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Paul Madriani #11
The Rule of Nine
The Old Weatherman dreams of a plan that could be his swan song, an attack to drive a stake through the heart of the right-wing establishment and bury it for good. Now he's found the money, the ideal weapon, and the professional who knows how to use it. And he has set his sights on the perfect target at the very seat of the United States government, in the heart of downtown Washington. It will be a strike heard round the world.
San Diego defense attorney Paul Madriani is still reeling from the trauma of a near nuclear explosion he helped avert at the naval base in Coronado. Threatened by federal authorities to keep quiet about the close call in California, Madriani is now faced with a new problem in the steely-eyed and alluring Joselyn Cole, a weapons control expert, who believes he has to go public with what he knows if they have any hope of stopping a similar event in the future.
But Madriani has been linked to the murder of a Washington, D.C., political staffer, and authorities believe a shadowy figure called Liquida - a hired assassin known as "the Mexicutioner" - may be responsible. And this man, as the last survivor of the attack in San Diego, might be driven by a bizarre and horrifying star-crossed vendetta, and might now be looking for Madriani himself. What Madriani and Cole begin to fear is that the Old Weatherman and this madman have joined forces and intend to pull the city - and the country - into a vortex of terror before Madriani and Cole can find answers to the enigma that is "the rule of nine."
400 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2010
381 people are currently reading
1,953 people want to read
About the author
Steve Martini
87books677followersSteven Paul "Steve" Martini is an American writer of legal novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 279 reviews
July 17, 2011
All in all, I was disappointed in this book. I have thoroughly enjoyed the previous books in the Paul Madriani series. The first several in particular as he dealt with life after losing his wife, raising his young daughter while defending some rather interesting legal cases along the way. This last book seemed to have strayed rather far from the legal/crime mystery and into pop/science/thriller issues and failed.
One of my favorite aspects of the Madriani novels, was the first person point of view. Sitting inside Madriani's head while the plot thickened and then solved was a great adventure. Sadly, in this book, Martini narrates the book from 3rd person over 2/3 of the time.
If you are a fan of Paul Madriani, you'll read the book just to find out what continues to occur in his life, but if you want a legal courtroom battle, well, there isn't one.
One of my favorite aspects of the Madriani novels, was the first person point of view. Sitting inside Madriani's head while the plot thickened and then solved was a great adventure. Sadly, in this book, Martini narrates the book from 3rd person over 2/3 of the time.
If you are a fan of Paul Madriani, you'll read the book just to find out what continues to occur in his life, but if you want a legal courtroom battle, well, there isn't one.
August 18, 2012
I went on the author's website and heard an interview about his "trilogy of terror." That's the last book, this one, and the next one, where he wanted to take a break from the "courtroom drama" stuff that his character is liked for. It's a well-written story, but if I wanted the terrorist-nuclear bomb stuff, I'd read Clancy.
Don't read this one first. You have to read "Guardian of Lies" first; otherwise, this book won't make sense.
Don't read this one first. You have to read "Guardian of Lies" first; otherwise, this book won't make sense.
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November 9, 2010I'll be honest and say I had a hard time getting into this one. I typically love this genre of writing ( and have enjoyed previous Martini novels), but the latest disapoints.
To begin with it is more dependent upon Martini's last novel (Gaurdian of Lies) than I would have liked. While it is not necessary to have read that one (and for the record I did) much of the motivation of the key players is dependant on events from the earlier novel.
Additionally, some sloppy editing (the Supreme Court justice who initially seems important - but is ulitmately irrelevent - is named Merle then Warren, then Merle again) frustrated me so much early on I put the book down for two weeks and had to force myself to pick it up again to finish and review - never a good sign. I must acknowledge however, that I was reading an uncorrected proof - it is possible this was corrected in the final version.
The novel also fails to live up to its billing as a "race to save one third of the nation's governing body; the Supreme Court" Given the back cover description I expected a good portion of the novel to be devoted to racing to save the Supreme Court, discovering the motivations of who was behind the plot, working to uncover their identities, and foil the scheme. Silly me. Madriani isn't looking to save the Supreme Court (he had no idea it needs saving) he is looking for Liquida (see charaters from Guardian of Lies) to prevent him from killing his daughter who he intuits, based on scant evidence, is in danger. (
To begin with it is more dependent upon Martini's last novel (Gaurdian of Lies) than I would have liked. While it is not necessary to have read that one (and for the record I did) much of the motivation of the key players is dependant on events from the earlier novel.
Additionally, some sloppy editing (the Supreme Court justice who initially seems important - but is ulitmately irrelevent - is named Merle then Warren, then Merle again) frustrated me so much early on I put the book down for two weeks and had to force myself to pick it up again to finish and review - never a good sign. I must acknowledge however, that I was reading an uncorrected proof - it is possible this was corrected in the final version.
The novel also fails to live up to its billing as a "race to save one third of the nation's governing body; the Supreme Court" Given the back cover description I expected a good portion of the novel to be devoted to racing to save the Supreme Court, discovering the motivations of who was behind the plot, working to uncover their identities, and foil the scheme. Silly me. Madriani isn't looking to save the Supreme Court (he had no idea it needs saving) he is looking for Liquida (see charaters from Guardian of Lies) to prevent him from killing his daughter who he intuits, based on scant evidence, is in danger. (
August 3, 2011
In an effort to say something nice, this book made me seriously consider taking up a writing career.
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June 16, 2020I hate when a book ends with unfinished business.
August 8, 2023
Yes, this book is different from some of the others of the series. Martini steps away from a legal thriller novel and changes into a high energy, thriller that reminds me of a Dan Brown mystery.
I actually enjoyed this book. The suspense kept me on the edge of my seat and I couldn’t get enough.
Quick plot summary� Harry and Paul meet Joselyn Cole who wants some information about the Coronado bombing. This is related to the previous book that introduces Liquida who is now after Paul because of what happened in prior book. Now there is something brewing domestically and Liquida is involved.
What is interesting�. this book was written 13 years ago. And the same themes about government corruption, 2 party battles, right vs left, budget deficit…can be applied to the problems of today.
I think Martini did a great job on this book. The downfall is, the previous book left you hanging so you had to read this one. This one leaves you hanging so you have to read the next one which I just downloaded on my tablet. Continuing the saga�.
I actually enjoyed this book. The suspense kept me on the edge of my seat and I couldn’t get enough.
Quick plot summary� Harry and Paul meet Joselyn Cole who wants some information about the Coronado bombing. This is related to the previous book that introduces Liquida who is now after Paul because of what happened in prior book. Now there is something brewing domestically and Liquida is involved.
What is interesting�. this book was written 13 years ago. And the same themes about government corruption, 2 party battles, right vs left, budget deficit…can be applied to the problems of today.
I think Martini did a great job on this book. The downfall is, the previous book left you hanging so you had to read this one. This one leaves you hanging so you have to read the next one which I just downloaded on my tablet. Continuing the saga�.
September 17, 2019
This was an extremely fast-paced and easy read. The story was far too over the top to really be believable, but everything moved so quickly, from page 1, that I breezed through it. The characters were likable, and there was enough suspense trying to determine who was really a good guy to keep me interested.
I particularly enjoyed the references to Caribbean WWII era air fields that are now shut down. I had no knowledge of these before this book and enjoyed doing a little research on the topic (I’m a total nerd, I know!).
I particularly enjoyed the references to Caribbean WWII era air fields that are now shut down. I had no knowledge of these before this book and enjoyed doing a little research on the topic (I’m a total nerd, I know!).
December 28, 2024
Good, but too many coincidences were needed to propel the story. Also, too many references to previous books sometimes made it hard to relate.
It was left open- ended to allow for another novel.
It was left open- ended to allow for another novel.
June 10, 2010
An extremist desires to change the direction that the U.S. is going by wiping out the Supreme Court.
Washington is in dissaray with unemployment and budget deficits. The government wants to generate revenue by taxing overseas bank accounts.
Senator Josh Root is highly concerned with how he and a number of his policical friends will explain the wealth they have accumulated in foreign banks. What if it came out that the money came from bribes and kick backs? In addition, Root's health has begun to decline and he's being blackmailed for actions he took when he was a member of an underground movement, using an assumed name, during the Vietnam war. Unfortunately, his actions resulted in the death of a security guard.
The story follows the action in Martini's "Garden of Lies." Parts of the plot seem to follow the earlier book so closely that it assumes that the reader has read that work prior to this.
In this story, the antagonist goes by the name Thorn while the FBI agent leading the investigation is named Thorpe. The similarity in names was confusing and there were times that I wasn't sure who was talking.
Madriani is an interesting character but the story doesn't seem realistic. It seems improbable that a defense attorney would suspend his practice in order to chase terrorists.
There was an appropriate level of suspense in the book and it grew in intensity as the action was concluding. However, in the final pages, I felt like I was reading an episode of TV's "24".
The novel was enjoyable and I recommend it for someone wanting an easy summer read.
Washington is in dissaray with unemployment and budget deficits. The government wants to generate revenue by taxing overseas bank accounts.
Senator Josh Root is highly concerned with how he and a number of his policical friends will explain the wealth they have accumulated in foreign banks. What if it came out that the money came from bribes and kick backs? In addition, Root's health has begun to decline and he's being blackmailed for actions he took when he was a member of an underground movement, using an assumed name, during the Vietnam war. Unfortunately, his actions resulted in the death of a security guard.
The story follows the action in Martini's "Garden of Lies." Parts of the plot seem to follow the earlier book so closely that it assumes that the reader has read that work prior to this.
In this story, the antagonist goes by the name Thorn while the FBI agent leading the investigation is named Thorpe. The similarity in names was confusing and there were times that I wasn't sure who was talking.
Madriani is an interesting character but the story doesn't seem realistic. It seems improbable that a defense attorney would suspend his practice in order to chase terrorists.
There was an appropriate level of suspense in the book and it grew in intensity as the action was concluding. However, in the final pages, I felt like I was reading an episode of TV's "24".
The novel was enjoyable and I recommend it for someone wanting an easy summer read.
February 27, 2011
I enjoyed listening to this Martini’s book “The Rule of Nine�, on CD, but it is not one of my favorites. I just finished reading Reece Hirsch’s first novel “The Insider� and felt it was much more of a legal thriller. Martini’s book was not a courtroom drama, but rather a chase across the country with the bad guys close behind. The Insider was a much better match with the international suspense novel genre.
Lawyer Paul Madriani is the main character in this novel with several other primaries, including his daughter and a Supreme Court judge named Root whoplays an important part of the underlying evil in this story. The book begins its story line when a young and inexperienced congressional aide/worker breaks the rules and allows a nice visiting tourist to view and, unknown to him, take pictures of an unauthorized area in the governmental offices.
What follows includes flight and fight and the bribes and perks given to high officials. The story also revolves around the Supreme Court and the durations of their seated positions. I didn’t like the introduction of “The Mexicutioner� as a character, but understood the need for the assassin concept to be introduced to the story.
Several questions are advanced in this novel that made me ask myself about issues such as should there be term limits for Supreme Court Judges and what do we really know or need to know about national security. All in all, it was an enjoyable book and those who follow Martini’s novel will find the on-going stories about Madriani as involving as always.
Lawyer Paul Madriani is the main character in this novel with several other primaries, including his daughter and a Supreme Court judge named Root whoplays an important part of the underlying evil in this story. The book begins its story line when a young and inexperienced congressional aide/worker breaks the rules and allows a nice visiting tourist to view and, unknown to him, take pictures of an unauthorized area in the governmental offices.
What follows includes flight and fight and the bribes and perks given to high officials. The story also revolves around the Supreme Court and the durations of their seated positions. I didn’t like the introduction of “The Mexicutioner� as a character, but understood the need for the assassin concept to be introduced to the story.
Several questions are advanced in this novel that made me ask myself about issues such as should there be term limits for Supreme Court Judges and what do we really know or need to know about national security. All in all, it was an enjoyable book and those who follow Martini’s novel will find the on-going stories about Madriani as involving as always.
December 31, 2019
Audiobook read by Dan Woren. 2.5 stars. A continuation of Guardian of Lies and it ends in a cliffhanger, as the story continues in Trader of Secrets. I did not realize this when I started reading it. The good news is that it’s not an edge-of-your-seat cliffhanger, but more of a here’s the rest of the story kind of thing.
As a novel, I struggled with maintaining interest in this book. The pace was uneven, and the narration constantly alternating from first to third person and back was awkward. Woren’s narration was almost too pleasant to listen to, as all his characters sounded the same, and his reading was steady and made for rather boring listening when there was no action.
I’ll keep reading because I’ve heard good things about his other books, but I wouldn’t recommend this book or this so-called trilogy unless you’re really a big fan of this author.
As a novel, I struggled with maintaining interest in this book. The pace was uneven, and the narration constantly alternating from first to third person and back was awkward. Woren’s narration was almost too pleasant to listen to, as all his characters sounded the same, and his reading was steady and made for rather boring listening when there was no action.
I’ll keep reading because I’ve heard good things about his other books, but I wouldn’t recommend this book or this so-called trilogy unless you’re really a big fan of this author.
Read
July 25, 2010Steve Martini has yet another winner with this Paul Madriani novel. Picking up about a year after his last story (Guardian of Lies) leaves off, we find lawyer Paul Madriani still being pursued by Liquida/the Mexicutioner who hungers for revenge after Madriani and friends spoil his retirement plans in the previous novel. Now employed by an arms dealer to assist in the plans laid out by the 'Old Weatherman' , Liquida pursues Madriani, his daughter, and friends while they assist Joselyn Cole, a lawyer turned weapons control lobbyist. The story is well written and a page turner, good for those nights you do not want to sleep . . .
December 6, 2010
Steve Martini never disappoints, but I wish he would get back to legal thrillers. This is another spy political thriller which is a sequel to his last book, Guardian of Lies. Contract killer, Liquida aka the "Mexicutioner" resurfaces with revenge for Madriani and everyone who is close to him for foiling his last mission. A new terrorist named Thorn enters with big plans to cripple the U.S. by killing the entire Supreme Court at the same time. Another new character is Joselyn Cole, a weapons control expert, who joins Madriani in pursuing our villians. It's a complex plot with many twists and turns. AND the ending leaves room for a third book in the series.
January 5, 2011
I am a big fan of Paul Madriani and was really anticipating a thrilling story, but I'd have to say that this story dragged on. It didn't seem to reach the excitement that I was looking for out of Martini. A decent read and fascinating story, but just not as good as I thought it would be.
February 9, 2013
Part two of trilogy finds the hero Madriani weakend by women, incompetence and his own stupidity in some instances. Yet, this story manages to save some face at the end. The reader will be saying, how can you be so dense at times. Because Martini is a better writer than this, 7 of 10 stars
October 1, 2022
I love this series featuring lawyer Paul Madriani. The blend of high intrigue and family are excellent. The writing is engrossing and hard to put down.
The Old Weatherman dreams of a plan that could be his swan song, an attack to drive a stake through the heart of the right-wing establishment and bury it for good. Now he's found the money, the ideal weapon, and the professional who knows how to use it. And he has set his sights on the perfect target at the very seat of the United States government, in the heart of downtown Washington. It will be a strike heard round the world.
San Diego defense attorney Paul Madriani is still reeling from the trauma of a near nuclear explosion he helped avert at the naval base in Coronado. Threatened by federal authorities to keep quiet about the close call in California, Madriani is now faced with a new problem in the steely-eyed and alluring Joselyn Cole, a weapons control expert, who believes he has to go public with what he knows if they have any hope of stopping a similar event in the future.
But Madriani has been linked to the murder of a Washington, D.C., political staffer, and authorities believe a shadowy figure called Liquida - a hired assassin known as "the Mexicutioner" - may be responsible. And this man, as the last survivor of the attack in San Diego, might be driven by a bizarre and horrifying star-crossed vendetta, and might now be looking for Madriani himself. What Madriani and Cole begin to fear is that the Old Weatherman and this madman have joined forces and intend to pull the city - and the country - into a vortex of terror before Madriani and Cole can find answers to the enigma that is "the rule of nine."
The Old Weatherman dreams of a plan that could be his swan song, an attack to drive a stake through the heart of the right-wing establishment and bury it for good. Now he's found the money, the ideal weapon, and the professional who knows how to use it. And he has set his sights on the perfect target at the very seat of the United States government, in the heart of downtown Washington. It will be a strike heard round the world.
San Diego defense attorney Paul Madriani is still reeling from the trauma of a near nuclear explosion he helped avert at the naval base in Coronado. Threatened by federal authorities to keep quiet about the close call in California, Madriani is now faced with a new problem in the steely-eyed and alluring Joselyn Cole, a weapons control expert, who believes he has to go public with what he knows if they have any hope of stopping a similar event in the future.
But Madriani has been linked to the murder of a Washington, D.C., political staffer, and authorities believe a shadowy figure called Liquida - a hired assassin known as "the Mexicutioner" - may be responsible. And this man, as the last survivor of the attack in San Diego, might be driven by a bizarre and horrifying star-crossed vendetta, and might now be looking for Madriani himself. What Madriani and Cole begin to fear is that the Old Weatherman and this madman have joined forces and intend to pull the city - and the country - into a vortex of terror before Madriani and Cole can find answers to the enigma that is "the rule of nine."
August 31, 2019
When I started the series I was enjoying it but as the series went on I am very disappointed. I will finish a series because I have too much time invested in it. The author has so much parts in the book that don’t make sense and also has some very “geeky� moments. There’s about at least two Dash three parts of the book where Paul and Joslin are going back-and-forth with sexual innuendos. A couple of lines would’ve been OK but it just kept going and going, way too much and weird to me. It almost seems like the author is turning Paul into a modern-day Colombo. At first it seemed he was more masculine along with being a good attorney, now he just seems more geeky but still stumbles his way into figuring things out. Finally Paul and Joslin have their sexual moment and she’s having him meditate, the whole moment was just weird. The “Mexecutioner� is still running around smarter and more sophisticated than our CIA and FBI. He Can just come in and out of America and do whatever he wants. As I mentioned on the previous book, I would not be so harsh with the author if it wasn’t for him on the author notes given the fax of terrorist plans and things like that. He speaks as he has fax in his book but he put it all together like an evening soap opera.
June 9, 2018
An interesting story, but it’s more James Bond-ish than the previous book. There is not a single courtroom scene, nor does Paul draft a single legal document.
As in the last book, Harry is left behind. He watches over Sarah while Paul and Herman chase after bad guys, one of whom, Liquida, is chasing after them and determined to kill them, as well as Harry and Sarah.
Herman and Liquida injure each other, with Herman getting the more severe injuries. Paul thwarts the other bad guy’s intent, and later, while wrestling with him for his gun, knocks him off balance and onto the subway’s third rail.
The good guys win, but Liquida is still out there, and still determined to kill all four of them.
I’m hoping that the next book get Paul back into the courtroom, where he’s a much more believable hero.
As in the last book, Harry is left behind. He watches over Sarah while Paul and Herman chase after bad guys, one of whom, Liquida, is chasing after them and determined to kill them, as well as Harry and Sarah.
Herman and Liquida injure each other, with Herman getting the more severe injuries. Paul thwarts the other bad guy’s intent, and later, while wrestling with him for his gun, knocks him off balance and onto the subway’s third rail.
The good guys win, but Liquida is still out there, and still determined to kill all four of them.
I’m hoping that the next book get Paul back into the courtroom, where he’s a much more believable hero.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 4, 2019
Very let down with this book in the continuing Paul Madriani, defense attorney series. Not a client, courtroom, judge or jury in sight. Instead the protagonist and his investigator are racing across country, two steps ahead of the bumbling real FBI agents (again), in pursuit of the bad guy. Seriously, if I wanted to read a spy novel, I would choose a Robert Ludlum book instead.
In my opinion, Steve Martini has seriously damaged his reputation in this series. I held him in high esteem alongside John Grisham and Michael Connelly in the legal genre. I'm unable to find anything endearing to say about this book. 0/5
In my opinion, Steve Martini has seriously damaged his reputation in this series. I held him in high esteem alongside John Grisham and Michael Connelly in the legal genre. I'm unable to find anything endearing to say about this book. 0/5
September 24, 2017
Picking up where Guardian of Lies left off, California trial lawyer Paul Madriani and his team are again swept up in international intrigue and terrorism, with New York and Washington the targets of the "father of all bombs."
As with all Steve Martini books, it is well crafted, fast paced, and full of tension and action. For me, books that constantly find a lawyer pulled into the center of international terror attacks, saving the world when the FBI and CIA with all their resources, don't know what's happening, just doesn't ring with credibility. I like my novels tied more closely to the reality of the world.
But if you like a good "end of the world as we know it" thriller, it's hard to do much better than Martini.
As with all Steve Martini books, it is well crafted, fast paced, and full of tension and action. For me, books that constantly find a lawyer pulled into the center of international terror attacks, saving the world when the FBI and CIA with all their resources, don't know what's happening, just doesn't ring with credibility. I like my novels tied more closely to the reality of the world.
But if you like a good "end of the world as we know it" thriller, it's hard to do much better than Martini.
October 15, 2023
This is the second of a trilogy focused more on international intrigue and terrorism into which our lawyer is thrust. It is interesting enough, but not the crime drama we really were looking for. The plot lines are very clever � approaching “Mission Impossible� schemes! Yet despite the understanding of fiction, the long accumulation of things going JUST right (except when a plot twist is needed) destroys the plausibility. And this time, the open end and link to the NEXT book are explicit. I really don’t like reading novels that are intentional serials, except in a broad sense of the characters. There are other, possibly better, spy thrillers out there. I may return to this series later, but I will be reading some other mystery novels after this one.
February 15, 2020
This is my last Steve Martini book. Paul Madriani, hero, lawyer, and wanna-be action hero, engages in a series of low-tension action sequences to thwart an attempt to eliminate the sitting members of the US Supreme Court. No legal stuff, no courtroom settings, just a dull, unrelenting chase that Madriani and friends pursue to to its ultimate and predictable end. Of course, neither the police nor FBI show any interest in the evidence that Madriani presents them, so Madriani's crew has to do this own their own. The story is dumb, the dialogue pedestrian, and all of the characters are familiar and two-dimensional
June 30, 2020
Published in 2010, it's amazing how old the technology of 2010 feels. That's not Martini's fault, of course, and it doesn't detract from the story because Martini invents some advanced weaponry which plays a major role in the story. Rule of Nine must be a sequel to another Paul Madriani story and is the prequel to a follow up given a major unresolved aspect to the ending. I guess that's okay. It's how some writers sell books.
Martini doesn't make his protagonist--a defense attorney--out to be a superhero. That's fine. He gets help from a lot of people, but seems in the dark half the time before coming through as required in the climatic moment at the end.
Martini doesn't make his protagonist--a defense attorney--out to be a superhero. That's fine. He gets help from a lot of people, but seems in the dark half the time before coming through as required in the climatic moment at the end.
October 25, 2022
OK. So a lawyer is going to use all his money to follow a terrorist who has a bomb that nobody believes in. I guess that's why they call it fiction. Mr Martini did, however, do a great job of nailing all the details. This is the first book of his I've ever read. That was probably a mistake. He relied heavily on his former books so I probably should not had read this as a solo read? There were nice developments but absolutely NOTHING to surprise me. If I were to read the series this would be looked at as a bridge book, but I doubt very much I'll be diving into the series. Still, not a bad read.
February 3, 2025
I like the characters in these books and the plots are intriguing.
This one was a bit longer than it needed to be, as so many threads were introduced along the way that it is easy to lose track of them all. However, the intrigue level is high as our protagonists are not sure whom to trust. A nasty assassin is on the loose, a terrorist plot threatens, and youthful indiscretions and crimes are in danger of being revealed.
Meanwhile, the case takes Madriani to Victorville, Arizona, New Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Washington DC as he tries to stop a disaster that others do not seem to think is truly a threat.
This one was a bit longer than it needed to be, as so many threads were introduced along the way that it is easy to lose track of them all. However, the intrigue level is high as our protagonists are not sure whom to trust. A nasty assassin is on the loose, a terrorist plot threatens, and youthful indiscretions and crimes are in danger of being revealed.
Meanwhile, the case takes Madriani to Victorville, Arizona, New Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Washington DC as he tries to stop a disaster that others do not seem to think is truly a threat.
March 20, 2018
Good thriller with good familiar characters and a scary villain. Paul Madriani doesn't have any superhero friends; just good old fashioned brains. (Well, I guess his investigator, Diggs, is a pretty tough dude and very smart.) I haven't read the previous book (Guardian of Lies) but will move to correct that. I had both that and #12 on my shelves. I just grabbed #11 and started it. Maybe because I didn't read the previous book, this one took a little bit of time to get into.
Anyway, I liked it a lot. Moving on to TRADER OF SECRETS.
Anyway, I liked it a lot. Moving on to TRADER OF SECRETS.
November 26, 2024
Jumping from San Diego to Puerto Rico to DC and points in between, lawyer Paul Madriani and his allies race to stop a terrorist plot on an unknown target. Fast-paced and fun it does commit what I consider a cardinal sin with novels, it ends on something of a cliffhanger. I always feel that it is unfair to the reader. Unlike tv shows or comic books, it can be years before a reader gets to continue the story. Of course, that's not so much a problem when you read it 14 years after publication. 😁 Back to the book store!
March 19, 2019
Again -- it is as if Martini is taking his defense attorney, Madriani, in a complete different direction.
Missing from this novel is any Legal/Courtroom action.
What is packed in instead? Action. Terrorist Plots. Political Chaos!
Mitch Rapp / Jack Ryan (Jack Ryan, Jr) style thriller!
Loving it!
Phillip Tomasso
Author of the Crime Novel YOU CHOOSE
and the Supernatural Thriller WOMAN IN THE WOODS
Missing from this novel is any Legal/Courtroom action.
What is packed in instead? Action. Terrorist Plots. Political Chaos!
Mitch Rapp / Jack Ryan (Jack Ryan, Jr) style thriller!
Loving it!
Phillip Tomasso
Author of the Crime Novel YOU CHOOSE
and the Supernatural Thriller WOMAN IN THE WOODS
August 19, 2021
I would have rated this book a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ but it's one of those continuing Series, where you have to but the next book to find out what happens.
The story is great, good characters, lots of technical details, but at the end of the book, it left me hanging. I hate that! I would have bought another book if it ended properly, but I WILL NOT BE FORCED TO BUT THE NEXT BOOK IN A SERIES to find out how it ends!
The story is great, good characters, lots of technical details, but at the end of the book, it left me hanging. I hate that! I would have bought another book if it ended properly, but I WILL NOT BE FORCED TO BUT THE NEXT BOOK IN A SERIES to find out how it ends!
September 29, 2021
Really? When an author endows his characters with superior intelligence and then allows them to act in a distinctly unintelligent, life-threatening manner, I lose interest. I have to admit is was a quick read and held the reader in suspense, but still. I started with 2 stars, but might nudge it up to 3 if I happen to read its sequel. Yes, this book ended with a cliffhanger. I went to the Saturday movies in the late 1940s for cliffhangers. They worked there.
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