A well-turned tale of terrorism and intrigue with vivid and sympathetic characters on both sides. When I read the backstory on the leader of the Americans-turned-anarchists, I could not stop myself from becoming outraged. This is the mark of good storytelling.

Martini's novel was quite interesting in my eyes: it shone unapologetically a strong light on many things that remain problematic in today's America of United Stated, which was… nice?

In short, Martini walks us through a cat-and-mouse game between American terrorists and the US government.

Meanwhile, it also taps into some other themes, I thought valuable/important to mention:

I'll start of with the fact that Joselyn, our only female lead, was such a strong character. She was a great professional who understood her job (as far as I saw it), was determined and intelligent. She didn't let herself get swooned away by Dean's (or Thorn's, who even knows at this point? lol) charming ways. She didn't really need a knight in shining armour but saved herself like a big girl.

I also feel like Critical Mass was an opportunity for Martini to criticise multiple aspects of the US government:
Such as their need to almost rule like a totalitarian power (in many domains - economically, cultural, etc) and to be, simultaneously, the world's watchdog but also their bully (Martini goes as far as to compair it to the ancient Soviet Union).
But he also, rightfully, talks about their screwed justice system (Dean Beldon is under investigation but doesn't get to know the nature of said investigation, like, whut?). And i was quite shocked when reading about Scott's late wife and how/why she met her end.
In general, Martini threw a shot at American politicians who seems to care more about their public image than their homeland security lol.


While it isn't the best book i've ever laid eyes upon (by far), it was really entertaining and quick-paced. It's definitely worth a read!

It was really hard to get into this book. Too many threads that had to come together.

Hard to follow who's good, who's bad in the beginning. Lots of action at the end.

Too bad it was about world nuclear stuff. International things I’m not ready for at this time.

Ah well. Maybe more later.

This is a political thriller involving nuclear weapons,international incidents,presidential scandal and innocent civilians that survive the odds and become heroes.Could have been more suspenseful.Just not as good as other books out there in this genre.

I appreciate a book that really keeps me reading, and this one did just that! I was introduced to the world of nuclear bombs and domestic terrorism along with Joselyn Goss who was trying to escape the hectic and stressful life of a lawyer in L.A. by moving to the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington State. This didn't quite work out. It wasn't too far into the story before one knew this was a page-turner. A new client is killed in a float plane explosion off the coast, and the intrigue only continues when she learns of his history and finds herself in the dangerous situation of "knowing too much." Not to mention the connections to stolen nuclear weapons from the Soviet Union and what this could mean for the future of the United States.

I could go into more detail, but you really need to read this yourself! I wasn't satisfied until I finished the book. I would definitely read this author again.

I really like Martini's books. This one was fast paced and exciting.

This is a real page turner, filled with tension and suspense. The plot could have been today's newspaper headlines. It is a story of what can and may already have happened in a world where private hate and public apathy combined with an abundance of carelessly inventoried nuclear weapons to uncork the bottle containing the deadly nuclear genie. The consequences far outweight the mayhem of opening Pandora's Box. It is riveting with realism and genuine with its characters. Caution: read at your own risk. If you pick it up, you will not be able to put it down.

Jocelyn "Joss" Cole, a burned-out public defender from L.A., has opted for a quieter life in the San Juan Islands of Washington State. Joss has no significant clients other than a group of commercial fisherman suffering from a strange and serious illness, a condition that doctors cannot diagnose, and which Joss believes has an industrial cause. Then into her office comes Dean Belden, a well-heeled client in search of a lawyer to help him set up a business in the islands. Within days Belden is subpoenaed to appear before a federal grand jury. Less than an hour after testifying, and before Joss can discover what happened in the secrecy of the grand jury room, Belden dies in a fiery explosion of his float plane on Seattle's Lake Union. Gideon Van Ry is a nuclear fission expert and a scholar in residence at the Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Monterey, California. One of his duties is to update the Center's database, an extensive catalog listing fissionable materials and weapons of mass destruction. Gideon is troubled by the apparent failure to account for two small tactical nuclear devices missing from a storage facility in the former Soviet Union.The two weapons were last seen in packing crates, to be shipped to an American company called Belden Electronics. Gideon has been unable to locate this firm, and now he is left with only one possible lead, the lawyer who incorporated the company-Jocelyn Cole. Fraught with tension and suspense, Critical Mass is Steve Martini at his electrifying best. It is the story of what can happen in a world where private hate and public apathy combine to uncork the sleeping but deadly genie of nuclear terror.

I delayed reading this for a long time because it wasn't a Madriani. It was excellent.

Yay, another book to give away for space purposes. Tried to read it, but 62 pages, I gave up. Nothing wrong with the writing, but it didn't catch my interest.