Book Review: John Lescroart's "The Motive"

Author: John Lescroart

Copyright: 2005

Pubisher Info: SIGNEL Novel. Published by New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. New York. Previously published in a Dutton edition.

Mini Book Reviw: The canvas for this book is San Francisco. Having lived there from 1999-2004, I could picture the locations and absorb the atmosphere of this book quite well. In fact, my favorite restaurant, Zarzuela (located at the corner of Hyde and Union in Russian Hill) is even mentioned in this book. On the backdrop alone, I was intrigued and interested in the book. But, this novel offers more than just San Francisco.

Lescroart does a nice job of developing characters. Dismas Hardy (Diz), the shrewd defense attorney and his SFPD buddy Abe Glitzsky are "real", likeable and captivating.

Double murder is the crime, and Diz' first true love (Catherine Hanover) is the suspect. Catherine is arrested and is faced with a demanding trial that she isn't certain she will survive. As the case progresses, Diz isn't even sure that his old flame is innocent or guilty of killing her father-in-law (Paul Hanover) and his mysterious fiancee. Paul Hanover was a powerful San Franciscan who lived in one of the famous "Painted Lady" victorians on Alamo Square. After Paul and his much younger fiancee are murdered, the home is torched and many people, from arson experts to police to lawyers, are left searching for answers.

The end result is a sordid tail of greed, jealousy, betrayal, and every other ingredient that makes up a compelling "who done it" crime novel. I can't say that I loved the twist at the end, bit I respect Lescroart for not giving the readers a predictable (or remotely guessible) ending.

Book Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

Book Review: J.M. Coetzee's "Disgrace"

Author: J.M. Coetzee

Copyright: 1999: First published in Great Britain by Martin Secker & Warburg 1999. First published in the United States of America by Viking Penguin. Published by Penguin Books 2000.

Other Coetzee works:

Waiting for the Barbarians

Life and Times of Michael K

ABBREVIATED BOOK REVIEW:

Coetzee has a way of writing that I find particularly appealing. He doesn't use extra words or fluff, rather he gets rights into the characters and the story. The end result is that someone like me, with a short attention span, can cruise through his book in a week. The major accomplishment by Coetzee is that his conciseness does not compromise his writing talent.

This book is set in 1990s South Africa. David Lurie is an accomplished college professor who is at a crossroads in his life. His skills have been marginalized at the university in Cape Town, he is twice-divorced, and he has a penchant for poor judgment. An ultimately bad decision to sleep with one of his students, driven by his sexually fueled "erotic" ways, burns him badly.

He is forced to leave the university in "disgrace" and decides on spending time with his daughter (Lucy) in rural South Africa, working on her farm, doing things he never imagined he would do.

After a horrific crime takes place at Lucy's house, he realizes what a sham his life has become. Although he frowns on Lucy's way of life in the dangerous outskirts of South Africa, perhaps it is in this "backwards place" that David will ultimately find a semblance of substance in himself.

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5