Customer Reviews

The Alternate

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When John Martel started this novel, he had all the beginings of a great courtroom novel. Then he made his first mistake. He titled it, and made a title character that is so unbelievable that the novel just dissolves into a poor effort.

The story revolves around the murder trial of Elliot Ashford an ex-congressman with possible mob ties. All the lawyers in this case have hidden agendas and are well thought out. Barrett Dickson and Grace Harris are very well rounded and likeable. Then enters the alternate juror Amanda Keller. An ex-actress with delusions of grandeur. She starts by slowly breaking all the rules of being a juror and then things get messy.

The Keller character is so unrealistic in this novel. Martel portrays the lawyers to be very competent, but even they get fooled by Keller which is hard to believe. Martel gets two stars for the surrounding characters, but no more due to Keller

For anyone interested in courtroom thrillers, this is a "must read". John Martel captures the pressures and excitement of trying high visibility cases and masterfully passes it along to the reader. As a retired trial lawyer, who has tried high visibility cases, I can attest to the great job Martel does. I think it the best of his three novels to date.

If you enjoy a reading cocktail of one half law,one quarter mystery and 2 jiggers of intrique(Mafia style) and a splash of intensity, this is the book for you. As late as the last sixty pages I could not fathom the final outcome. This is the first book of Mr Martel's that I have enjoyed, I certainly look forward to reading more, if they are even close in interest as this one, I know it will not be a mistake.

The Alternate certainly has an interesting plot with lots oftwists and turns. I found enjoyed Amazing Grace and Bear believable, but some of the others were weak.

What really concerned me about this book was the fact that Martel obviously didn't do enough research when it comes to Huntington's Disease. When a DNA expert comes in and looks at the blood of the accused, she finds he has Huntington's Disease. From the age of onset to the symptoms to the length of the disease this novel was riddled with mistakes. I found it frustrating that such a well educated, well employed person would be so lacking in doing the basic research since nowadays it's easy to find information online about this disease.

I live with this disease every day through my husband, and I think Martel did the entire HD community a great injustice by not doing his homework. While the story was entertaining and basically well written, that one flaw made me wonder if I should read other books by this author.

Carmen Leal Author of Faces of Huntington's A book about Huntington's Disease...

In "The Alternate," Martel brings you into the world of a high-profile trial and never lets you go. Unlike many practioners of the genre, he doesn't stint when it comes to sudden plot turns and unpredictability--you feel like you're in the hands of an expert, but an EXCITING expert. Like a great Hitchcock film, the peripheral characters are just as interesting and engaging as the central characters. Check this out.

Wealthy Elliot Ashford resigns from Congress when the media learns that his spouse cuckolds him with a senator. Ashford and his spouse return to San Francisco where rumors soon surface that he has ties to the Mafia. He has become one of the city's celebrities, but that ends when his spouse is sexually mutilated and murdered in their bathroom. All evidence points towards Elliot.

Assistant District Attorney Grace Harris expects to take the case to trial even though the proof seems a bit short to fully obtain a conviction. Apparently, the police lost some key DNA evidence that would have proved whether Ashford did the crime. Ashford swears he is innocent and has an alibi to back his testimony. However, he is unable to provide the alibi because it involves the Don's son. Defense attorney Barrett Dickson, who thinks the judicial system is a farce, agrees to represent Ashford. More murders follow, leaving Ashford and Barrett struggling to uncover the truth.

Fans of legal procedurals will enjoy THE ALTERNATE, a work that includes two murder trials, three murders, and a witness with a personal agenda. John Martel paints the legal system as being unfair due to political interference with justice and the law. Once the book is started, it is impossible to not complete the novel in one sitting in spite of its length and complexity. After perusing this tale, many sub-genre fans will wait for Mr. Martel's next book rather than choose an alternate author.

Harriet Klausner

I really wanted to sneak and read the ending---cuz I wasn't sure that i could read fast enough. Best book that I've read in months. Thanks Mr. Martel.

This is definitely an interesting and unusual thriller. There is plenty of suspense, and the characters are reasonably well-developed. All legal thrillers to some degree are exagerrated. However, most of them are grounded in some reality. This one is not and that is the major weakness of this book. A psycho juror is not plausible, and detracts what could have been a compelling fictional account of the court system. Taken as an action thriller, the story has enough fun and suspense to succeed. Taken as a courtroom drama, it lacks enough reality and truly thought provoking drama to succeed. Those seeking realistic courtroom drama are advised to seek out the Phillip Friedman novels Inadmissible Evidence and Reasonable Doubt.

The Alternate is a must read for anyone seeking great dramatic courtroom fiction. John Martel manages to keep the reader's interest at peak level while he takes you through the drama and pressures of high visibility litigation. He does it as only someone who has been there can do. As a retired trial lawyer, who has been there and experienced the pressure and drama of the courtroom, I enthusiastically recommend Martel's latest, and best, literary effort.

I recently finished my first book by John Martel (which I bought based on the excellent reviews it has received on Amazon). I agree with other reviewers that it was a good book with very entertaining courtroom scenes, but it did have some weaknesses. The functioning psychotic "alternate juror" was just too crazy to act so rational and hold up so well during critical periods in the book. In addition the romances, relationships and tidy ending had me wanting something more creative from such a talented author. I will definitely read Mr. Martel's next book, but I hope he does a better job at keeping me guessing.