The Second Chair

By John Lescroart

Book Overview

#1 New York Times bestselling author John Lescroart weaves together a story of a privileged youth on trial for murder and an entire city on the brink of panic in this suspensful and stylish Dismas Hardy legal thriller.

Although he appears to have reached the top, Dismas Hardy, rainmaker and managing partner of his thriving San Francisco law firm, has lost his faith in the justice system. When his young associate, Amy Wu, brings in a high profile, controversial double murder case, he decides to sit second chair--in defense of a wealthy, privileged young man even he has trouble believing.

At the same time, Hardy's friend Abe Glitsky has just been promoted to deputy chief of the Investigations Bureau, and has trouble of his own. Hounded by a hostile media, distanced from day-to-day police work, Glitsky must struggle against a wave of violence that has put the city on the verge of panic.

As the tension builds around them, Hardy and Amy's search for the truth will take them down a perilous path, and force Hardy to face his own demons in order to clear his client--and save himself.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451211413
• ISBN13: 9780451211415
• Release Date: December 2004
• Publisher: Berkley Books
• Length: 624 Pages
• Weight: 0.56 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 4.2" x 7.4"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

The Second Chair is First Rate!!!

Those of us who have reveled in the discovery of this author and his Dismas Hardy/Abe Glitsky novels have been with these two old friends for a long time and through some hair raising and heart breaking times. Hardy, who once was a San Francisco cop is now the managing partner of his San Francisco law firm. Glitsky who was a homicide detective for the SFPD is now a Deputy Chief. Yet, for all their lofty current positions, they are dragged into a compelling drama by the events that are going on around them.Amy Wu is an associate in Hardy's firm. She is dealing the the four month old death of her father by looking for love in all the wrong places when she receives a call from a wealthy couple who's son she has represented in a minor juvenile matter to inform her that "Andrew is in trouble again." That, it turns out, is an understatement. It seems that Andrew was rehearsing for the school play with the teacher who was directing the play and with his girlfriend. The play is "Who is Afraid of Virginia Woolf." Andrew and his girlfriend have the leads. While taking a break from rehearsing, Andrew takes a break to go for a walk to work on his lines. When he returns he finds them both shot to death.Two months later the police have decided to charge him with murder. His parents (actually Mom and Step-Dad) are horrified. "He said he didn't do it," says Mom. "I know he didn't do it." ..."Andrew is not that type of person." After reviewing the police evidence Amy Wu is not so sure. It turns out that in the past Andrew expressed jealosy of Mr. Mooney, the teacher and his relationship with his girlfriend. He even wrote a short story entitled "Perfect Killer" in which he details how a young man who is jealous of his girlfriend and a teacher plots to murder them and how he does it in such a way as to avoid guilt. He shares the story with his best friend at school. He even starts to bring his step father's gun to school with him in a knapsack. Then there is the yelling and arguing that those living over Mr. Mooney's apartment hear along with crashing and banging down below. When they look out of the window to see what is happening, the husband sees a person he later idetifies as Andrew fleeing the apartment. He then goes down and discovers the vitims. Doesn't look so good for Andrew.Especially after the police find a spent 9mm shell in his car. Especially after he admits to throwing the gun he had been carrying around off the Golden Gate Bridge.In fact, it looks so bad to Amy that she tries to get him to plead guilty to the offense as a juvenile. He will be in jail for only eight years under California law if convicted as a juvenile. She convinces the parents that this is the best way to go and she convinces herself. The one little detail that she fails to cover is convincing her client. Her next error is to tell the Assistant DA that he will plead before she has gotten that nailed down. It all becomes unraveled in juvenile court as the client maintains his innoc

A must-read legal thriller

Dismas Hardy is the new managing partner of his reorganized law firm after his former partner was gunned down. A new associate to the firm, Amy Wu, is grieving over the recent loss of her father. She brings the firm a high-profile case in which Andrew Barlett, the seventeen-year-old son of a prominent family is charged with the murder of his pregnant girlfriend and drama coach. Wu tries to keep Andrew in juvenile court where his maximum sentence is eight years as opposed to adult court where it would be life without parole. At first Wu is convinced that Andrew is quilty and pushes him to accept the plea bargain offered by the D.A. in which is admits to his guilt in order to stay in the juvenile system. The problem is he adamantly protests his innocence despite all the evidence against him. With the firm's reputation is on the line, Dismas agrees to sit second chair at the trial.John Lescroart writes one of the best legal thriller series if not the best. His characters are fully realized, emotionally complex people that grow with each book. If you have never read this series, it is not a bad idea to start from the beginning. It would be worth it because most of the books in the series are excellent.Lescroart is able to draw on the reader's emotions regarding his characters. I strongly disliked the Wu character in the beginning of the story. She had this boy's life in her hands and she was just trying to ramrod him through the system because she thought he was guilty. She was busy feeling sorry for herself: drinking, picking up men, overall irresponsible behavior. She was just not a very sympathetic character. In the course of the story, you really get to see her evolution. By the end you can understand why she was acting the way she did and even sympathize with her. Abe Glitsky, another mainstay from the series is also present in a parallel storyline. There is not quite as much interaction between Dismas and Abe this time out, but the storylines do tie together in the end. John Lescroart fans will enjoy this entry in the series and new readers will become fans.

His best yet

THE SECOND CHAIR is by far Lescroart's best work. While I loved FIRST LAW, THE OATH, and THE HEARING, this one is my all-time favorite. Well-drawn characters, a plot with just the right amount of twists and turns, and an excellent writing style make this one of the most enjoyable reads you'll come across for this genre. Yes, it does take a bit of time to build, but just wait--you won't be disappointed. And why shouldn't Lescroart take his time? He is, after all, miles above your average mystery/thriller writer. You can't go wrong with this one. Also recommended: THE FIRM by Grisham, McCrae's BARK OF THE DOGWOOD, and SPLIT SECOND