A great legal mystery by Steve Martini. So intriguing it is hard to put down. Here Paul Madriani takes on the case of Talia Potter, long-time friend and former lover who is charged with the murder of her husband, Ben Potter. With only circumstantial evidence, the district attorney has charged her with first degree murder with special circumstances and is intent on sending her to the gas chamber. What will happen as the trial goes forward?

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!

Wow!

I did not see that coming ! Very much enjoyed the writing. No excessive fluff or filler to take up space . Every word seemed relevant but I still didn't put it all together

The best legal thriller I've ever read! Better than Perry Mason. Keeps the suspense to the surprise ending. I like how the author explains the legal nuances and strategy for both sides in easily understandable terms as he goes along. The main character is a sympathetic character we are rooting for. I highly recommend this book.

I originally read this way back when (pre-kids, which means 9+ years ago) and wanted to start re-reading the Paul Madriani series to see if I still enjoyed it.

The verdict? It's actually still a pretty good book. It's a murder mystery/trial story with some nice twists & interesting characters. OTOH, I don't remember having to wade through as much coarse language the first time I read this - maybe I'm getting more sensitive with age. (Next you thing you know, I'll be spraying kids with a water hose & telling them to "get off my lawn.")

I've read this book twice and loved it both times. The premiss of this book was unique, intriguing and kept me interested throughout. The book took many intriguing twists and turns and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. Highly recommend.

This book was difficult to finally get through. The second half was better than the first.

A riveting story. And the stories within the story. I was kept pondering after what is the truth, thinking I knew, and then swept away in yet another direction. The characters are diverse yet so much in common.

There is so much heart to go along with the adversary. Definitely recommend this novel. Can't wait to read of h ers by this author.

COMPELLING EVIDENCE By Steve Martini (Paul Madriani Novels Book 1)
MY REVIEW FIVE STARS*****

COMPELLING EVIDENCE, Martini's second novel, was published by G.P. Putnam & Sons in 1992. The book's protagonist featured a fictional attorney by the name of Paul Madriani and the author did not have a "sequel" in mind when it was written. It is my understanding that the author simply saw this as a one-off novel, and certainly not the kick-off to an exciting new series of legal thrillers featuring Paul Madriani.

However, when COMPELLING EVIDENCE hit the bookshelves it shot to the national bestseller list, garnered the author immediate widespread recognition, commercial success, and critical acclaim. Hoards of adoring fans loved Paul Madriani and thus the memorable and enduring legal eagle would be featured in a series of New York Time Bestsellers for literally years to come.

I just finished reading the remarkable novel that started it all, over a quarter of a century ago.
The novel begins with a first-person account of how it feels to witness an execution by gas chamber in the state of California. That initial graphic depiction of the machinations leading up to the release of the lethal cyanide was chilling. It grabbed by attention and never let go.

This novel is quite simply one of the most enthralling legal thrillers I have ever read. In the spirit of full disclosure, I have been a fan of Steve Martini's work since the beginning and "read" a number of his novels in the 90's when I traveled extensively for my job and with books on tape my steady companions.

I enjoy legal thrillers very much and this story takes place in the courtroom. It does not suffer a dull moment from the first page to its plot twist grand finale. It deals with the capital crime of murder with special circumstances, a death penalty case, and it is in this sense a crime story as well as a fascinating "who done it" mystery novel. I loved it.

Ok book. Rather twisted plot, a bit contrived.

Paul Madriani is a lawyer. He had a promising career until he embarked on a fling with the wife of one of the partners in the firm..

Now he is defending this woman on trial for the murder of her husband. The court scenes are interesting, the story, which goes back and forth between present day and events that led up to this moment.

The twist was outstanding which is the ONLY reason I’m giving it 3 stars.

Littered with typos and incomprehensible language this book was difficult to read which is unfortunate to say the least. With a better Author this would have been so compelling I would have read all 592 pages in one sitting.

I wouldn’t read this Author again.

I started out thinking this book was boring, but quickly forgot about that as I got swept up in the plot. I forgot, too, that I feel the same way about every other Steve Martini book I've ever read. The first few chapters are a little slow, then it sucks you in.

In this, the first in the Paul Madriani series, he provides very good background on Paul without beating the reader over the head with it. Paul is a believable character. He is not perfect. He is not always likeable. He is shrewd and calculating, but in a way that doesn't come across as gross or crass. The use of 1st person allows readers a nice glimpse into his thoughts and shows a well developed character who is conflicted and unsure, both of his client and his own abilities, and of his faith in the law and the ability of those charged to uphold it.

I enjoy the complexity of Martini's plots. Maybe they aren't all that complex to those who are lawyers, but I'm not a lawyer, so it's complex enough to make me happy for a book to read just for fun. I enjoy Martini's stories a good deal more than, say, Grisham's. I think his characters are developed better and the stories are more interesting. They don't always boil down to "take the money and run." Yes, Martini is a little formulaic--what mystery writer isn't?--but I am more willing to overlook that because I enjoy his snarky writing style so much. I did have the twist at the end figured out, but it took me a while to get there and even then I wasn't positive I was right until I read it at the end. I like it when I can't figure it out at all, or it takes me a long time to get to it.

Sort of going along with the complexity of the story, I appreciate when issues aren't black and white. It irritates me to no end when the good guys are always good, and the bad guys are always bad, and there is never any overlap. That's what the fantasy genre is for. Martini's good characters are capable of committing--and do commit--morally ambiguous actions. In some cases, outright wrong or illegal actions. Similarly, his bad guys often are the honest ones, or the ones who end up doing something to save the case or acquit the person you were sure was guilty, etc.

I'd recommend his books to anyone who enjoys a good courtroom drama or mystery. I don't think he'll disappoint.