Helpful Score: 6
This is an outstanding whodunit!! It is also a very well-written story about a close-knit family dealing with the death of a beloved son, brother and husband. The ending was superb and I was totally shocked when I learned who the killer was as it is the very last person I would have suspected!
I recently finished reading Mr. Lescroart's latest novel, "The Second Chair", and was so impressed with Dismas Hardy that I decided to go back and read the series from the beginning. Hardy is a very engaging character. He has no aversion to throwing back more than a few drinks, loves a good dart game ( even carries his own set of darts around with him in his coat pocket) and has both a sense of humor and a great nose for detective work. If you have not read this first installment I advise you to pick up a copy. I'm so glad I did!
By Bernadette Edens "Berna" (Birmingham, Alabama USA)
I recently finished reading Mr. Lescroart's latest novel, "The Second Chair", and was so impressed with Dismas Hardy that I decided to go back and read the series from the beginning. Hardy is a very engaging character. He has no aversion to throwing back more than a few drinks, loves a good dart game ( even carries his own set of darts around with him in his coat pocket) and has both a sense of humor and a great nose for detective work. If you have not read this first installment I advise you to pick up a copy. I'm so glad I did!
By Bernadette Edens "Berna" (Birmingham, Alabama USA)
Helpful Score: 3
To me, DEAD IRISH is more of an intro to a series than a mystery. John Lescroart helps us understand his flawed hero, Dismas Hardy; Diz is a compilation of all that is human. Hes tried many things (ex-Marine, ex-cop, ex-attorney, ex-Catholic, ex-husband and ex-father) and he is still seeking.
After a few pages, the reader realizes that something traumatic has happened to Dismas he tends bar for a living and has for several years. When we find out why hes all-but-given-up-on-life, we understand that this is a very sensitive individual still trying to put his grief in a place (where he can come to terms with it).
As Ive stated before, Dismas Hardy is Everyman; hes neither perfect nor riddled with evil. Hes average, just like the rest of us. As Im rereading this series, this book is a refresher course for why I love this author. So much is going on in the heads of the characters and we are privy to these worries, conjectures and fears.
The characters endure, agonize and grow, just like the rest of us. Through their suffering, we learn more about the human condition and ourselves. I thought the author used a logical means to get Dismas into the case and keep him there.
Lescroart did an elegant job of moving the story while sharing Dismas history. It seemed to be seamlessly done. The mystery itself, however, wasnt spellbinding. I think most readers figured it out long before the end of the book. However, this is a character-driven tome; we hang on because the people are fascinating. 4.5 stars
Dismas Hardy Series of 15 books
1. Dead Irish (1989)
2. The Vig (1990)
3. Hard Evidence (1993)
After a few pages, the reader realizes that something traumatic has happened to Dismas he tends bar for a living and has for several years. When we find out why hes all-but-given-up-on-life, we understand that this is a very sensitive individual still trying to put his grief in a place (where he can come to terms with it).
As Ive stated before, Dismas Hardy is Everyman; hes neither perfect nor riddled with evil. Hes average, just like the rest of us. As Im rereading this series, this book is a refresher course for why I love this author. So much is going on in the heads of the characters and we are privy to these worries, conjectures and fears.
The characters endure, agonize and grow, just like the rest of us. Through their suffering, we learn more about the human condition and ourselves. I thought the author used a logical means to get Dismas into the case and keep him there.
Lescroart did an elegant job of moving the story while sharing Dismas history. It seemed to be seamlessly done. The mystery itself, however, wasnt spellbinding. I think most readers figured it out long before the end of the book. However, this is a character-driven tome; we hang on because the people are fascinating. 4.5 stars
Dismas Hardy Series of 15 books
1. Dead Irish (1989)
2. The Vig (1990)
3. Hard Evidence (1993)
Helpful Score: 1
Ex San Francisco cop Dismas Hardy must find out whether the death of a friend's husband is suicide or something more malicious.
