Customer Reviews

The Suspect

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

With each succeeding novel, now 18 in all, John Lescroart (pronounced "less-kwah" so you can tell your friends about this book) garners a host of new fans. He is an author one cannot ignore as his plots are scrupulously drawn, his characters likable, and he choreographs the escalation of suspense masterfully.

Gina Roake, a 47-year-old partner in Dismas Hardy's law firm and a secondary character in previous Lescroart tales, is given center stage in this story of truth and justice. Still reeling from the death of her beloved fiancé, an icon in San Francisco's law world, she has gone camping by a Sierra Nevada alpine lake to be alone and, hopefully, heal.

Across the lake outdoor writer Stuart Gorman has a very different reason for seeking tranquility - his wife, Dr. Caryn Dryden, had just announced that she wanted a divorce. This was a shocking, infuriating kick in the head to Stuart as he had long ago realized that their marriage was not all he wished it but had determined to remain faithful - they had made promises to each other and he, for one, intended to keep them.

Nonetheless, he was furious when Caryn as much as said he no longer mattered to her and he took off for their cabin at Echo Lake. Once there, he vented his anger by polishing off half a quart of vodka then going a few rounds with the cabin - plates ricocheted off walls, chairs were broken and framed family photos smashed. Unable to find any peace, he decided to drive back to the city for a final showdown with Caryn.

It was not a showdown but it was final as he found Caryn dead, her nude body by their hot tub. Knowing that he had nothing to do with his wife's death, Stuart was frank when interrogated by Sergeant Devin Juhle, admitting that they were not getting along and that she had asked for a divorce. Further, her death will make him a millionaire three times over. To Juhle, if a wife is murdered, the spouse did it. Thus, he has not doubt that Stuart is guilty - all he has to do is prove it.

Upon the advice of his good friend, California Assemblyman Jedd Conley, Stuart hires Gina as his attorney. She jumps at the chance even though she has never defended a murder case. However, as she comes to know Stuart there are a few unpleasant surprises in store for her - he has twice been arrested for domestic violence, he spent a few days alone at the family cabin with Caryn's attractive sister, Debra, a young girl living across the street from Stuart swears she saw him come home at the time Caryn was killed.

As the investigation proceeds it appears that a recent invention of Caryn's awaiting FDA approval may have had something to do with her death. But, who would and perhaps more importantly who could have killed her?

Lescroart treats readers to some of his trademark crackling courtroom scenes, and a surprising, satisfying finish,. In addition, he leaves us to ponder whether or not we are really believed innocent until we're proven guilty.

Don't miss this one!

- Gail Cooke

Talk about your weekend from Hell. Try Stuart Gorman's. Stuck in what has become a rather routine, now loveless yet comfortable marriage, Gorman is jolted out of his complacency by his wife's demand for a divorce. They have just become empty nester's as their only child has gone off to college. This, at a time when his wife, a beautiful orthopedic surgeon is about to start a new medical venture with another physician and see FDA approval of a hip prosthesis which she has invented and patented. Gorman makes an adequate but modest income as an outdoor novelist, has been the parent most involved in raising their rather difficult daughter and is not prepared for the divorce demand.

He handles it angrily and badly and goes storming off to a fishing cabin for the weekend, where he gets drunk, trashes the place in his anger and then returns home in the wee hours of Sunday morning to find his wife in their hot tub, both naked and dead.

A slightly over eager police inspector has numerous circumstancial reasons to suspect him of murder which causes him to hire, at the suggestion of a friend, Gina Roake, an attorney in the Dismas Hardy firm to defend his interests.

For the unintiated, Hardy and Police Inspector Abe Glitsky have been the main characters in Lescroat's writings and The Suspect is a departure from that, other than a few cameo appearances by Hardy.

The switch in characters has done nothing to diminish the writing and telling of an intriguing legal thriller/mystery, however as Roake sees her client go from a suspect to the accused, notwithstanding a largely circumstancial case against him and the presence of other, even more likely suspects.

Hopefully, that is enough to whet you interest. Lescroart will do the rest.

A fifty-year old writer named Stuart Gorman is "The Suspect" in John Lescroart's engrossing new thriller. Gorman's marriage to his wife of twenty-two years, Caryn Dryden, had been in trouble for quite a while. She was a brilliant and upwardly mobile orthopedic surgeon whose workaholic lifestyle did not mesh well with her husband's. A few days after Caryn asks Stuart for a divorce, she is found dead in her hot tub, a possible homicide victim. At his own admission, Stuart flew into a rage when Caryn insisted that their marriage was over. However, he denies having any role in his wife's death, claiming that at the time Caryn was killed, he was staying in his rustic cabin where he went to think things over. Upon his return, he found his wife's body and promptly called the police. Unfortunately, Inspector Sergeant Devin Juhle doesn't buy Stuart's story. After all, Gorman had motive and opportunity: he was clearly furious at his wife (who was insured for three million dollars), and his alibi is shaky. An eyewitness claims that she saw his car pull into his garage around the time that Caryn was killed.

Squarely on Stuart's side are his sister-in-law, the beautiful Debra Dryden, and Kymberly, Stuart's troubled eighteen-year-old daughter. The suspect also has an old friend, San Francisco State Assemblyman Jedd Conley, who convinces Stuart to hire criminal defense attorney Gina Roarke to represent him. Until now, Gina played a secondary role in Lescroarts novels. The main characters have usually been criminal defense lawyer Dismas Hardy and his best friend, Abe Glitsky, deputy chief of inspectors in the San Francisco Police Department. Now, forty-seven year old Roarke takes center stage and she is an appealing heroine. Still grieving over the death of her lover, the charismatic David Freeman, Gina finds herself at loose ends. She has difficulty concentrating on work and is reluctant to start dating again. However, taking on Stuart Gorman's case gives Gina the mental and emotional boost that she needs. She is soon convinced that her client is innocent, and she tackles his case with a tenacity and passion that she hasn't felt in years. The reader cannot help but root for Gina Roarke, who is handling her first homicide case and feels nervous and insecure about her ability to get her client off. Gina faces formidable obstacles, including an ambitious assistant DA eager to nail Gorman, and voracious reporters who are quick to try Stuart's case in the press.

Lescroart's cast of characters is varied and well-drawn. Wyatt Hunt, the chief investigator in Gina's law firm, is smart, funny, and supportive, and he capably handles most of the legwork for Gina. Devin Juhle is a dogged cop who stubbornly refuses to chase any leads that point to a suspect other than Gorman. One possible area of inquiry is Caryn's invention, known as the Dryden socket, which she created to repair hip joints. Caryn was about to withdraw the socket because of safety concerns shortly before the FDA was scheduled to grant its approval. Taking the socket off the market would have cost investors a great deal of money. Could this possibly have been a motive for murder? Before he is placed under arrest, Gorman decides to track down and interview some of Caryn's associates to learn more about what was going on in her life in the weeks before she was killed.

"The Suspect" is tightly written, carefully plotted, and fast-paced. It has beautifully written dialogue and a few welcome moments of humor to lighten the mood. Lescroart skillfully examines the psyches of his main characters and exposes the feelings that they keep hidden from public view. He also focuses on the unsavory aspects of human nature, such as duplicity, greed, and ambition, which often lead to violence. The courtroom scenes are compelling and the suspense builds steadily until a series of twists and turns brings the story to a slightly contrived but still satisfying resolution. Giving Gina Roarke her own novel was a smart move; she brings new life to a long-running series that had begun to show signs of age.

When he returns to his San Francisco home following a weekend at Tamarack Lake, outdoor author Stuart Gorman finds his naked wife Dr. Caryn Dryden dead near their hot tub. San Francisco Police Department Inspector Sergeant Devin Juhle leads the official investigation. Stuart admits to the homicide detective that Caryn asked for a divorce, that their relationship was filled with domestic trouble and confesses that he hated her at least for this weekend though he also loved her; he has no alibi. More so he will receive a large life insurance settlement so his close friend, California State Assemblyman Jedd Conley recommends he obtain a lawyer because his arrest seems imminent.

Jedd gets his pal the services of attorney Gina Roake, just back from sabbatical following personal tragedy. Though her ego is lifted by being chosen, Gina wonders why her when her client and senator could choose anyone in the city. Still she quickly sends investigator Wyatt Hunt to see if someone can affirm that Stuart was in the Sierra Nevada lake at the time of death and to look closely into Caryn's medical career to see if that had something to do with her homicide. The media accuses Stuart of drowning his wife, which sends the accused on the run; making the case that much more difficult to defend as the jury is already tainted before the trial has begun.

This is an interesting legal thriller with a partner in Dismas Hardy's firm taking the lead on defending the client, convicted by a press frenzy before he even reaches the courtroom. The story line is fast-paced with interesting court scenes and a solid investigation into Caryn's professional connections. Though the ending seems implausible especially the post game twist and to dependent on an opening that Perry Mason would avoid, John Lescroart entertains his fans with this exciting tale.

Harriet Klausner

I love John Lescroart's Dismas Hardy series. That this book features Gina Roake, another attorney in the firm, is fine with me. When a writer gives satisfaction to as many readers through his Hardy series as Lescroart, he is entitled to deviate from the proven track to investigate another venue of murder and trial. His effort in "The Suspect" is dead-on (uh, pardon the pun).

A very successful surgeon and inventor, Caryn Dryden is found dead in her hot tub by none other than her estranged husband, who knows he is facing divorce. Even though everyone knows that the spouse is always the first suspect, he never worries because he also knows he did not commit the murder.

However, Detective Devin Juhle never wavers from his investigation of Stuart Gorman, a famous nature and fishing writer, as the killer. After three years of absence from practicing law, Gina is convinced by longtime friend, Jedd Conley, State Assemblyman with rumors of a State Senate race ahead, to take on Stuart's case. Jedd and Stuart are also friends.

Lescroart throws in a number of convincing red herrings, one of which had me following it for the killer. However, in one of the few books where I have guessed the killer early on, Lescroart very casually involves this person in the case.

Although not a traditional page-turner, the story does clip along, flipping chunks of meat along the path to keep our appetite wanting more. It's those darn red herrings that keep us off kilter with interesting possibilities.

I like to learn new things from whatever kind of book I am reading. I cannot say that about "The Suspect." The story is about common human themes: lust, envy, greed, corruption. There are no deviant characters, just flawed characters who choose wrong paths or others who become ensnared by those choices. Even so, this book is still recommended for an engaging story that ends well.

Outdoorsman Stuart Gorman writes about his experiences with nature. When his wife tells him she wants a divorce, he leaves for his weekend camping trip raw in spirit and burning with anger. After returning home, he calls for help. His wife, Dr. Caryn Dryden, is dead.

Gina Roake is a defense attorney looking to get back in the game. Stuart Gorman's apparent status as a suspect in the Dryden murder seems to be a good fit, especially if he's as innocent as he claims to be. As Gina tries to get to the bottom of the investigation, she finds that Stuart has not been completely honest with her. Gina's belief in her client is put to the test, as he makes bad choices that make him look guiltier by the minute.

John Lescroart weaves a multi-layered tale of a marriage gone sour, corporate underhandedness, a single-minded detective, and a defense attorney determined to expose the truth. The premise is intriguing, and it is nicely done, to a point. Unfortunately, this is overshadowed by Stuart Gorman's actions. For a supposedly intelligent character, he makes some exceedingly poor decisions that readers will find hard to believe.

There is no doubt that Lescroart is a talented author with numerous titles under his belt. Ultimately, however, THE SUSPECT is lacking, undermined by the character of Stuart Gorman, as well as a few plot factors that make it difficult to believe in the story. If readers are willing to suspend disbelief a little more than usual, it's not a bad read. But if you can't stand characters that make you swear at their stupidity, this is not the one for you.

Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer
01/15/2007

2.5-Books on WUAT = 3-Stars on Amazon

Gina Roake isn't your typical, cynical criminal defense attorney who operates on the premise a client probably did it and the practice of not directly asking. She actually believes her client is innocent and needs to hear it from him. It is both her strength and her weakness as she pursues the truth--again, something not necessarily the object of the prosecution and, certainly, most often, not in the interest of the defense.

And Lescroart gives us multiple suspects, including Gina's client, to choose from--or, more accurately, an intricate, intelligent plot that leaves the reader guessing until the end. Masterfully done.

But what I noticed in this, my fifth Lescroart book, is the smooth, almost graceful prose that makes the book such a pleasure to read. Close your eyes after reading his description of an evening on a Sierra lake and you hear the splash of a trout jumping. Read of a walk along the San Francisco Bay and you feel the breeze and see the rusted red bolts of the Golden Gate. (For those outside of the SF area, if you come to San Francisco "be sure to wear a flower in your hair" but, also, bring along Lescroart as your "insiders" guide to the City.)

As in all Lescroart books, the law and medicine are precise. But in "Suspects" there is a crossexamination by Gina Roake of the San Francisco coroner that could be a model in advanced trial practice for experienced trial attorneys. It is brilliant! In fact, I take it back. You cannot teach crossexamination done so well. You either have it or you don't and John Lescroart is a natural.

Reviewers need to stop comparing Lescroart to Grisham or Tarow or others--most of whom have written much less that he in the legal thriller genre. Lescroart is uniquely, after 18 or so books--the last of which, "The Hunt Club," sold over 4 million copies and is still on the New York Times best seller list with this book--John Lescroart and "The Suspect" is his latest and best book.


John M. Poswall/attorney/author

This is my first Lescroart book and perhaps I did not make a wise choice in selecting it, or perhaps I am too critical since I appear to be one of the few reviewers who thought this book less than brilliant.

First and foremost, the characters are not very interesting.....in fact some of them are down right exasperating.

The homicide cop, Devin Juhle, is stereotypical (I've made up my mind so don't confuse me with the facts!).

The suspect, Stuart Gorman, does things that are just plain stupid (no, I will not give him the benefit of the doubt and call him naive). If people went to jail for stupidity.....this man would be serving 20 years.

As for the defense attorney, Gina Roake, she flirts with most of the men in sight when she is not muddeling her way through devising a stategy to clear her client and trap the real killer. Ah yes, the real killer, am I the only one who was not suprised when the "reveal" came?

In addition, Mr. Lescroart used his novel as an opportunity to make a few "political" observations and comments.

The only thing that I really got out of this novel was some sage advice concerning a certain Greek-Asian fusion restaurant located near the Hall of Justice.....that serves the worst food in town. If it exists, I will not be eating there.

I have read just about all of John Lescroart's books and I have to say this is the worst. The plot was too thin and way too predictable for a well known author. The suspect (the husband) did all the typical dumb things which made him look guilty and the attorney chosen to represent him had never handled a murder case before. I was totally bored and after 100 pages I just skipped to the last two chapters, so I felt like I didn't totally waste my money on this book. I hope he is not losing his touch as I use to really enjoy his books.

Author John Lescroart does it again with his latest legal thriller/mystery "The Suspect". The multi-talented Lescroart has given readers another literary treasure to feast on; certainly fans of his (And he has legions of them) will find this latest offering simply brilliant!

The plot is strong but it is the characters that once again give his stories that something special. The courtroom scenes are what you would expect from the author but this story takes you to places that are unexpected. The suspense will hook you and you will not be able to put this book down until you finally read that last page.

The American Authors Association (AAA) has made this book their top award winning choice for their 2007 book awards. I personally recommend this book for book lovers of mystery thrillers or for those who just want to read a great book.