Critical Mass [Hardcover]

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Putnam (1994)
• ASIN: B001E2XEAG
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (73 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

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A new direction -- well done., April 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Critical Mass (Hardcover)

Martini was beginning to stretch his courtroom characters a little too thin in The Judge; I'm glad he went off in a new direction in this book. It's as full of unexpected turns as all his previous whodunits, but this time with domestic and international terrorists. Its basic plot is believable (even if there are a few too many miraculous escapes) and it'd make a great movie. Don't start this book at bedtime because you won't put it down. Martini is to be commended for having a strong woman as protagonist; I only regret she never got her "constitutional rights". In the end Martini kills off the wrong character, the character I had really bonded to and wanted to see in future books. (Or, did he really die? In this book you're never sure!) A great trash read for a beach day, an airplane flight, or a lazy Saturday.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WITHOUT A DOUBT, THE BEST!!!, October 17, 1999

By 

H. L. Wasden "bwasden" (Albany, Georgia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Critical Mass (Hardcover)

I've read every one of the Martini books and this tops them all. It was full of suspense, terror, intrigue, mystery, romance, and current events.

This seems to be a really well thought out plot and was put together perfectly. I read this in two sittings....

Thanks Steve!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars a technothriller that lacks the brain, July 19, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Critical Mass (Mass Market Paperback)

Critical Mass is my first Steve Martini book. I hope his other novels are better because... The story is full of cardboard characters who perform actions that made no sense. For example, any hospital noticing such serious cases of radiation among the fishermen will report the illnesses to the government. You would not have to wait until a local lawyer starts investigating the lawsuit potential! I guess such logical actions cannot take place because the story would end right on the first chapter. The more the story progresses, the more it feels like a story of how wrong things can go. Unfortunately, stories of how things can go wrong tend not to be fun to read.

If you want a superb story of terrorists taking the world hostage, try Devil's Alternative by Frederick Forsyth, and skip this one.