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A review by booksuperpower
Compelling Evidence by Steve Martini
4.0
Compelling Evidence by Steve Martini is a 1993 Jove Publication.
An oldie, but a goodie!
This is the first book in the Paul Madriani series. I remember reading a couple of Martini's books back in the nineties and I think I even remember a made for TV movie based on this series.
This old school legal thriller is the style I prefer if a book is to be categorized as such. There's actually some courtroom drama, not just lawyers doing the work of investigators, which is usually how things work in today's so called legal thrillers. So, while some things are a bit dated, I can deal with it.
Paul is stewing in the after- effects of having an affair with Talia, the wife of a good friend and colleague, Ben Potter. The fallout cost him a place in Ben’s law firm. But, when Ben calls him and asks for a meeting, Paul nervously agrees, not really knowing what to expect.
Turns out Ben may be headed for a stint on the higher courts and wishes for Paul to do him a personal favor, to which Paul readily agrees. Things between the two men seem to be tenuously cordial, but only a short time later, Ben is found dead. The initial cause of death appeared to be suicide, but evidence soon points to murder, with Talia becoming the number one suspect.
Paul becomes a part of Talia’s defense team, despite their history together, which only aggravated the situation with his estranged wife. Things go from bad to worse when the court learns of his connection to the defendant.
Once the trial starts, and the lawyers begin to match wits, things get really interesting! It’s a nail biter all the way to the end!
Although this book doesn’t necessarily have the same pizzaz as some legal thrillers of this era did- ala Scott Turow, for example, it is tightly plotted, with a stunning- I never saw that coming- conclusion.
As I mentioned earlier, the novel does show a little age, but overall, it stands the test of time really well. I guess to get the type of Legal Thriller's I enjoy I'll have to stick with the older books to get my fix.
To that end, reading the Paul Madriani series sounds like a good idea!
Looking forward to it!
An oldie, but a goodie!
This is the first book in the Paul Madriani series. I remember reading a couple of Martini's books back in the nineties and I think I even remember a made for TV movie based on this series.
This old school legal thriller is the style I prefer if a book is to be categorized as such. There's actually some courtroom drama, not just lawyers doing the work of investigators, which is usually how things work in today's so called legal thrillers. So, while some things are a bit dated, I can deal with it.
Paul is stewing in the after- effects of having an affair with Talia, the wife of a good friend and colleague, Ben Potter. The fallout cost him a place in Ben’s law firm. But, when Ben calls him and asks for a meeting, Paul nervously agrees, not really knowing what to expect.
Turns out Ben may be headed for a stint on the higher courts and wishes for Paul to do him a personal favor, to which Paul readily agrees. Things between the two men seem to be tenuously cordial, but only a short time later, Ben is found dead. The initial cause of death appeared to be suicide, but evidence soon points to murder, with Talia becoming the number one suspect.
Paul becomes a part of Talia’s defense team, despite their history together, which only aggravated the situation with his estranged wife. Things go from bad to worse when the court learns of his connection to the defendant.
Once the trial starts, and the lawyers begin to match wits, things get really interesting! It’s a nail biter all the way to the end!
Although this book doesn’t necessarily have the same pizzaz as some legal thrillers of this era did- ala Scott Turow, for example, it is tightly plotted, with a stunning- I never saw that coming- conclusion.
As I mentioned earlier, the novel does show a little age, but overall, it stands the test of time really well. I guess to get the type of Legal Thriller's I enjoy I'll have to stick with the older books to get my fix.
To that end, reading the Paul Madriani series sounds like a good idea!
Looking forward to it!