The Fall

A Novel (Dismas Hardy, Book 16)

By: John Lescroart

Narrated by: David Colacci

Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

From New York Times bestselling author John Lescroart, a riveting new novel of legal suspense featuring Dismas Hardy and his daughter, Rebecca, now grown up and an associate in Hardy's law firm.

Late one night, a teenage African American foster child named Tanya Morgan plummets to her death from the overpass above San Francisco's Stockton tunnel. But did she fall...or was she pushed?

Rushing to produce a convictable suspect in the glare of the media spotlight, homicide inspectors focus their attention on a naïve young man named Greg Treadway. Greg is a middle school teacher and he volunteers as a Special Advocate for foster children. At first, the only thing connecting him to Tanya's death is the fact that they shared a meal earlier that night. But soon enough, elements of that story seem to fall apart...and Hardy's daughter, Rebecca, finds herself drawn into the young man's defense.

By the time Greg's murder trial gets underway, Dismas and Rebecca have unearthed several other theories about the crime: a missing stepfather who'd sexually assaulted her; a roommate who ran a call girl service; a psychologically unstable birth mother; and a mysterious homeless man who may have had dealings with Tanya. Or Greg Treadway himself, who is perhaps not all that he first appeared. But how will they get these theories in front of a jury? And if they can, what price will they have to pay?

With signature suspense and intricate plotting, The Fall puts Dismas Hardy and his only daughter in the middle of one of John Lescroart's most complex and thrilling cases yet.

©2015 The Lescroart Corporation (P)2015 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Excellent Story!

The Fall is well written and an exciting story! Dismas Hardy, his daughter Rebecca, Abe Glitsky, and others are familiar characters that interact to solve a mystery and pursue justice in the courtroom. It is a really great book as are other books by John Lescroart!

Whining!

The story was okay. I liked that Wyatt Hunt had a role. The daughter story line wasn't appealing to me. I was annoyed with the whining and the lack of forethought after all, she was an attorney who watched her dad and uncle for many years before practicing so some of the dialogue was simply silly. Finally, the narrator is completely offensive when trying to create diverse voices. Just stop.

Please keep writing Mr. John Lescroart I thank you

Would you listen to The Fall again? Why?

Yes, I will. The writing and narration cannot be better

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes, not knowing why the murder/fall happened

Have you listened to any of David Colacci’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

One of his best narrations

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Best who done it book ever

Shamefully Bad Narration

Read this instead of listen. I have read all of the Dismas Hardy books and decided to listen to the series from the beginning this time. This narration was ridiculous. Did he even review the book or try to understand where these characters are from? Apparently, he thinks the people in the Bay Area in California sound like 1930’s versions of Mafia bosses. His characterization of the female characters are sniveling and weak versions of these great characters. This was embarrassing to the readers of this fine series.

Definitely read this book, but do not waste your money on this listen. Very disappointing.

I love these guys.

Would you listen to The Fall again? Why?

This is an odd question. I may listen to it again, but by the time I got around to it, Mr. Lescroart may have written book number 17! I have been listening to these books for as long as I can remember, probably twenty years or more. You might think that the series would become formulaic by now, but it just does not. Mr. Lescroart is so smart, and so creative, and Mr. Colacci is such a terrific narrator, that they keep surprising me. The characters keep growing in real time, not being frozen as in other serials. You get to know them better, and each of them changes with time. In this book, Rebecca Hardy is a grown woman, not just Dismas's daughter, and she is a lawyer in his firm. She defends a man named Greg Treadway in a murder trial in San Francisco, where the series is set. The whole plot is impossible to describe in this context, but take it from me, it is so readable that you will not put it down for very long.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Rebecca is my favorite character. She has grown up with a lot of her father's smart-ass humor and wit, and she is like him a terrific attorney. Once again Abe Glitzky plays a crucial role in the case, and, as I have said before, this is such great writing that I feel like I know these people in real life.

What does David Colacci bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

This is the entire reason why I love audiobooks. The performance, when it is this good, makes the experience so real, so vivid that it is a little like an eleven hour movie that you get to cast in your head. At the end I am really amazed at how many people Mr. Colacci can convince you are not just leaping out of his imagination and his skill. It is just an astonishing talent.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I can't do that, and I don't really want to. Eleven hours at a stretch? You have got to be kidding me.

Any additional comments?

You can start anywhere in this series. Just please start somewhere. I feel a little bit like I am selling you something here, but I am no salesman. This is great entertainment. I hope you get to enjoy it like I do.

5 star legal thriller with great narration

There is lots of action inside and outside the courtroom, but what seals the 5 star rating are the unexpected twists and turns, and the narration.

Another solid thriller

A well crafted plot underscored by characters with relationships that propel the novel. Well done all around.

Good Listen!

This isn't the best book I've ever listened to, but still good. The plot was engaging. The characters were a bit superficial in the sense that there wasn't much insight. The author did not establish the character depth I would expect from a seasoned author. The story was well laid out and kept me engaged the entire listen.

Great narration, great story,

I like that everyone is older and The Beck is in the story. Love this series. The story was compelling

Terrific Read

This book is a bit different then past stories in this series. In this book we now have Dismas’s daughter Rebecca Hardy join the firm as a newly minted attorney. She takes the case of Greg Treadway, a middle school teacher who was in the wrong place at the wrong time or at least we are led to think that. Treadway volunteers as an advocate for foster children. Anlya Paulson, a seventeen year old who lives at a group home falls from an overpass and an eyewitness claims to have seen Treadway there.

The story is located in San Francisco as is most of the “Hardy” series. Lescroart is known for his meticulous research to provide authenticity to his legal dramas. The story is well written and Lescroart is a master at building tension to a complicated climax. The suspense will keep you on the edge of your chair. I enjoyed watching Rebecca gain confidence in her court room skills. I have watched her grow up in the pages of this series. I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. David Colacci does an excellent job narrating the story.