The Motive — John T. Lescroart

With their park view and their old-fashioned detail, the Victorian houses on San Francisco's Steiner Street were highly valuable. With their wooden construction, they were also highly vulnerable. So when Paul Hanover's multimillion dollar home went up in flames, it was all over very quickly. And when the bodies of Hanover and his girlfriend were found in the charred debris, it appeared that the end came even more quickly for them--judging from the bullet holes in their heads.

But this isn't just any double homicide. Hanover was a friend--and donor--to the mayor. She wants answers, now. And she wants Abe Glitsky, Deputy Chief of Inspectors, to provide them. With the help of his close friend, attorney Dismas Hardy, Glitsky reluctantly jumps on the case--trying not to step on departmental toes along the way. Before it's over, the pair will have to face an old lover and an old enemy--and follow a trail of evidence that stretches far beyond their usual jurisdiction.. ..