Dismas Hardy Books In Order

Publication Order of Dismas Hardy Books

In these exciting mixes of intrigue, lies and deception, John Lescroart has created ever enticing thrillers as he charts the exploits of his fictional protagonist; Dismas Hardy, the eponymous defense attorney featured within this popular series of novels.

Whether it’s on the case of a killer or defending the innocent, he’s always sure to get to the bottom of the case, discovering the facts and evidence behind the mystery.

Often seen partnered with his associate and friend, the homicide detective Abe Glitsky, they work together to reveal the truth allowing justice to prevail. Stationed in San Francisco, he operates his practice with a new lease of life after having been given a second chance to become a successful force for good. Once a legal practitioner, then a bartender he’d fallen at the wayside, but after a new case falls into his lap the thirty-something lawyer decides to make a go of it again. Follow his progress over this popular series of novels that now total fifteen and counting.

Dismas Hardy: Dead Irish

This was the novel that was to introduce the character of Dismas Hardy to his ever-loyal readers. Setting up the character, along with his current station in life, John Lescroart brought in a much-loved and well-regarded protagonist who, whilst not always perfect, got the job done and always managed to do the right thing. It was his ambiguities that made him a fully rounded character though and gave his readers somebody three-dimensional to fully invest themselves in.

In this novel Dismas Hardy is found to be bar-tending in his new life where he hopes to gain a little peace and get away from the high-pressure that previously troubled him. With both the police-force and a promising career in law left behind him, he’s hoping to start afresh leaving the tragedy of his former self forgotten and out of harm’s way in the past. Drinks with the regulars and darts seem to be all he’s interested in now in a life that seems simpler and easier to digest taking each day as it comes. This isn’t to be though as he gets some shocking news that propels him back into his former life, putting him once again on the case.

Eddie Cochran, the Irish Catholic brother-in-law of his boss, has been found dead and there’s foul-play suspected and a murder case is soon underway. Leaving the tranquility of the ‘Little Shamrock’ bar, Dismas steps back out into his old territory and back out onto the scene once again as he undertakes the investigation to discover who indeed committed the crime. Although he’s reluctant at first, he soon relents as he attempts to discover whether or not it was a suicide, in which case the widow receives nothing from the insurance, or actually a murder. Friends of Dismas as well, the case takes on a personal dimension for him as he attempts to discover the truth behind who did this. He must also attempt to confront his own demons as he comes to terms with his past and deal with the issues that continue to haunt him. Can he solve the case in time and find out the true identity of the killer? Will he keep himself out of harm’s way whilst he investigates the murder? Just how will he deal with his own personal trauma in this first investigation from Dismas Hardy?

Dismas Hardy: The Vig

Following on from the success of his previous Dismas Hardy novel, John Lescroart takes his readers once again into the world of the intrepid investigative attorney with a passion for justice. This came out to much critical acclaim and was to seal his protagonist’s fate as a regular feature on the thriller literary scene. This time it’s a new case that Dismas gets himself involved in as he heads once more into the murky underworld of San-Francisco.

Coming up against ‘the Vig’, Dismas must learn the truth behind a seedy loan-shark who provides extortionate interest rates as they act as a front for the mob. All this comes to a head after a beautiful woman is forced to pay off a loan with her body, and a sleazy lawyer takes somebody else’s money to pay his. Soon everyone is forced to pay as the city by the bay is put under threat by their presence.

A murdered woman is left dead on a houseboat covered in blood splatters, whilst Rusty Ingraham, the lawyer down on his luck, was said to be in the Bay area of San-Francisco city dead himself. Step-up Dismas Hardy who must solve the case of his now deceased one-time friend as he discovers the truth behind their killings. After they were both threatened with their lives in the past, Dismas takes his lead to help him solve the case. This comes from the man that threatened their lives and is a known killer who’s now out on parole, so it’s a race against time to save his own skin in the process.

In a world where nobody is as they seem and the fine-line of justice is blurred at every angle, from crooked cops to stone-cold killers, he must work quickly if he’s to crack the case and save himself. All tied to Ingraham in some way or another, he must put together the pieces and learn the truth about what actually happened. Will he solve the case and gain justice for his now deceased friend? Can he save himself whilst doing so? Just what exactly is the truth behind ‘The Vig’?

The Dismas Hardy Series

With a large number of them making the ‘New York Times Bestseller’ list, Lescroart doesn’t show any signs of stopping them soon. Considered as one of the most popular thriller writers to date, his popularity with the series is going from strength-to-strength. With a whole cast of characters building around his protagonist, his world is developing into a strong and distinctively recognizable franchise that’s going to keep continuing from now into the foreseeable future.