Rating: 
Summary: Fool me once...
Review: Shame on you. Fool me about 100 times shame on me. Guess I should have seen the 3 and half star reviews before me. A 3.5 on a best seller like Martini usually means no better than 2 which is right on. I buy these can't miss bestsellers, then read the dreck, figure out the ending after 50 pages or so and wait for the next one to buy. I'm an idiot. Long live Richard Russo and John Irving.
Rating: 
Summary: Only the Title is Off
Review: Paul Madriani is back with a trial lawyer's worst nightmare: a murder defendant he believes to be innocent who refuses to cooperate in his own defense. Dr. David Crane, accused of strangling his bright, black and beautiful assistant, Dr. Kalista Jordan, hides behind his top-secret genetic research when asked to explain his well known differences with the deceased. As always, Mr. Martini does the best job in the business of showing us the legal strategy of a contentious trial without talking down and gives us examples of cross-examination that should be studied in a law schol. The dialogue is perhaps his best, the mystery is up to his usual standards - although I've come to care for his daughter Jennifer and would have liked to see more of her as she continues to grow up without a mother - there is a possibility of racism to complicate things and the surprise ending is indeed a brilliantly conceived (and fairly hinted at) surprise.
Perhaps it is a bit longer than necessary despite it's twists and needed technical explanations, but it's so good I missed half a night's sleep to finish it.
Rating:
Summary: Leigh
Review: I am a Martini fan and have enjoyed his previous books, but this one is not up to his usual standards. First of all, the title is very misleading. The jury had no impact on this book at all. Secondly, there were a lot of loose ends and missing details. It's the details that usually make the Martini books most interesting. Were he did put the details, such as with the testimony of the expert witness, it was boring. Although I finished the book, I didn't really enjoy it.
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining but way too long
Review: This was a fun novel overall, mainly because I love the dry wit and comaraderie between Madriani and Harry. The plot was pretty easy to guess from about 1/3 through the book, from motive to the actual murderer. There was a lot introduced that never amounted to anything at the end (the disposal of Jordan's body, the mother's shocking testimony), serving only as detours that go nowhere. A lot of "physical evidence" was never explained either, and forgotten by the end of the book. There is one particularly dreadful chapter about nylon ties that will cause even the most helpful Ace hardwareman to fall asleep. A fun and quick read, but don't get too hung up in the details, Martini sure didn't.
Rating:
Summary: The Jury's Verdict? Not guilty of legal thrills
Review: If this had been my first Martini book, I would give it 3 or 4 stars, but given the Martini standard, this falls far short. The title has no relevance, other than it gives the book buyer the illusion that the jury itself holds significance to the story, as the attorney the judge did in earlier books. But rest assured, the jury makes no impact on this story. We never even learn who they are. The motivation of the killer was weak, and the action was tenuous in this entry to the Madriani series. I never understood about the mystery van - it followed our hero, but why? All in all, it was a quick read, and evidently, too quick of a write for Martini.
Rating:
Summary: Don't worry about the title
Review: If you can't solve it before the end then its good!
Rating: 
Summary: You all missed the point of the title!
Review: Without giving away the ending, the whole point of the title "The Jury" is that a jury decides the fate of the trail. In this case, the trial never reached its conclusion, but in fact a verdict was reached based on the killer's confession in the last few pages. Madraini and his assistant Harry in essence become the jury as they listen to the confession, contemplate how this would play out and determine their own concluding verdict. They could have reported the "truth" and cleared up all loose ends to this trial but they choose a different kind of verdict ending based on their own personal and professional morals.
Rating:
Summary: Why audiobooks are abridged!
Review: This audiobook is a great 4 hour mindless bit of candy. Steve doesn't pretend to be a great wordsmith. He only gives us a decent fast-paced legal thriller with a character we like and a mildly spooky and mysterious plot line. It zaps you with a surprise ending. Do you need to listen to every word to get the essence of the audiobook? No. You unabridged purists would do well to adjust your attitude and enjoy the show! You could listen to more stuff by-the-way!!
Rating:
Summary: Another reason why Martini RULES the legal thriller dept.
Review: If there was any doubt that Steve Martini was King of the legal thrillers, 'The Jury' should make that status firm and concrete.
While I still believe 'The Judge' to be Martini's best Paul Madriani novel-to-date, this story is yet another fantastic example of the legal thriller genre.As you may remember, Paul Madriani, whom we first met in Martini's fantastic 'Compelling Evidence', has moved from Capitol City to San Diego to kinda start over after the death of his wife -- not so much for him, but for their daughter, too. Of all the Madriani novels so far, I believe 'The Jury' to be the quickest starting. You begin the novel quite literally in the middle of the murder trial which is the basis for this captivating story. You can really see Martini's research in this story, maybe more so than usual. The topic is a hot button for a good part of the country, and rightfully so: Racial Profiling. But this story takes on a different angle when you add in genetics, micro-biological-robotics and more -- and no, this isn't anything science fiction. No matter how sophisticated and technical the story gets, Martini handles the explanations in such a way that helps you understand without making you feel he had to 'dumb it down'. I never really thought about this (maybe that's because I'm not a lawyer) but how would you defend your client against a charge of murder when they refuse to reveal critical information that can only serve to help their case? This is the situation that Paul and Harry (his associate) find themselves in within the pages of 'The Jury'. Dr. Crone is accused of murdering one of his employees, Kalista Jordan. Did he do it? What part does race play in this particular murder, or does it at all? Why does Crone refuse to reveal to his lawyers what exactly his laboratory is working on? Is it morally wrong? Did someone else murder Kalista? And the big question: WHY was Kalista killed? Just when you are almost as frustrated at Crone as Harry and Paul are, Martini throws you a twist that could very well provide Crone with a free get out of jail card...but trust me, when you reach this point, just remember this story is far from over. Yet another great example of why I personally believe Steve Martini to be the best legal thriller author published today. Grisham is good, but this guy is simply GREAT. I must admit, that the title, 'The Jury' IS a bit misleading... but it in no-way made the story any less entertaining... but where exactly IS this 'Jury'? Other than in a few scenes in the book, I don't really know. But I DO know that if you enjoy well-crafted murder-mysteries with sharp legal twists intricately weaved within, than you will be most pleased with this latest trip to the courtroom from Martini. Oh, and if you enjoyed this one, look up his other Paul Madriani novels, 'Compelling Evidence', 'Prime Witness', 'Undue Influence', 'The Judge' and 'The Attorney'. Not just good examples of the legal thriller genre, but some of the best ever (at least to me).
Rating:
Summary: Moves a little slowly for Martini...
Review: If you've kept up with Martini and his courtroom hero, Paul Madriani, this story will surprise you, based on pace. However, the twist of the tale, described in the last two chapters, makes the book worth a read. Madriani's sidekick, Harry, is well-drawn in the story, and is impatient with the goings-on, much like the reader. Many have commented on Martini's play on words with the title - it is evident that his point here was how little a jury might influence the outcome of a trial, and how much vests on just what the legal representation does outside the courtroom. Very few of the characters catch your eye or your sympathies in the book, least of all Madriani's client, the unsympathetic Crone. Be patient with this book, the ending is worth the read!
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