A Plague of Secrets by John Lescroart, a Mysterious Review.

Review: San Francisco attorney Dismas Hardy, homicide detective Abe Glitsky, and private investigator Wyatt Hunt work together to solve the mystery of why two college friends of socialite Maya Townsend were murdered in A Plague of Secrets, the 13th thriller in this series by John Lescroart.

Maya Townshend is a mother of two, a business owner, and, oh by the way, the niece of the mayor. She is a silent partner in the popular and up-scale Bay Beans West Coffee Shop where a former beau of hers, Dylan Vogler, is the manager. She agrees to meet him one morning only to find him dead, shot with a gun that turns out to be hers. The murder investigation reveals that Vogler was killed in possession of a knapsack filled with marijuana that he had grown himself, a client list that included some of San Francisco's most prominent names, and a salary from the coffee shop more than double paid by comparable businesses. Soon thereafter, another former college friend of Maya's, Levon Preslee, is found dead, a cleaver in his head and Maya's fingerprints in his apartment. It soon becomes apparent that the two men were blackmailing Maya for something that happened long ago. She had motive and opportunity, but did she put an end to her troubles by killing Vogler and Preslee?

The appeal of A Plague of Secrets rests squarely on the incredibly and exquisitely defined character of Maya Townshend. Is she innocent? If not, is her secret so terrible that even if she is guilty, are the crimes justified? The story is gripping, fast-paced, at times electrifying, always riveting. Even the side stories, which more often than not detract attention in this kind of thriller, add depth and interest here. The legal wrangling is deftly handled and the denouement surprising and satisfying.

A Plague of Secrets combines the best of a legal thriller, a police procedural, and a murder mystery into one terrific novel. It is highly recommended.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of A Plague of Secrets.

Acknowledgment: Penguin Group provided a copy of A Plague of Secrets for this review.

Treasure Hunt
Dutton (Hardcover), January 2010
ISBN-13: 9780525951445; ISBN-10: 052595144X

A Plague of Secrets

A Dismas Hardy Mystery by John Lescroart