As I have mentioned in posts over on the now defunct Smokable Clown, I like to discover a new author and read his or her books all at once. I read them in chronological order and I can generally find them all on eBay in a "lot" for an extremely discounted price. The author of the moment is Steve Martini. For trips such as this one, it is perfect to pack a few paperback books and read them.
I have never read Martini before. I knew that he writes legal thrillers -- a genre of book that I enjoy immensely, yet I have never and probably never will read a John Grisham book -- and I knew he was a pretty popular writer. His new books often appear on the New York Times Bestseller list. I figured...what the heck... I'll give him a shot.
Plus... his biography shows where he got his insight into the legal system. "In 1974 he entered private law practice in California where he appeared in both state and federal courts. During his law career he worked as a legislative representative for the State Bar of California , served as special counsel to the California Victims of Violent Crimes Program, and was an administrative law judge and supervising hearing officer."
Book 4 -- Simeon Chamber
As far as legal thrillers go, Simeon Chamber had a lot going for it. It was the first novel by a new writer and as most new writers do -- he pulled out all the literary tricks he could muster. It was a legalized version of the DaVinci Code written in 1980 something where a lawyer searched for the lost documents of Francis Drake -- a "pirate". The main character used cunning and his legal mind to win out in the end. Although I enjoyed the book I am about to write about better, I would recommend this book for any beach goer.
Book 5 -- Compelling Evidence
Often times, a writer such as Steve Martini discovers that one of his characters is more popular than they could have imagined. His character that fits the bill is Paul Madriani and Compelling Evidence was his debut novel. Of Martini's novels, the majority feature this character. What makes these characters more enjoyable to the mass public is that they are portrayed as every men. They are unique in their legla expertise, yet painted as underdogs that we can root for. The Madriani character is that way and since it is written in the first person, Madriani is easy to like and root for. I will also say one thing about this book. It is the first legal thriller I have read where the main character has a line of dialogue and then explains to the reader what the strategy is behind his comment. I enjoyed this a lot more than Simeon Chamber and I can see why this was the book that made Martini a star.
1 comment:
when you're done with the lot, let me know :-) (please)
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