I have always enjoyed John Lescroart’s novels and this one was no exception. The characters are well-drawn and it was lovely to revisit those who have become like old friends – amongst others, Abe Glitsky, now retired and entering the realm of Private Detection, and Dismas Hardy, who had only a small role to play in this novel. The story line was interesting and enthralling, requiring Glitsky’s analytical detection skills and perseverance to unravel the skeins of convoluted evidence in order to get to the truth. Highly recommended! Thanks to John Lescroart, NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

Abe and Dismas again...just love to read Lescroart. Always comfortable and reliable, a good story with a twist or two and characters that are what real people are like.
In this novel we have a lawyer that is a bit burnt out, Dismas the boss and Abe investigating in his hard headed and not always safe way.
As always the killer is a surprise till the very end and everything gets wrapped in a big bow ...no loose ends in these novels.
I reccomend

It has been a number of years since I read a John Lescroart novel. Thanks to NetGalley I recently finished reading the 19th Dismas Hardy murder mystery entitled “ The Missing Piece.” Lescroart is a reliably good read and I found myself enjoying catching up with the universe of Dismas Hardy and Abe Glitsky. Sadly for me Hardy makes only token appearances in the plot as most of the time the story focuses on the now-retired Glitsky tracking down an unknown murderer. The theme of his story centers around the pro’s and cons of the Innocence Initiative, a group dedicated to looking to free prisoners that may be incarcerated inappropriately either due to their innocence or due to a flaw in their court proceedings.
I shan’t give away the plot so that potential readers can enjoy the ride as I did. I would have decreased the preachiness about 16% and added some more sinister goings-on by that same 16%. I was surprised by the “whodunit” and I hope you also will be.

Even though this book is part of a series, it's really easy to get into it even if, like me, you haven't read any of the author's previous work before. The plot follows the murder of Paul Riley, released from prison as a result of the Exoneration Initiative, and the hunt for his killer by lawyer Wes Farrell and PI Abe Glisky. All in all I found this an exciting and enjoyable read, just the kind of murder mystery that you can end up finishing in a weekend!

Sometimes you get blamed when YOU didn't do it! There are lots of twists and turns before the time RUNS out? Did he do it?

Apparently this is the 19th book in the series. And I haven't read any books in this series before this one. But I still dived in. I was pretty sure that I would be a lost case but surprisingly I was not. The characters were described well and I didn't think I was losing the plot. So that's a plus point. Also the mystery in this book is sooo good. Overall as a newbie in the mystery world, it was a pretty good start.
I would also like to thank NetGalley for the copy and also the publisher. #themissingpiece

After the Exoneration Initiative springs Paul Riley from prison, he’s found murdered. If he was truly innocent, who would want to kill him? Suspicion falls on the father of the girl Riley supposedly raped and murdered, and even his lawyer thinks he’s guilty.

Abe Glitsky follows a tortuous path through clue after clue to a thrilling and unexpected conclusion. John Lescroart is a master of suspense, keeping this reader guessing to the very end. Recommended.

This book is apparently 19th in the series which is not usually a great place to start. But the characters were introduced well and I didn’t feel all at sea by not having read any of the previous titles.

It was a good read. Interesting characters, several crimes(interconnected or were they?) lots of red herrings, but we had an experienced detective who followed the clues. Some good discussions about the adversarial approach to justice and some lawyers who were maybe a bit jaded by it all.

I will be reading mor of this series for sure.

The book had a very interesting plot and the author has done some great groundwork because the effort is reflected throughout the book. But the narration felt a little dragging in some places and a little bit confusing. I found it a little difficult to relate to the characters especially the investigators. Overall the book was okay.

Overall this was a fairly quick read.

I have never read anything from this author in the past; however, I understand this book is part of a series. I did not feel lost and I felt that I could keep pretty good track of the characters. Therefore I feel that by reader could just read and enjoy this book as a stand-alone

I felt the beginning started off pretty slow however it picked up pace as the story went along.

The ending came with a surprise which overall made the reading this book worthwhile.

I would rate this book 3.5 stars.

Thank you to net galley and Atria publishing providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love reading thrillers and murder mysteries so it was with great excitement that I dove into this Dismas Hardy Series Book #19. I had never read any of the series previously so I was a little concerned that I might be left in the dark coming into the middle of the series as I did. However I can safely say there’s no need to read from the beginning to be able to get into the characters and plot of this book.
Convicted felon Paul Riley is released from prison 11 years after his conviction of murder and rape of his girlfriend. He is freed and declared innocent with the help of the Exoneration Initiative. Only to be found murdered weeks later shot execution style in the head. Her father, Doug Rush, is brutally arrested by the police and must stand trial for the murder. Unfortunately not even his attorney, SAN Francisco DA Wes Farrell working with Dismas Hardy believes in his innocence. Which has Wes in a dilemma of whether any person arrested by the police is really innocent if they are heading to trial. When Doug Rush winds up missing Wes Farrell, Abe Glisky and the gang end up having to decide whether or not it’s in their wheelhouse to continue representing a client that is no longer there. Especially considering even the police want to make the whole thing go away.
This murder mystery will have you guessing with lots of twists and turns and red herrings. It will be very difficult to guess the murderer even up to the very end. Excellent read!

I've read several books by this author and have always enjoyed everything I've read, so I was looking forward to reading this book. I must say it didn't disappoint. This book was easy to read and fast paced and kept me wanting to read more. I highly recommend this book.

I love to read mysteries and legal thrillers, yet I haven’t read anything by John Lescroart before. "The Missing Piece" is such a page turner and I've been missing out this whole time! After I passed the halfway mark in the book, panic kicks in and I knew I need to read more Dismas Hardy and the gang so I have gotten myself a copy of book 1-3.

A man sentenced for rape and murder got off on technicality through Exoneration Initiative program and shortly after his release he was shot dead. Doug, the father of the victim is believed to have done the killing according to an eye witness. Doug was charged then got out of jail on bail. The day of his trial, Doug didn't show up. Later, he too was found murdered. What's going on?

John Lescroart is a master storyteller. The switch between characters flow nicely that it took me a bit to realize the story went from legal side with Wes Farrell to investigative side with Abe Glitsky. Is this normal for this series? I don't know, but I enjoyed it! I notice that this book doesn't have that much Dismas Hardy, but other characters are excellent and I had no trouble catching up. To be honest, I had no clue whodunit. This is part legal thriller, and part police procedural so if that's something of your interest you don't want to miss this one!

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for providing me this ARC.

What a wonderful well written thriller with great characters!
This book is full of twists and turns. with an amazing ending!
I really enjoyed reading this book!

There is no bigger fan of John Lescroart! I’m pretty sure I’ve read every Dismas Hardy, Lincoln Lawyer and Abe Glisky novel, among others. When I saw that he had written another, despite his earlier announcement that he was taking a sabbatical and “recharging his batteries”, I certainly was disappointed.But here we are with The Missing Piece, another great effort, with all the major players. A exonerated convicted rapist and murder is shot with a bullet to the head. The father of his murder victim is arrested for the murder, and Wes Farrell agrees to represent him and gets him released on bail. And sadly, he is also found dead, and Abe Glisky starts investigating the case.
There are many players in this story, as the search for a killer or killers begins, with all of the partners involved. As usual, the character building is outstanding, the setting of my home town, SF, always intrigues me, and the outcome to wrap up this story, is a surprise.
With Lescroart’s battery charged, I’m looking forward to another best seller next year.
My thanks to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster/Atria Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own. I loved this book!

Reading a John Lescroart novel is like meeting up with old friends. The characters are well developed and the plot always keeps you guessing. The books are set in San Francisco, and the city is shown in all its grit and glory. Lescroart's novels are fiction but they read like true crime. There are moral and ethical dilemmas galore and the stories always leave me thinking about them. So it is with the Missing Piece. The story centers on a fictional Exoneration Initiative which releases prisoners who have been unfairly convicted. But are these criminals really innocent? Paul Riley is released based on a confession by another prisoner and, when he is then murdered, the father of his victim is arrested. The story takes many twists and turns from here. This is a must read, both for Lescroart fans and those who just enjoy a great story. My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

First of all, thanks to Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for this eARC to review. All opinions are my own. So I used to be super invested in this series, especially for the Dismas Hardy/Abe Glitsky books. Then I stopped reading them for awhile but took the opportunity to dive back in to the series. Sadly, I remember why I stopped reading them. It was not a bad book, but just a bit convoluted and had too much exposition with an unsatisfying ending. I did appreciate the viewpoint behind the Exoneration Initiative and what that means from a court perspective. These books also remind me why I would have a hard time being a defense attorney. 3.5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. I have read many of the books in this series. The three main characters Will Farrell, Abe Glitsky, and Dismas Hardy are all here.
Farrell put away Paul Riley for murder. He is released after new evidence is found. He is soon murdered. Ferrell hires Abe to find out what is going on.
There are a lot of misdirection which keeps you guessing. This series has been going on for a long time and it is entertaining.
The writing was good and so is the mystery. I recommend this book. In fact, the whole series is worth a read.

Our favorite characters as created by author John Lescroart include Dismas Hardy, Wes Farrell, and Abe Glitsky, all become entwined in an investigation that follows the murder of Paul Riley, recently "exonerated" of rape and murder charges after a conviction that sent him to prison. Farrell had taken on the defense of Riley's alleged murderer, Doug Rush, the father of Riley's victim is accused of the murder. He wants Farrell to represent him as Farrell was the DA who put Riley away and is now in private practice. But Rush dies before his trial. The case appears to be dead as well, But Farrell takes on the investigation for the real killer. We are off to the races, and a good story follows. I was quite happy with it.But it did go on too long, though, as the author kept coming up with various and sometimes confusing scenarios as to how the murder of Rush took place. Ultimately he works it out, and I was left happy.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

I have read random books in this series in over the years, and I was not disappointed in this book. A lot of misdirections in the story but that is what made you want to keep reading.