Reading order · 16 books · 1989 to 2018 · Set in San Francisco
Dismas Hardy Books in Order
Dismas Hardy is a former cop and prosecutor who became a bartender and then a defence lawyer in San Francisco. His friend Abe Glitsky, a half-Black, half-Jewish homicide detective, is often on the other side of the case. Legal thrillers rich in the life of the city.
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Series facts
- Books
- 16
- Published
- 1989 to 2018
- First book
- Dead Irish
- Latest
- Poison (2018)
- Setting
- Set in San Francisco
The reading order
Every Dismas Hardy book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
16 books · Set in San Francisco
- 1Dead Irish1989With Dismas HardyDismas Hardy, a former cop and lawyer now tending bar in San Francisco, is asked to look into the apparent suicide of the bar owner’s brother-in-law.Buy on Amazon
- 2The Vig1990With Dismas HardyA former client just out of prison tells Hardy that someone is going to kill him, and then a man is found dead.Buy on Amazon
- 3Hard Evidence1993With Dismas HardyDismas Hardy, back in the district attorney’s office, takes on a murder case that begins with a body found in the bay.Buy on Amazon
- 4The 13th Juror1994With Dismas HardyHardy defends a young woman accused of murdering her husband and young son.Buy on Amazon
- 5The Mercy Rule1998With Dismas HardyHardy defends a young man accused of helping his father, who was dying, to end his life.Buy on Amazon
- 6Nothing But the Truth2000With Dismas HardyHardy’s wife, Frannie, is jailed for refusing to testify before a grand jury about a friend.Buy on Amazon
- 7The Oath2002With Dismas HardyThe head of a large health organisation dies in hospital after a hit-and-run, and Glitsky suspects murder.Buy on Amazon
- 8The First Law2003With Dismas HardyA friend of Hardy’s is accused of murder, and when the system fails, Hardy and Glitsky must decide how far to go.Buy on Amazon
- 9The Second Chair2004With Dismas HardyA teenage boy is accused of murdering his teacher, and Hardy helps a young lawyer defend him.Buy on Amazon
- 10The Motive2004With Dismas HardyA man and his fiancée die in a fire at his home, and it soon becomes clear it was murder.Buy on Amazon
- 11Betrayal2008With Dismas HardyHardy defends an army reservist, home from Iraq, who is accused of murder.Buy on Amazon
- 12A Plague of Secrets2009With Dismas HardyThe death of an ex-convict who ran a Haight-Ashbury coffee shop leads to the trial of its owner, the mayor’s niece, and Dismas Hardy is bound to protect her secret.Buy on Amazon
- 13The Ophelia Cut2013With Dismas HardyHardy’s brother-in-law is accused of murdering the man who attacked his daughter.Buy on Amazon
- 14The Keeper2014With Dismas HardyA jail guard’s wife has disappeared, and he hires Hardy as he becomes the chief suspect.Buy on Amazon
- 15The Fall2015With Dismas HardyA teacher is accused of murdering a teenage girl who fell from an overpass.Buy on Amazon
- 16Poison2018With Dismas HardyA businessman is poisoned, and his family’s carer is accused.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read in order, starting with Dead Irish. Hardy and Glitsky’s lives develop through the series.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Dismas Hardy | Abe Glitsky | Frannie Hardy | Wyatt Hunt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Dead Irish | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | |
| 2 The Vig | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | |
| 3 Hard Evidence | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | |
| 4 The 13th Juror | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | |
| 5 The Mercy Rule | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | |
| 6 Nothing But the Truth | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | |
| 7 The Oath | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | |
| 8 The First Law | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | |
| 9 The Second Chair | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | |
| 10 The Motive | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | |
| 11 Betrayal | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | |
| 12 A Plague of Secrets | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
| 13 The Ophelia Cut | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
| 14 The Keeper | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
| 15 The Fall | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
| 16 Poison | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
Characters in the Dismas Hardy books
4 characters from John Lescroart’s chart, with the number of Dismas Hardy books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Dismas HardyDefence lawyer | 16 | Dead Irish 1989 |
| Abe GlitskyHomicide lieutenant | 16 | Dead Irish 1989 |
| Frannie HardyDismas's wife | 16 | Dead Irish 1989 |
| Wyatt HuntPrivate investigator | 5 | A Plague of Secrets 2009 |