THE FIRST LAW  READ PRAISE! New York Times Bestseller! THE FIRST LAW. THE LAST RESORT. They date back to the wilder days of San Francisco's vigilante past—the Patrol Specials, a private police force that keeps watch for paying clients. Unfortunately, Sam Silverman—an elderly pawnshop owner and friend of Lt. Abe Glitsky's father—could no longer afford Patrol Special protection, and now he may have paid with his life. But Glitsky, stuck in a paper-pushing job after being injured on duty, is hitting brick walls as he tries to get help from homicide. And his friend, Dismas Hardy, putting together a high-stakes lawsuit against the Patrol Specials, suddenly finds himself defending a friend and local bar owner who's been accused in Silverman's death. Hardy's convinced of Holiday's innocence—until he goes on the lam. Now, blocked at every turn, both Hardy and Glitsky may be forced to protect not only themselves, but their nearest and dearest—as they step cautiously into a world where the only law is survival... Read an excerpt. BUY THE BOOK Amazon Barnes & Noble Books-A-Million Book Sense Penguin   PRAISE "With this latest, Lescroart again lands in the top tier of crime fiction. On display are his usual strengths—a grasp of current social and legal issues, an insider's knowledge of San Francisco and an ability to draw characters with sensitive, nuanced strokes."    —Publishers Weekly "A powerful roller-coaster ride throught the twisting streets of San Francisco."    —Hartford Courant "Lescroart has a nice way with characters, a good ear for dialogue, and a solid sense of plotting."    —San Francisco Chronicle "Lescroart's expert crafting turns this legal thriller into quite a wild ride."    —Booklist "An emotionally charged novel that fans of Hardy and Glitsky will absolutely love."    —The Anniston Star "Transcends the legal thriller genre and is highly recommended."    —The Houston Lawyer "This is a brilliant and emotionally charged novel—get ready for a powerful thrill ride through the steep and twisted streets of San Francisco. This thriller will maintain your interest, pump up the tension and ratchet up the suspense so that you barely recover when the ride comes to an end."    —Delaware Wave "THE FIRST LAW is a gripping novel of suspense written by an author who never wavers from the top of his form."    —Times Record News "John Lescroart has done it again—provided me with a new view of a city I love and spun a story that unfortunately rings incredibly believable. The twists, turns, and convolutions kept me reading long past my bedtime and on to the rising sun...a great read!    —Books 'n' Bytes Dutton Hardcover, 2003; Signet Paperback, 2004