What do you think?
Rate this book
Fatal
The darkest secrets lie just beneath the surface...
John Lescroart, bestselling author of the Dismas Hardy series, returns with a gripping one-off thriller about a deadly love affair that will enthral fans of Linwood Barclay and Harlan Coben.
Kate is happily married to Ron with two children and a beautiful home in San Francisco. But everything changes when Kate meets Peter. What begins as a passing fancy develops into a dangerous obsession and one intense, passionate encounter. Confident that life can go back to normal, Kate never considers that Peter may not be so willing to move on. Until a masked man fires a weapon into the crowd of a café that Kate is in with her best friend. This tragedy is just the first in a series of horrifying events that will show exactly how fatal the consequences of one mistake can be...
John Lescroart, bestselling author of the Dismas Hardy series, returns with a gripping one-off thriller about a deadly love affair that will enthral fans of Linwood Barclay and Harlan Coben.
Kate is happily married to Ron with two children and a beautiful home in San Francisco. But everything changes when Kate meets Peter. What begins as a passing fancy develops into a dangerous obsession and one intense, passionate encounter. Confident that life can go back to normal, Kate never considers that Peter may not be so willing to move on. Until a masked man fires a weapon into the crowd of a café that Kate is in with her best friend. This tragedy is just the first in a series of horrifying events that will show exactly how fatal the consequences of one mistake can be...
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 24, 2017
738 people are currently reading
2568 people want to read
About the author
John Lescroart
142 books1,298 followersJohn Lescroart (born January 14, 1948) is an American author best known for two series of legal and crime thriller novels featuring the characters Dismas Hardy and Abe Glitsky.
Lescroart was born in Houston, Texas, and graduated from Junípero Serra High School, San Mateo, California (Class of 1966). He then went on to earn a B.A. in English with Honors at UC Berkeley in 1970. In addition to his novels, Lescroart has written several screenplays.
Lescroart was born in Houston, Texas, and graduated from Junípero Serra High School, San Mateo, California (Class of 1966). He then went on to earn a B.A. in English with Honors at UC Berkeley in 1970. In addition to his novels, Lescroart has written several screenplays.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 676 reviews
August 8, 2016
When Kate cheats on her husband, she only meant it to be a one time thing. However, Peter, the man she cheated with, has other ideas and his world disintegrates around him. Six months later, Peter winds up dead in the ocean of a gunshot wound...
On the heels of reading You Will Know Me, I was in the mood for more domestic suspense so I picked this up when it showed up on Netgalley.
Fatal is an interesting animal. The first half is set when Kate has an affair with Peter, right up until a terror attack puts Kate and her best friend Beth into the hospital. When the book picks back up, Peter is dead, Beth, who happens to be the homicide detective who catches Peter's case, is on crutches and Kate herself is still recovering from a brush with death.
Who killed Peter Ash wound up being a serpentine affair involving a lot of sex and a couple murders. As with a lot of mysteries, things wound up being really complex. While some of the twists caught me by surprise, a few of them were obvious and one I found a little far-fetched.
I thought the characters were a little weak. Beth was the only one I felt any attachment to. I didn't care about Kate before she had the affair and she mostly faded into the background in the second half of the book. The ending was a little unsatisfying but it was open ended enough to allow Lescroart to write another book with Beth as the detective, something I'd be up for.
Anyway, I guess I'll give this the safety rating of 3. It was engaging at times but it isn't going to set the world on fire.
On the heels of reading You Will Know Me, I was in the mood for more domestic suspense so I picked this up when it showed up on Netgalley.
Fatal is an interesting animal. The first half is set when Kate has an affair with Peter, right up until a terror attack puts Kate and her best friend Beth into the hospital. When the book picks back up, Peter is dead, Beth, who happens to be the homicide detective who catches Peter's case, is on crutches and Kate herself is still recovering from a brush with death.
Who killed Peter Ash wound up being a serpentine affair involving a lot of sex and a couple murders. As with a lot of mysteries, things wound up being really complex. While some of the twists caught me by surprise, a few of them were obvious and one I found a little far-fetched.
I thought the characters were a little weak. Beth was the only one I felt any attachment to. I didn't care about Kate before she had the affair and she mostly faded into the background in the second half of the book. The ending was a little unsatisfying but it was open ended enough to allow Lescroart to write another book with Beth as the detective, something I'd be up for.
Anyway, I guess I'll give this the safety rating of 3. It was engaging at times but it isn't going to set the world on fire.
December 9, 2016
I have to admit, FATAL felt like a mishmash of a few too many ideas crammed in to one novel. It all starts with an in-your-face bold betrayal of marriage vows, followed by a random terrorist attack, that eventually morphs in to a predictable murder investigation. I get the message the author was trying to send - actions can have severe consequences - but there was something about it all that wasn't cohesive enough for me.
From the opening of the story, I expected this to be a wild ride. We meet Kate, a woman determined to get her man or one carefree romp with him, at least. She initially meets Peter at a dinner party with some mutual friends and she’s relentless in tracking him down. The only problem - they’re both married. That doesn’t stop her from scheming though. It’s actually quite shocking how aggressive her seduction is. Peter had absolutely no idea what the heck he was walking in to.
That’s not to say he failed to participate. Peter and Kate kind of end things on a “see you around” note, with no plans to ever relive the experience, but something in him sort of snaps. He realizes he isn’t happy in his life anymore and goes wild, or so we’re told. I think it was a mistake that the author chose not to give us more of his unraveling first-hand.
Skip ahead six months - Kate and her best friend Beth are recovering from a terrorist attack, they both barely managed to survive, and Peter’s body has washed up on a beach with a bullet hole. This is where Beth takes over the storyline. She’s one of the lead investigators set to track down the person responsible for Peter feeding the fish. I have to say, Beth was my favorite part of the entire story. Is it possible we might get another book with her character? The witty and sarcastic banter she shared with her partner and her beau was pure gold. Have I mentioned, I’m a complete sucker for great banter?
Once the investigation began, I felt like I knew exactly where the story was headed. The whodunit wasn’t a surprise by any stretch of the imagination; even amongst the thick San Francisco fog, it could be seen from a mile away. That’s not to say this was horrible or even unenjoyable, it just wasn’t everything I hoped it would be - especially after that shocking opening. Sad to say, but ‘been there, done that’ many times over already.
*THANK YOU to Atria and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
From the opening of the story, I expected this to be a wild ride. We meet Kate, a woman determined to get her man or one carefree romp with him, at least. She initially meets Peter at a dinner party with some mutual friends and she’s relentless in tracking him down. The only problem - they’re both married. That doesn’t stop her from scheming though. It’s actually quite shocking how aggressive her seduction is. Peter had absolutely no idea what the heck he was walking in to.
That’s not to say he failed to participate. Peter and Kate kind of end things on a “see you around” note, with no plans to ever relive the experience, but something in him sort of snaps. He realizes he isn’t happy in his life anymore and goes wild, or so we’re told. I think it was a mistake that the author chose not to give us more of his unraveling first-hand.
Skip ahead six months - Kate and her best friend Beth are recovering from a terrorist attack, they both barely managed to survive, and Peter’s body has washed up on a beach with a bullet hole. This is where Beth takes over the storyline. She’s one of the lead investigators set to track down the person responsible for Peter feeding the fish. I have to say, Beth was my favorite part of the entire story. Is it possible we might get another book with her character? The witty and sarcastic banter she shared with her partner and her beau was pure gold. Have I mentioned, I’m a complete sucker for great banter?
Once the investigation began, I felt like I knew exactly where the story was headed. The whodunit wasn’t a surprise by any stretch of the imagination; even amongst the thick San Francisco fog, it could be seen from a mile away. That’s not to say this was horrible or even unenjoyable, it just wasn’t everything I hoped it would be - especially after that shocking opening. Sad to say, but ‘been there, done that’ many times over already.
*THANK YOU to Atria and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 23, 2017
It starts with thoughts of having an affair.
Then it becomes having an affair.
And the affair ends badly.
Everything in-between those lines above is written by one of the Masters of psychological thrillers. Mr. Lescroart does it again with his latest release, “Fatal”, only the third standalone novel he has written outside of his series books. I have now read 26 of his novels, so yes, I am a fan.
This book starts out strong and doesn’t let up. There are many connections between the characters in this book, including old friendships, new friendships, friends surviving a terrorist attack, and other links that put Beth, a homicide detective, in a very awkward situation. Included in the mix is her detective partner’s young daughter’s health problem which leads to breakdowns in their communication.
I like that we are given subtle clues early on regarding who probably committed one of the major crimes in the novel. Any element of certainty unravels steadily and if I were on a jury trying the case I would be hard-pressed to make it past reasonable doubt. There are as many suspects as there are reasons or motives or opportunities to have committed the crime.
To add to the complexity, there isn’t – and never will be – a trial here because people who might be able to help with solving this continue to turn up dead. Murder? Suicide? Nothing is clear-cut except for a little red beam that keeps shining on the Probably Person. Yet – how, when, and why have to be determined and there are people doing their best to ensure those questions don’t get answered.
I enjoyed this book a lot! Yes, it is an entertaining crime story but as always with Mr. Lescroart’s books, there are other elements to his novels that make one think and empathize and get in touch with ideas that may not have occurred to us before.
And so, I continue to be a fan.
Then it becomes having an affair.
And the affair ends badly.
Everything in-between those lines above is written by one of the Masters of psychological thrillers. Mr. Lescroart does it again with his latest release, “Fatal”, only the third standalone novel he has written outside of his series books. I have now read 26 of his novels, so yes, I am a fan.
This book starts out strong and doesn’t let up. There are many connections between the characters in this book, including old friendships, new friendships, friends surviving a terrorist attack, and other links that put Beth, a homicide detective, in a very awkward situation. Included in the mix is her detective partner’s young daughter’s health problem which leads to breakdowns in their communication.
I like that we are given subtle clues early on regarding who probably committed one of the major crimes in the novel. Any element of certainty unravels steadily and if I were on a jury trying the case I would be hard-pressed to make it past reasonable doubt. There are as many suspects as there are reasons or motives or opportunities to have committed the crime.
To add to the complexity, there isn’t – and never will be – a trial here because people who might be able to help with solving this continue to turn up dead. Murder? Suicide? Nothing is clear-cut except for a little red beam that keeps shining on the Probably Person. Yet – how, when, and why have to be determined and there are people doing their best to ensure those questions don’t get answered.
I enjoyed this book a lot! Yes, it is an entertaining crime story but as always with Mr. Lescroart’s books, there are other elements to his novels that make one think and empathize and get in touch with ideas that may not have occurred to us before.
And so, I continue to be a fan.
November 11, 2017
While I'm a big fan of John Lescroart's Dismas Hardy/Abe Glitzky series, this stand-alone didn't do very much for me. The book and I got off on the wrong foot right from the start when the main protagonist did something incredibly stupid just for the sake of setting the plot into motion, and once that happened I simply couldn't generate much sympathy for her or much enthusiasm for the plot.
Kate Jameson is in her mid-forties, happily married to a great guy with two children and a generally wonderful life in San Francisco. At a dinner party, she meets a man named Peter Ash who, like Kate's husband, is a lawyer. Kate feels an immediate attraction to Peter, which she confesses to her best friend, Beth Tully, an SFPD homicide detective. Beth, like any other rational person, the reader included, understands that it would be extremely foolish for Kate to even think about getting involved with Peter Ash; the consequences could be devastating and might destroy her virtually perfect life.
Kate naturally agrees with this logic, right up until the point where she doesn't. She lures Ash into an encounter at a hotel where the two of them have a mind-blowing sexual experience, even though Ash also realizes that this is a Really Stupid Thing To Do. Kate insists that this is a one-time-only experience, and good luck with that idea. Inevitably, of course, the dominos begin to fall; a homicide will occur; the case will be assigned to Beth Tully; any number of lives will be destroyed, and the world will never be the same again.
I understand that normally intelligent people do really dumb things all the time, especially in the sexual arena. But the problem here, at least for me, is that the author gives us no good reason why either Kate Jameson or Peter Ash should do such a thing. If either, or both, were unhappy in their marriages, their actions would make more sense. But Lescroart sets them up in a nearly perfect world where both of them appear to be leading about the best lives anyone could possibly imagine. Again, I just couldn't buy into the premise that either one of them, let alone both of them, would so casually jeopardize the lives they had worked so hard to build up to that point. I'll look forward with a great deal of enthusiasm to the next Hardy/Glitzky novel, but I certainly don't need to meet these characters again.
Kate Jameson is in her mid-forties, happily married to a great guy with two children and a generally wonderful life in San Francisco. At a dinner party, she meets a man named Peter Ash who, like Kate's husband, is a lawyer. Kate feels an immediate attraction to Peter, which she confesses to her best friend, Beth Tully, an SFPD homicide detective. Beth, like any other rational person, the reader included, understands that it would be extremely foolish for Kate to even think about getting involved with Peter Ash; the consequences could be devastating and might destroy her virtually perfect life.
Kate naturally agrees with this logic, right up until the point where she doesn't. She lures Ash into an encounter at a hotel where the two of them have a mind-blowing sexual experience, even though Ash also realizes that this is a Really Stupid Thing To Do. Kate insists that this is a one-time-only experience, and good luck with that idea. Inevitably, of course, the dominos begin to fall; a homicide will occur; the case will be assigned to Beth Tully; any number of lives will be destroyed, and the world will never be the same again.
I understand that normally intelligent people do really dumb things all the time, especially in the sexual arena. But the problem here, at least for me, is that the author gives us no good reason why either Kate Jameson or Peter Ash should do such a thing. If either, or both, were unhappy in their marriages, their actions would make more sense. But Lescroart sets them up in a nearly perfect world where both of them appear to be leading about the best lives anyone could possibly imagine. Again, I just couldn't buy into the premise that either one of them, let alone both of them, would so casually jeopardize the lives they had worked so hard to build up to that point. I'll look forward with a great deal of enthusiasm to the next Hardy/Glitzky novel, but I certainly don't need to meet these characters again.
October 30, 2016
First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, John Lescroart, and Atria Books for providing me with a copy of this book, which allows me to provide you with this review.
Lescroart has made a name for himself, publishing over twenty legal thrillers with his collection of interconnected characters in the San Francisco area. Keeping with the Bay Area in this standalone novel, Lescroart shows readers why he remains a powerful writer no matter the characters he uses. After meeting at a dinner party, there appears to be a strong magnetism between Kate Jameson and Peter Ash. Kate finds herself acting out of her norm and lures him to a local hotel under false pretences. Defying his gut and normal practice, Peter allows himself to be seduced and their dalliance ends up weighing heavily on them both. Peter begins a life of philandering, as if his encounter with Kate has made him forget his wife and twins back home. Kate, too, has started to act odd in the eyes of her husband and children, as though the guilt is eating away at her. Out one day with best friend and SFPD Homicide Inspector Beth Tully, Kate is about to admit her deep secret, when the restaurant in which they are dining is attacked and scores are injured. Six months later, Beth is recovering slowly after being shot during the attack and Kate has made a significant recovery after slipping into a coma. Beth is alerted to the apparent murder of a man whose turned up in the Bay, one Peter Ash. As Beth and her partner begin trying to dig into the life of this man, the secret that seems to have pushed Kate and Peter to become shells of their former selves has begun leaking out, which leaves the list of potential suspects in Ash's murder mounting. While this case preoccupies her, an act of kindness in another homicide opens up a connection to a distant witness, one that will open social pathways for he. Struggling to find out how she can help, Beth must not lose her momentum on this current homicide. While she remains unaware of Kate's dalliance, Beth's investigative memory will soon push her to ask those awkward questions to anyone who may know about Peter Ash and his less than stellar extra-curricular activities. When two others with a tangential connection to Ash die, presumably suicides after they are wracked with guilt, Beth may have found her murderer, which allows her to put the Ash case to rest. However, as Lescroart has taught his readers over the years, nothing is ever cut and dry when it comes to homicide. A wonderful novel that entertains as much as it does impress long-time fans and is sure to lure a new set of fans with ease.
Lescroart has become so synonymous with Dismas Hardy and the collection of other characters that I am not sure if this is a refreshing change or has me pining for more off-colour humour. The story was wonderfully laid out, offering a mystery woven into the plot line that eschews little judgement for the affair. How two people's lives can change so dramatically and affect so many based on a single decision is surely front and centred throughout the story, though the characters chosen offer such a varied reaction that Lescroart need not worry about his story losing momentum throughout. It clips along with ease and the shift of protagonists is done without so much as an awkward bridging, though the homicide investigation does take front and centre, alongside the personal plight of a brief case Beth handled in the early part of her introduction to the story. Lescroart writes what he knows, at least from a San Francisco point of view, and this affirms the greatness of his story. This novel does take some getting used to (at least for long-time fans), as the other shoe does not drop until late in the game, leaving the reader to guess at suspects and keeping any courtroom drama from anywhere in this story. That said, it is perhaps this difference that keeps readers hooked and goes to show Lescroart's versatile nature.
Kudos, Mr. Lescroart on another success. I was so pleased to be able to see a different side to your writing, though I am still pining for more Dismas, Abe, and the rest of the gang.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Lescroart has made a name for himself, publishing over twenty legal thrillers with his collection of interconnected characters in the San Francisco area. Keeping with the Bay Area in this standalone novel, Lescroart shows readers why he remains a powerful writer no matter the characters he uses. After meeting at a dinner party, there appears to be a strong magnetism between Kate Jameson and Peter Ash. Kate finds herself acting out of her norm and lures him to a local hotel under false pretences. Defying his gut and normal practice, Peter allows himself to be seduced and their dalliance ends up weighing heavily on them both. Peter begins a life of philandering, as if his encounter with Kate has made him forget his wife and twins back home. Kate, too, has started to act odd in the eyes of her husband and children, as though the guilt is eating away at her. Out one day with best friend and SFPD Homicide Inspector Beth Tully, Kate is about to admit her deep secret, when the restaurant in which they are dining is attacked and scores are injured. Six months later, Beth is recovering slowly after being shot during the attack and Kate has made a significant recovery after slipping into a coma. Beth is alerted to the apparent murder of a man whose turned up in the Bay, one Peter Ash. As Beth and her partner begin trying to dig into the life of this man, the secret that seems to have pushed Kate and Peter to become shells of their former selves has begun leaking out, which leaves the list of potential suspects in Ash's murder mounting. While this case preoccupies her, an act of kindness in another homicide opens up a connection to a distant witness, one that will open social pathways for he. Struggling to find out how she can help, Beth must not lose her momentum on this current homicide. While she remains unaware of Kate's dalliance, Beth's investigative memory will soon push her to ask those awkward questions to anyone who may know about Peter Ash and his less than stellar extra-curricular activities. When two others with a tangential connection to Ash die, presumably suicides after they are wracked with guilt, Beth may have found her murderer, which allows her to put the Ash case to rest. However, as Lescroart has taught his readers over the years, nothing is ever cut and dry when it comes to homicide. A wonderful novel that entertains as much as it does impress long-time fans and is sure to lure a new set of fans with ease.
Lescroart has become so synonymous with Dismas Hardy and the collection of other characters that I am not sure if this is a refreshing change or has me pining for more off-colour humour. The story was wonderfully laid out, offering a mystery woven into the plot line that eschews little judgement for the affair. How two people's lives can change so dramatically and affect so many based on a single decision is surely front and centred throughout the story, though the characters chosen offer such a varied reaction that Lescroart need not worry about his story losing momentum throughout. It clips along with ease and the shift of protagonists is done without so much as an awkward bridging, though the homicide investigation does take front and centre, alongside the personal plight of a brief case Beth handled in the early part of her introduction to the story. Lescroart writes what he knows, at least from a San Francisco point of view, and this affirms the greatness of his story. This novel does take some getting used to (at least for long-time fans), as the other shoe does not drop until late in the game, leaving the reader to guess at suspects and keeping any courtroom drama from anywhere in this story. That said, it is perhaps this difference that keeps readers hooked and goes to show Lescroart's versatile nature.
Kudos, Mr. Lescroart on another success. I was so pleased to be able to see a different side to your writing, though I am still pining for more Dismas, Abe, and the rest of the gang.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
April 22, 2017
This book felt like a "made for TV movie", it was okay but it could have been a lot better. The story itself was good but at times the book was a bit dull.
January 16, 2017
3.5 stars
I think I've read almost every Dismas Hardy book John Lescroat has written and most of his other series’ books as well. And I found them uniformly good. So I was thrilled to get this stand alone book from netgalley. The plot concerns a married woman who acts on an attraction to a married man she meets at a dinner party. Her best friend, Beth, is a police detective who tries to talk her out of acting on her fantasy, to no avail. Given the premise, I had trouble liking Kate, the married woman in question. I never felt like her strong attraction to Peter was ever sufficiently explained, so it just seemed so odd that she decided to cheat.
It's also not adequately explained why Peter goes off the rails after this one encounter and upends his life. From a single encounter to leaving the wife, kids and screwing everything in sight. I just didn't get it.
It's not until ⅓ of the way in after a terrorist attack and Peter is killed does the book start to come alive. It's a big old messy case for Beth with either no suspects or hundreds. I like that it's not nice and neat. Or that Beth’s life isn't nice and neat. The novel moves along at a good clip once Peter is murdered. Beth is a good character and I would be interested in seeing her show up in her own series.
This was a decent mystery. Yes, you have a pretty good idea where it's heading, but that doesn't make it any less of a page turner.
My thanks to netgalley and Atria Books for an advance copy of this book.
I think I've read almost every Dismas Hardy book John Lescroat has written and most of his other series’ books as well. And I found them uniformly good. So I was thrilled to get this stand alone book from netgalley. The plot concerns a married woman who acts on an attraction to a married man she meets at a dinner party. Her best friend, Beth, is a police detective who tries to talk her out of acting on her fantasy, to no avail. Given the premise, I had trouble liking Kate, the married woman in question. I never felt like her strong attraction to Peter was ever sufficiently explained, so it just seemed so odd that she decided to cheat.
It's also not adequately explained why Peter goes off the rails after this one encounter and upends his life. From a single encounter to leaving the wife, kids and screwing everything in sight. I just didn't get it.
It's not until ⅓ of the way in after a terrorist attack and Peter is killed does the book start to come alive. It's a big old messy case for Beth with either no suspects or hundreds. I like that it's not nice and neat. Or that Beth’s life isn't nice and neat. The novel moves along at a good clip once Peter is murdered. Beth is a good character and I would be interested in seeing her show up in her own series.
This was a decent mystery. Yes, you have a pretty good idea where it's heading, but that doesn't make it any less of a page turner.
My thanks to netgalley and Atria Books for an advance copy of this book.
November 6, 2021
This novel was written as a standalone by John Lescroart, who pens the very popular Dismas Hardy series.
*****
Kate and Ron Jameson are happily married with two savvy teenagers and a nice house in San Francisco.
Things take a turn, however, after a dinner party hosted by Ron's law partner, Geoff Cooke. At the party, Kate meets attorney Peter Ash and develops an insatiable desire to have sex with him.
Without mentioning Peter's name Kate confides her obsession to her best friend, Beth Tully - who happens to be an SFPD detective - and is advised to forget about the man.
Against Beth's advice - and her own better judgement - Kate tricks Peter into meeting her in a hotel room, then brazenly seduces him.
Afterwards, Kate immediately wants to end things. Having got Peter out of her system, Kate blithely feels she can go on with her life as it was before.
For his part, Peter, who has a wife and twin teenage sons, seems to have an existential crisis after the affair. He takes to drinking and womanizing....and seems to lose interest in his marriage and job.
A couple of weeks after 'the affair' Kate and Beth are having coffee at the Ferry Building Marketplace when terrorists barge in and shoot the place up.
The two women are seriously injured: Beth is shot in both legs and Kate sustains dire chest injuries, but both women slowly recover.
Six months after the terror shooting, Beth - who's still limping - gets a new case.
She and her partner, Detective Ike McCaffrey, are assigned to investigate the homicide of Peter Ash - who was found floating in San Francisco Bay. Of course Beth doesn't know about Kate's previous liaison with Peter......yet.
The investigators talk to Peter's wife, sons, secretary, colleagues, friends, and so on. And Geoff Cooke - who considers himself Peter's best buddy - offers to assist in any way he can. More deaths occur, and the detectives have plenty of suspects to consider.
In a side story, Beth and her daughter Ginny befriend an anorexic young woman named Laurie, who fell into despair after her married lover was killed.
Eventually Beth and Ike discover who did what. For me, the ending wasn't completely satisfying.....but that's all I can say without spoilers.
This standalone novel isn't as good as John Lescroart's 'Dismas Hardy' series. The plot of 'Fatal' feels a little raw and some of the characters aren't believable.
For instance, Kate's sudden obsession for Peter doesn't ring true. I expected to discover she'd been hypnotized or drugged - and given a 'post-hypnotic suggestion' to have sex with Peter (but apparently not). I also think a 'nice woman' like Kate would consider the consequences of seducing a married man - and possibly ruining his life.....but she doesn't give this a second thought.
When it comes to Peter, it's unlikely that a sensible, hard-working guy like him would change so dramatically after one sexual encounter. Peter's a grown man, not a hormone-driven teenage boy.
I also have a quibble about the anorexic girl, Laurie. Anorexia is a serious condition, and anorexics don't suddenly start eating just because a new friend brings over a tasty meal. This plot point doesn't seem well thought out.
As I was reading, I thought this might be an early Lescroart book, being published now to make a few bucks. However - in the acknowledgements - Lescroart says he recently wrote the book, so that's not the case. Maybe it's just a new 'Beth Tully' series that's getting off to a bit of a rough start.
All in all, this is an okay mystery. If you're a suspense fan who's planning a vacation or plane trip, this book would provide suitable company.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for a copy of the book.
You can follow my reviews at http://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com/
September 16, 2016
Fatal by John Lescroart is a 2016 Atria publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Any fan of John Lescroart should be aware this is not a Dismas mystery. In fact, this stand alone novel is a completely off the beaten path from Dismas, which is a good thing, in my opinion. I love to see an author step out away from the security of their trademark series, and write something that might be a little outside of their comfort zone, without hiding behind a pseudonym.
Having said that, I have mixed feeling about this one.
Kate has a solid marriage and a life many would envy, but she decides, pretty much out of the blue, to blow all that up by pursing a man she met at a dinner party. Naturally, despite her having gotten it all out her system, there are consequences, and things spiral out of control in ways she could never have thought possible.
If you didn’t learn your lesson about the consequences of adultery from ‘Presumed Innocent’, or ‘Fatal Attraction’, then maybe you should read this book in order to refresh your memory or to drive the point home, once and for all.
This twisty story is not only a crime story, but a cautionary tale, reminding us of how selfish adultery is, how it touches so many lives, from spouses, children, friendships, and careers, employees, you name it. Lives literally blow up and it’s never pretty. But, when a murder takes place, the suspects are many, the secrets explosive, and no one will walk away unscathed.
This is a nice effort by Lescroart, but it felt a little heavy handed, because the obvious message was driven home so hard, it was like being hit over the head with it. The characters’ actions and the dialogue are often stilted or unconvincing, and the plot needed a balance check a time or two.
For those who need a character to like or cheer for, be forewarned, you won’t find one here, with Beth being the possible exception, at least in my opinion.
The ending, is unsettling, but also a little disappointing, and while we know how everything ended up, the conclusion left a bitter taste in my mouth.
However, the story is interesting enough that I kept turning the pages, and I never guessed how things went down or whodunit, but, for me, this is just an okay read, not bad, just a little tepid, and nothing here has stirred me or left me thinking about the book for too long after completion.
So, I’ll go with the take it or leave it- middle of the road rating. 3 stars
Any fan of John Lescroart should be aware this is not a Dismas mystery. In fact, this stand alone novel is a completely off the beaten path from Dismas, which is a good thing, in my opinion. I love to see an author step out away from the security of their trademark series, and write something that might be a little outside of their comfort zone, without hiding behind a pseudonym.
Having said that, I have mixed feeling about this one.
Kate has a solid marriage and a life many would envy, but she decides, pretty much out of the blue, to blow all that up by pursing a man she met at a dinner party. Naturally, despite her having gotten it all out her system, there are consequences, and things spiral out of control in ways she could never have thought possible.
If you didn’t learn your lesson about the consequences of adultery from ‘Presumed Innocent’, or ‘Fatal Attraction’, then maybe you should read this book in order to refresh your memory or to drive the point home, once and for all.
This twisty story is not only a crime story, but a cautionary tale, reminding us of how selfish adultery is, how it touches so many lives, from spouses, children, friendships, and careers, employees, you name it. Lives literally blow up and it’s never pretty. But, when a murder takes place, the suspects are many, the secrets explosive, and no one will walk away unscathed.
This is a nice effort by Lescroart, but it felt a little heavy handed, because the obvious message was driven home so hard, it was like being hit over the head with it. The characters’ actions and the dialogue are often stilted or unconvincing, and the plot needed a balance check a time or two.
For those who need a character to like or cheer for, be forewarned, you won’t find one here, with Beth being the possible exception, at least in my opinion.
The ending, is unsettling, but also a little disappointing, and while we know how everything ended up, the conclusion left a bitter taste in my mouth.
However, the story is interesting enough that I kept turning the pages, and I never guessed how things went down or whodunit, but, for me, this is just an okay read, not bad, just a little tepid, and nothing here has stirred me or left me thinking about the book for too long after completion.
So, I’ll go with the take it or leave it- middle of the road rating. 3 stars
February 9, 2017
"Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive." That time-honored line from Sir Walter Scott's "Marmion" kept running through my head as I read this book - a terrific standalone from the author of the popular Dismas Hardy series.
The story revolves around three married couples - Kate and Ron, Peter and Jill and Bina and Geoff. The first two didn't know each other until they meet at a dinner party at the home of the third. But just one meeting was all it took for Kate to become obsessed with Peter - leading to a one-time tryst. Kate gets what she wants and tries to move on with her life, which includes occasional long walks near San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge with her old friend and police detective, Beth.
But Kate's life certainly isn't all roses and clover; she and Ron have kids to deal with, he's having a rough patch at the law firm with his partner, Geoff, and Kate continues to wrestle a bit with her dalliance. Peter and Jill have sons with attitude problems; thankfully, Peter has longtime legal secretary Theresa's shoulder to cry on. Beth is trying to manage her hectic life on the force without alienating her daughter Ginny; as a result of one investigation, she takes a young victim under her wing who then becomes fast friends with Ginny, who has a good-looking, unmarried brother Andy (no surprise where that last one is going, but it's interesting to see how it gets there).
Gradually, what's going on in the lives of all these players is revealed; clearly, all of them are dealing with "issues" of some kind. Character development is a strength here, with layers of backgrounds and feelings peeled back as the story moves along (amid plenty of action, twists and turns, I might add).
Did I figure out whodunit? Well, yes and no - and I'll leave it at that. In conclusion, I'll note that the advance copy I received in exchange for an honest review includes a political joke that I suspect may be deleted from the post-election published version. If it is, that's too bad because it was doggone funny to me; but if it's left in, it's likely to trigger a Twitter rant from the other "side." Inquiring minds would love to know!
The story revolves around three married couples - Kate and Ron, Peter and Jill and Bina and Geoff. The first two didn't know each other until they meet at a dinner party at the home of the third. But just one meeting was all it took for Kate to become obsessed with Peter - leading to a one-time tryst. Kate gets what she wants and tries to move on with her life, which includes occasional long walks near San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge with her old friend and police detective, Beth.
But Kate's life certainly isn't all roses and clover; she and Ron have kids to deal with, he's having a rough patch at the law firm with his partner, Geoff, and Kate continues to wrestle a bit with her dalliance. Peter and Jill have sons with attitude problems; thankfully, Peter has longtime legal secretary Theresa's shoulder to cry on. Beth is trying to manage her hectic life on the force without alienating her daughter Ginny; as a result of one investigation, she takes a young victim under her wing who then becomes fast friends with Ginny, who has a good-looking, unmarried brother Andy (no surprise where that last one is going, but it's interesting to see how it gets there).
Gradually, what's going on in the lives of all these players is revealed; clearly, all of them are dealing with "issues" of some kind. Character development is a strength here, with layers of backgrounds and feelings peeled back as the story moves along (amid plenty of action, twists and turns, I might add).
Did I figure out whodunit? Well, yes and no - and I'll leave it at that. In conclusion, I'll note that the advance copy I received in exchange for an honest review includes a political joke that I suspect may be deleted from the post-election published version. If it is, that's too bad because it was doggone funny to me; but if it's left in, it's likely to trigger a Twitter rant from the other "side." Inquiring minds would love to know!
February 6, 2017
New York Times Bestselling author, John Lescroart returns following The Fall (2015) with a totally different type novel than his norm. FATAL, a standalone, the unexpected - the deadly consequences of a one-night stand.
As you begin reading you will think you are embarking on another “The Affair” American television series (currently catching up with the last season); however, minus all the continuous down and dirty sex scenes.
Set in San Francisco, a gripping domestic suspense of a woman who chooses a burning desire--to commit adultery-- infidelity, leading to a dark and suspenseful journey. A dangerous web of deceit.
Kate Jameson, age 44 is married to Ron (a lawyer) with two children.
They attend a dinner party and Kate becomes obsessed with Peter, also married. Her best friend is a cop, Beth Tully. They had been friends since college and shared their thoughts. She had warned her not to act on her lustful feelings.
However, Kate does not listen. A one-night stand turns into a nightmare. The lives it touches. Crossing lines. Harmful secrets. Could she go back to normal? Shattered lives. Deadly consequences. Murder.
A gang of terrorists. A shooting. Kate and Beth are wounded, then six months later. Peter winds up dead, plus more.
Be patient, a slow start; however, about 50% the intensity heats up.
A shocking stand-alone tale (coming from this author), straying from the usual Dismas Hardy style---writing from a woman’s point of view, a strong driving force which navigates the novel. A different tone than the norm, character-driven, with more sensitivity and relationships between women and men.
Give Fatal a whirl! Lescroart is welcome to lead us down a different path, as long as he leads us back with another Dismas Hardy (coming soon), can’t wait! A superb storyteller (no matter the genre) from the master. Perfect cover!
A special thank you to Atria and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
JDCMustReadBooks
As you begin reading you will think you are embarking on another “The Affair” American television series (currently catching up with the last season); however, minus all the continuous down and dirty sex scenes.
Set in San Francisco, a gripping domestic suspense of a woman who chooses a burning desire--to commit adultery-- infidelity, leading to a dark and suspenseful journey. A dangerous web of deceit.
Kate Jameson, age 44 is married to Ron (a lawyer) with two children.
They attend a dinner party and Kate becomes obsessed with Peter, also married. Her best friend is a cop, Beth Tully. They had been friends since college and shared their thoughts. She had warned her not to act on her lustful feelings.
However, Kate does not listen. A one-night stand turns into a nightmare. The lives it touches. Crossing lines. Harmful secrets. Could she go back to normal? Shattered lives. Deadly consequences. Murder.
A gang of terrorists. A shooting. Kate and Beth are wounded, then six months later. Peter winds up dead, plus more.
Be patient, a slow start; however, about 50% the intensity heats up.
A shocking stand-alone tale (coming from this author), straying from the usual Dismas Hardy style---writing from a woman’s point of view, a strong driving force which navigates the novel. A different tone than the norm, character-driven, with more sensitivity and relationships between women and men.
Give Fatal a whirl! Lescroart is welcome to lead us down a different path, as long as he leads us back with another Dismas Hardy (coming soon), can’t wait! A superb storyteller (no matter the genre) from the master. Perfect cover!
A special thank you to Atria and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
JDCMustReadBooks
February 18, 2017
2.5 stars.
I like my crime thrillers dark and twisted. I want my crime thrillers to make me feel uncomfortable. Fatal was none of those things, if Fatal was made into a movie or tv show it would be on network tv and I like my crime thrillers to be of HBO, Showtime, or Netflix quality.
Fatal was predictable I knew who the killer was before the victim even died it was just that predictable. I was really disappointed, I've heard great things about author John Lescroart but if his other books are anything like Fatal l think I'll pass.
I like my crime thrillers dark and twisted. I want my crime thrillers to make me feel uncomfortable. Fatal was none of those things, if Fatal was made into a movie or tv show it would be on network tv and I like my crime thrillers to be of HBO, Showtime, or Netflix quality.
Fatal was predictable I knew who the killer was before the victim even died it was just that predictable. I was really disappointed, I've heard great things about author John Lescroart but if his other books are anything like Fatal l think I'll pass.
January 4, 2025
Фатално зле!
Нямам време да чета за глупаво представените проблеми на американските богаташи и децата им.
Скучно, слаби герои и никаква интрига - съчетано с поредния дразнещ превод на К. Сивов, това може да скъса нервите на всеки нормален читател…
Не можах да изчакам да се появи криминалната интрига.
Нямам време да чета за глупаво представените проблеми на американските богаташи и децата им.
Скучно, слаби герои и никаква интрига - съчетано с поредния дразнещ превод на К. Сивов, това може да скъса нервите на всеки нормален читател…
Не можах да изчакам да се появи криминалната интрига.
January 10, 2017
Fatal was a good surprise for me. It had good characters and I like the way the author built out the suspense.
In the beginning, we meet two friends on their regular jog, Kate Jameson and Beth Tully. Kate is married to Ron and she has two kids. Beth is a police officer. She's also a widow with a teenage daughter. Kate confides in Beth. She tells her she has met a man over a dinner party the night before and she can't stop thinking about him. She is attracted to him. Beth tries to dissuade her but Kate just can't seem to give up on the idea. She meets Peter in a hotel room and in one afternoon, they both break their marriage vows.
Fast forward days later and Peter finds himself unable to forget about Kate. He also starts questioning his marriage to Jill and his relationship with his own kids. He realizes he's not happy with them and he doesn't love his wife anymore. This sends him into a downward spiral of women and alcohol. To say Peter changes is an understatement.
Meanwhile, Beth and Kate's lives are dramatically changed when they're both victims during a terrorist attack. Fast forward six months and Beth is recuperating from bullets hitting both of her legs. She's walking with a cane and back at work while Kate is finally home after several respiratory complications she suffered after a bullet collapsed her lung.
When the body of a man, soon to be discovered as Peter's, washes close to the Cliffhouse restaurant, Beth, and her partner Eisenhower "Ike" McCaffrey are named the lead investigators. Beth will have to put together the pieces of Peter's life in the last six months. Nothing is easy since everyone seems to be lying to Beth, including Kate.
From all the characters in Fatal, my favorite was Beth. I was able to connect with her. She was a good detective, friend, and a good mother. I was happy the author inserted a little bit of romance in her life as well. Alan was a catch!
I didn't think there was much surprise in regards to who had done it but I liked the way the story was told and even though, I was not crazy about the end, I was still happy with how the author got me there.
Cliffhanger: No
4/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
March 1, 2017
This is a textbook example of a male writer who cannot write female characters (or, apparently, understand how women talk or act). The book begins with a seemingly happy housewife and mother who becomes obsessed with a man she meets at a dinner party. The first act begins with the woman confiding in a female friend in dialogue that has no resemblance to how women talk to each other. The dialogue isn't just wooden, it's incredible (and not in a good way).
The female character then does a hard pivot from soccer mom to seductress in one of the most unrealistic hotel sex scenes ever crafted. This is not how women act - it is how men of a certain generation think (or hope) they act. And the story only goes downhill from there.
The prose as a whole reads as a quickly (and poorly) converted film script. It is mostly dialogue with brief stage directions inserted. Description is clearly not Lescroart's forte. If you don't already happen to know the geography of San Francisco, for example, you will get no help from the author.
This book is proof positive that being a New York Times bestseller author does not mean you are a good writer.
The female character then does a hard pivot from soccer mom to seductress in one of the most unrealistic hotel sex scenes ever crafted. This is not how women act - it is how men of a certain generation think (or hope) they act. And the story only goes downhill from there.
The prose as a whole reads as a quickly (and poorly) converted film script. It is mostly dialogue with brief stage directions inserted. Description is clearly not Lescroart's forte. If you don't already happen to know the geography of San Francisco, for example, you will get no help from the author.
This book is proof positive that being a New York Times bestseller author does not mean you are a good writer.
February 16, 2017
I hate giving John Lescroart a 2-star rating but... I need my Dismas Hardy. Fatal is the latest standalone novel that doesn't feature him that just didn't holdup for me. Sorry to get into my dislike of this novel so quickly but... Damn! I started Fatal knowing without a doubt I would be entertained. I was wrong. Boy was I wrong.
The novel begins with Kate who has an odd affection for a man she hardly knows. After meeting him at a mutual friends dinner party she can't stop thinking about him. Kate's life isn't unhappy and there's really no reason why she would want to but she decides to eat forbidden fruit. She calls Peter and they have an affair. And suddenly, Peter goes off the rails.
Enter Beth, she's investigating the murder of a man who's washed up on shore. Before long, she finds out this man's last few months alive may have been the reason for his death. He mysteriously leaves his family and begins a life of hooking up. His once perfect life is no more... but why? How can one moment cause such a ripple effect.
To top that off, enter in a terrorist attack. I know right? We aren't in Kansas anymore Lescroart.
Fatal had a lot going on but not enough to keep me interested. Yes, the beginning was interesting. Most affairs almost always end awfully for at least one of the parties. But, the terrorist attack was an effort not to go down the Fatal Attraction sinkhole yet still did nothing to salvage the plot. It simply made it even more disjointed and annoying.
To top it off, the characters just didn't do it for me. Beth was a nice enough inspector but... she was almost too cliche. I hate to sound like such an ass about this novel, but it didn't feel like any other Lescroart novels. They are usually better put together with an engrossing mystery that won't relinquish it's grip on my attention.
Suffice it to say, Fatal was not my favorite John Lescroart novel by far. I don't even want to be clever and try a play on words using the title because it doesn't deserve my whit. That's a little harsh. I'm sorry. My apologies. The novel wasn't awful but I have certainly read better and expect better by this author.
Copy provided by Atria via Netgalley
The novel begins with Kate who has an odd affection for a man she hardly knows. After meeting him at a mutual friends dinner party she can't stop thinking about him. Kate's life isn't unhappy and there's really no reason why she would want to but she decides to eat forbidden fruit. She calls Peter and they have an affair. And suddenly, Peter goes off the rails.
Enter Beth, she's investigating the murder of a man who's washed up on shore. Before long, she finds out this man's last few months alive may have been the reason for his death. He mysteriously leaves his family and begins a life of hooking up. His once perfect life is no more... but why? How can one moment cause such a ripple effect.
To top that off, enter in a terrorist attack. I know right? We aren't in Kansas anymore Lescroart.
Fatal had a lot going on but not enough to keep me interested. Yes, the beginning was interesting. Most affairs almost always end awfully for at least one of the parties. But, the terrorist attack was an effort not to go down the Fatal Attraction sinkhole yet still did nothing to salvage the plot. It simply made it even more disjointed and annoying.
To top it off, the characters just didn't do it for me. Beth was a nice enough inspector but... she was almost too cliche. I hate to sound like such an ass about this novel, but it didn't feel like any other Lescroart novels. They are usually better put together with an engrossing mystery that won't relinquish it's grip on my attention.
Suffice it to say, Fatal was not my favorite John Lescroart novel by far. I don't even want to be clever and try a play on words using the title because it doesn't deserve my whit. That's a little harsh. I'm sorry. My apologies. The novel wasn't awful but I have certainly read better and expect better by this author.
Copy provided by Atria via Netgalley
January 4, 2017
Three Events: Weaving the narrative of three people. Kate, Peter and Beth. What may have been intended to feel like a cohesive storyline felt like a mishmash of confusing ideas that never melded together, leaving “Fatal” by John Lescroart, to fall short.
Kate is a supposedly happily married to Ron, living in San Francisco. There she meets Peter at a dinner party. Immediately thereafter she can’t stop thinking of him. In a fleeting moment, she makes what she realizes is a mistake. She sleeps with him. And he becomes obsessed. Confused, she confesses to her best friend Beth, who is also a detective, one day while they are at lunch. That day, they fall victim to a terrorist attack and their lives are forever changed. However, Beth, doesn’t just survive the attack, she thrives. Thereafter, in her job as a Detective, she is called in to investigate a homicide; the homicide of Peter and she begins to connect the dots and realizes that this case involves her best friend, Kate.
Though the synopsis of this novel is all about Kate and Peter, in reading it, it truly involved Beth and her journey. Her ability to survive and adapt and her need to solve the case she was called in to investigate. That said, there were way too many holes in this plot to make it readable or enjoyable and the fact that there were so many storylines made the novel’s narratives hard to follow at times. Further, the novel itself was somewhat formulaic and lacked mystery and excitement.
Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and John Lescroart for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 1/4/17.
**Will be published on Amazon on 1/24/17.
Kate is a supposedly happily married to Ron, living in San Francisco. There she meets Peter at a dinner party. Immediately thereafter she can’t stop thinking of him. In a fleeting moment, she makes what she realizes is a mistake. She sleeps with him. And he becomes obsessed. Confused, she confesses to her best friend Beth, who is also a detective, one day while they are at lunch. That day, they fall victim to a terrorist attack and their lives are forever changed. However, Beth, doesn’t just survive the attack, she thrives. Thereafter, in her job as a Detective, she is called in to investigate a homicide; the homicide of Peter and she begins to connect the dots and realizes that this case involves her best friend, Kate.
Though the synopsis of this novel is all about Kate and Peter, in reading it, it truly involved Beth and her journey. Her ability to survive and adapt and her need to solve the case she was called in to investigate. That said, there were way too many holes in this plot to make it readable or enjoyable and the fact that there were so many storylines made the novel’s narratives hard to follow at times. Further, the novel itself was somewhat formulaic and lacked mystery and excitement.
Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and John Lescroart for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 1/4/17.
**Will be published on Amazon on 1/24/17.
February 7, 2017
Even one little, tiny mistake can prove to be fatal.
Kate finds herself uncontrollably attracted to a married man. She herself is married, but she doesn't let that stop her. Before you know it, the situation spirals out of control.
If Fatal had stuck with Kate's and her paramour's family, I think this would have been better. The terror attack and a lot of the characters, (Alan, Ginny, Laurie), felt as if they were not really necessary to the plot. I also felt as if there were too many twists and turns, even though I was able to figure it all out, almost from the very beginning.
All that said, though, the story was fast paced and interesting. I especially liked the Police Detective Beth and her partner Ike. I hope to see them again in the future.
Overall, Fatal was a fun, quick story that was all over the place at times and could have been more focused. Even still, it was entertaining and I was glad to be reading Mr. Lescroart's work again.
You can get your copy here: Fatal: A Novel
*Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.*
Kate finds herself uncontrollably attracted to a married man. She herself is married, but she doesn't let that stop her. Before you know it, the situation spirals out of control.
If Fatal had stuck with Kate's and her paramour's family, I think this would have been better. The terror attack and a lot of the characters, (Alan, Ginny, Laurie), felt as if they were not really necessary to the plot. I also felt as if there were too many twists and turns, even though I was able to figure it all out, almost from the very beginning.
All that said, though, the story was fast paced and interesting. I especially liked the Police Detective Beth and her partner Ike. I hope to see them again in the future.
Overall, Fatal was a fun, quick story that was all over the place at times and could have been more focused. Even still, it was entertaining and I was glad to be reading Mr. Lescroart's work again.
You can get your copy here: Fatal: A Novel
*Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.*
February 10, 2017
This is a crackerjack mystery. It held my interest from beginning to end. The characters were believable and the plot moved along at a good pace. It opens with a married woman, Kate Jameson meeting Peter Ash(also married) at a dinner with mutual friends. She gets home and realizes that she is infatuated with him. She calls him and asks him to meet her at a hotel room. She is wearing a miniskirt showing her fabulous legs. But the consequences of this seduction will lead to three deaths. I did not suspect the killer until the end.
This is a stand alone and not part of the Dismas Hardy series by the author. I recommend it to the author's fans and anyone who likes a good mystery.
The author evidently has strong views on gun rights and Donald Trump.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this book.
This is a stand alone and not part of the Dismas Hardy series by the author. I recommend it to the author's fans and anyone who likes a good mystery.
The author evidently has strong views on gun rights and Donald Trump.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this book.
February 6, 2017
This stand-alone novel is a fine example of award-winning John Lescroat’s writing skills when it comes to crime thrillers. His formula of suspense, compelling characters and great pacing works yet again.
Recently introduced at a couples’ dinner, Kate can’t take her mind off of Peter. Impulsively, she phones Peter for a dalliance. The consequences of their one-night stand upends their lives; family loyalties put in jeopardy. Then one day, Peter is found murdered.
8 years on the job, police inspector Beth Tully leads the investigation into Peter’s death. I love Beth’s character - she is committed to the pursuit of justice, trying hard to balance her all-consuming career with her personal life, a life that always seems to take a back seat. Coincidentally, Kate is her best friend. That discovery simmered in my mind while potential murderers are introduced - Kate’s husband Ron, Peter’s secretary, his landlord, friends and family, motives pile up. The variety of the characters add color to the storyline; they are realistically flawed. Suspense builds as the investigation unfolds, clues are discovered and webs of deceit and unsavory behavior revealed. The book had a great pace and kept me guessing. I couldn’t wait to find out how the story would end. I highly recommend this book to fans of cop mystery thrillers.
Recently introduced at a couples’ dinner, Kate can’t take her mind off of Peter. Impulsively, she phones Peter for a dalliance. The consequences of their one-night stand upends their lives; family loyalties put in jeopardy. Then one day, Peter is found murdered.
8 years on the job, police inspector Beth Tully leads the investigation into Peter’s death. I love Beth’s character - she is committed to the pursuit of justice, trying hard to balance her all-consuming career with her personal life, a life that always seems to take a back seat. Coincidentally, Kate is her best friend. That discovery simmered in my mind while potential murderers are introduced - Kate’s husband Ron, Peter’s secretary, his landlord, friends and family, motives pile up. The variety of the characters add color to the storyline; they are realistically flawed. Suspense builds as the investigation unfolds, clues are discovered and webs of deceit and unsavory behavior revealed. The book had a great pace and kept me guessing. I couldn’t wait to find out how the story would end. I highly recommend this book to fans of cop mystery thrillers.
December 9, 2016
This was not as suspenseful of a page turner as it could have been. The victim by all accounts had something of a breakdown and evidently started sleeping around with a lot of women and understandably this damaged his relationship with his family to the point his kids hated him and his wife was divorcing him. Besides his family, other possible suspects would obviously be any husband of a wife he slept with or a woman scorned. While I wanted to find out the murderer to see justice done, it was clear that whoever did this did so out of revenge, and thus wasn’t a threat to the community at large. Obviously the murderer should go to prison, but when there’s a serial killer on the loose, the cops have to find the person quickly to avoid more lives lost. I didn’t feel the impending threat in this investigation. In this case, many of the suspects in the case die from apparent suicide, but at no point was I emotionally invested in their deaths.
I was much more interested in the subplot of the novel in which one of the detectives on the case, Beth, and her daughter help a woman who is close to death from anorexia. With the subplot, I got emotionally involved and cared, which is what I think novels should do—evoke emotional responses from the readers.
I wanted to learn who the murderer was, but I didn’t have to stay up late and lose sleep to find out who it was because the story wasn’t quite gripping enough.
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.
For more of my reviews, please visit: http://theresaalan.net/blog/
I was much more interested in the subplot of the novel in which one of the detectives on the case, Beth, and her daughter help a woman who is close to death from anorexia. With the subplot, I got emotionally involved and cared, which is what I think novels should do—evoke emotional responses from the readers.
I wanted to learn who the murderer was, but I didn’t have to stay up late and lose sleep to find out who it was because the story wasn’t quite gripping enough.
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.
For more of my reviews, please visit: http://theresaalan.net/blog/
October 28, 2016
Thanks to Atria for this early copy!
This is quite a different style book for JL. I'm a huge fan of his books & I think this moved up to one of my favorites. A compelling story of how one moment can have such consequences. Intertwined with multiple family issues it made for a fast paced entertaining read!
This is quite a different style book for JL. I'm a huge fan of his books & I think this moved up to one of my favorites. A compelling story of how one moment can have such consequences. Intertwined with multiple family issues it made for a fast paced entertaining read!
May 1, 2017
In Fatal, Investigator Beth Tully has a daughter, a warrior’s heart, and very few friends she allows time. Kate Jameson is one of them, a married soccer mom, who has a dalliance with Peter Ash, a married, complex, and charismatic character, who turns up dead.
Lescroart gives us a myriad of suspects: The victim’s disgruntled son; several sexual conquests, most notably Peter’s landlady and secretary; professional acquaintances; and even tosses in a dark and dangerous foreign client. Though speculations abound, Investigator Tully manages to whittle her list of suspects to two. Surprisingly, the most obvious is not among them, leaving one to wonder if Beth made an appropriate career choice.
In this slow-paced whodunit, moderately interesting characters provide only minimal vitality and appeal. Throw in a terrorist attack, which scars the protagonist both emotionally and physically, and it transiently wrenches the momentum up a notch, though does little to salvage a waning plot. Combine these phenomena with an ending many will see coming, and it leads to a disappointing read.
Mostly.
For Lescroart is one of those engaging writers who — though dragging you along as you scream and attempt to break free — suddenly has you under his spell and the pages continue to turn, albeit nearly at the halfway mark and with guarded enthusiasm.
Broaching subjects to include anorexia, meningitis, and unrequited love, the novel is chock-full of interesting topics and plausible subplots. The author left little to chance and those who appreciate more of a downtempo approach will admire his technique.
Lescroart gives us a myriad of suspects: The victim’s disgruntled son; several sexual conquests, most notably Peter’s landlady and secretary; professional acquaintances; and even tosses in a dark and dangerous foreign client. Though speculations abound, Investigator Tully manages to whittle her list of suspects to two. Surprisingly, the most obvious is not among them, leaving one to wonder if Beth made an appropriate career choice.
In this slow-paced whodunit, moderately interesting characters provide only minimal vitality and appeal. Throw in a terrorist attack, which scars the protagonist both emotionally and physically, and it transiently wrenches the momentum up a notch, though does little to salvage a waning plot. Combine these phenomena with an ending many will see coming, and it leads to a disappointing read.
Mostly.
For Lescroart is one of those engaging writers who — though dragging you along as you scream and attempt to break free — suddenly has you under his spell and the pages continue to turn, albeit nearly at the halfway mark and with guarded enthusiasm.
Broaching subjects to include anorexia, meningitis, and unrequited love, the novel is chock-full of interesting topics and plausible subplots. The author left little to chance and those who appreciate more of a downtempo approach will admire his technique.
February 4, 2017
I have a lot of mixed feelings about Fatal. I really like Lescroart's writing style and the female cop, Beth, was written perfectly. I even lol'd at some of the casual dialogue. BUT - I despised the victim and all of the suspects. I wanted all of them to be guilty so, of course, I was very disappointed by the ending. Nevertheless, it's a solid whodunit and I hope Lescroart is going to make Beth a regular.
February 15, 2017
I have not read his other books, so I cannot compare them to this "stand alone" novel, but I can say that it held my interest from the start, and now, I am looking forward to reading more from this author!
December 18, 2016
This story has how the lives of several people are impacted by three events:
An affair
A terrorist attack
A homicide
How they tie together, if at all, is the main question while reading.
Let's be clear, Peter Ash, who this story centers on, is messed up. One unusual proposition leads to him changing his whole view on life. And not necessarily for the better. The majority of the book is the detectives put on his case to solve his murder.
Told in the third person, we get an eagle eye view of the investigation and the main players who may be suspects, or simply know the detectives outside of work.
I had early suspicions on who the killer might be, but there are so many suspects, theories, and miscellaneous stuff thrown in, that I lost sight of that suspect, and started to consider others. For the record, I was right, but I doubted my theory so often, not sure if that counts.
As I said prior, I didn't find Peter to be a likeable character, so I felt a bit like his sons, not caring too much about his death. I would have liked to have gotten more of his story prior to his death, to draw out more sympathy. Instead, all we really know is that he gave up a lot, just for meaningless flings with many. The story with his secretary and what happened to her also seemed to have potential and then nothing became of it.
What I liked most about the story was how it followed the detectives and put their daily struggles with a theory and/or suspect, front and center. Some miscommunication on one of their parts left a major gap in their investigation that could have helped them solve things quicker. And while the detective was apologetic, I don't think what happened was intentional. They just didn't have enough information to believe it mattered.
This story strings you along until the very end. As the percentage on my kindle dwindled down, I kept thinking, they better hurry up and fix this. And although I correctly guessed the killer, there was a twist I didn't see coming. Looking back, it is sad how one person's curiosity set the course for a series of tragic events no one could have predicted.
As for the terrorist element, I really wished for some closure there, but there really wasn't any. It was just an event added to weaken some of the main characters resolves and escalated the actions they took.
This is the first book I've read from the author, and enjoyed it overall. I definitely keep this author in mind when I'm looking for a new mystery.
*An ARC was received via NetGalley for an honest review.
For more reviews, visit
An affair
A terrorist attack
A homicide
How they tie together, if at all, is the main question while reading.
Let's be clear, Peter Ash, who this story centers on, is messed up. One unusual proposition leads to him changing his whole view on life. And not necessarily for the better. The majority of the book is the detectives put on his case to solve his murder.
Told in the third person, we get an eagle eye view of the investigation and the main players who may be suspects, or simply know the detectives outside of work.
I had early suspicions on who the killer might be, but there are so many suspects, theories, and miscellaneous stuff thrown in, that I lost sight of that suspect, and started to consider others. For the record, I was right, but I doubted my theory so often, not sure if that counts.
As I said prior, I didn't find Peter to be a likeable character, so I felt a bit like his sons, not caring too much about his death. I would have liked to have gotten more of his story prior to his death, to draw out more sympathy. Instead, all we really know is that he gave up a lot, just for meaningless flings with many. The story with his secretary and what happened to her also seemed to have potential and then nothing became of it.
What I liked most about the story was how it followed the detectives and put their daily struggles with a theory and/or suspect, front and center. Some miscommunication on one of their parts left a major gap in their investigation that could have helped them solve things quicker. And while the detective was apologetic, I don't think what happened was intentional. They just didn't have enough information to believe it mattered.
This story strings you along until the very end. As the percentage on my kindle dwindled down, I kept thinking, they better hurry up and fix this. And although I correctly guessed the killer, there was a twist I didn't see coming. Looking back, it is sad how one person's curiosity set the course for a series of tragic events no one could have predicted.
As for the terrorist element, I really wished for some closure there, but there really wasn't any. It was just an event added to weaken some of the main characters resolves and escalated the actions they took.
This is the first book I've read from the author, and enjoyed it overall. I definitely keep this author in mind when I'm looking for a new mystery.
*An ARC was received via NetGalley for an honest review.
For more reviews, visit
February 10, 2017
Scrappymags 3 word review: devilishly delightful (2 words! Booom!)
Facts about your reviewer: I’ve only read one other Lescroart book (The Second Chair) so I don’t have a “relationship” with the author. It seems those who invested in Lescroart are more disappointed in the book. Me? I dug it.
Shortest summary. Ever.: beautiful wife has affair with a friend of a friend’s husband. Uh oh dead body! Who did it?
What’s good under the hood: I massively (and perversely) enjoy flawed characters and Fatal proved an abundance. Give me shiny happy people who truly suck behind the veneer and I’m in. There’s Kate who engages in the affair (not a spoiler) and there’s her college bestie Beth, devoted to her job as a homicide detective (guess who gets this case?), and there’s Peter, the other side of the affair who might not be the “nice guy” everyone thinks he is. Another case introduces Laurie, a young anorexic who befriends Beth’s daughter. Shady partners, frienemies everywhere… the plethora of suspects is far-reaching and each has something you’ll dislike (mostly). It’s like navigating a minefield of suspects. Personally I love that as I am in a reading phase of shirking virginal BORING characters. I was wrong about who-dun-it and that rarely happens.
What’s bad or made me mad: Beth would never nab the case because of her relationship with potential suspects. Readers must suspend disbelief there. Also I didn’t really understand the purpose of the whole attack/shooting (not a spoiler… first 50 pgs). It didn’t mesh nor seem important to the plot. The anorexic friend Laurie seemed like an odd addition too, but I suppose necessary to advance the story.
Recommend to: if you’re a Lescroart fan throw everything out the window. This doesn’t seem to be his usual work! Those who enjoy sexy thrillers (Gone Girl, Girl on the Train), book clubs, fans of the flawed, looking for a nice compact mystery.
Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my bitchin ‘ review.
Facts about your reviewer: I’ve only read one other Lescroart book (The Second Chair) so I don’t have a “relationship” with the author. It seems those who invested in Lescroart are more disappointed in the book. Me? I dug it.
Shortest summary. Ever.: beautiful wife has affair with a friend of a friend’s husband. Uh oh dead body! Who did it?
What’s good under the hood: I massively (and perversely) enjoy flawed characters and Fatal proved an abundance. Give me shiny happy people who truly suck behind the veneer and I’m in. There’s Kate who engages in the affair (not a spoiler) and there’s her college bestie Beth, devoted to her job as a homicide detective (guess who gets this case?), and there’s Peter, the other side of the affair who might not be the “nice guy” everyone thinks he is. Another case introduces Laurie, a young anorexic who befriends Beth’s daughter. Shady partners, frienemies everywhere… the plethora of suspects is far-reaching and each has something you’ll dislike (mostly). It’s like navigating a minefield of suspects. Personally I love that as I am in a reading phase of shirking virginal BORING characters. I was wrong about who-dun-it and that rarely happens.
What’s bad or made me mad: Beth would never nab the case because of her relationship with potential suspects. Readers must suspend disbelief there. Also I didn’t really understand the purpose of the whole attack/shooting (not a spoiler… first 50 pgs). It didn’t mesh nor seem important to the plot. The anorexic friend Laurie seemed like an odd addition too, but I suppose necessary to advance the story.
Recommend to: if you’re a Lescroart fan throw everything out the window. This doesn’t seem to be his usual work! Those who enjoy sexy thrillers (Gone Girl, Girl on the Train), book clubs, fans of the flawed, looking for a nice compact mystery.
Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my bitchin ‘ review.
May 4, 2019
RATING: 3 STARS
2017; Atria
(Review Not on Blog)
Please note this is a standalone novel...has nothing to do with any of the series.
I was very excited to see that Lescroart had a standalone novel! I love Lescroart's writing and I am going back to read the series chronological, so it was great to see Fatal was on its own. This novel does not seem like a John Lescroart novel. There was so much going on, first trying to sort out wheat this book is...suspense, mystery and literary genres. It's fine to be all of them as long as they balance out. The characters lack the chemistry and the plot starts to fall apart. At the end, you wonder what just happened. I think if you want to try John Lescroart, try Dead Irish!
***I received an eARC from NETGALLEY***
2017; Atria
(Review Not on Blog)
Please note this is a standalone novel...has nothing to do with any of the series.
I was very excited to see that Lescroart had a standalone novel! I love Lescroart's writing and I am going back to read the series chronological, so it was great to see Fatal was on its own. This novel does not seem like a John Lescroart novel. There was so much going on, first trying to sort out wheat this book is...suspense, mystery and literary genres. It's fine to be all of them as long as they balance out. The characters lack the chemistry and the plot starts to fall apart. At the end, you wonder what just happened. I think if you want to try John Lescroart, try Dead Irish!
***I received an eARC from NETGALLEY***
February 15, 2017
I loved this standalone by John Lescroart! I loved the characters, the story, the setting (in San Francisco) and the intricacy of the twisty and surprising plot. In this novel, Police Inspector Beth Tully and her best friend, Kate Jameson, are taking their weekly morning walk to the Golden Gate Bridge when Kate tells Beth that she and her husband, Ron; along with their friends, Geoffrey and Bina Cooke, had had a dinner party the previous weekend. Geoffrey and Ron are partners in their own law firm, and Geoffrey had invited another good friend, Peter Ash, and his wife Jill. Peter works for another law firm, but Geoffrey thinks very highly of Peter. Kate for some reason became fixated on Peter Ash, and told Beth that she just knew she had to have sex with him. Of course Beth tells her that this is not a good idea at all, and Kate promises that she won't act upon her impulse. But of course she does. She calls Peter at his office and gets him to meet her in a hotel room nearby, and they have wild sex for a couple of hours. At this point, Kate is done; satisfied with what she had done, and thought there was no harm done, since this would not be a long term relationship; in fact, this was the only time she was going to see Peter.
Peter, being a different kind of person, begins to question his marriage, his job, in fact his whole life. He begins sneaking out of his home and meeting different women for one night stands, or perhaps a bit more, and he also begins drinking. He becomes a different person to his family.
Then the unthinkable happens. Beth and Kate are at the Ferry Building downtown when terrorists with guns and bombs attack the place. Kate's life was saved by Beth. Beth was injured fairly severely, but she is determined to get past the experience and continue on with her career. About six months later, Peter Ash's body washes up on to the shore of a nearby beach, with gunshot wounds to his chest. Peter had been living in an apartment near a bunch of college kids, and though he was still working sporadically, his main activities in life were drinking and womanizing.
He and Jill were in the process of obtaining a dissolution of their marriage. Beth and her partner are assigned the case, being homicide inspectors, and Beth learns more about Peter Ash and his world than she ever wanted to. And then his personal secretary of more than eight years, commits suicide by stepping in front of a trolley car. The fallout does not stop there. The next thing to happen is that Geoffrey Cooke is found shot to death in his car, an apparent suicide. However, it appears to Beth that it may not be suicide. In fact, all of these peoples' lives have become intertwined, and it all started with Kate Jameson wanting to have a short, one-time sexual experience with Peter Ash.
I was totally surprised by the ending of the story, although I knew it was going to be different than the author was leading the reader to believe. If anything, the story shows the reader that like a ripple in a pond, one small, perhaps selfish action by one person, may cause extremely serious and potentially dangerous consequences. The book is clearly a tale of what happens when a person acts upon an impulsive and selfish desire. Those who feel that it is no problem to act upon an amoral or immoral impulse should think clearly before they carry out any selfish action.
Peter, being a different kind of person, begins to question his marriage, his job, in fact his whole life. He begins sneaking out of his home and meeting different women for one night stands, or perhaps a bit more, and he also begins drinking. He becomes a different person to his family.
Then the unthinkable happens. Beth and Kate are at the Ferry Building downtown when terrorists with guns and bombs attack the place. Kate's life was saved by Beth. Beth was injured fairly severely, but she is determined to get past the experience and continue on with her career. About six months later, Peter Ash's body washes up on to the shore of a nearby beach, with gunshot wounds to his chest. Peter had been living in an apartment near a bunch of college kids, and though he was still working sporadically, his main activities in life were drinking and womanizing.
He and Jill were in the process of obtaining a dissolution of their marriage. Beth and her partner are assigned the case, being homicide inspectors, and Beth learns more about Peter Ash and his world than she ever wanted to. And then his personal secretary of more than eight years, commits suicide by stepping in front of a trolley car. The fallout does not stop there. The next thing to happen is that Geoffrey Cooke is found shot to death in his car, an apparent suicide. However, it appears to Beth that it may not be suicide. In fact, all of these peoples' lives have become intertwined, and it all started with Kate Jameson wanting to have a short, one-time sexual experience with Peter Ash.
I was totally surprised by the ending of the story, although I knew it was going to be different than the author was leading the reader to believe. If anything, the story shows the reader that like a ripple in a pond, one small, perhaps selfish action by one person, may cause extremely serious and potentially dangerous consequences. The book is clearly a tale of what happens when a person acts upon an impulsive and selfish desire. Those who feel that it is no problem to act upon an amoral or immoral impulse should think clearly before they carry out any selfish action.
July 19, 2019
I just love reading about affairs.
Kate confesses to her best friend Beth that she is obsessed with a married man. This clearly is a line of danger just waiting to happen wanting to see a married man, specially as Kate is a married wife herself to Ron.
The married man Peter Ash that Kate was obsessed with happened to be on Google. Kate of course would have to careful incase her husband Ron looked at her ipad. Looking at her ipad she found out that Peter Ash was a successful partner for a law firm. With her weird obsession she then checked out his wife Jill who Kate discovered that Jill worked as a Realtor.
Kate's fantasy was stupid as she did love her husband Ron. He was a great man, a rock-solid provider, and more than an adequate lover plus he was the best father that she could have imagined.
So why was she moving towards doing something that could ruin her marriage for a silly crush on Peter who was a married man?
What ever was Kate Jameson thinking of ? She phones Peter Ash at his law firm office asking him to meet her at her hotel room as she has something to talk to him about a legal matter in private. Once Peter Ash arrives at her hotel room A Do Not Disturb sign is fitted to the door. Just how far are they going to go? Peter is a happily married man with twin boys.
Six months later disaster strikes Peter Ash's body is washed up on a beach and Kate's best friend Beth is assigned to the case.
I highly recommend reading Fatal, you be glued to it as Beth has no idea that of Kate's connection with Peter Ash. With a pool of suspects could Kate have killed Peter ?
I totally loved every page this is why I must give my many thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy to read and review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 676 reviews