Quick Facts
Biography
John Lescroart (; born January 14, 1948) is a New York Times bestselling author known for his series of legal and crime thriller novels featuring the characters Dismas Hardy, Abe Glitsky, and Wyatt Hunt. His novels have sold more than 10 million copies, have been translated into 22 languages in more than 75 countries, and 18 of his books have been on the New York Times bestseller list.
Early life and education
Lescroart was born in Houston, Texas and graduated from Junípero Serra High School in San Mateo, California (Class of 1966). He earned a B.A. in English with Honors at UC Berkeley in 1970.
Career
Before becoming a full-time writer in 1994, Lescroart was a self-described “Jack of all trades", who worked as a word processor for law firms as well as a bartender, moving man, house painter, editor, advertising director, computer programmer, and fundraising executive.
Through his 20s, he was also a full-time singer-songwriter-guitarist, and performed under the name Johnny Capo, with Johnny Capo and his Real Good Band.
In addition to more than 20 novels, Lescroart has written several screenplays.
He is an original founding member of the group International Thriller Writers.
In other media
He appeared as a contestant on the game show Tic Tac Dough in 1979, as well as on The Joker's Wild, Blank Check, and Headline Chasers.
Additionally, under Crow Art Records, Lescroart has released several albums, including a CD of piano versions of his songs performed by Antonio Gala. He has for some time been writing and living in Davis, California.
Awards and honors
Lescroart’s first novel, Sunburn (1981), won the San Francisco Foundation’s Joseph Henry Jackson Award for best as yet unpublished novel by a California author, beating Anne Rice’s Interview With the Vampire. Dead Irish (1989) and The 13th Juror (1994) were nominees for the Shamus and Anthony Awards for Best Mystery Novel, respectively; additionally The 13th Juror is included in the International Thriller Writers publication “100 Must-Read Thrillers Of All Time.” Hard Evidence (1993) is named in The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Ultimate Reading List. His novel Guilt (1997) was a Readers Digest Select Edition choice. The Mercy Rule (1998), Nothing But the Truth (2000), and The Suspect (2007) have been major market Book Club selections. The Suspect was also the 2007 One Book Sacramento choice of the Sacramento Library Foundation, and was chosen by the American Author’s Association as its 2007 Book of the Year. Damage (2011) made Entertainment Weekly’s “Must List.”
In 2007, Lescroart was awarded the American Author Medal for The Suspect. And in 2008, he was part of the California Library Laureates, in association with the California State Assembly. He has twice been the spotlighted guest at the International Thriller Writer’s Thrillerfest, and in 2012 he was the guest of honor at Left Coast Crime.
In 1998, he appeared in The Best American Mystery Stories, edited by Sue Grafton, for "The Adventure of the Giant Rat of Sumatra".
Libraries Unlimited has included Lescroart in its publication The 100 Most Popular Thriller and Suspense Authors.
Guilt was a "Readers Digest Select Edition" choice.
Eighteen of John Lescroart’s novels have been New York Times Bestsellers.