John Lescroart's 25th Novel - The Keeper

I have just read John Lescroart's 25th novel, The Keeper, but it's only my 3rd (I think).  I can't really explain why I haven't read any more of John's books.  A few years ago, I was introduced to Dismas Hardy and Abe Glitsky.  I read a couple of books, and then I emailed John and asked him what order I should read them (for some reason I was confused - imagine that!).   John was kind enough to give me a detailed explanation of what order to read his books and why.  He was extremely generous with the time he took. He was also a real gentleman when I asked him to appear at Village House of Books. We exchanged a number of emails, and he never made me feel like I was annoying him (we all know that I was).  And, yet, I didn't read any more of his books until now.  What is wrong with me, you ask?  Many people have asked that question, and, still, nobody has an answer.  BUT, I'm making up for it.  I promise, John, that I will stay current moving forward.

For those of you who read John's books, you know who Dismas and Abe are.  For the rest of you, suffice it to say that Dismas is a defense attorney, and Abe is a retired San Francisco police officer, and the action takes place in SF.  They have had many cases/adventures together.  The Keeper is the latest.  The plot is not very important.  It's like telling you the plot for a Jack Reacher novel; or a Gabriel Allon novel (a review of Daniel Silva's latest will be coming to a blog near you soon).  The premise doesn't matter. It's just the interplay between the main characters and how they go about solving a murder.

Did I enjoy The Keeper, after all this time in between?  Absolutely.  Does it matter that I missed books 3-24?  Not really.  In fact, when I first came across their names, it felt like it was only yesterday since my last Hardy/Glitsky book.  I think that's about the highest compliment I can give.

Every once in a while, I like to bullet point what I like about a book/series.  I'm going to do it again now.

1.  Abe, who is the product of a black woman and a caucasian rabbi(!), is very funny.  And I do appreciate humor.  I like Dismas, but I love Abe.
2.  It's a very well-conceived plot.
3.  There's a lot of dialogue.  Books that have at least a fair amount of dialogue definitely move faster for me.  Being the deep thinker that I am, too many long paragraphs can lose me.
4.  I was completely fooled about whodunit.  We know I'm not the greatest figure-it-outer in the world (or even in my own home), but I'm not normally THIS clueless.
5.  Even before the denouement (big French word - I guess I'm pretty cultured, non?), I had some revelatory moments.  My 1st "uh oh" was on page 156.  My 1st "aha" was on page 164.  And on page 250, I did a little reevaluation of my entire thought process.

Brad Thor, himself an accomplished writer, wrote:  "Smart, riveting, and utterly compelling...hands down the best legal thriller I have read in years and a perfect case study for why readers love the brilliant John Lescroart."

And the Associated Press said:  "A tense and intricate tale...Lescroart is a master of legal suspense."

I will add:  "Get it and read it.  You will enjoy it."  (I guess I didnt' really need the quotes, did I?)

SOUTHBAY APPEARANCE:  John Lescroart will be coming to Village House of Books #2 on Wednesday, November 12, at 7:00.  If you get a chance, come see him.  He's not only a good writer, he's also a good guy.  That's a great combination in my book.