The Judge

Paul Madriani #4

by Steve Martini

When Judge Armando Acosta is charged with soliciting a prostitute, attorney Paul Madriani is less than sympathetic. Nevertheless, Madriani is forced to defend his old nemesis.

And when the policewoman who snared Acosta is brutally murdered, Madriani wonders if the judge is also the executioner.

The most explosive thriller yet by New York Times bestselling author Steve Martini -- The Judge.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Legal Thriller, Crime, Legal, Mystery Thriller

548 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 3, 1996

About the author

Steven Paul "Steve" Martini is an American writer of legal novels.

Reviews

[Diane Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent read! thriller,plot twist of a storyline...good to the very last page (paperback!)

[Barry Medlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first read from Steve Martini and it was very entertaining! I’ll be looking to read more of his work!

[Jeff Dickison · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent entry in the Paul Madriani series, this is exciting with very good plot twists and an unusually strong ending. Paul must defend a judge of murder charges. Lenore is especially feisty in this book. Highly recommended.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Armando Acosta is a judge disliked by nearly everyone-- especially the corrupt police officers who are the subject of a grand jury investigation conducted by Acosta. Acosta is arrested on a phony charge of solicitation and is suspended from the bench. However, when the decoy in the arrest turns up dead, it looks as though Acosta will be vacating the bench permanently.

Acosta enlists the help of one of his least favorite attorneys, Paul Madriani, to help him beat the murder charge. In defending the judge, Madriani discovers that the corrupt officers will stop at nothing to protect themselves and their peers.

Madriani suspects that the prosecution's case is missing one vital piece of evidence. His search for that missing piece leads him to the murderer and the motive in a surprise twist ending.

[Tom S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good courtroom drama. I have enjoyed this series.

[Jill Manske · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though this book was written 20 years ago, it still feels fresh and current. Paul Madriani is brought in to defend an unpopular judge accused of murdering a woman who was a witness against him in a prostitution sting. The plot also includes dirty cops and overly ambitious attorneys aspiring to public office. "The Judge" is very well-written with unforgettable characters. It's an early Madriani, who is still evolving into the crusader defense attorney we recognize from later books. You're never quite sure who's really wearing the white hats and who's just pretending. To be honest, some of the courtroom scenes ran a little long with a bit too much detail. But it's still a fascinating story.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book, good story, written this review twice, and it went to never never land.
Lawyer Paul Madriani takes on a crooked union, a crooked police department and defends a Judge he dislikes. Along the way, the police department try and get him jailed and disbarred, and will stoop to nothing to stop him from finding out the truth. Twists and turns.

[Amanda Patterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good airport read.

[Ian "Marvin" Graye]

The Judge

Let me plead
That my quest
Not enmesh
With verdicts
Dispensed from
This woeful
Judge's bench,
For from thence
Comes the stench
Of spirit
Much weaker
Than the flesh.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good Martini, right to the last drop. Good story, familiar characters and suspenseful right to the end.

[Edmond Gagnon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first Steve Martini novel I've read and I'd have no problem reading more. Comparable to John Grisham when it comes to courtroom drama - but not quite as good, the author tells a good story with believable characters.
I thought the story dragged a bit, mostly because Martini goes into excruciating detail about every little clue or piece of evidence introduced, slowing the story down. Having said that, I enjoyed the story and was surprised when the truth about the real killer was revealed at the very end.
For Grisham fans out there, Martini is worth checking out.

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like courtroom drama, then this series is for you. I find the back and forth between lawyer and witnesses so interesting and love how things fall together. I especially loved the ending in this one with payback being a b****!

This was published in 1995, so the introduction of cell phones as regular business does not seem to be a factor here. In fact I don't even think they were mentioned. Refreshing!

I am giving this 5 out of 5 stars and can't wait to see what happens next in this series.

[Jeff Clausen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel may have more courtroom scenes than any I’ve read in ages. The judge at the bench has a lively character, and isn’t even the same judge that the title refers to, and is only #2 of a total of 3 judges that figure in the plot. Naturally there are loads of lawyers playing their parts, with district attorneys and cops also well represented. My favorite parts were those that bordered on skullduggery: people creeping around where they shouldn’t be. I’ll also say that about John Grisham novels, whose books are a bit less convoluted than this. But overall a good story to keep you guessing.

[Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong plot + annoying writing habits = 4 stars

The Judge is my second Martini book (the first as an audiobook) and I am almost embarrassed to say that I really liked it. I didn't realize that I was such a literary elitist (especially if you looked at the stuff I've reviewed) but deep-down inside I guess that there are just some books that I want to hate simply because everyone else likes them.

Well, there's a reason why Martini's books have been perennial best-sellers - they're entertaining legal thrillers.

Plot synopsis:

Shenanigans in the police union have attracted the attention of an abrasive judge. He is leading a grand jury investigation into the union's finances when he is arrested for prostitution and later murder.

Paul Madriani is dragged into the case as the judge's defense attorney as a favor to a friend and soon everyone is stuck in a web of intrigue that involves the police, the prosecutor and Madriani's family.

The plot works well but Madriani overuses the 'simile' as a literary device. As I listened to this book on tape I started to become distracted by the sheer number of them. If I'd have had a notepad I would have started a tally sheet!

See all of my reviews of Steve Martini books here: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/searc...

[Charissa Wilkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overview: Paul has gotten the kind of client that causes him to question his beliefs as a defense attorney. A judge, that he personally cannot stand, is caught up in a prostitution sting. The case mutates into a murder charge when the star witness, the decoy, is found dead of decidedly unnatural causes. Paul is willing to let his newest law partner take the reins of the case, until the prosecutor pulls a dirty trick. Now all that stands between Judge Acosta and a jail sentence is Paul Madriani and Harry Hinds.

Likes: Paul has a strong set of convictions. Just because he doesn’t like a person, it doesn’t mean that he or she doesn’t deserve the best defense possible.

Sarah is pretty cute. And her Mom, Nicki, had the right idea. Children shouldn’t be able to play divide and conquer with their parents.

And Harry’s return policy was a fun part in the story.

Dislikes: Neither Lenore nor Kline were people that I would want to be associated with. Their priorities and attitudes bothered me.

Conclusion: This was a pretty good read. Especially, the courtroom scene with Kimberly and Binky.

[Colette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book that I have read by Steve Martini and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The plot was generally well planned out (there were a few loose ends that I would like to have had tidied up, but nothing that interfered with the story-line.) Characters were well fleshed out, in fact they were so well fleshed out, that the main female protagonist irritated me an immense amount. I have always loved court room dramas and this one did not disappoint.

[Richard Guerrero · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book was great, great characters and storylines just like the others. Poetic justice at the end when they planet the drugs in the luggage. I caught it from the start with something being in her teddy bear and was starting to figure out the District attorney had his hands dirty. Love Paul and Lenor together.

[D. Jane Akins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t figure this one out at all.

This is a well-told legal procedural novel. Although there was a lot of license taken in the courtroom part of the book, it was fairly accurate and very entertaining. I didn’t figure out the “who done it” until it was revealed and it was quite a surprise. I enjoyed this book like no other in a long time.

[Larry Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This feels authentic

I like books that explore the intricacies of courtroom battles. This one demands the reader’s concentration, but the attorneys’ pleas and judge’s rulings hold up well. The story engages the reader while realistic characters emerge over time. Worthwhile reading.

[Cathy DuPont · Rating 4 out of 5]

Duh to me. I read this last year and forgot to enter it, I guess. That put me one book closer to reaching my goal. All I need to do is find a couple of more I forgot to enter and I get the big award for meeting my goal. Big Award. I want my big award.

[RKC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its the first novel i read from Martini. I like the plot, specially the courtroom parts. Im not a great fan of his writing. He uses a lot of comparations to describe. Spends too much time on this. Anyway a very good book.

[Sammuel K. Hitchcock]

Steve Martini - excellent as usual!

The only reason I gave this book 4 stars is that it started very slowly, but as is normally the case with a Steve Martini novel, it finished with a bang.

[Steve Maddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Legal Thriller

If you are a lawyer, the courtroom tactics in this book are intriguing and spot on. It is well written and hard to put down. It flows well and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

[Crystal Davis-coan · Rating 5 out of 5]

From my previous list- audiobook

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could have been 4 stars, but there are still some unanswered questions (for example, the glasses).

[Emily Higgins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Attorney Paul Madriani has an adverse risk relationship with Judge Acosta. However, when Judge Acosta is accused of murder, Paul finds himself reluctantly agreeing to defend the judge.

[Avid Series Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Judge by Steve Martini is the fourth book of the Paul Madriani mystery series set in contemporary "Capital County". Paul Madriani, defense attorney, hates judge Armando Acosta, with good cause. Paul has "The Coconut" in mind when he muses "the judiciary is still the one place in our system where authority can be abused with virtual impunity". As a favor to Lenore Goya, chief prosecutor of Capital County, Paul has agreed to represent police officer Tony Arguillo, a neophyte cop only 4 years on the force. Tony is a pawn in The Coconut's grand jury investigation into police corruption (in general) and the police union (in particular). A war they would drop if "the blue flu" (a rash of cops calling in sick) would stop. "It is true what they say about most judges. The principal qualification for the office is that they are lawyers who know the governor." To Paul, The Coconut in charge of a grand jury is like "a pedophile in charge of a day-care center".

The Coconut is forcing Tony to testify against fellow cops, or go to jail (where he will be violently attacked, likely killed). Paul tries to reason with The Coconut, who feigns moral indignation, which "is like spinning gold from straw, given the man's limited virtue".

"Acosta does not have a high opinion of cops. To him, the competent ones are people to be shot at in times of danger; the more inept can spit-polish his black, pointy cowboy boots in moments of tedium...his bailiff does the chore."

Even if the reader hasn't read earlier books in the series, by the first dozen pages it's obvious Paul and The Coconut are long-standing enemies.

Back at Paul's office, his partner Harry Hinds is "picking through candy from a dish on the receptionist's desk, the remnants of Christmas leftovers he has fingered and passed over for half a year. By the rules of some Darwinian law of sweets, these have suddenly become edible". A subtle message that Harry is a lightweight 'partner' of no particular significance to the story. How/why Harry became Paul's partner is unexplained, likewise if Harry ever had an impact in previous cases.

Paul does not normally represent cops. He's only doing so as a favor to Lenore. At Paul's first meeting with Tony, "he does the natural cop's thing when cornered, a lot of bravado". Tony won't share what he knows, even under lawyer-client privilege. "...law enforcement's true and highest credo, the ultimate rule of survival on the street: Never give up a fellow cop." Tony has been doing the accounts for the Police Association headed by Gus Lano, "a man with an immense ego and terminal ambition".

The first surprise plot twist is The Coconut's arrest for solicitation. Now the grand jury investigation is no more...obviously Brittany Hall, a decoy for Vice, set him up. Police union wins the round! Next surprise twist: shortly after Lenore (DA) interviews Brittany about the solicitation case, Lenore is fired by her new, over-ambitious boss Coleman Kline. Next surprise: Brittany is murdered.

The wildly improbable has become reality: Lenore and Paul are defense counsel representing The Coconut. Opposing counsel: the vindictive, sneaky Kline. Presiding judge Radovich "is not one to reason on a high level", which Kline discovered early on, and "all day he played the judge like a piano". The court case is "a cross between Carnival and a public hanging, with hucksters peddling snake oil from the tailgate of your television set".

Dirty tricks are the order of the day: Lenore is dismissed from the case; a police officer disguised as a cable TV repairman plants drugs in Paul's home. Paul's quick thinking avoids that frameup. But the officer returns one dark night...tries to go upstairs where Paul's daughter is sleeping. Paul's a widower; wife Nikki died two years ago. Their daughter Sarah (age eight) is "master of the stall". She can "take an hour to make her bed in the morning and another to brush her teeth....Put her in the shower with a bar of soap and she will drain the local reservoir."

Great courtroom scenes and more surprise plot twists make this chunkster a page-turner. An attentive reader will notice a dangling clue in testimony....followed up much later in a suspenseful, deadly scene.

[Clem · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of those books that I found in my garage that I obtained somehow, somewhere, a couple of decades ago. Giving this book a try, I came to the conclusion that it was overall well written, yet I honestly don’t have any urge to read anything else by this author anytime soon.

This is one of those legal thrillers written by an author who is also, obviously, a lawyer. This description immediately makes everyone first think of “John Grisham”. Well, Steve Martini is no John Grisham, but to be fair, neither is anyone else. Reading this book, it’s very obvious, however, that Martini is an expert in legal matters. Such qualities don’t necessary translate to a well written story, but just because Martini might not be the best at what he does, this is still an overall satisfying read.

The hero in this book is lawyer Paul Madriani. A widower with a young daughter. Having a main, or in this case, recurring character with such a background allows the author to stretch the pages a bit further since it allows our hero to have romantic interests as well as coping with the hard life of being single parent. A task that is portrayed as somewhat more difficult for a man than a woman in this story.

Initially in the story, Madriani is approached by a female friend (also single, also a lawyer) that Madriani happens to have a wee crush on. She needs his help, as her police officer cousin has become a suspect is some foul, police corruption goings on. As our hero starts his investigation, we begin to see the legal profession with all of the exposed seams – including a less than helpful judge. It seems Madriani and this judge have never really gotten along too well during their careers. So Madriani has to double much of his work efforts that seem to only yield about half of the desired results.

Well, lo and behold, the Judge soon gets arrested for a crime! Madriani first breathes a sigh of relief. However, as we turn the pages, it seems as though Madriani will now end up defending the Judge in a murder trial. So, yes, it’s a predictable twist of fate, and from this point on, the story is basically an intricate view of the judge’s trial. We meet other lawyers, the prosecuting attorney, the “new” judge, and a lot of witnesses. It’s all done very well, yet to be honest, I found the details too meticulous. I feel the author could have told a better story with fewer words.

Speaking of “fewer words”, this leads to another criticism I have with this book. The book is told in first person, and the author feels it necessary to tell us what the character is thinking every time he utters a sentence. So when the protagonist says something randomly inconsequential such as “I enjoyed a piece of toast”, the author will then spend a paragraph or two on his character explaining what makes a really good piece of toast. This wears on the reader in a hurry. (Such an event didn’t actually happen in this book, but I’m trying to make an analogy.) I found that in instances where the author did NOT bog us down with Madriani’s thoughts, made the book much more enjoyable as the story progressed on a much more digestible level. The author should give his readers a bit more credit in the imagination department.


I’ll also say that the book did get better as it went on. The second half was much better than the first once the trial “got going”. This was a pretty good read, and I imagine the more that one really loves to read and study the law, the more that they would enjoy this book since it was so thoroughly detailed.

[Dyana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like a compelling and intense courtroom drama, and this book gave it to me. And, if you pay attention, you can pick out some hidden clues (which I missed completely). Then you might be able to guess the identity of the killer before the reveal (I didn't). I was so tempted to read the ending prematurely! There were plot twists, red herrings, surprises and a suspenseful and thrilling ending. The descriptions are vivid and the characters are fleshed out except maybe for one - the cause of the courtroom drama, Judge Armando Acosta. What makes him tick? The book is also written in 1st person by the main character, lawyer Paul Madriani - a man with a sense of honor and convictions.

Paul Madriani is a widower and a single parent to young Sarah. He is also a lawyer. He must juggle his career and his parenting responsibilities. Lenore Goya is chief deputy prosecutor for Capital County. In a previous book, she saved his life. Lenore comes to Madriani needing help with a friend named Tony Arguillo, a police officer, who is in some difficulty. Madriani comes up against Judge Armando Acosta (A.K.A. the coconut) who is his arch nemesis and arrogant, abrasive, and a bully. Acosta is presiding over a Grand Jury which is looking into corrupt police officers and union finances. Tony is a suspect in a previous incident where another policeman was killed. Madriani is fighting to keep Tony from having to testify when Acosta is charged with soliciting a prostitute - how fortunate is that? - Madriani is ecstatic!

The police used a decoy named Brittany Hall to snare Acosta. Could Phil Mendel, head of the corrupt Police Assn., and a man with an immense ego and terminal ambition be involved? Lenore is fired by Coleman Kline, the county's new D.A. because he is cleaning up his office and they also hate each other. Lenore and Madriani team up, and she takes Acosta on as a client when he is kicked off the bench. The decoy, Brittany Hall, is later found murdered and Acosta is arrested. Lenore and Madriani do something so obviously stupid that she, knowing something she shouldn't and is found out, must forfeit Acosta's case to him. Now Madriani is forced to defend a man he hates but who he knows has been set up and is innocent.

Harry Hinds provides the comic relief. He is Madriani's acerbic friend and a lawyer who has an office down the hall. Harry frequently does research and investigating for Madriani and assists during a trial. Since all the judges in the county have recused themselves, an outsider from another county named Judge Harland Radovich is brought in. He wears cowboy boots, an out-of-doors complexion, and takes a common sense approach to the law rather than that of a legal scholar. There is one child that testifies, Kimberly Hall, Brittany's daughter who was hiding in a closet during the murder. That's a heart-wrenching scene. The courtroom scenes are riveting and nail-biting.

The author is a former trial attorney and knows legal strategies, intricacies of courtroom battle, machinations, and games that lawyers play. He engages the reader. The book did start out slow, but picked up speed and had a satisfying ending. Highly recommended - a compelling courtroom drama.

[Caitlin Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

An obviously seasoned writer. I love his packed sentences. Simply told, they paint a quick picture. His first chapter captures the reader from the pov of the protagonist. A couple things: he's lost his beloved wife; he plays it down; he has a daughter named Nikki, he's attracted to this woman he's meeting for lunch, the Chief Deputy Counsel for Capital County, Lenore Goya but he doesn't do anything about it. She saved his life once; he tries to be cool, to leave a good impression. You're rooting for him already. He sets her up for his reader, there is no slack in the storytelling. At the end of the chapter, they flirt; she asks him to help her - a friend - a police officer 'in some difficulty'. That tension carries on every time they meet.

I have to quote a description, I love it so much: Here's the Judge, himself. "Armando Acosta wold have excelled in another age: Scenes of some dimly lit stone cavern with iron shackles pinioned to the walls come to mind. Visions of flickering torches, the odor of lard thick in the air, as black-hooded men, hairy an darrel-chested, scurry about with implements of pain, employed at his command. The 'Coconut' is a man with bad timing. He missed his calling with the passing of the Spanish Inquisition."

I picked up an old paperback; water stained, debuted in 1996. I just knew it would be goo