Rating: 
Summary: Dana Rush loses height
Review: On page 5, author Martini describes Dana Rush, the trophy wife, as "four inches taller than Nick" and "tall and tan." But on page 56, she is "slight of build, five foot three in stocking feet...would weigh no more than a hundred and five pounds soaking wet." Does this mean Nick was four-eleven? No, I think it means no one ever edited this book. Also, there are countless annoying editorial lapses: who's instead of whose, it's for its, and the like. Book is lively and vividly written, but I am shocked that G. P. Putnam's Sons did such a poor job.
Rating:
Summary: Dana Rush loses height
Review: On page 5, author Martini describes Dana Rush, the trophy wife, as "four inches taller than Nick" and "tall and tan." But on page 56, she is "slight of build, five foot three in stocking feet...would weigh no more than a hundred and five pounds soaking wet." Does this mean Nick was four-eleven? No, I think it means no one ever edited this book. Also, there are countless annoying editorial lapses: who's instead of whose, it's for its, and the like. Book is lively and vividly written, but I am shocked that G. P. Putnam's Sons did such a poor job.
Rating:
Summary: More sleuth than lawyer
Review: Paul Madriani and Harry Hinds come together in quasi-legal thriller. This book doesn't have the charm and tightness found in THE JURY. Much of the first third to half of the book is setup and a number of false clues. The story starts out with Mandriani's friend Nick Rush getting gunned down in a drive by shooting. For the longest time you think it has something to do with drugs, but that's really just a side issue. Then there is the problem of Nick's two wives and the life insurance. Margaret is an embittered shrew and Dana a blue eyed bimbo. Either one of them could have reason to kill Nick. There is Adam Tolt, who was Nick's boss and seems to have an endless supply of money and influence. While all these things are factors in the book, you don't start getting into the meat of the stoy until about page 300 and the trip to Mexico. It seemed like Mr. Martini changed his mind half way through the book as to what he wanted to accomplish. While the plot is looser than his better work, the keen eye for detail and great writing is still there. His way of describing things and Harry's character have always charmed me. An enjoyable, if rocky read.
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Summary: Joe Mantegna is a great Paul Madriani
Review: Paul Madriani's old buddy Nick Rush, a criminal lawyer who cleans up client messes at a prestigious San Diego law firm, asks him to talk with Gerald Metz a questionable character involved in something in Mexico. Paul tells Nick he wants no part of Metz then Nick and Metz are gunned down on the steps of the San Diego courthouse. They were there to appear at Metz's arraignment, the book's only connection to its title. A hottie named Dana was Nick's trophy wife, but his firm's $2 million key man policy still has first wife Maggie's name on it. A little legal maneuvering, supported by power broker Adam Tolt who has all kinds of devious motives for Paul to succeed, and Madriani negotiates a payoff where everyone comes out ahead. Now the quest to find out what Nick was really up to begins in earnest. To this point the plot was unfolding at a great pace and the dialogue crisp. Tolt was pulling all kinds of strings and Madriani was scoring points despite the master manipulator. But then the setting moves south of the border, and the story goes south as well. Soon we have Madriani dodging magazines of automatic fire from an ultra light plane then tricking the pilot into an extraordinary mishap. Herman a 300lb black bodyguard is also on hand for some super human feats, and a trail of bodies strings from California to Cancun. The author gives you enough to suspect who the real bad guys are and ties all his extraneous characters into the finale, but the web that holds them is a real stretch and doesn't flow from the plot. Good, but not your best Martini.
Rating: 
Summary: Average
Review: See storyline above. Though I usually really like a Martini, this one did not mix as well as his previous works. It didn't have the smooth flow I'm used to. The story was good and overall easy to read, but it just didn't have the catch I really like. Maybe next time.
Rating:
Summary: Worth reading
Review: Some of his earlier books were much better. Compared to other authors, this is a good book. compared to his earlier work, this is just OK.
Rating:
Summary: Thoroughly enjoyable
Review: The Arraignment is another strong effort from Martini featuring Paul Mandriani. This book should definitely be enjoyable to those who have enjoyed other novels with the Mandriani character. In general, Martini has again pulled together an intriguing cast of characters and an interesting story line, including the bonus of having a story with a bit more pace than some of his other works . The story starts with the murder of Mandriani's colleague and a defendant on the courthouse steps. Mandriani, who was in earshot of the gunfire and also was almost the defendant's lawyer instead of his colleague, is left to wonder about what might have been if fate had taken a different turn. Mandriani is pulled in to help settle the estate and get to the bottom of the murder. As the book progresses, the reader is consistently treated to Mandriani's quick wit, sharp mind, and cynical sense of reality in the world.
Rating:
Summary: Lively but, ultimately, implausible
Review: The best thing that I can say about THE ARRAIGNMENT is that it does not descend into yet another strained story about drug smuggling. Strained, perhaps, but not about drugs. Author Steve Martini displays a thorough knowledge of laws and legal procedure, in addition to his lively imagination. As a result, he is able to craft a story that is quick-moving and compelling. Ultimately, however, the plot veers from simply unlikely to completely implausible. The lawyer who is Martini's hero is almost too damned smart, smarter than an entire squad of New York City police detectives. Martini offers little motivation for the desperate need his hero is said to feel to solve the murder of a friend and, without motivation, the entire caper falls apart. The hero also is far too willing to put himself at risk, especially for a character who is supposed to be the sole surviving parent of a teenage daughter. Toward the end of the mystery, the hero has a riff when he internally debates this same need with himself. This riff doesn't help make the plot more credible; instead, the reader actually can hear the author's editor saying that they must do better to provide rational motivation for the character. The villain is predictable, the story is implausible and so is the hero, and the subplot about the murdered man's widow--hinted at throughout the novel--never is brought to any conclusion. Other than these quibbles, THE ARRAIGNMENT is a swell read.
Rating: 
Summary: Paul Madriani is the Perry Mason of the new millennium
Review: The law firm of Madriani and Hinds of Coronado, California consists of two partners, Harry Hinds and Paul Madriani. They are an ethical pair who refuse to accept drug cases. At the coaxing of his trophy wife, Nick Rush, a criminal attorney at the legal giant Rocker, Dusha and DeWine, asks Paul to take on the case of Gerald Metz, a business man entangled with a grand jury probe. Nick explains he is unable to provide Metz with legal support because of a conflict of interest. Paul has doubts but meets Metz. Paul quickly figures out that his potential client is lying to him and that he might be indicted for money laundering. After consulting with Harry, they agree they want no part of the case. Paul reluctantly tells Nick he won't represent the man. A few minutes later as Paul is walking away from the scene, someone kills Nick and Metz in a drive-by shooting. Though he knows he has no reason to, Paul feels guilty and decides to investigate Nick's death. He almost gets himself and Harry killed in the process. Crime thriller fans will find Steve Martini's latest work exciting and so engrossing that it is impossible to put down until the last page is turned. Paul Madriani is the Perry Mason of the new millennium, an attorney with ethics who goes the extra mile for his client and will even work for free to see justice occur. THE ARRAIGNMENT is realistic and believable, yet so vivid a novel with strong believable characters that the storyline would make an exhilarating movie. Harriet Klausner
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing!
Review: The story started off with great promise. Then it just died. The last part is so disappointing that I can hardly finish reading it. The writer didn't seem to know what he wanted to say or how to end the story. He just made up some totally ridiculous plots to try to tie everything together. And it doesn't work!
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