The Oath (Dismas Hardy)
The Oath (Dismas Hardy) book cover

The Oath (Dismas Hardy)

Hardcover – January 14, 2002

by
Price
$9.00
Format
Hardcover
Pages
408
Publisher
Dutton Adult
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-0525945765
Dimensions
6.5 x 1.5 x 9.4 inches
Weight
1.15 pounds

Description

Bad medicine makes good plotting in John Lescroart's latest, which brings back lawyer Dismas Hardy and his best friend, homicide cop Abe Glitsky. A string of suspicious deaths at a San Francisco HMO don't look like murder at first--until Tim Markham, the head of the HMO, dies from injuries received in a hit-and-run accident. But did the injuries really kill him? Glitsky believes that Hardy's client, Dr. Eric Kensing, killed his boss. Kensing had at least two good reasons: not only was Markham having an affair with his wife, but his cost- cutting restrictions were threatening the lives of Kensing's patients. Kensing is a bit too heroic for the reader to ever believe in him as a suspect, and the real murderer is pretty obvious from the get-go, which cuts down the suspense. Still, the reappearance of Glitsky and Hardy will be welcomed by Lescroart's many fans, who'll be delighted with the widowed cop's new wife and new life and happy to see the guys back in familiar if well-trodden territory. --Jane Adams From Publishers Weekly With their reputation for rolling up hefty profits while doling out penny-pinching care, HMOs have emerged as a favorite villain of crime writers. Lescroart gets in his licks with this scalpel-sharp thriller, the ninth in the Dismas Hardy line. This time around, the San Francisco attorney finds himself representing Dr. Eric Kensing, who stands accused of murdering his boss, Tim Markham, the CEO of the Parnassus Medical Group, a struggling HMO providing health services to all the city's employees. An autopsy shows that Markham, hospitalized in critical condition following a hit-and-run, died not of his injuries but of a potassium overdose. It doesn't look good for Kensing. Not only was he the doctor on duty, but he had plenty of motive; his wife was having an affair with Markham. As police investigators, led once again by Lt. Abe Glitsky, home in on Kensing, the case veers in another direction. The police discover that Markham is actually the 12th person to have been killed recently while under Parnassus's care. And Kensing can't be blamed for all of them. The investigation leads police and Hardy to a multitude of suspects, most connected to Parnassus's zeal for ruthless cost cutting. Burdened at times by Hardy's musings and a few awkwardly placed clues, Lescroart's latest featuring the cunning, self-effacing attorney and dedicated family man is still a skillfully researched and executed piece of work. The author wisely steers clear of taking cheap shots at the HMO industry, yet manages to direct a sharp beam into some of its darker crevices. Fans of the popular series should know that there are no courtroom scenes, unusual for the trial-prone Hardy, but Lescroart manages to squeeze in almost every member of his usual large and always entertaining cast. (Feb. 4)Forecast: The reliably excellent Lescroart carries on, delivering yet another winner. A massive ad/promo campaign including the simultaneous release of the paperback edition of The Hearing, a 10-city author tour and a one-day laydown should swell the already well-populated ranks of his fans. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc. From Library Journal A really topical mystery: Lescroart stalwart Dismas Hardy defends a physician accused of doing in the head of an HMO. Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Booklist The Hippocratic oath, that is. At the center of this latest legal thriller by master yarn spinner Lescroart is Parnassus, San Francisco's largest HMO, which is on the brink of bankruptcy. The heart of Parnassus' problems is the now-classic struggle of financial realities versus patient needs. When Tim Markham, the CEO of the flailing HMO, is struck by a hit-and-run driver and subsequently dies at the hospital, it's an unfortunate but random act, just like every other hit-and-run. Or is it? The lovable, curmudgeonly detective Abe Glitzky, back at the Lescroart helm, doesn't think so. Glitzky consults his team of confidantes, including his new wife, an assistant DA, and his best pal, attorney Dismas Hardy. Glitzky is none too pleased that he also has to enlist the help of two new bumbling but politically connected rookies. When an autopsy reveals that Markham's death resulted not from the hit-and-run but from an overdose at the hospital, attending physician Eric Kensing becomes the suspect, as this death is not the first suspicious one under his watch. A classic Lescroart conflict develops when Kensing retains Hardy as his defense attorney, pitting buddy against buddy. True to the author's form, The Oath is gripping, timely, and extremely satisfying. But Lescroart's real strength here is his exploration of medical ethics in our insurance-dependent times. A stellar novel that will have broad appeal. Mary Frances Wilkens Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved ...a skillfully researched and executed piece of work. The reliably excellent Lescroart carries on, delivering yet another winner. -- Publishers Weekly John Lescroart is the bestselling author of twelve previous novels, including The Hearing , Nothing but the Truth , Guilt , and The Thirteenth Juror . Read more

Features & Highlights

  • Attorney Dismas Hardy is hurled into a world of greed and violence when he makes a horrifying discovery, which threatens his family and his long-standing friendship with homicide lieutenant Abe Glitsky, while representing Dr. Eric Kensing, a man accused of murdering the head of San Francisco's largest HMO. 125,000 first printing.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(377)
★★★★
25%
(315)
★★★
15%
(189)
★★
7%
(88)
★
23%
(289)

Most Helpful Reviews

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A STUNNER !

For those who are faithful readers of John Lescroart and have developed a "reader relationship" with his two primary characters, Abe Glitsky and Dismas Hardy, THE OATH is a stunner!
As usual, Lescroart's plotting, characterization, and dialogue are excellent. However, what sets this book apart from his previous work, is the emotional reactions it creates. Reading THE OATH is very similar to watching two best friends fight and not being able to do anything about it. Glitsky, San Francisco Chief of Homocide, and Hardy, ex-District Attorney turned brilliant defense counsel, are at odds over the guilt or innocence of Dr. Eric Kensing, the prime suspect in the murder of the CEO of a high profile but financially troubled physicians' medical group.
Throughout the book, the reader can only passively stand by while Glitsky and Hardy present their points of view and reveal their own personality traits and unique perspectives. Lescroart masterfully introduces and develops several suspects and motives in this complex, multi-layered legal puzzle. However, the concern for both Hardy and Glitsky is never far away. As the suspense and interest build toward the story's climax I was stunned and begging for answers in the final pages. Thankfully Lescroart provided satisfaction, but you'll have to read this highly recommended thriller to find out how.
18 people found this helpful
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Rather boring and sloppy

John Lescroart has to be one of the most inconsistent writers around. You get such brilliant novels like A Certain Justice, Guilt, Hard Evidence, The Vig, and then it's followed up by The Hearing, and worse yet, this novel The Oath, or his earlier work, The Mercy Rule. I think it's the poor reader that needs the Mercy here.
First off, the subject matter of The Oath in of itself is old hat and boring. It's been done and overdone a hundred times over in TV dramas and full feature length movies. But I can certainly accept the fact that Lescroart wants to give us his own rendition. Yet the rendition adds nothing new and the characters are totally unconvincing. Dismas Hardy and Abe Glitsky seem to be frozen in time, never growing, never changing, something that does not happen with real like characters. And the players in this particular story seem to be forcibly drawn together into a story that lacks substance or interest. The only character that I can remotely sympathise with is Dr. Kensing, who due to his unfortunate past and rigid principles becomes ensnared in a drama that is outside his control.
This hopeless melange is such a contrast to the beautifully written and cast Hard Evidence. A novel that to this day I go back and re-read when I find nothing else on the store shelf to interest me.
Added to this is Lescroart's sloppiness. In The Hearing a character that was killed and buried in very beginning of the novel suddenly reappears near the end of the novel. This was not supposed to a surprise element, as some readers thought when they read my review of that novel, just plain old sloppy writing.
In The Oath, Dismas Hardy is clearly in John Strout's office visiting the coroner, when suddenly we are informed by John Lescroart that "Strout closed the stiletto again, then stood up and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling bookshelf that lined Hardy's left hand wall". Hardly's ? I though he was in John Strout's office, where did we get Hardy's left hand wall ? And this type of sloppy writing appears right throughout the book.
This in of itself would not be such a big deal other than a clear indication that when Lescroart is bored with his story he gets sloppy. I think we can all understand that. Which obviously begs the question why are we the poor readers being foisted with a book that the author seems to have little use for ?
16 people found this helpful
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A thrilling story of money and ethics in the world of medici

Best-selling author of the fantastic The Thirteenth Juror & The Guilt, John Lescroart enters the Robin Cook territory of doctors & medical mysteries in his new thriller.
Last year Phillip Margolin, an acclaimed practitioner of the legal thriller genre, took to the medico-legal mystery genre with "The Associate", & close on its heels comes this new thriller from John Lescroart. The Oath can at best be described as a medico-legal mystery, the author having mixed in right proportion the medical stuff & the legalese to bring up a top-notch thriller.
Tim Markham the head of San Francisco's largest HMO dies seemingly of injuries suffered in a hit-&-run accident. At first, it is classified as an accidental death, but the autopsy reveals that Markham died due to potassium overdose.
All evidence points to Markham's attending physician Eric Kensing. It seems that Kensing had every reason to kill Markham - for one thing, Markham was sleeping with Kensing's wife & for another, Markham had threatened to cut off funding to Kensing's patients, thus putting the life of the patients at risk.
Kensing approaches attorney Dismas Hardy, (the hero of many Lescroart works) & Hardy attempts to clear the good doctor of murder, & bring home the guilt on the real culprits.
Pitted against him is Homicide Cop Abe Glitsky who believes that Kensing is guilty & is trying hard for a conviction. What follows is top-notch action with Hardy discovering unpleasant truths in the running of HMO, & slowly discovering why & how Kensing was made a pawn in someone's bigger plans.
The Oath is definitely not a whodunit - but it is a great whydunit. The suspense is riveting & the action is thick & steady throughout. Good medico-legal thrillers have been rare, save for a Fourth Procedure by Stanley Pottinger or Autopsy by John R. Feegel, & The Oath clearly satisfies the reader who is fond of this sub-genre.
I enjoyed it, & for a good evening's read - it is highly recommended.
15 people found this helpful
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Starts slow, ends strong.

I love legal fiction. This one started slow; I tend to prefer the "hit the ground running" thrillers like those written by a Norm Harris, or a Nelson DeMille, or even some of Grisham's books. But "The Oath" did end strong. So I was eventually satisfied.
The opening scene is seen through the eyes of Mrs. Lopez, the worried mother of a sick child. Here John Lescroart makes a strong statement as we see a concerned mother manhandled by a less than caring HMO system. I have long held the opinion that the term "health care" has become an oxymoron.
In the next scene a man is killed by a hit and run driver. Enter Lescroart's protagonists Dismas Hardy and his best friend, homicide cop Abe Glitsky.
In this story we know whodunit early on. One of the early reviews of this book pointed this out, saying that knowing who the killer is "...cuts down the suspense." It was my understanding that when we know who the antagonist is from the onset of the story, that the story is a thriller. When we do not know who did the deed until the end of the story, then it is a mystery. This is a thriller, so I had no problem with knowing whodunit early on.
John Lescroart is a master of characterization and dialogue. From the book: (Luz tried to smile. She couldn't help but worry. Ramiro was no better. In fact, she knew that he was worse. Despite her resolve, a tear broke and rolled over her cheek. She quickly, angrily, wiped it away, but the doctor had seen it. "Are you really so worried?") That's great stuff.
If you love legal thrillers, as I do, then you will love this book. Highly recommended. Cammy Diaz, lawyer
9 people found this helpful
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A winner from Lescroart!

The head of San Fransisco's largest HMO dies under suspicious circumstances in his own hospital. The prime suspect has hired attorney Dismas Hardy to represent him - placing Hardy at odds with his good friend, homicide lieutenant Abe Glitzky, and taxing Hardy's marriage as well. The investigation points to a broader pattern of corruption and murder as Hardy joins forces with the authorities to attempt to clear his client's name. Sounds familiar, but that's OK - part of the enjoyment of reading mystery/thriller series is the comfort of the familiar and getting caught up-to-date on the latest developments in the characters' lives. Compared to the previous book in the series (The Hearing), The Oath features a better plot and crisper writing that avoids getting bogged down in the relationships among the many characters. While not exactly unpredictable, there are a few good twists at the end.
6 people found this helpful
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Barely Deserves Four Stars

THE OATH is a murder mystery involving the apparently accidental death of Tim Markham, the well known head of San Francisco's largest HMO in his own hospital as the result of the injuries sustained in a hit and run incident during his early morning jog. However,an autopsy reveals that his demise was aided by an overdose of potassium administered in his own hospital and the Homicide Chief, Lieutenant Abe Glitsky, suddenly is investigating a case with manifold political implications. Meanwhile, Dr. Eric Kensing, who was on duty in the ER when Markham was admitted and who has hired Dismas Hardy as his lawyer, soon becomes the prime suspect.(Understandably so, since he has had several professional controversies at the HMO regarding the standard of care being afforded patients as financial pressures interfere with physician decision making. Furthermore, Kensing is separated from his wife due to her long running affair with Markham.) Soon other murders occur; in addition, it appears that several severely ill patients at the hospital have died recently under suspicious circumstances.

Thus, Hardy and Glitsky soon square off and their friendship that has been chronicled through several previous books by Lescroart becomes severely strained. For previous readers of the author , one of the most enjoyable elements of this book will be the further evolution of the lives and relationships of the several of the other characters that have appeared over the years in this series. This is a police and legal procedural, as well as a commentary on medical ethics, politics and greed. Lescroart's plotting is good, but the attempts at misdirection are not as clever as in several of his earlier works. In most instances, it soon becomes obvious in what direction the facts are leading.

This is a fast paced, easy and fun read; it was great not only to catch up with Glitsky and Hardy again as they eventually teamed up to solve another case, but also have another mystery which involved revisiting old familiar friends including David Freeman,Jeff Elliot,Clarence Jackman, Treya Glitsky, and ,of course, Diz's wife Frannie, and their two great kids Rebecca, and Vincent Hardy.

As usual, Lescroart's plotting is believable and his phraseology is enjoyable, I particularly chuckled over the "no-humans-involved" cases, where everyone already has a substantial criminal record and which are the diametric opposite of this white collar, high rent district crime. What made this novel less compelling than some of the earlier Diz and Abe books were two factors, First,,while the multiple threads of the story were all woven together very well and in the end and all details were explained, they also in some ways made the outcome less surprising. Second, this was not a well edited book; there were some incorrect facts and several small errors which were not caught and while they were of no real consequence they were nevertheless annoying.In the end, I decided that these factors were not enough to lower the rating to three stars but definitely kept it from being on the five star level despite my enjoyment.
5 people found this helpful
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Dismas takes on the HMO

With a villain everybody loves to hate - the HMO - John Lescroart's ninth novel featuring San Francisco Defense attorney Dismas Hardy and his best friend and oft-times rival, homicide detective Abe Glitzky, finds plenty to engage the reader. When the HMO's CEO, Tim Markham, dies after a hit-and-run accident and the autopsy determines it was a medical injection that killed him, his doctor, Eric Kensing, is the obvious suspect. Not only did Kensing vociferously protest the HMO's cost-cutting restrictions, the victim had also been having an affair with Kensing's wife. When the dead man's family is massacred and Kensing is placed at the scene, only Hardy continues to believe in his innocence.
Glitzky's determination to nail Hardy's client causes a rift between the friends, only partially healed when Hardy's fishing turns up a pattern of suspicious deaths at the hospital, which cannot all be laid at Kensing's feet. Lescroart's thorough research and skill in explaining the complex tensions between HMO, hospital and patient keeps the story humming even as Hardy's increasingly cozy relationship with the mayor, prosecutor and police strains credibility. Though not one of his best, Lescroart's well-drawn characters - particularly the strong relationship between Glitzky and Hardy - and solid writing make this a fine read.
5 people found this helpful
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Great book

This book is Lescroart at his best! A fantastic web weaver, Lescroart takes his characters on a trip into the dark world of HMO's, and hospital politics.
Everyone seems guilty at one time or another, and as a reader, you can't put your finger on the "killer" until the very end.
Diz, as usual, does a great job working his case, and his relationship with Glitsky is, as always, one of greatest parts of the book.
If you read the Dismas Hardy series, you'll love this next installment. If you don't, get started, you have a lot to catch up on!!
Great book!
4 people found this helpful
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An explosive thriller

When Tim Markham, the head of San Francisco's largest HMO dies in his own hospital, no one doubts he died of the massive injuries inflicted by a random hit-and-run car accident. But soon an autopsy reveals he died of an overdose of potassium, and the attending physician Eric Kensing becomes the prime suspect.
Kensing, desperate, and in need of an attorney, turns to Dismas Hardy for his defense. Going head-to-head with long time friend Abe Glitsky, and the two bumbling detectives assigned to this case, Dismas knows he has a tough battle to win, and when he finds information that further cements the hatred between Kensing and Markham, Dismas begins to question his client's innocence.
The deeper Dismas digs into Markham's twisted past, he finds no one is exactly who they say they are, and everyone has something to hide, but nothing can prepare him for another shocking murder that will start to unravel a conspiracy of violence that takes the lives of those it has sworn to protect.
`The Oath' is a sure bet for a wild ride of page-turning excitement. The mixing of medical science, and legal thrills makes for a perfect read that will surely entertain. With many novels of it's kind out there, `The Oath' stands far ahead of the rest for it's twisting plot, fleshed out characters, lightning fast pace and surprises along the way.
John Lescroart is one of the masters of the legal thriller, and his newest novel will give his fans something to cheer about, and earn him a slew of new ones. Mr. Lescroart is never at a loss for creating suspenseful, original plots, and `The Oath' will further prove his knack for writing blockbusters as it rockets up all the bestseller list's.
A MUST read!
Nick Gonnella
3 people found this helpful
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Not Good

Unless you're a hardcore Lescroart fan willing to endure the author apparently writing during a "dry spell" (or trying to meet a deadline), consider skipping this one. As usual, he doesn't try to set the hook early - initially writing in italics, which I find to be an irritating conceit, but unlike most of his other novels the hook never appears at all. Instead, the plot develops at a painfully slow pace, even though the identity of the villain is obvious almost from the get-go despite a double handful of red herrings. Others have remarked that the development of the main protagonists, Hardy and Glitsky, is nicely done, but I don't see it. Hardy is as usual torn between home/family and nonstop investigating, and Gltisky is, well, Glitsky, The feud between Hardy and Glitsky seems to be an effort to add spice, but its intensity is so profound that when it suddenly evaporates the reader is left shaking his head: "Was this trip really necessary?"

As a legal thriller the novel falls far short of the standards set by such as Connelly, Turow or even Grisham. For instance, the reader's appetite is whetted for what could have been a fascinating grand jury hearing, but he's not even admitted into the room. The hearing is merely reported in broad brush strokes, second hand.

During a lifetime of reading I've stopped plowing through a few novels after just a couple of chapters, but in this case I was tempted to put it back on the shelf with just 20 or so pages to go. Lescroart has the ability to drag the reader along with his writing skills, but in this case the story goes out with a whimper despite a last minute flurry of revelations.
2 people found this helpful

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