• Betrayal

  • A Novel (Dismas Hardy, Book 12)
  • By: John Lescroart
  • Narrated by: David Colacci
  • Length: 14 hrs and 39 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (246 ratings)

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Betrayal  By  cover art

Betrayal

By: John Lescroart
Narrated by: David Colacci
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Publisher's summary

New York Times best-selling author John Lescroart presents an ambitious thriller featuring San Francisco defense attorney Dismas Hardy.

Betrayal is provocative…a tour de force of a legal thriller.” (The Providence Journal)

Dismas Hardy agrees to take an appeal to overturn the murder conviction of National Guard reservist Evan Scholler. Scholler had plenty of reasons for revenge - but as Dismas delves into the case, he begins to uncover a terrible truth that drops him right into the complicated world of government conspiracy, assassination, and betrayal...

Check out more titles in the Dismas Hardy series.
©2008 The Lescroart Corporation (P)2007 Brilliance Audio

Critic reviews

"Full of believable characters and crisp dialogue. A first-rate addition to the author's ongoing series." ( Publishers Weekly)
"Who needs John Grisham when we have homegrown John Lescroart?" ( San Francisco magazine)
"Exciting and believable, thanks to strong narration." ( AudioFile)

What listeners say about Betrayal

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    115
  • 4 Stars
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    35
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Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • 4 Stars
    42
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Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    87
  • 4 Stars
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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

Not enough Dismas; too much back-story

I listened to and enjoyed the first two Dismas Hardy titles available from Audible (Guilt and Mercy). I'm pleased with the several new releases that have become recently available and will probably buy and listen to all of them.

But this is not the Dismas Hardy book for new "readers" or old fans. The first fifteen minutes or so set up a couple of back- stories that involve none of the Dismas Hardy characters. These back-stories take up AT LEAST 75% of the book! And they are tedious.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

The best Lescroart yet

With "Betrayal," John Lescroart departs a bit from his ongoing San Francisco series of novels. For one thing, part of the action takes place -- as a flashback -- in Iraq, unveiling some of the sobering corruption taking place there at our government's expense. Secondly, much of the subsequent action takes place not in San Francisco, but down the Peninsula in Redwood City. We still have Lescroart's perennial protagonists -- best friends Dismus Hardy and Abe Glitsky, defense attorney and cop -- working together to discover the hidden machinations that sent an innocent man to prison. But this time they don't enter center stage until midway through the story. Lescroart definitely did his homework for this novel, delving deep beyond his legal and law-enforcement expertise into the ugly underbelly of the Iraq war and the unscrupulous contractors capitalizing on it. But, as always, he also delves deep into the hearts and minds of his characters, making them real to us, and making us care about them. Also, as always, David Colacci does a magnificent job narrating this audiobook. He has a wide range of voices and accents to draw upon, clearly distinguishing the characters from each other. I recommend this audiobook to anybody who enjoys legal thrillers with heart.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

2.5 because of the "bait and switch" ; else 3*

I did not take the reviewers seriously, so I had to suffer through hours and hours of war playing, some interesting interactions among some non-Hardy/Glitsky characters, etc. The war stuff was so intolerable (I did not enlist to read about Iraq), that I had to skip past much of it, thus a wasted credit (though I paid a reduced cash price for it). I have read most of the series, though not in order, and I found it funny to hear Abe characterized/voiced as he was. The later books are more appealing to me.

BTW: I loathed Ms. Tara, what a wuss!

When Hardy, et al finally showed up, it was great, as expected, and it reached all of the series' high notes.

However, I am miffed over the long pre-story to explain the characters' later actions. That part (the documentary portion) could have been a half or a quarter its length. It felt like a soapbox for the author to take aim at the war, the govt, the FBI, etc., etc. And, while all those shots were probably at least partially accurate, and probably need(ed) airing, this was not the place for it. It's like being in a class and the required textbook is the instructor's own. I am disappointed in it because the hours I spent listening (waiting) for the Hardy/Glitsky book to begin, I could have been listening to something else.

The outcome was classsic Lescroart/Hardy... satisfying even more for the the slick twist at the end. Left me wondering just when I blacked out or if I did black out, or if I am just pretending to have blacked out during some of the long exposition and frequent fight passages. Nevertheless, this could have been a terrific long short story, novella, or something and could have felt much more immediate and riveting than in this particular format. Without the prologue introducing Hardy's cast of character's, I would have left the whole thing Iraq.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Where is Dismas Hardy?

Any additional comments?

This book is alright, but as a Dismas Hardy book, it falls short. Why? Because Dismas Hardy is absent for the majority of the novel. As much as I like the Hardy series, I felt short changed, as though I was sold a mediocre novel in a Dismas Hardy package: keep listening, Dismas Hardy will make an appearance soon. By the time he did, I had forgotten I was expecting him.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

John Lescroarts does the Middle East.

Lescroarts's series of Dismas Hardy-Abe Glitzky novels is one of the most beautifully sustained works in this entire genre of legal thrillers. If you have read a few of them, you know that the combination of these three plus David Colacci's narration is unfailingly entertaining. In this book Lescroarts addresses the Middle East chaos in a way that involves a new attorney for much of the book, a character who is less interesting than Dismas and Abe. However, the story is very well told, and I have a hard time imagining any reader putting it down. It is funny, which is a relief in this genre, which tends toward the plodding and detail-ridden, particularly the legal details. Lescroarts, however, generally requires his heroes to solve the murder (or appear to do so) while the trial or appeal is happening. This style tends to leaven the weight of legality which can bog down other authors. The end of the book is a surprising twist which I will not give away, as Lescroarts earns the reader's full involvement. He continues telling us about developments in the private lives of Hardy and Glitzky, which makes them much more interesting and real than the heroes who are frozen in time by the author's need to crank out more books. If you have never read one of these, you are in for a treat. If you know the series, you will not be disappointed by this one. Keep 'em coming, John. And, particularly, don't let anyone other than David Colacci narrate them.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Just another waste of credits

Not only predictable, he must have bought this plot 'from scripts are us'. I have to force myself to listen to the whole thing and now have part of my life I cannot get back. Which at 52 I'd better be more selective.
To make matters worse, the announcer was the worst and I will not listen to any more of his books I don't care who writes it.
The guy have two voices; as a result you can't figure out which character is who and its a big mess.
I done with the author and his reader.
I just finished the new Vince Flynn listen and that is what I think is a 5 star rating.
Happy Listening and great holidays.

Lonnie

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

BRILLIANT!!!!!

Everything about this book is brilliant!!! Every chapter builds the momentum, further legitimizing the books premise, leaving its listener anxious for more. It delivers, to the very end.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

another great book

I loved it...can't wait to start the next one...John Lescroart is a master story teller

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

another great another great Dismas Hardy book

I've been reading this series in order and every time I finish I think this is the best one yet. A large part of the story this time his background that the regular characters aren't involved in, it was still gripping story. The finsl resolution chilling and satisfying.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Not a Dismiss Hardy book

What did you love best about Betrayal?

I love listening to David Calocci...he does a great job.

Would you ever listen to anything by John Lescroart again?

Always if David Calocci is performing.

Any additional comments?

This was so not a Dismiss Hardy book and I was disappointed that it was portrayed as one. It wasn't until the book was 3/4 done that he (and Glitsky) were really in the storyline.

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