The Attorney (A Paul Madriani Novel)

Paul Madriani has moved to San Diego, and as usual becomes involved in another homicide case. Matini keeps the reader in the dark about the killer until the climax, dropping a few clues here and there, including a few red herrings. The courtroom scenes are solid, and form the heart of the novel, but the mystery will keep readers interested until the past page.

Steve Martini has been around a few courtrooms in his day and it shows. Martini's California lawyer Paul Madriani decides to leave his hometown of Sacramento to get away from memories of his wife's untimely death. He has been courting Susan McKay, the director of Child Protective Services in San Diego. He decides its time to relocate to that city.In San Diego he is approached by former client Jonah Hale. In the early days of Madriani's practice, he won a hard fought battle to secure a railroad pension for Hale. An $87 million lottery jackpot has since made this victory irrelevant, but Hale respects Madriani's abilities.Hale hires Madriani to help him find his granddaughter. Hale believes the child has been kidnapped from his custody by his ex-con daughter assisted by a bitter manhating ideologue who is singularly lacking in common sense.The outspoken Hale makes no bones about his hatred for the suspected kidnapper, especially when she threatens to expose him [falsely we assume] as a child molester. Some of his unconsidered remarks might even be construed as threats. And indeed they are taken as threats when the kidnapper is found shot to death. Soon his client is on trial for murder and Madriani is facing trials of his own. People are trying to kill him and a key witness turns up dead. Susan McKay is called as a witness in the case and is not helpful to the defense. There are some questionable twists in the parts of the plot. Would the police really be so unconcerned about the kidnapping? Hale did have legal custody. But, the courtroom scenes are riveting and, with the exception of the unlikely event of McKay as a witness, realistic. Martini conveys the despair Madriani feels about what is turning into a losing battle for his client's future.The ending is dramatic. True to Martini's style no one is above suspicion.

Martini at his best! Whether you are familiar with the Madriani character or not, you get to know him (and the other great characters in this book) quickly. And, if you're like me, you will be unable to work, eat or sleep until you finish the wild ride that takes you through the last chapter! Thoroughly enjoyable! Looking forward to the next one!

Martini has brought Paul Madriani, one of his best characters, back. Though it starts slow, if you stay with it you won't be disappointed. No one dies for the first 100 pages, and that is what makes this mystery so engrossing, one twist after another until a most unexpected conclusion. Even the characters and the sub-plots don't slow it down. The romance with long time love, Susan, and their three girls rings true, and Paul's law partner, Harry give this plot enough juice to be worth the effort. I always expect a lot from a Steve Martini book, and he seldom falters. Just keep bringing Paul back, he's real.

Power house attorney Paul Madriani and his daughter Sarah have moved to San Diego so that they can live closer to his beloved Susan McKay and her two daughters. Susan is the director of Children's Protective Service, a fierce advocate of children's rights. Her archenemy is Zolanda Suade, a fanatical self-appointed child advocate.Jonah Hale retains Paul to find his beloved granddaughter Amanda, who has been abducted by her own mother Jessica with the help of Zolanda. When Jonah realizes that the law cannot help him or protect Amanda from her uncaring abusive mother, he vanishes. During his disappearance, someone kills Zolanda. The police arrest Jonah who has no alibi. Paul tries to help his client, but it is Susan who constantly crosses the legal line that leads everyone into danger.Steve Martini has written a legal thriller that will stun everyone with its sucker punch ending. THE ATTORNEY returns Paul Madriani to his fans in a story line that is his most suspenseful and tragic to date. Steve and Susan act believable even when she propels them to choose justice over the law. Mr. Martini needs to bring back this delightful cast in future novels that are sure to be thought provoking and exciting.Harriet Klausner