Robert Dugoni can flat out write. I have no idea how good this book was when he wrote the first draft in 1996. But he's had twenty years to polish his craft and it shows here. The plot is intricate. The setting, characters and mystery are all intriguing and troubling. The prose is crisp and clear and engaging. There is a lot going on. But nothing is extraneous.

The setting is a seedy neighborhood in San Francisco thirty years ago. A boy is murdered in a flophouse run by a priest with a shady past. The priest discovers the body and the police immediately charge him with the crime. The evidence seems overwhelming. Almost as quickly, Peter Donley, a young lawyer working for his uncle, finds himself drafted as the priest's defense attorney, dropped into the deep end of the pool on his first criminal case when his uncle is sidelined with a heart attack. It would not be a wise career move for Donley to keep the case. But he finds himself drawn in and we are off on a harrowing ride.

And I mean harrowing. Dugoni is not kind to his characters. They come with complicated backstories and are weighed down with emotional baggage. The good guys make bad decisions. And the bad guys are the heroes of their own stories. There is cost for everything and the piper is always paid in full. This book is not for the squeamish. But I recommend it for readers that can handle it.

Disclosure: Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing a free copy of this book in return for my honest review. ( )

The first few chapters didn't grab me but once it got going, I didn't want to put it down. I think I liked this one more than any of the Tracy Crosswhite books. The plot wasn't what I thought it would be and I enjoyed the unfolding of the mystery. I liked the characters quite a bit and there were plenty of them.

This is my quick, "just finished this and need to get some thoughts down" review. The more detailed review is on C-Spot Reviews: http://reviews.c-spot.net/archives/5749. ( )

Not great literature but a real page turner....if audio books had pages. Seventh Canon is a story about injustice and corruption, always a fascinating subject. It features our hero, a ham and egg lawyer in San Francisco working against a corrupt politician and a dirty cop. Lots of action. I liked the read. ( )

The 7th Canon.Robert Dugoni. 2016. This was great book! Not great literature but a real page turner. A young lawyer who works for his uncle has take a case when his uncle has a heart attack. A priest who runs a center for runaway boys is accused of murdering one the boys. He is has been framed and it is up to our hero to prove his innocent by finding the real murderer. He has to fight police corruption, a crooked DA, and his own inner demons and protect is pregnant wife. I started it one afternoon and stayed up until 1 a.m. to finish it. Dugoni has been compared to Grisham. I plan to read more. ( )

I loved this legal thriller set in the gritty tenderloin district. You saw the best and worst of men in this fantastic read. I could not put it down. The case was enthralling and the action/danger seemed real and close to home. I recommend this book highly. Thanks to NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my review. ( )