Jury: a Paul Madriani Novel [Hardcover]

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: See notes (1980)
• ASIN: B001DBWL8Y
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,049,646 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars ANOTHER MARTINI WITH A TWIST, July 26, 2001

By 

Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Jury (Paul Madriani Novels) (Audio Cassette)

Looking for a legal thriller with an appealing protagonist, clever plot line, and never-would-have-gueesed-it ending? Pick up the latest Steve Martini, "The Jury." Add the voice of John Slattery to carry you along on this exciting tale, and you have five hours of pure enjoyment.

The character of Paul Madriani is reprised to defend Dr. David Crone, an honored genetic researcher who's accused of murdering a young African-American research physician who had filed sexual harassment charges against the older man. Kalista Jordan's mutilated body was washed ashore on a nearby bay.

Crone's research, which was shrouded in secrecy, involved genetic racial profiling. [...] So once again attorney Madriani takes to sleuthing.

When a [...] turns up dead the case takes a dramatic turn. But then, Martini knows how to spin, twist, and tie up in one heckuva surprising finish. It's another Martini with a twist.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars "The Jury" is a tepid and disappointing legal thriller., July 8, 2001

By 

E. Bukowsky "booklover10" (NY United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Jury (Hardcover)

Steve Martini delivered genuine thrills in two of his early novels, "Prime Witness" and "Compelling Evidence". What those books supplied were engrossing characters, interesting legal maneuvers and mysteries that kept the reader guessing until the end.

Unfortunately, Martini's latest novel, "The Jury," supplies none of these elements, and as a legal thriller, it is a dud.

The victim in this book is a gorgeous African-American woman named Kalista Jordan, who is also a brilliant research scientist. She is brutally murdered after exiting her hot tub. Paul Madriani is hired to defend the accused killer--Jordan's boss, David Crone. Jordan and Crone have worked together on some cutting-edge research involving genetics, and their working relationship was marred by serious disagreements that may have led to murder.

"The Jury" has numerous flaws. Martini brings none of his characters to life. Crone and Jordan are little more than cardboard cutouts, and Madriani has very little to do in this novel, other than stand up in court and parry with witnesses. The mystery itself is not compelling in the least. Even the title is problematical, since it implies that the book has something to do with jury deliberations. It doesn't. "The Jury" has very little action and the conclusion is out of left field and unsatisfying. This novel is a real disappointment to those of us who have enjoyed Steve Martini's legal thrillers in the past.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Martini's off his usual assured stride with this book, September 22, 2001

By 

AriesPA (Philadelphia, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Jury (Hardcover)

Normally a huge fan of Steve Martini's legal thrillers, I found "The Jury" a huge disappointment. Like the other reviewers, I am bewildered by the title because the jury plays little to no role in the story. Martini doesn't even describe the voir dire, he just launches right into the trial. It takes the reader a couple of chapters to catch up with what happened, which is very annoying. Even then, it's still not clear why Paul Madriani would take on such a sullen, uncooperative client like Dr. Crone, who is on trial for the murder of one of his colleagues. Even after it's revealed that Dr. Crone used his genius to try and save a dying child, his character is still unlikeable and weird. The reader doesn't care whether he's the killer or not, and at times it seems like Martini doesn't either. I have never read a book in this series where Madriani was as listless and uninvolved as he appeared in this book. Even Harry Hinds, Madriani's law partner, who is usually wise-cracking and brilliant, is mouthy and blustery here. Although red herrings are strewn throughout the novel, the killer's identity only comes as a mild surprise. After reaching suspense pinnacles in "Undue Influence" and "The Judge", this book is a real let down. Let's hope that the next Madriani book is a better effort.