The Attorney: A Paul Madriani Novel (Paul Madriani #5) by Steve Martini



Abridged
Published by Simon and Schuster in 2000
Read by Chris Meloni
Duration: 4 hours, 41 minutes

I am a relative newcomer to the works of Steve Martini, this being my third book, the second one as an audiobook.

 As a listener, I can tell that Martini's craft has improved quite a bit - my first experience with a Martini audiobook (The Judge) only accentuated Martini's overuse of the simile (he moved like a cat, etc.) - it was so obvious that I began a running count of how many times I heard them! This plot is not as strong as that one, but his skills as a writer have improved so that the entire effect is actually one of improvement.
Steve Martini
Paul Madriani and his partner Harry are back for another turn as protagonists, although Harry takes a backseat in this one, which is too bad. Nevertheless, the plot moves well, suspense builds nicely until the ending comes along and there is a bit of a letdown. However, I am not one to look down on 5 hours of solid entertainment just because the last 5 minutes were a bit weak.

 Chris Meloni (more well known as Detective Elliot Stabler on "Law and Order: SVU") reads this audiobook version of The Attorney. Meloni does a pretty good job, especially with Madriani and the defendant, Jonah Hale. Considering that the book is set in San Diego, it is a bit odd that all of his police officers and district attorneys all end up sounding like transplanted southerners.

 I rate this audiobook 5 stars out of 5.

 This audiobook can be found on Amazon.com here: The Attorney by Steve Martini.

 Reviewed on November 18, 2006.

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