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.
Continuing characters Dismas hardy and Abe Glitsky are at it, again. Quite a surprise twist as to who the bad guy is. If you weren't paranoid about priests before you read this book, you will be, after! LOL!
This is the first of the Dismas Hardy series. It's a good one and I intend to read the rest of them. It is exciting with good twists and turns.
"Dead Irish" is the first of the Dismas Hardy series, and although it's weaker than later examples, it's a good read, with very sympathetic characters. And as always, the essence of San Francisco is bottled in some very evocative descriptions. Fair plot, good characters, excellent setting. Well worth a look, and the later books in the series just get better.
In his new life as a bartender at the Little Shamrock, Dismas Hardy is just hoping for a little peace. He's left both the police force and his law career behind. Unfortunately, it's not as easy to leave behind the memory of a shattering personal loss-but for the time being, he can always take the edge off with a stiff drink and a round of darts.
I had a bit of trouble keeping focused on this book, but all in all, it keeps you wanting to know more until you come to the last page.
I had a bit of trouble keeping focused on this book, but all in all, it keeps you wanting to know more until you come to the last page.
Chillingly intense! Like all good mysteries, it keeps you on your seat guessing til the very end.
I love all of his books but I had never read the first one that features Dismas. It was nice to get some background!
Had read a few John Lescroart books with Abe Glitsky and Dismus Hardy characters prior to reading this fist book. Enjoyed reading where they came from. Great writer, great story, just enough suspense.
Story line was weak. Didn't want to finish it.
Thriller of courtroom drama stacked with intersting characters
"A full-blooded, substantive and stylistic effort of the first order." - Library Journal
"John Lescroart is a gifted writer with a distinctive voice." -- Richard North Patterson
I enjoy his books, this being maybe the fourth one of his I've read. His writing style is good and the characters are well drawn. Paul C.
"John Lescroart is a gifted writer with a distinctive voice." -- Richard North Patterson
I enjoy his books, this being maybe the fourth one of his I've read. His writing style is good and the characters are well drawn. Paul C.
excellent
A bit slow in parts but still a good read.
very good
First in the Dismas Hardy series. I really enjoyed this one and am looking forward to the others in the series!
For former San Francisco cop Dismas Hardy, Guinnes Stout with Bass Ale is the drink of choice, but news of young Eddie Cochran's death calls for a double. The cops think it's suicide, but even to a lapsed Catholic like Hardy, it sounds wrong. Doubts lead him back into the heart of the Little Shamrock, into memories of warm kitchens, cold churches, and sins unforgotten. Blood ties still bind Eddie's family--his beautiful mother, his pregnant widow, hos hot tempered brothers, his compassionate priest. But old secrets and raw angers gnaw at the fabric of their lives. And Hardy's instincts tell him--someone else is going to die.
Absolutely marvelous - I've read the entire series. This is the first "Dead Irish" and you need to read them in order.
an ex-cop names his poison. former cop dismas hardy someone is dead and hardys instints tell him it is murder.
Dismas Hardy, ex-cop bartender and ex-Assistant District Attorney turned defense attorney and Abe Glitsky, a black, Jewish cop in San Francisco, California, is featured in this series 1st book
This is the first novelin the Dismas Hardy serie... By the New York Times best-selling author of The Oath, The First law and The Second Chair....
I enjoyed this book very much...
I enjoyed this book very much...
Another great Dismas Hardy ex-cop tale - Great Who dunit.
Enjoyed this a lot. A page-turner!
Book Description
The first Dismas Hardy novel by the New York Times bestselling author of The Fall, The Keeper, and The Ophelia Cut...
In his new life as a bartender at the Little Shamrock, Dismas Hardy is just hoping for a little peace. He's left both the police force and his law career behind. Unfortunately it's not as easy to leave behind the memory of a shattering personal loss-but for the time being, he can always take the edge off with a stiff drink and round of darts. But when the news of Eddie Cochran's death reaches him, Hardy is propelled back into all the things he was trying to escape. Now he must untangle a web of old secrets and raw passions, for the sake of Eddie's pregnant widow Frannie--and for the others whose lives may still be at risk.
My Review
I like the character of Dismas Hardy and this novel was very entertaining. The only thing wrong about this book was the thin plot and too many subplots that didn't seem necessary. Other than that, I liked the characters and they did seem believable. Since this is the first in the series, I will read the second book and give Lescroart another chance.
The first Dismas Hardy novel by the New York Times bestselling author of The Fall, The Keeper, and The Ophelia Cut...
In his new life as a bartender at the Little Shamrock, Dismas Hardy is just hoping for a little peace. He's left both the police force and his law career behind. Unfortunately it's not as easy to leave behind the memory of a shattering personal loss-but for the time being, he can always take the edge off with a stiff drink and round of darts. But when the news of Eddie Cochran's death reaches him, Hardy is propelled back into all the things he was trying to escape. Now he must untangle a web of old secrets and raw passions, for the sake of Eddie's pregnant widow Frannie--and for the others whose lives may still be at risk.
My Review
I like the character of Dismas Hardy and this novel was very entertaining. The only thing wrong about this book was the thin plot and too many subplots that didn't seem necessary. Other than that, I liked the characters and they did seem believable. Since this is the first in the series, I will read the second book and give Lescroart another chance.
In his new life as a bartender at the Little Shamrock, Dismas Hardy is just hoping for a little peace. He's left both the police force and his law career behind. Unfortunately it's not as easy to leave behind the memory of a shattering personal loss-but for the time being, he can always take the edge off with a stiff drink and round of darts. But when the news of Eddie Cochran's death reaches him, Hardy is propelled back into all the things he was trying to escape. Now he must untangle a web of old secrets and raw passions, for the sake of Eddie's pregnant widow Frannie--and for the others whose lives may be affected.
John Lescroart is author of The 13th Juror.
If you are a fan of any detective series stories, then get started on Dismas Hardy. Lescroart develops the character throughout the series as he evolves from grieving young father hiding in a bar to defense attorney who started out as war hero, who transitioned to a cop, then turned to law. This first book sets the stage for a long list of stories to keep you wanting more.
Well written and interesting story created.
ex-cop turned detective
