The Oath

Dismas Hardy, Book 8

By: John Lescroart

Narrated by: Robert Lawrence

Length: 13 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

When the head of San Francisco's largest HMO dies in his own hospital, no one doubts that it is anything but the result of massive injuries inflicted by a random hit-and-run accident. But the autopsy soon tells a different story - an overdose of potassium killed him, and the attending physician, Eric Kensing, becomes the prime suspect in a high-profile homicide.

Homicide lieutenant Abe Glitsky, though hindered by the inept bungling of two politically appointed cops assigned to the investigation, quickly sets his sights on Kensing. Desperate and in need of an attorney, Kensing turns to lawyer Dismas Hardy for his defense. But as the pressure mounts to indict Kensing, Hardy goes on the offensive, believing that the murder had little to do with his client, and everything to do with business. Hardy knows that all is not well with the HMO, and makes a terrifying discovery: too many patients have been dying, many of them victims of murder - and it looks like it is the hospital that is killing them.

His own marriage tested and his family strained as he struggles to save his client, Hardy must uncover a twisting conspiracy of avarice and violence that takes the lives it is sworn to save. A timely and gripping novel that puts lives - and a long-standing friendship - at grave risk.

Check out more titles in the Dismas Hardy series.

©2004 John Lescroart (P)2004 Brilliance Audio

Ruined

Like all the Hardy novels, this title is a great story of the Law in SF. However, the relentless machine gun monotony of the narration totally ruins it. Robert Lawrence gives the characters absolutely nothing, and his pacing is awful. Could we please have David Colacci read it? I would probably even buy the book again.

smart, fast paced, still very timely!

explores many of the issues in the current healthcare debate in the context of a real "page turner" of an audio book. The reader did a great job w/the different characters... you could always tell which character was speaking by the voice, and there were plenty of them!
as a heath care worker intimately familiar w/these issues, and an avid mystery buff, i really, really enjoyed this book!

Good and Bad

The beginning of this book dragged with many characters that I found difficult to remember. That difficulty stemmed from narration that I would consider to be not the best. Differentiation was created more by accents that I was not sure were true (southern, english, etc.) and the female voices were awful.

However, the story is a good one and worth the listen. I look forward to other books by this author, but not by this narrator.

Good story, awful narrator!

It was incredibly painful to listen to this book by the narrator who read it. I would buy this book again if somebody else would narrate it.

Wonderful BOok

Lescroart does such great research. I love his books and Robert Lawrence did an outstanding job.

Great story, awful reader

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

If you can find this book by another reader, would recommend to friend, if not forget it

Would you be willing to try another one of Robert Lawrence’s performances?

No

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed in lots of places, love the way the author adds a bit of humor

Not a winner

Agree with previous review, reader is distracting. Charactors do not perform well as in other Hardy stories. The whole thing seems to drag and for me and was hard to finish which is normally not the case with the author's books.

Good Story, Dislike the Reader

This reader, Robert Lawerence, was okay with the narrative, but the only voice I liked in dialogue was Det. Abe. I especially disliked Dismas Hardy’s voice.

I like the stories well enough that I’ll keep getting them, even with this reader, but I prefer others.

Lots of different moving parts

As much as I like John Lescoart this book was hard to follow at times and had too many moving parts. I am not able to sit down and read a book and one sitting, but that would’ve helped to put the book down and then pick up again.
Was a difficult read

horrible narration

the narrator ruined this book. he made the young, serious inspector into a mockery of the character.