DOUBLE TAP (Paul Madriani #8) by Steve Martini

Originally published in 2005.

Synopsis:

A controversial CEO of a tech company is murdered in her own home. The motive is not clear, but her former bodyguard who is also her former lover is arrested for the crime. He claims that he was framed. He is accused of stalking her, he claims he was re-hired off of the books and was actually protecting her because she felt like she was being followed.

Emiliano Ruiz's case was dropped by his original attorney, but Paul Madriani and Harry Hinds pick it up only to find that it looks like a slam-dunk case for the prosecutor. Ruiz's pistol is the murder weapon. He has no proof that he was re-hired to protect the victim and he knows everything about her security system.

But, there is something about the case that convinces Madriani and Hinds that there is more here than meets the eye...

My take:

This is a so-so legal thriller. It's all a little too clandestine for my tastes and its conclusion was a "gotcha" ending. But, the backstory of Madriani's uncle that suffered from PTSD from his service in the Korean War was very powerful - all the more so when you read the last chapter of the book.

I rate this book 3 stars out of 5 and it can be found on Amazon.com here: Double Tap by Steve Martini.

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 in The Attorney, although Harry largely 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.

Compelling Evidence (Paul Madriani #1) by Steve Martini

The book that launched the series

Originally published in 1992.

Back in 1992 the first book in the Paul Madriani series was released. Over time, it has morphed into less of a legal thriller series into more of an action series with a legal thriller bent to it. But, the first one is a good old-fashioned murder mystery and courtroom drama - and a surprisingly good one for a debut effort.

In Compelling Evidence we are introduced to Paul Madriani, a struggling solo practice attorney who has recently left a big league law firm because he was having an affair with a senior partner's wife. In the office next door is a new friend, Harry Hinds (his law partner in later books). When that same senior partner is found dead, Martini is hired to defend the widow in a wild and wooly murder trial in which everyone seems to have a motive, including Madriani.

This is truly a great legal thriller. It may very well be the best in a very solid series. It has aged very well and is a must-read for fans of the series.

I rate this novel 5 stars out of 5.

This book can be found on Amazon.com here: Compelling Evidence (Paul Madriani Novels Book 1)

Reviewed on September 3, 2011.

Trader of Secrets (Paul Madriani #13)(audiobook) by Steve Martini

Paul Madriani continues fighting terrorists and never enters the courtroom

Published by Harper Audio in 2011.
Read by Dan Woren.
Duration: 10 hours, 57 minutes.
Unabridged.

Steve Martini completes a trilogy within his Paul Madriani series that does not have attorneys Paul Madriani and his partner Harry Hinds even enter a courtroom. Instead, Madriani finishes a three book fight against terrorists (both foreign and domestic) in Trader of Secrets.

If you are looking for a good courtroom drama, this book will surely disappoint. However, if you are looking for an international chase over 3 different continents, traitors, spies, secret agents, international assassins, a good and loyal dog, secret government agencies and a conspiracy that may kill millions...well this is your book.

What are Madriani's qualifications for chasing international terror plots? Hardly any. He is too old, too slow and doesn't really carry a weapon. However, he has a good sense of right and wrong and an international assassin is out to kill his daughter because she can identify him. So, Paul tracks the international assassin "Liquida" the "Mexicutioner" and the ever-gruff Harry Hinds comes along to offer lots of smart comments and a measure of physical intimidation, should it be required. Paul's new love interest, Joselyn Cole comes along, too.

Steve Martini

The trail leads to an international conspiracy against both the United States and Israel. Paul, Harry and Joselyn know that they cannot wait for the FBI to save the day so they must act. To Martini's credit, he does not morph these middle-aged lawyers into special forces soldiers that shoot first and ask questions later. Instead, they use their heads and if that fails, the front bumper of a car works too!

I have no idea how realistic any of this stuff actually is, but Trader of Secrets was a great bit of summer entertainment.

Reader Dan Woren does a solid job. He has a lot of accents to attempt and he does a solid job with that. He captures the voice of Harry Hinds perfectly.

I rate this audiobook 4 stars out of 5.

This book can be found on Amazon.com here: Trader of Secrets by Steve Martini.

Reviewed on July 8, 2011.

The Judge (audiobook) by Steve Martini

Strong plot + annoying writing habits = 4 stars

Published in 1996.

The Judge is my second Martini book (the first as an audiobook) and I am almost embarrassed to say that I really liked it. I didn't realize that I was such a literary elitist (especially if you looked at the stuff I've reviewed) but deep-down inside I guess that there are just some books that I want to hate simply because everyone else likes them.

Well, there's a reason why Martini's books have been perennial best-sellers - they're entertaining legal thrillers.

Plot synopsis:

Shenanigans in the police union have attracted the attention of an abrasive judge. He is leading a grand jury investigation into the union's finances when he is arrested for prostitution and later murder.

Steve Martini

Paul Madriani is dragged into the case as the judge's defense attorney as a favor to a friend and soon everyone is stuck in a web of intrigue that involves the police, the prosecutor and Madriani's family.

The plot works well but Madriani overuses the 'simile' as a literary device. As I listened to this book on tape I started to become distracted by the sheer number of them. If I'd have had a notepad I would have started a tally sheet!

I rate this audiobook 4 stars out of 5.

This book can be found on Amazon.com here: The Judge by Steve Martini.

Reviewed on March 6, 2006.

The List by Steve Martini

Good vacation book

Published in 1997.

Written in the wake of the Milli Vanilli music scandal , Steve Martini's The List features an unsuccessful female author (Abby Chandlis) who has written a book that under a male pen name (Gable Cooper) in order to make the book more marketable.

So far, no big deal. Lots of authors use pen names. Several female romance authors have used pen names to write detective books and thrillers. In this case, the author actually hires a person to portray himself as the real Gable Cooper - not just in public appearances, but also in all negotiations with the agents, the publishers and Hollywood studios interested in turning the book into a movie. The reason she goes through such elaborate steps is her belief that male authors, especially handsome, charming ones, are marketed much more aggressively.

Steve Martini

The problem comes in the man chosen to portray Gable Cooper. He is a loose cannon, a frustrated author and, even worse, the real author comes to believe that he may be trying to hijack her book for himself. When the only people who knew about the Gable Cooper pseudonym start to die the real author finds herself in the middle of her own real life action thriller.

The List is a great beach or vacation read - it is not too complicated but the characters are sufficiently interesting to keep the reader involved. Throw in a little romance and a whole lot of danger and it fits the bill.

On a confused note, this is the second Martini book I've read this year and the second Martini book with a title that has nothing to do with the book. What list?

I rate this book 3 stars out of 5.

This book can be found on Amazon.com here: The List.

Reviewed on April 10, 2011.

The Jury by Steve Martini

A great legal thriller

Published in 2001.

The oddly titled The Jury (it's not about the jury at all - they are barely mentioned) is a sharp, tight legal thriller that hums right along until the neat little twist at the end.

Paul Madriani and his law partner Harry Hinds have are defending a murder suspect, a genetic researcher named David Crone. The book joins the trial already in progress. Madriani and Hinds have one big problem, though. The unflappable Crone keeps so many secrets - trade secrets, research secrets and vital information that he just didn't think was important enough to mention to his attorneys that they don't really know where they stand in any of this.

Throw in a family friend with a genetic disorder that may be cured by Crone's research, you get a solid mixture of urgency, ambiguity and frustration that kept me glued until the end.

I rate this book 4 stars out of 5.

This book is found on Amazon.com here: The Jury by Steve Martini.

Reviewed on February 8, 2011.

Guardian of Lies: a Paul Madriani Novel by Steve Martini

Steve Martini gets better and better (from an occasional reader of Martini)

Published in 2009.

I'm not the biggest reader of Steve Martini. I'm inclined to discount his work precisely because he is a "name brand" author. Plenty of authors that have made it to the top  start to crank out books like a factory and the quality drops and I always think that Martini will do the same.

Guardian of Lies is my fourth Steve Martini/Paul Madriani novel. I went back and checked my reviews of them. I've enjoyed them all and have been surprised by the fact that I have enjoyed them as well. I was expecting churned out novels and have always been pleasantly surprised.

Steve Martini

Guardian of Lies is the most ambitious Martini/Madriani novel I've read. We move from a simple courtroom case to international terrorism. Madriani gets swept along in a multi-country chase to find out the truth and to clear his own name. Along the way, he gets stalked, betrayed, nearly blown up and framed in a plot that zips along.

Well, who could ask for more?
 
I rate this book 5 stars out of 5.

This book can be found on Amazon.com here: 
Guardian of Lies: A Paul Madriani Novel (Paul Madriani Novels)  

Reviewed on July 17, 2009.