Rating: 
Summary: It's Too Easy
Review: I had the twist figured out fairly early, but twists and turns in a novel are too easy. At least Martini gives you a hint that there is going to be a twist, and doesn't give you a big "ha ha ha" at the end when he tells you that the, wait, I can't give it away, you have to read half the book and figure it out yourself. I do enjoy Martini's work and will probably buy another cheesy legal thriller after I'm done with my "to read" list.
Rating: 
Summary: wonderful legal thriller
Review: I hadn't read many of his books and was really pleased when I read this one. Mandriani is an attorney and one of his clients, who he had defended before with good results, comes to him again. Jonah Hale, who has since won one of the biggest lotteries, wants Mandriani to find his grand-daughter who has been kidnapped by his daughter, a drug user and released felon. The woman who he feels helped his daughter with the kidnapping ends up murdered and he is accused of the murder. Mandriani has his hands full trying to keep up with all the different angles and suspects. The ending may surprise you. I enjoyed the book and I think you will too. I am looking forward to reading another of his books.
Rating:
Summary: wonderful legal thriller
Review: I hadn't read many of his books and was really pleased when I read this one. Mandriani is an attorney and one of his clients, who he had defended before with good results, comes to him again. Jonah Hale, who has since won one of the biggest lotteries, wants Mandriani to find his grand-daughter who has been kidnapped by his daughter, a drug user and released felon. The woman who he feels helped his daughter with the kidnapping ends up murdered and he is accused of the murder. Mandriani has his hands full trying to keep up with all the different angles and suspects. The ending may surprise you. I enjoyed the book and I think you will too. I am looking forward to reading another of his books.
Rating: 
Summary: Motion to Dismiss
Review: I usually love a good mystery... unfortunately, this is not a good mystery.Steve Martini's "The Attorney" starts out promising enough, with a murder victim so widely hated that the suspect list is long and the mystery deep. Fans of Mr. Martini's other novels will thrill at the return of his much-loved lawyer. The plot concerns the murder of a much-maligned child protection advocate who "makes kids disappear" in hotly-debated child custody battles. The densely-plotted novel vears between America and Mexico as the fascinating story unfolds. However, mystery fans will most likely figure out the murderer's identity half-way through the book, and some very untidy plot resolutions will leave the reader scratching his or her head and wondering what Mr. Martini was thinking. The key to a good mystery is a dense plot, characters that the reader cares about, a villain to hate, and a tidy, well-resolved ending. Unfortunately, the ending of this book leaves too many questions unanswered, and almost appears to be an after-thought.
Rating:
Summary: The gratuitous cigar butt
Review: My husband and I were enjoying this audio book while driving, but we ended up being disappointed because there is an element that makes no sense: the emptied out car ashtray that accuses JOnah Hale. Mr. Martini - we are paying attention. don't throw in stuff that doesn't work. Otherwise, well written and involving.
Rating:
Summary: Welcome return of Paul Madriani
Review: Steve Martini has finally returned to his Paul Madriani series and not a moment too soon. Paul, and his law partner, Harry Hinds, are two of the most endearing characters in any legal thriller. While "The Attorney" does not measure up to previous Martini books like "Undue Influence", it is still a worthwhile read. Paul and his daughter move to southern California to be closer to Paul's new girlfriend, and Harry follows to set up a new practice there. Paul is soon retained by Jonah Hale to help find Jonah's granddaughter who was snatched from his custody by Jonah's daughter. What seems to be a clear-cut, if not easily resolved case soon escalates to murder and Paul decides to represent Jonah in court. There are excellent descriptions of Paul's southern California locale, right down to certain street names. This tediousness detracts from the action somewhat. But like some of the other reviews noted, the killer is quite obvious less than halfway through the book. It is a mystery (excuse the pun) why a writer as skilled as Martini would give a clue as to the killer's identity that all but reaches out and slaps the reader across the face. This aside, "The Attorney" is tightly paced thriller that is suspenseful despite knowing who the killer is early on in the book. Martini is a writer that is among the ranks of Scott Turow and Richard North Patterson, and it is good to finally see him returning to the legal thriller genre where he writes best.
Rating: 
Summary: welcome back
Review: Steve Martini has written several entertaining courtroom dramas- and he serves himself best when he stays within this genre. The three Paul Madriani novels that I've read have been page-turning entertainment, better than his two forays outside the genre- "The List" and "Critical Mass". I'd give this book three and a half stars if I could. This is not great literature, but Martini writes a good courtroom drama with a crisp pace, fairly sharp dialogue, and a healthy dose of discussion of somewhat arcane legal issues that may educate the non-lawyers amongst his readers. Case-in-point: does the character Jonah's status as a California lottery winner make him a "public figure", and hence fair game for certain types of public comment that might constitute slander if made regarding private, or "non-public" figures. This is not great literature, and it is not Martini's best (my favorite was "Undue Influence"). It is entertaining, fairly well-written, and of better quality (in my opinion) of most of the paperback novels than one will find in the bookstore of your nearest airport. If you like Martini's other work, and legal thrillers in general, you will probably enjoy this.
Rating:
Summary: Another excellent trial drama
Review: Steve Martini hits one out of the park with this excellent and gripping story of an attorney's quest to find and return his client's granddaughter from her drug addicted mother to the legal custody of the maternal grandparents. In doing so he suddenly finds himself having to defend the grandfather of murder charges involving the homicide of a woman who assisted the mother in removing the child from the home of her grandparents. The ending has a twist that is totally unexpected and unforeseen.
Rating:
Summary: Page-turner and Peeker-friendly
Review: Steve Martini's novel usually not at the top at the bestseller's list but he has his own charm that knock John Grisham's witty bestsellers down. Martini is somehow lacking good sense of humor thus his novels are only suitable to those really into courtroom thriller. And to others, stick with Grisham's highly commerciallized and a little not realistic novels.
This wuddunnit is amazingly written and stunning ending.The novelist succeeded to confuse readers from the beginning and pushing more and more to blame the likeliest suspect until the very end he turn it completely different (not opposite). While the conclusion is really suprisingly great, it's also simple and peeker-friendly. To enjoy this book please do not peek the last few pages!
Rating:
Summary: Nice Entry
Review: The author is a careful storyteller, and this one will hold the interest of most readers. This story involves the hero-attorney
getting involved in what looks like a child-custody case, but
which quickly escalates into a kidnapping by a zealot who is more interested in self-aggrandisement than helping either women
or children. But the mother of the kidnapped child is a drug
addict, with connections--in more than one way--to a Mexican drug lord, who also runs with thieves and burglars, so the attorney, and the child's grandparents, mount a full-blown
search.
Unhappily, the zealot gets killed, and the missing child's grandfather is charged and put on trial, so the attorney has
to go to work in the field he knows best, a criminal trial.
The concept is very interesting, and one played out rather
occasionally in real life, so it's conclusion is wanted by every
reader.
There are a couple of nice twists to its conclusion, as the attorney, his pragmatic partner, and his love interest encounter
multiple obstacles, both in court and on the street. A shoot-out, in the midst of an ether fire, in a Mexican bar bring a
lot of danger, along with a few answers.
Unhappily, the book bogs down significantly in the middle
with chapters that read like a trial transcript. The concept
may sound interesting to someone who has never struggled with
an actual trial transcript, but, in fact, such transcripts,
of even the most interesting trial, are filled with numbing detail and repetition, and the author sticks too closely to the
genuine article. It doesn't make for very interesting reading,
and the progress of the story really slows down in those parts.
But it is an interesting story with a nice, thought-provoking
conclusion.
|
