Customer Reviews

Undue Influence (A Paul Madriani Novel)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

We've nearly given up on Steve Martini several times. While we enjoyed his first novel, "Simeon Chamber", most of the others of his books we have read, including a couple others from the Defense Attorney Paul Madriani series, have been so incredibly dry during sluggish middle sections that we really should have quit them right there. However, this his fourth novel, and third Madriani, gets it completely right: good writing, one of the most clever plots we've ever encountered, sustained suspense and pace, and a story so engrossing we'll admit to staying up til three in the morning to get to the end!

We don't want to reveal too much plot, but in short, Madriani is defending his sister-in-law Laurel on the charge of murdering her ex-husband's trophy wife. A custody battle for her two kids is an apparent motive, and the evidence all seems to look bad, including secrets Laurel won't even reveal to her defense team. Suspense builds as we join the courtroom audience for an entertaining fight with a female prosecutor with a chip on her shoulder, not to mention the main cop (Lama) who is a Madriani enemy. Things don't get sorted out until quite late in the book, yet we're on edge til nearly the very last page as twists and turns in the story line have us hustling through the pages at breakneck speed. A most unusual ending is our final reward!

This book is as good as Scott Turow or John Grisham at their best. While we're still not totally Madriani fan club enthusiasts, this is surely one of the best books we've read in a long time -- and thus very highly recommended!

As an attorney I find Steve Martini's works to be very realistic in terms of how the justice system actually works. He is able to make the average person facinated by what actually goes on. All that I can say for any reader is that they should hold on because they are going to be taken on a ride that is full of suspense.You will suspect everyone but the real killer will not be revealed until the end of the ride.

It's been quite awhile since I read a really good courtroom drama and, revisiting Steve Martini's recurring character, Paul Madriani, was the perfect way to get back into the melee. Since I refer to myself as a RIO, (someone who reads series "in the order in which they were written"), this was officially the third book I've read in this series. I think I have to say that it was the best of the three thus far which is always promising. I love it when an author gets better and better. There's nothing worse than a great debut book followed by a good sophomore book and then going downhill from there. I can already see that this will not be the case with Martini. I had about 160 pages left to go in this book very late last night and refused to go to bed until I had finished it -- clearly the sign of a great book in my estimation.

Every other review has pretty much given a synopsis of the storyline but, in one sentence, Madriani is defending his sister-in-law who has been accused of murdering her ex-husband's new, much younger, very pregnant, wife. Curiously enough, on the first page of this book, attorney Paul Madriani is thinking about his recently deceased wife Nikki and the promises he made to her before her death. Right away I'm thinking....did I miss something? She wasn't even ill in Prime Witness, the second book in the series. I guess Martini didn't like the way that marriage was unfolding so he gave her cancer. Bad for Nikki but actually better for the reader as Madriani is much better as a single father trying to take care of his young daughter Sarah in the evening while saving the lives of his defendants during the day. As a widower, this opens the door to some romantic dalliances, which adds another interesting layer to the main character's life.

As in his previous books, Madriani still seeks the help of another attorney Harry Hind. These two make quite a good pair and I enjoy the way Harry handles things. If there's such a thing as a good lawyer, bad lawyer routine, Harry and Paul have this market cornered. Paul Madriani seems to be such a nice guy and is very adept at his job but there's always someone who has it in for him with some vendetta or another. In this book it's police officer Jimmy Lama, who makes it his business to throw roadblocks in the way providing some stumbling blocks for Paul as he makes his way towards unraveling this case.

This series comes highly recommended by me. My only complaint with this book, and it's a minor one, is that Martini had the ending neatly tied up with quite a twist and I was very satisfied with it. In a matter of two or three pages, he fools the reader by throwing in yet another twist, one I wasn't particularly fond of and one I found unnecessary. Just my humble opinion, but come on Steve, how do you expect us to feel about this character in future books?

This book promised many twists and turns, and it delivered. I was stunned at the ending. The courtroom drama (and legal procedures) were quite entertaining. In addition, the action and adventure of the pre-trial investigation, complete with bombs and bullets, had me turning the pages in rapid succession. My only complaint was how the ending left the problem that some of the events were extremely coincidental - would have been much nicer if they had all been truly related in some "cause and effect" manner. In other words, it left me feeling that the hero of our story was very lucky.

I'm turning into a 'lawyer-novel-junkie'. This is the first novel I've read by Martini, and I will be reading more in the future. If his other books are anything close to this one, I look forward to spending a lot more enjoyable and suspence filled hours. I felt that Martini does a good job in providing the reader with 'clues' along the way. Pay attention and you'll feel a level of satisfaction that you were able to guess 'who dunnit' about the time that Martini wraps up all the loose ends. Great book!

I am an avid reader of courtroom dramas. I picked this book up on a whim. Martini is a superb writer, and unlike Grisham, gives depth to his characters. Martini not only has a good story, he knows how to develop it. The only thing that bothered me throughout the book was his continual use of similes and cliche comparisons. If you can bear with those you'll enjoy the book. This is something I'd read again

Great courtroom scenes and observations regarding trial tactics and examination techniques. The author does not telegraph his punches, so you are excited to learn what "our hero" does to defend his client against seemingly overwhelming evidence to convict. The women, however, are pretty two-dimensional. Our hero's client is first and foremost a mother, whose reactions to every situation are reminiscent of a cornered mother bear protecting her cubs. The "love interest" is smart, and beautiful and successful, but we are never attracted to her. The opposing lawyer is just cold, mechanical and heartless, relentless in her quest to convict. Finally, the author is compelled to tie up every conceivable loose end, not only to acquit the client but to solve the crime, as though the jury would convict despite overwhelming reasonable doubt. A very good read, but credibility is strained.

Martini has written several very good books, but this is his best. It is fast paced and exciting from the beginning.

With "Undue Influence", Steve Martini has penned a third successful entry in the Paul Madriani franchise first introduced in "Compelling Evidence" and "Prime Witness".

Paul's wife, Nikki, pleaded with him as she lay dying of cancer to take care of her younger sister, Laurel Vega. Laurel and her ex-husband, state legislator, Jack Vega, have been warring with one another in a no-holds-barred nasty custody battle. When Jack's new trophy wife is murdered, the motive and all of the physical evidence seems to point to Laurel as the murderer. Against his own best legal judgment, Paul Madriani remains true to the wishes of his dead wife and assumes responsibility for Laurel Vega's defense against the charge of first-degree murder.

Like every great legal thriller, Martini fills your cup to the brim and positively overflows it with the subtle nuances of courtroom warfare and drama - dialogue, tricks, legalese, motions, delays, recesses, evidence, juries, objections, sidebars and processes. Martini unfolds a great plot with a superb ending twist in the courtroom environment and proves, as his colleague John Grisham said, that he is master of the legal thriller genre.

Thoroughly enjoyable and highly recommended.

Paul Weiss

Martini's "Undue Influence" starts off a tad slow & builds to a sweep-you-off-your-feet thriller. Just when I had it figured out, I didn't...or did I? Murder, lust, mistrust..what more could you want? I found it much more than a courtroom drama.