Customer Reviews

Most Wanted

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Melanie Vargas, a young federal prosecutor in New York City's US Attorney's Office, and a brand new mother, stumbles onto a crime scene one steamy summer night while she is out walking her daughter, Maya. Police officers bustle outside a building, keeping crowds away, just a few blocks from Melanie's own apartment, while firefighters in full regalia hose down the remnants of a fire. Vargas recognizes the posh town house of Jed and Nell Benson, business acquaintances of hers. Jed had once been a famous prosecutor, almost a celebrity, then switched career paths and made a bundle of money in private law practice. His dead body was just discovered in his study, burned almost beyond recognition, but not enough to hide a bullet hole in his forehead and savage dog bites on his body. Melanie sees her friend and old college roommate, Sophie Cho, outside the crime scene. Sophie, an architect, had spent the last year renovating the building, and is devastated at the her employer's loss of life. She offers to take Maya home while Melanie investigates. Ambitious to further her career, Ms. Vargas wants in - she wants the case badly. This will be the high profile, headline-grabbing story of the year. The Benson's teenage daughter, Amanda, was also found at the scene, unconscious ,with a few fingers chopped off, and the maid had been beaten senseless. Both are in the hospital.

Melanie finagles her way onto the murder scene and then lobbies her tough boss, for the case. She promises to work 24/7, putting herself in a bind obtaining last minute, off-hour childcare for Maya. She also keeps the lid on her marital situation, which is miserable. Husband Steve was caught in an extramarital affair shortly after the baby's birth and Melanie insisted on a temporary separation - still in effect. Steve very much wants to reconcile, but Melanie has mixed feelings about the nature of their relationship and his commitment to it.

Dan O'Reilly, a very handsome, competent and caring FBI agent is assigned to work the case with her. There is instant chemistry between the two, and although both acknowledge the mutual attraction, they remain professional. The evidence leads them to investigate the C-Trout Gangsta Blades gang, and their sadistic kingpin Slice, who just happens to have a dog trained to kill. Additional information points to suspicious dealings at Benson's exclusive law firm and another motive. And a series of dangerous events, including the brutal murder of three witnesses, bring Melanie to the conclusion that there is at least one major leak high-up in the investigation. As work proceeds, the case becomes more complex and is not as open and shut as it had first appeared.

I couldn't put this book down. It is Michele Martinez's debut novel and she packs it with suspense, thrills and a riveting storyline. The mystery is an interesting one, although not too difficult to figure out. The development of her protagonist, and other characters, are what impressed me the most. Melanie is muy simpatica - an extremely intelligent woman, she is a Latina who was brought up on the mean streets of Bushwick, Brooklyn, and has a past which haunts her. She adores Maya and is thrilled with her new role as mother. Only now is she discovering how different her definition of marriage is from her husband's. She is attempting to overcome her hurt and confusion at his infidelity and do the right thing, making a major effort to ignore her growing feelings for Agent O'Reilly. Her strength of character, courage and tenacity assist her in getting through some really scary situations, and persisting until she solves this difficult case. Melanie typifies grace under pressure. Her sister Linda is adorable as the family's Latina princess, and O'Reilly is almost too good to be true. The villains run the gamut from bad news to animalistic sadistic psychopath. And Bernadette is the boss from hell!

Michele Martinez, a former prosecutor, writes a taut narrative and has created a page turner. OK! I'm ready to read novel number two. Please get busy Ms. Martinez, your fans are waiting!
JANA.

Melanie Vargas is an assistant U.S. District Attorney in New York City. Her professional star is on the rise even as her personal life descends into chaos. She is busy juggling legal and familial duties, complicated by the fact that she and her husband are separated. Vargas gets the assignment of a lifetime when she steps into a murder investigation in which the victim is a prominent New York attorney. Vargas aggressively pursues leads on her own but is hampered by office politics (an aside, here --- Martinez's description of office politics, particularly on the Federal level, is so dead-on accurate that underlined passages of MOST WANTED are without question being clandestinely circulated around more than one water cooler in Manhattan).

Fortunately, Vargas is paired up with Dan O'Reilly, a streetwise FBI agent whose extensive contacts stretch up and down both sides of the street. O'Reilly makes Vargas's professional duties much easier but complicates her personal life. The mutual attraction is undeniable. Vargas, however, continues to have feelings for her husband, notwithstanding the infidelity that led to their separation. Martinez does a nice job of balancing the different stressors in Vargas's life so that the narrative never seems too overbalanced one way or the other. Just as MOST WANTED seems to lurch with both feet into soap opera territory, Martinez shifts the focus back to the gritty reality of the investigation.

And what an investigation it is. Vargas, with yeoman's assistance from O'Reilly, continues kicking over rocks and soon uncovers a scandal that reaches into the office of the U.S. Attorney itself. Vargas doesn't realize, however, that her efforts have attracted the attention of the wrong people. As a result she has placed not only herself but also those she loves the most in terrible danger.

While Vargas's professional life is a bit more exciting than your average assistant U.S. attorney, Martinez infuses her criminals, and the damage they wrought, with a gritty realism that isn't soon forgotten. Vargas's personal life rings true, and the problems she faces as a working parent will undoubtedly evoke sympathetic head-nods from many readers, particularly those of the female persuasion.

There are just enough unresolved issues revolving around Vargas at the conclusion of MOST WANTED to have readers highly anticipating the next book in the series. Martinez's considerable storytelling abilities make such a book one to be welcomed. It should be noted that Martinez fought the good fight for several years, working as an assistant U.S. Attorney in New York City. Some of her experiences, anecdotal or otherwise, undoubtedly contributed to MOST WANTED, making it an excellent debut novel. Recommended.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

As an avid reader of thriller and suspense novels, one of the most exciting things for me is reading the first novel of someone who is clearly a great new writing talent. It's that feeling of discovering something new. That's how I felt reading Most Wanted by Michele Martinez. The book has gotten great reviews for a reason, and skillfully weaves together both a startlingly realistic hard-core crime story as well as the tale of a woman (the lead character, prosecutor Melanie Vargas) who is dealing with real-life personal and professional struggles. Perhaps Most Wanted isn't for some sci-fi techno-thriller type readers, though my husband (who's got to be Tom Clancy's biggest fan) is reading it now and I can't get him to put it down for five minutes! I couldn't ask for a better read.

This book grabbed me right from the start and wouldn't let go. From the opening scene, where prosecutor Melanie Vargas is drawn into the case of a lifetime, through the totally gripping investigation and heart-pounding conclusion, debut author Martinez tells a convincing and superbly structured story. There's a cast of characters that are wonderfully developed and totally unforgettable: from Melanie's nightmare boss to her hilarious sister to the utterly demonic Slice. Not to mention handsome FBI agent Dan O'Reilly, who may or may not be too good to be true. Most important is Melanie herself. I just loved her character, really identified with alot of her struggles, and rooted for her as if she were a close friend. That's something I rarely find in good suspense fiction, and it added to the pleasure of reading Most Wanted immeasurably. I'm really looking forward to the sequel.

I probably read close to 100 books a year, but this is the first time I've felt compelled to write a review and let others know about a great new writing talent. In Most Wanted, Michele Martinez has written a simply fabulous thriller, with what in my opinion is just the right blend of gritty urban realism (she was previously a NYC prosecutor says the jacket) and personal character development. It's also great to welcome onto the scene a gutsy and occasionally imperfect female protagonist, one whom many of us will deeply identify with. Martinez's website says Most Wanted is the first in a series -- I can't wait for the next, and you should NOT miss this one.

If you're looking for the kind of suspense novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat, guessing what will happen next, while also having you smiling in both wonder and recognition at the incredibly real cast of characters, then Most Wanted is just right for you. I won't recap the details of the story, which others have already done better than I could do. Let me just say that it's a true page-turner -- as others have said, you simply can't put it down. I finished it in two days, and was always looking forward to picking it up again. According to the book jacket and her website, Michele Martinez was a prosecutor in New York City for many years, and her experience in dealing with the real world of crime shines through. But she's also able to create a tremendously sympathetic heroine in Melanie Vargas, who has to deal with the kinds of "real world" problems that real people have -- being a parent, a spouse, a daughter, a co-worker, and so on. I also really enjoy thriller/suspense novels that become a series, with recurring characters, and Most Wanted promises to be the start of a fabulous one. I can't wait for more.

Separated from her cheating husband a DA is taking her 8 month old daughter for a walk one night when she stumbles upon a crime scene. She knows this high profile case will make or break her career and is determined to be the one to prosecute it. She gets the case and begins investigating it with the help of hunky FBI agent Dan O'Reilly and they are both immediately attracted to each other.

Melanie is a tough, no-nonsense and very sharp prosecutor. But when it comes to her personal life she's a total doormat. Her husband has been having an affair since shortly after the baby was born and only stops it when he's caught. He's constantly telling Melanie how hot she is, but never explains why then he was having sex with another woman. I got the feeling that this wasn't the first time and won't be the last. His view of their marriage is: "You're gorgeous and smart and fun in bed. We've got a good thing going, don't over think it. Intimacy is not your strong suit." Wow, that's a great example of a marriage for her daughter to grow up with.

When Steve sees her, in public, sharing a brief first kiss with the FBI agent, he "forgives" her and says now they're "even"? Melanie agonizes over what to do since she doesn't want her daughter hurt by a divorce. Hello?! A. Maya is 8 MONTHS OLD. She's barely seen Daddy as he has been working, screwing around, or kicked out of the house.
B. What happens when she's older and there's an inevitable divorce? Then it will hurt her.
C. Is this the way she wants Maya to think her life will be? A couple living together, unhappy, unfaithful, no respect for each other and bitter?
Sorry Melanie but this is a no brainer.

I think there's a sequel to this one and I hope Melanie gets a backbone by then!

Debut author Michele Martinez wisely drew on what she knew in crafting her novel, and it is evident in authenticity of detail and setting. Ms. Martinez lives with her family in New York City - "Most Wanted" is set in NY. She worked for eight years as a federal prosecutor - heroine Melanie Vargas is a federal prosecutor. Then, we assume, fiction takes over.

We meet Melanie who is valiantly trying to hold things together. She recently discovered that her husband has been cheating on her, but she'd like to make the marriage work if only for the sake of their not yet year old daughter. Melanie needs a break, and she gets one although it's not what most of us would be looking for.

As she gets a bit of fresh air with her daughter she stumbles upon a horrific crime scene.. Jed Benson, a wealthy New Yorker and former prosecutor from her office, is the victim. He's been tortured, murdered, and his upscale digs set afire in an effort to distract. Nothing takes Melanie's mind off the fact that she wants this case.

What's a story about an attractive young woman who's been done wrong without another romantic interest? This comes in the exceptionally well toned body of FBI agent Dan O'Reilly. What also comes is danger in the form of a psychopathic killer.

Voice performer Anne Twomey is remembered for her multitude of TV appearances and Tony nomination. She gives a highly charged reading as Melanie does her utmost to solve the case and stay alive.

- Gail Cooke

This is the first in what I suspect will become one of the great ongoing suspense series. I'd read a number of very positive reviews of it, including one by my favorite mystery/suspense reviewer (syndicated reviewer Oline Cogdill of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel), and having finished it I can now say that it certainly met my expectations. The villain(s) is/are about as evil as one can imagine, and there are enough twists and turns to keep you guessing through each cliffhanging chapter until the truly shattering end. And the good guys (and you can't be sure that all of the "good guys" are actually good), lead by NYC prosecutor Melanie Vargas, are wonderfully written as complex characterizations. Instead of a protagonist whose life consists of nothing but solving the crime(s) in the book, Melanie Vargas comes across as a very real (and extremely likeable) person who -- like most of us -- must juggle both work and personal lives. Michele Martinez's depiction of how those lives intersect is beautifully drawn, while never slowing what is a terrific thrill ride of a novel.

What a terrific discovery this book was. Fast-paced, intelligent and fun, it's also full of fascinating and authentic details about everything from New York City street life to D.A. office politics to real-world criminal investigative techniques to high-powered law firms. I simply couldn't put it down. In fact, I pretty much abandoned my family for most of this weekend while I devoured this suspense-packed thriller. I'm a big fan of Patricia Cornwell, Michael Connelly, Linda Fairstein and Lisa Scottoline. If you like those authors, or others like them, you don't want to miss Most Wanted. Highly recommended.