The Hearing (Dismas Hardy series, Book 7): A riveting legal thriller full of twists Lescroart, John

Dismas Hardy's back, and this time the courtroom's just the beginning. A juvenile case that should've been straightforward explodes into something far messier when Hardy's client — a teenage boy accused of murder — becomes a pawn in a web of political corruption, police cover-ups, and judicial misconduct. Lescroart doesn't just write legal thrillers; he writes moral thrillers, where the law is less about right and wrong and more about who has the power to decide. The seventh entry in the series stands alone just fine, but if you've been following Hardy's evolution from bartender to defense attorney, you'll appreciate how much weight he's carrying now. Perfect for fans of Grisham's early work or Connelly's Lincoln Lawyer books — smart, propulsive, and genuinely interested in how justice actually (or doesn't) work.