John T. Lescroart

(1948-

McCrumb John Lescroart is known for fast-paced legal thrillers and mysteries that incorporate both the procedural aspects of catching criminals and the ensuing courtroom drama as they are brought to justice. The setting is a dark, urban San Francisco, although occasional humor helps lighten the otherwise gritty stories. Flawed yet vibrant main characters, complex plots and detailed characters make for compelling reading.

Lescroart was born in Texas, but at the age of 12 his family moved to San Mateo, California. He received a Bachelor’s of Arts degree from UCLA and then for many years worked 14-hour days as a full time administrator and typist in a Los Angeles law firm. During this time he also devoted two early morning hours each day to his novel-in-progress. An incident in 1989 drastically changed his lifestyle and fortunes. After a long day in the office Lescroart went body surfing at Seal Beach. From the contaminated seawater he contracted spinal meningitis and spent eleven days in a hospital battling for his life. This turning point in his life forced him to focus on his dream and after his recovery he dedicated himself to his writing. Being able to write exclusively also enabled him to renew his early love of music. He plays guitar, keyboard and has written over 500 songs.

“This is the message I try to get out to everybody,” said Lescroart. “This is the only life you have. Get out there and live it. It’s not dress rehearsal. If you have a dream, and you’re going for something you truly believe in, the only way is to pursue it in spite of all the other excuses you can find. As soon as I defined myself as a writer, everything fell into place.”

Lescroart is known for his two main characters, lawyer Dismas Hardy and police detective Able Glitsky. According to Novelist, Dismas Hardy, while likeable, “is also a man who fights vehemently for what he believes in and is absolutely uncompromising in his pursuit of justice, even resorting to vigilantism when legal methods fail. However, he also sometimes suffers from burnout and dark depressions, when he drinks too much and cynicism replaces his natural drive and optimism. Then Frannie, his wife, brings him into line and back on point. She, along with their children, grounds him and keeps him true to his ideals.”

There are varying approaches to categorizing Lescroart’s work into series. While Dismas Hardy is clearly the main protagonist in most of Lescroart’s work, in some books he takes a back seat. On his website, Lescroart describes most of his more recent work as standalones that feature one character or another. As a result, some may prefer to use the chronological order by publishing date, while others may want to read according to who is the main character. We’ll leave it up to the reader to decide in what order to enjoy these engrossing thrillers!

Oh, and in case you were wondering: on his website, Lescroart answers the question he says he is asked most often - how to pronounce his name. “Although I’m three-quarters Irish, my last name is French. It’s pronounced “less-kwah” (the opposite of more-kwah) and, of course, was my father’s last name.”