The first book I read in this series, it won't be the last as it's a gripping and highly entertaining story.
Fast paced and twisty, good storytelling and character development.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Wes Ferrell is a former district attorney in San Francisco who now practices as a defense attorney with his buddy, Dismas Hardy. Ferrell struggles with his role because his years as DA have convinced him that everyone charged with a crime is probably guilty. He wonders if he is harming his clients by not trying harder or doing an injustice to society by trying at all. What he really longs for is an innocent client.

Then Paul Riley, a criminal who Ferrell had prosecuted eleven years earlier for rape and murder is released from prison through the efforts of the Exoneration Initiative. This group sponsors inmates who can be proven innocent and springs them from prison. Soon after his release, Riley is murdered and Doug Rush, the father of the woman that Riley was accused of murdering, is the chief suspect. Rush hires Ferrell as his defense attorney. Of course, Ferrell assumes Rush is guilty but when Rush is murdered Ferrell can’t help but wonder. Now feeling guilty for his assumption of the worst from his client, Ferrell hires Abe Glitsky, retired head of homicide now P.I. to investigate. Glitsky’s poking around results is two other murders and an attempt on his own life. Now Glitisky can’t let it go and uncovers several potential perpetrators but none seem to have motive to commit all four murders. A complex ‘who-done-it’ follows.

This is Lescroart’s nineteenth Dismas Hardy novel and I’ve enjoyed every one. The author has created an interesting cast of characters and is a great storyteller. I look forward to the next.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for the advance read.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for a review.

I always enjoy a new Dismas Hardy book and this one does not disappoint, although Dismas only makes a few cameo appearances, as the book is more about Wes Farrell and Abe Glitsky as they investigate the early release and subsequent murder of Paul Riley, who Wes prosecuted and convicted for rape and murder. When the Exoneration Initiative wins his release due to problematic DNA and a confession by another prisoner, a murderer serving a life sentence, no one is happy, especially not the father of Riley's "alleged" victim. So when Riley is shot in the head, and his father quickly identifies her father, Doug Rush, as the murderer, no one is surprised, except those involved in the original case. Then Doug is murdered, too.

This is a good police procedural, it was good to see Abe again, after his retirement from the police force, as he gets used to being a PI, without access to all the resources of the Police Department.

This is my first book in the Dismas Hardy series from John Lescroart, and it was a pleasant surprise, for the most part.

The story originates from the Exoneration Initiative, that provides legal assistance to convicts who claim to have been wrongfully convicted of crimes they didn't commit. In any other iteration this may have been a legal thriller, but this book takes the reader deeper into what the tags of guilty and innocent imply, and what it means and takes to be exonerated. Often, the exoneration is attempted to be carried out as a heroic gesture, but really is merely based on technicalities and loopholes in the law, and in fact blatantly ends up abusing the same law they they saw has wronged their clients in the first place.

The book makes no claims or judgements on the Initiative itself, but gives the reader enough material to begin pondering over what the system really looks like, and why many believe it is broken.

The only gripe I have with the story is that in may places the writing is very mediocre and generic. A lot of the book is just conversations, which by itself is not really a problem - but both the narrative and the conversations themselves often don't come across as grounded, and rather give the impression of shallow and almost as if written in a hurry. There are numerous instances where the same phrase is used repeatedly in a handful of pages, even when different characters are shown using the exact same phrase, in the exact same way. It's as if the author was too busy or lazy to create separately identifiable personas for his different characters. That definitely took away from the overall effect of the narrative.

There is real potential in some of these characters to be developed better and independently, but sadly are not given the opportunity.

Also, after reading this I'm at a loss as to why this is described as a Dismas Hardy story. Read it and you'll know. It is by no means unreadable - far from it. In fact, the overall thriller and suspense elements in the book are quite good, and reminded me of some of the early Reacher stories - though not nearly as tight or fast as those books were (!). Quite good, nevertheless.

Thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books, John Lescroart for an eARC.

Thank you net galley for the free digital ARC of this book. I love mystery and legal thrillers. I have read all of the books in this series and this one did not disappoint. It contained all of the familiar characters and focused on the character of Abe Glitskey and moved his story along. It was fast paced and well plotted, and I didn’t see the ending coming. The story starts with an murdered individual whose conviction was overturned based on the work of Exoneration Project (Innocence Project). This was interesting and a different perspective on their work. I hope there are more books in this series.

This book left me on my toes. I couldn’t put this book down to sleep! (And couldn’t sleep because this book)! Loved everything about it. Thanks to netgalley for the early access to this book

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Atria Books and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Fast-paced, well done, captivating story. The characters are developed and honed. The evolution is solid.

Just finished the 19th installment in the Dismas Hardy Series by John Lescroart and I'm torn. I'm a fan of Lescroart's work and I've enjoyed all the works produced in this series, yet, I'm not as impressed or thrilled with The Missing Piece.

Wes Farrell is hired to represent Doug Rush who's been arrested for murdering the man who'd been convicted and exonerated of the rape and murder of his daughter. Farrell is convinced his client, Rush, is guilty of the crime and is conflicted with representing him. In a past life, his work as a prosecutor has convinced him that everyone's guilty. As he struggles with his own personal ethics, his client is murdered.

Insert Abe Glitsky, the resident investigator that can't seem to let this case go as he finds connections that other investigating police ignored. Against the odds, he presses on to find out who is actually guilty of killing Doug Rush and the man convicted of murdering his daughter. The danger that's instore investigating this case could not be greater.

That danger is palpable and a driving force in this fast paced mystery/thriller. Generally, the Hardy series is a simple, easy read, and that doesn't change here. The first chapter sets the stage followed by the layering of more mystery and intrigue that it's hard to walk away without needing to know whodunnit. I HAD to know whodunnit.

My only issue is that after awhile, I didn't care whodunnit. There's too many periphery characters and "persons of interest" that I no longer was able to keep it all straight. This could totally be my fault because I don't have the privilege of reading books how I used to, within a couple days or so. I admit, I may be the problem.

Yet, I can't help but be disappointed with The Missing Piece. I don't know what it was but something was missing for me with this title. The ending was a little too wrapped up similarly to the summation's from my favorite TV show, Monk. The OCD detective perfectly sums up what the bad guy did in the last few minutes of the show. That's kinda what happened here. One of the (too) many characters happens to be the murderer with too few nuggets of information provided on how, where, or why he was even a suspect.

Regardless, although The Missing Piece was a quick read and entertaining enough, I don't think it's a great installment to the Hardy series. Sure I'm under impressed with the title, but Lescroart is a great writer. I look forward to the next installment in this series.

Copy provided by Atria Books via Netgalley

Paul Riley is just out of prison after being accused of the rape and murder of his girlfriend and her father will never forget what happened to his only daughter. So he is the first to be accused when Paul Riley is shot point blank entering his apartment one night. And so begins the mystery in this book.

While in typical mystery series, the mystery itself is contained within the pages of each book, but with this one there was a lot of character development that with this book being the 19th in the series, I felt as though I was missing a lot. There were many moments in this book where I felt like I should have known more and it hindered my reading experience.

I did enjoy the mystery itself which made me want to possibly go back to the very beginning and get to know these characters from the beginning and watch them tackle mystery after mystery!

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, John Lescroart, and Atria Books for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

There is something captivating about the writing of John Lescroart, perhaps because he tackles legal matters from all angles. His series intertwine so well, using a strong core of characters, but never seem to run out of ideas along the way. Now that Wes Farrell is no longer the District Attorney, he’s turned to working for the defence, something that has him less than happy. As he ponders his future, he’s contacted by the father of a victim whose killer he helped put away. It would seem there is some concern that a murder has been committed. As Farrell takes the case and uses all his resources, things take a definite turn, sending the lead investigator down a path with many dire warnings. Lescroart at his best, sure to impress those who have long followed this series.

After an illustrious career, Wes Farrell knew it was time to end his tenure as District Attorney and find something new to fill his time. While it was not the best offer, Farrell chose to work for the defence, alongside his longtime friend, Dismas Hardy. However, Farrell’s been having second thoughts about defending those he feels are guilty and thinks that it might be time to call it a career. Hardy, having taken the plunge many years before, seeks to counsel his friend, but does not appear to be making much headway.

When a call comes into the firm, asking for Farrell to attend the local jail, he’s intrigued. It’s a man he knows well, the father of a victim whose killer was just released from jail by an energetic Exoneration Initiative. It would seem that Doug Rush is now being accused of killing his daughter’s killer, with an eyewitness who saw the murder. While Rush asserts his innocence, even Farrell cannot be sure of it, feeling that there was more than enough anger to fuel some retribution.

As Farrell begins his defence, he realises that he will be up against a mountain of evidence. He acquires the services of Private Investigator Abe Glitsky, former homicide detective with the San Francisco PD and best friends with Dismas Hardy. While Glitsky is ready to take on the investigation, he’s not too sure what it will reveal, particularly with Farrell sure his client his guilty.

When Rush does not turn up after being granted bail, everyone’s sure he’s on the lam. Glitsky works to uncover what’s going on with Rush, as well as trying to nail down an alibi. Things take a definite turn for the worse and Glitsky becomes trapped in a web of deception, double speak, and lies. He discovers that the Exoneration Initiative has done work across the country with some interesting results, though the fallout has much to be desired. Could all this pose significant issues for Glitsky, Farrell, and others around San Francisco. A great piece by John Lescroart that keeps the reader in the middle of the action.

Lescroart’s writing is so entertaining that varied that it owes not matter whose perspective the novel takes, the story is sure to be worth reading. Lescroart has built-up various offshoot series, using his core characters, all of whom work well together and keep the overall story arc intact. There is something about these stories that keeps me coming back, from the legal maneuvers to the investigative measure, as well as the dry wit that matches my own. When Lescroart publishes, I take note, having done so for the last two decades, since I stumbled upon this series.

There are a few central characters in this piece, making it difficult to choose just one. Wes Farrell and Abe Glitsky are the apparent protagonists, offering up their own views and development throughout. Both have had great backstories woven into their respective series in the past, but do not hesitate to always leave their mark at present again. There is a richness to the characters and great interaction between them, leaving series fans to bask in the banter that is a special part of this large and complex set of series.

As with many of his novels, I was pulled into the middle of this book in the opening chapters. Tackling some retribution issues proved to be only the tip of the iceberg, as Wes Farrell and Abe Glitsky forged ahead to make their marks on the piece. Strong narrative flow helped create a needed momentum, as the reader seeks to understand the complexities of the plot as it is developed. Chapters vary in length and perspective, keeping the reader guessing about what awaits them as things progress. As mentioned before, the web of characters and series that connect here have always impressed me, allowing some who play a major role to be but cameos at times, while others step into the limelight. I cannot wait to see what comes of this series, which has remained strong, even with the ever-growing number of books!

Kudos, Mr. Lescroart, for another winner. I eagerly await publication when I see you have another book in the works!

4.5 stars which I will gladly round up to 5 stars.

Welcome back Dismas Hardy, Abe Glitzkey , Will Farrell and team.

The Missing Piece is a fast paced read that will have you holding your breath and the lights will stay on for one or two more chapters.

The pages turn quickly , Abe takes way too many chances (bless him) and as the story unfolds .

John Lecscroart is a master a weaving a great story that holds your attention from beginning to end.

Get your copy of The Missing Piece when available and move it to the top of your TBR pile.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria books for a spell binding read.

I really enjoy John Lescroart novels and this was no exception. Lots of twists and turns, leaving you guessing throughout. The plot was complex until the end. Great read. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance read copy!

When a prisoner released thorough the Exoneration Initiative is killed within months of his release the father of the woman he raped and killed is the main suspect. His lawyer thinks he’s guilty but a PI who works with the law firm is not convinced and does his own investigation. The story tightens when the father is found killed too. This is a story of vigilante justice and how it spirals out of control.

I am a big fan of the Dimas Hardy gang of justice served and fought. His office has strong individual characters that can take the lead in any case and add their own personality, experience, and strife to any given case. Wes a defendant lawyer of the firm is struggling with the balance of justice. Making sure his clients have a fair trial but he also is struggling with the guilt that these clients may have. Is justice being served. It is not about getting the client off, it is about justice being served for the client. When a case falls into his lap about a father Doug Rush being accused of killing a man that was exonerated for raping and killing his daughter, it looks like his client is guilty. Another dilemma. A twist takes the story to another player in Dimas Hardy arsenal, Private investigator Abe Glitsky. He is in the job of eliminating suspects. He is like the 70's hit show Columbo. Chews the fat of the facts and is like a dog with a bone. I liked him and his unique ways of getting to the facts without getting killed.

Many moving parts to the missing piece and has the title suggests, there are always missing pieces to justice.

A special thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

John lescroart has once again brought Dismas Hardy, Abe Glitsky, and Wes Farrell together to solve this thriller. The Missing Piece examines feelings about organizations like the Exoneration Initiative.

I really enjoyed this police procedural/crime drama! Filled with great characters, mystery and intrigue. Loved the storyline with it’s multiple layers and POVs. Highly recommend.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

I’d only previously read one book in this series – the first – and it was alright: though I didn’t love it there were elements that caused me to promise myself I’d come back for another delve into the life and cases of lawyer Dismas Hardy. It’s taken me to book nineteen in the series to keep that promise and guess what, Dismas hardly makes an appearance in this one. A lot of water has flowed under the bridge in the thirty two years since book one was penned and there’s quite a few references to past events in the early pages, something I find slightly irritating as someone who repeatedly randomly dips into crime fiction series. But get past this and the story settles down into a caper largely featuring the law firm’s regular private investigator Abe Glitsky.

Wes Farrell, the former San Francisco District Attorney who now works with Hardy, is having second thoughts about being a defence attorney. This heralds quite a bit of debate about the Innocence Project which looks to revisit past cases and exonerate wrongly convicted criminals. Wes is not a fan of IP, believing that most convicts did something that should have had them sent down even if they didn’t commit the crime for which they were imprisoned. And when he picks up the case of a man charged with murdering the convicted killer of his daughter, now released as a result of an IP appeal, he is predisposed to be sceptical regarding his claims of innocence. But then events take a sinister turn and Web hires Abe to come in and do some digging around.

The characters are all well drawn, the dialogue is snappy and smart and the story rattles along at a good pace. Soon it becomes clear that’s there’s a lot more to what’s gone on than was initially evident and Abe gets drawn deeper and deeper into what proves to be a confusing but intriguing case. So this is not really a legal thriller, more a fairly standard murder mystery - but actually a pretty good one. I really liked Abe, he’s dogged and though he is generally good natured he’s also got that bit of edge necessary to kick something out of the weeds when the need arises. This is a case that sends him in various directions and I was never quite sure how it would eventually play out.

I’m not sure why it’s taken me so long to re-visit this series – I think it just fell off my radar – but I’m really glad I found my way back. I’ll now definitely be working back through the earlier books as there was plenty here to entice me.

I’m a long time fan of this author’s books, and this book continues his tradition of crafting an intricate storyline.

Paul Riley is released from prison after the Exoneration Initiative produces the man who confessed to the murder Paul was put into jail for. But soon after Paul is released he is murdered, and his father points the finger at the father of the woman Paul was accused of killing.

Abe Glitsky, former detective now private investigator is tagged by his firm, representing Doug Rush, the woman’s father, with gathering information and determining if Doug killed Paul. This action starts the ball rolling and Abe and the rest of his firm find themselves pulling at strings to unravel several murders. Are they connected, or are they a coincidence? What does any of this have to do with Paula and EI? The reader is kept guessing until the end!

This was a fast-paced, well conceived mystery and I really enjoyed it. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

All my favorite characters are present in this book: Dismas Hardy, Abe Glitsky, Wes Farrell and Wyatt Hunt.

As DA, Wyatt Hunt convicted Paul Riley of rape and murder. He served eleven years in prison before being exonerated by The Exoneration Initiative. However, the murdered girls father Doug Rush still thought Paul Riley got away with murder. Shortly after his release, Riley is killed and a witness identified Doug Rush as the killer. He is represented by Hardy and Farrell. When he disappears, Glitsky as a PI is asked to find him.

There are many twists and turns and this is a memorable addition to the series.

The Missing Piece is the nineteenth in a series, the lea character of which (as billed/titled, anyway) is Dismas Hardy. This book, however, features more of Abe Glitsky, a PI, and Wes Farrell, a former prosecutor, now defense attorney, who is having a midlife crisis about defending people he believes are guilty. According to some things I read, Lescroart cycles through characters, putting some (like Abe and Wes here) in the forefront, and then in the next book, putting others at the front. No problem with that!

I've not read any of the books in this series, and I don't think it's necessary to start at one and land here, as it's fine as a standalone. There are enough details about the relationships between the characters that it easily works as a standalone.

Eleven years ago, Farrell prosecuted Paul Riley for the rape and murder of Dana Rush. The Exoneration Initiative, akin to the Innocence Project, finds new DNA evidence pointing to another man who was already in prison for the same crime. That man confessed to Dana's murder, and Paul Riley is released. Paul heads home to live with his father. After Paul cleans up and remodels the room above the garage, his father decides Paul should start paying rent, at $2500/month. Thanks, dad. Since Paul doesn't make much at the restaurant where he works - and certainly not enough to pay dear old dad's price, he decides to go back to breaking and entering.

After one job, he's back in his place, when his dad calls up to him. Paul thinks pops sounds a little off, so he shoves the loot under his pillow, opens the door, but it isn't dad. Paul has an "Oh, shit" moment, but the person at the door shoots Paul in the head before he can do anything.

A couple of detectives show up, and Paul's father tells them he saw the shooter: Doug Rush, the father of the girl Paul murdered. So, despite everything that screams bullshit about this - including dad's attempt to say the money Paul has stuffed under his pillow belonging to him, the dad the scumbag - thee two just bop right over to Doug's place. After asking him a couple of questions about where he's been, and his refusal to tell them anything, they decide to go ahead and arrest him on the basis of Paul's dad's eyewitness. This is the dumbest thing in the book, given how notoriously unreliable eyewitnesses are. In any case, while getting the cuffs on Doug, one of the detectives, who clearly has some issues, beats him. Of course someone captures it on video. Doug makes a call to a detective that worked his daughter's case,who in turn calls Farrell: Doug wants Farrell as his lawyer.

Farrell agrees to represent Doug, even though he thinks Doug is guilty. He manages to get Doug out on bail, though, then goes back to his life, talking to multiple people about his existential crisis. When Doug doesn't appear in court when he's supposed to, Farrell immediately goes to" guilty, he's a runner.

But Doug turns up dead, and not by suicide. Farrell now feels guilty, talks to Hardy, and in comes Abe, to poke around at what happened, as they feel they owe it to Doug.

From there, we get a real investigation, instead of whatever the hell the detectives who arrested Doug were doing (they were suspended shortly after arresting him). Abe finds Doug did indeed have an alibi for the time Paul was shot, but it wasn't something Doug wanted to reveal, in order to protect someone. Then yet another body shows up, and Abe dogs the case until he discovers that missing piece.

Although there is some time devoted to Farrell and his issues with working defense instead of offense, those moments don't drag the book down. Since I'm a weather nerd, I didn't mind the descriptions of that throughout the book. The main characters are well developed by now, of course, and they all act like real, actual people. The story itself raises questions about how possible criminals are treated, how new testing that wasn't available years ago shows innocent people have been locked up, and what justice means or should be. The missing piece, to me, had a bit of luck involved, but sometimes, you do get lucky.

Four and a half stars, rounded up to five.

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the reading copy.