friend? As another of Maya's acquaintances falls victim to murder, and as the names of the dead men's celebrity, political, and even law- enforcement customers come to light, tabloid-fueled controversy takes the investigation into the realms of conspiracy and cover-up. Prosecutors close in on Maya, who has a deep secret of her own-a secret she needs to protect at all costs during her very public trial, where not only her future but the entire political landscape of San Francisco hangs in the balance, hostage to an explosive secret that Dismas Hardy is privilege-bound to protect.

Available copies

  • 14 of 18 copies available at BC Interlibrary Connect. (Show)
  • 1 of 1 copy available at Sechelt/Gibsons.
  • 1 of 1 copy available at Sechelt Public Library. (Show preferred library)

Holds

  • 0 current holds with 18 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
Location Call Number / Copy Notes Barcode Shelving Location Holdable? Status Due Date
Sechelt Public Library F LESC (Text) 33260000094855 Fiction Volume hold Available -
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  • Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2009 April #2
    *Starred Review* Now pay attention, because we're only going to run through this once. The manager of a San Francisco coffee shop is found murdered. The dead man was dealing drugs out of the coffee shop, and one of his clients was Wes Farrell, law partner of frequent Lescroart protagonist Dismas Hardy. Another of the victim's drug clients was an associate of private investigator Wyatt Hunt, also a regular Lescroart protagonist. Oh, and the detectives who catch the murder case are Debra Schiff and Darrel Bracco, more returning characters. We're not through yet. Still another popular Lescroart character appears in a dramatic and heartrending subplot. This is by far Lescroart's most complicated novel, elaborately plotted and featuring enough characters from other books that you almost need a scorecard to keep them straight. Readers unfamiliar with the author's previous novels might feel a bit lost, but fans of his tightly written legal thrillers will have a great time. It's worth noting, too, that although Lescroart seems to be having a lot of fun rounding up his characters from previous books, he is also treating us to one of his best and most suspenseful stories. This isn't merely a gimmick book; it's also a first-rate mystery. Copyright 2009 Booklist Reviews.
  • Kirkus Reviews : Kirkus Reviews 2009 June #1
    Not even pot-tolerant San Francisco can ignore the complications that follow the murder of a dealer who seems to have been keeping half the town high.Dylan Vogler earned $90,000 a year managing Haight-Ashbury's Bay Beans West, twice as much as he would have made at Starbucks, but not enough to keep him from growing and selling high-grade cannabis to a select list of about 70 clients. When he's shot to death outside the coffeehouse clutching a backpack full of weed, everyone who ever knew him goes into a defensive crouch. Inspectors Darrel Bracco and Debra Schiff wonder why BBW owner Maya Townshend would deny knowing anything about his dealing and insist that the only reason for his sky-high salary was to keep a good employee happy. When they learn that Vogler treated his boss like a hired hand; link both of them to a dicey shared past; and place her at the crime scene right around the time of the murder, they promote Townshend to a person of interest. Striking an unholy alliance with a U.S. Attorney eager for publicity, Bracco and Schiff threaten to seize both Townshend's coffee shop and her wealthy husband's real-estate holdings as drug proceeds. When another friend from her shady school days is found murdered, they stick her in the pokey. By this time, Townshend has retained Dismas Hardy as her counsel, and her problems have become his. In fact, given a client whose every utterance is either ambiguous or an out-and-out fib, Hardy doesn't see how he can possibly get her off. There'll be a walloping big courtroom surprise, but as has become customary in Hardy's recent cases (Betrayal, 2008, etc.), this one doesn't come to a full boil until afterwards, in an ill-advised shootout that punishes the guilty and then some.Less issue-driven than usual, more of a whodunit—and a sharp one at that. Copyright Kirkus 2009 Kirkus/BPI Communications.All rights reserved.
  • Library Journal Reviews : LJ Reviews 2009 June #1

    Lescroart does not disappoint with his latest novel, the 20th he's penned and the 13th to feature lawyer Dismas Hardy, again paired with head of San Francisco homicide Abe Glitsky. When the police arrest politically connected small-business owner Maya Townshend for the murder of one of her employees, Dismas must beat the clock to find the real killer. With Maya less than forthcoming about aspects of her past and her connection to the victim, investigator Wyatt Hunt and his Hunt Club must work to uncover things that are buried deep in the past. The novel, part setup of the crime and part courtroom thriller, maintains a steady pace with tight writing and characters that ring true. While affable Dismas carries the lead, Glitsky deals with his son's near-fatal injury, for which he blames himself—a subplot that could have been further explored. But this is a quibble about a terrific read. VERDICT John Grisham fans will love the courtroom drama and straight-to-the-facts style. The publisher is rightly committed to making this best-selling author a household name. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 3/1/09.]—Amanda Scott, Cambridge Springs P.L., PA

    [Page 90]. Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.
  • Publishers Weekly Reviews : PW Reviews 2009 May #2

    A brisk pace, sharp dialogue and believable characters propel bestseller Lescroart's 13th thriller to feature San Francisco defense attorney Dismas Hardy (after Betrayal). When someone shoots Dylan Volger in an alley near the coffee shop he managed, Bay Beans West, the cops discover a load of marijuana in the victim's backpack, a crop of weed growing in his attic and a customer list that includes a judge and several local officials. Suspicion centers on Hardy's client and Bay Beans West's owner, Maya Townshend, who's the sister of a city supervisor and the mayor's niece. That Maya was paying Volger an unusually high salary of $90,000 suggests he was blackmailing her. An arrogant U.S. attorney decides to turn the trial into a "career-making moment," invoking a little-known law to prosecute Maya. Lescroart skillfully juggles myriad plot threads, including one involving homicide detective Abe Glitsky, a series regular, whose young son is in a coma after a car accident. (July)

    [Page 31]. Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.
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