I have loved John Lescroart for years (even though I didn’t know how to pronounce his name until not so long ago), and am a big fan of the whole Dismas Hardy series, so I was happy to get a copy of The Rule of Law (thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books) in exchange for my honest review.
In this latest in the series, it seemed like JL wanted to tie up some loose ends as well as expand the familiarity with some peripheral characters. In this case, it is Dismas’s trusted secretary, Phyllis. Always reliable, she is suddenly disappearing from work and acting a bit off. Dismas learns that her convict brother has recently landed on Phyllis’s doorstep after being released from prison, where he served 25 years for armed robbery and attempted murder.
The shock comes when Phyllis is arrested at work, and we learn that she has been providing sanctuary at her home for people utilizing the sort of underground railroad that is helping them get to Canada where they can apply for political asylum. Phyllis is charged with murdering Hector Valdez, a man who works with Phyllis’s brother and as a side job smuggles women from El Salvador and Mexico into the country.
Dismas isn’t quite sure how these pieces fit together, but he needs to act fast, while at the same time dealing with the vendetta against him and Abe Glitsky by their old nemesis who has just been elected the new District Attorney. (WHEW)
Although some of the resolution was a bit contrived, I decided to just go along and enjoy the ride—and I did! Four stars.