The Attorney [Perfect Paperback]

Steve Martini (Author)

Product Details

• Perfect Paperback: 430 pages
• Publisher: Jove (2000)
• ISBN-10: 0515130079
• ISBN-13: 978-0515130072
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (77 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Steve Martini was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay area. An honors graduate of the University of California at Santa Cruz, he holds a law degree from the University of the Pacific's McGeorge School of Law.

Martini's first career was in journalism. He worked as a newspaper reporter in Los Angeles and as a correspondent at the California State Capitol in Sacramento, specializing in legal issues. In 1974 he entered private law practice in California, where he appeared in both state and federal courts. During his legal career, he worked as a legislative representative for the State Bar of California, served as special counsel to the California Victims of Violent Crimes Program, and was an administrative law judge and supervising hearing officer.

In 1984 Martini turned his talents to fiction, quickly earning positions on bestseller lists. All but his first book spent time on the New York Times Bestsellers list. To date, he has authored twelve novels, including eight featuring his popular lawyer alter ego, Paul Madriani.
In 1996 Undue Influence aired as a four-hour miniseries on CBS, followed by The Judge on NBC in 2001.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

64 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous story and characterization, December 30, 1999

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Attorney (Hardcover)

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

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A little too long, with big plot holes at the end., March 5, 2000

By 

E. Bukowsky "booklover10" (NY United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Attorney (Hardcover)

Martini was wise to go back to his "bread and butter" protagonist, Paul Madriani. I always enjoyed this character and I was dismayed at such books as Martini's "Critical Mass," in which Martini discarded both Madriani and the legal thriller genre. Much of "The Attorney" is exciting and compelling. Paul Madriani, the hero of the title, tries to help Jonah Hale, an older man who has made a great deal of money in a lottery. Hale's granddaughter is missing, along with her drug-addicted mother. Along the way, Madriani encounters complications relating to his lover, Susan, who works with abused children, and Paul is nearly killed by a Mexican drug lord. Eventually, a key characters is murdered and Paul is the defendant's attorney at trial. As always, Martini is very good at writing courtroom sequences. As compelling as some of these courtroom scenes are, the book drags on for over 400 pages. The most problematic element of the book, however, is the tacked-on ending. Martini loves surprise endings. He delivers the surprise at the very end of the book and it simply does not hold water. There are plot holes at the end that are enormous and the author never plugs up the holes. I still enjoyed much of the book, but Martini should be more careful in making the plot more coherent. Surprise endings work only when they make sense.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars He's back and he's better, January 18, 2000

By 

"boggs7" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Attorney (Hardcover)

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.