A witness heard a scream then a crash; a young African- American woman fell to her death from an overpass, crushed on a busy San Francisco street. After closer inspection, it appears to be a homicide, and at a very bad time: the Police Department and the D.A.'s office are under a lot of pressure as it looks like they are not doing their jobs because almost no killer of African- Americans seem to get caught. Both Police and the D.A. hurry to find the culprit, maybe a bit too quickly. Rebecca Hardy almost stumbles onto the case: she had spoken to the young teacher who had befriended the deceased, and when he is accused of murder, Rebecca jumps at the chance. It will be the first criminal trial for Rebecca, whose father is also a lawyer. But is Rebecca in over her head?

Once in a while, a book comes along that reminds you of why reading can be such a pleasurable experience, and THE FALL is one such book. Featuring characters of the Dismas Hardy series, Mr. Lescroart sets the scene with background details on the major players, and the adventure begins. The author is a tremendously gifted wordsmith: I could picture the characters and the settings as if it were a movie, as if I were right there with them. THE FALL is exceptionally well-written and Part One, which introduces the case and the participants, is so captivating that the investigation in the poor girl's death almost, almost, becomes irrelevant so fascinating it is reading about everyone involvement in the case.

Don't plan on doing anything else but read when you get to Part Two. This is when the trial begins, and THE FALL takes off: this is what a legal thriller is all about! As secrets are revealed, more information comes in, and various characters show their true faces, Mr. Lescroart weaves an extremely intricate plot, yet everything remains crystal clear as no detail is superfluous and everything meshes perfectly together.

THE FALL features a winning combination of great characters, a complex yet entirely believable story, plenty of pertinent legal details, flawless writing, impeccable pace, and totally plausible, and astounding, plot twists. As for Part Three: Gasp! Simply superb! Fans of legal thrillers should definitely pick up THE FALL!

Book Summary

Late one night, a teenage African American foster child named Tanya Morgan plummets to her death from the overpass above San Francisco’s Stockton tunnel. But did she fall…or was she pushed?

Rushing to produce a convictable suspect in the glare of the media spotlight, homicide inspectors focus their attention on a naïve young man named Greg Treadway. Greg is a middle school teacher and he volunteers as a Special Advocate for foster children. At first, the only thing connecting him to Tanya’s death is the fact that they shared a meal earlier that night. But soon enough, elements of that story seem to fall apart…and Hardy’s daughter, Rebecca, finds herself drawn into the young man’s defense.

By the time Greg’s murder trial gets underway, Dismas and Rebecca have unearthed several other theories about the crime: a missing stepfather who’d sexually assaulted her; a roommate who ran a call girl service; a psychologically unstable birth mother; and a mysterious homeless man who may have had dealings with Tanya. Or Greg Treadway himself, who is perhaps not all that he first appeared. But how will they get these theories in front of a jury? And if they can, what price will they have to pay?

With signature suspense and intricate plotting, The Fall puts Dismas Hardy and his only daughter in the middle of one of John Lescroart’s most complex and thrilling cases yet.