Double Tap

Paul Madriani #8

by Steve Martini

Attorney Paul Madriani defends a highly decorated soldier who is on trial for murder, and unwittingly steps into a maze of secrets and lies that the government - and even this client - would rather leave hidden and undisturbed.

Madriani is faced with arcane ballistics evidence, the so-called double tap - two bullet wounds tightly grouped to a victim's head, from shots that can have been made only by a crack marksman. Madriani's client is an enigma, a career soldier who refuses to talk about his past, though clearly he is a battle-tested pro. The victim was an alluring businesswoman and software tycoon whose empire catered to the military, and the most damning evidence is the weapon that killed her: a handgun used solely in special operations where the double tap is the trademark of the most skilled assassins.

Madriani begins to have new fears about his client, a man who would rather sit on a legal time bomb than talk about his past and get a chance at acquittal. And yet more troubling, Madriani discovers that the victim was involved in a controversial government contract to combat terrorism by combing through the private computer records of millions of American citizens.

Madriani faces a wilderness of mirrors in a courtroom battle where every witness can hide behind "national security," where information is power and digital information is absolute power. It is a war in which the scales of justice are being tipped by evasion, deceit - and murder. Finding the unvarnished truth has never been so elusive - or so dangerous.

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

416 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 25, 2005

About the author

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

Reviews

[Paul Weiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not a "legal thriller", it's a "legal procedural"!

Despite being firmly slotted into the legal thriller genre, Steve Martini's novel Double Tap is most unequivocally not a thriller. And while that may sound like bad news for potential readers and existing Steve Martini fans, that statement is most unequivocally not a condemnation or criticism of what is an exceptionally interesting novel.

The story is simple. Madelyn Chapman is a powerful, wealthy, beautiful, and extremely self-indulgent business woman - the CEO of a high-tech software firm whose main customer is the US government. She has been found in her home murdered with two very tightly grouped gunshot wounds to the head. This particular style of murder is called a "double tap" in the trade and is typically the signature of a professional assassin who, by the bye, is also a superb marksman.

The case against Emiliano Ruiz, a career soldier, is rock solid and defense attorney Paul Madriani is worried about his inability to explain certain obvious gaps in his client's military résumé that Ruiz steadfastly refuses to clarify. In the face of almost overwhelming evidence against his client, Madriani doggedly investigates the case and begins to bump into dangerous secrets that the government, the military and the new CEO of Chapman's firm would prefer stay under the darkest and deepest cover.

In the same manner as a police procedural is not a suspense thriller, Double Tap is not a legal thriller. It's definitely a legal procedural with an almost encyclopedic wealth of fascinating minutiae on the details of a trial for capital murder - the pre-trial investigations that would be undertaken by a defense attorney; motions and counter motions; side bars; forensic examination of evidence; objections sustained and over-ruled; side bars; characterization and selection of "expert" witnesses; potential grounds for appeal and mistrial; jury selection; discovery; arraignment; witness lists; required disclosure of evidence; media coverage; and much, much more.

Steve Martini's description of Emiliano Ruiz's trial for murder was compelling and utterly absorbing - the proverbial page turner, to be sure - but, sadly, the ending when it came was almost anti-climactic. In all fairness, the clues were all there and the characters had definitely been introduced in the course of the novel. To call the ending "deus ex machina" would be quite incorrect. But, in comparison with the body of the novel, it arrived with a bit of a thud and was definitely a let down.

One star reduction from what would otherwise have been a five star barn burner. Highly recommended.

Paul Weiss

[S.P. Aruna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a schizoid review, but that's because of the book, not me. The first half of the book is bloated and boring - good content editing would have helped. The second half is a thrilling courtroom drama, with some of the best legal stuff I've seen in any novel. I rate the first half 2.5 stars, and the second half 5 stars, which gives an average of 3.75, which I rounded up to 4 stars.

The author has a very tedious style by telling not showing, with over-descriptions and too many clauses. The first 12 pages is like this, and without one word of dialogue. In fact, this style dominated much of the book. A side narrative that references Madriani's Uncle Evo was totally unnecessary and destroys the pace.

The book is written in the first person, i.e. the attorney Paul Madriani, who unfortunately comes out flat. I kept thinking while reading, "I don't know anything about this guy." At the end, I still didn't.

As mentioned, the courtroom scenes are full of strategy and psychological sparring, which was really enjoyable. The most unique character is the prosecutor who is a dwarf, but at times Martini goes over the top - a board placed over milk crates to form a plank to address the jury, and he sits on a box that serves as a booster-seat when at the prosecutors table. At times, references to this character verge on offensive.

Maybe I should have rounded down to 3 stars, but I was feeling generous.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a legal thriller that rolls along well and is set up nicely for a fantastic ending. A wealthy CEO of a tech company repsonsible for critical Dept. of Defense software is killed by a professional gun shot by someone who knew where to find the gun and who was trained in shooting twice in rapid succession to make sure the target went down (whence the "double tap"). The cops arrest and charge the natural suspect: a former member of the CEO's security group to whom the gun belonged, with whom the CEO had had a slightly beyond professional relationship, and who had recently been seen following her around.

Enter Paul Madriani, attorney extraordinaire, to investigate the situation and clean up the mess. What follows is good courtroom drama that I (as an attorney myself) appreciate. It's tough to do well. And though Martini at times tosses out information before forgetting that he has given you no basis for understanding what the information means, and then going back and trying to clean it up, for the most part the story flows smoothly along towards what is an eagerly-awaited climax.

The problem for me is the payoff. Now, I won't give anything away here, but I found the revelation of the CEO's killer to be a huge anticlimax and, infinitely worse, simply implausible on the information given to us during the buildup and even after the author's lame attempt to explain how everything ties in. I love a good thriller, but it comes with a risk: whether or not the ending will reward the reader for his ride through all of the buildup. Alas, despite the good courtroom drama, the ending of this one did not. Add to that some unanswered question and some guns left unfired on the mantle (see Chekhov), and you have yourself a two-star disappointment.

[Kellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven’t read a book from this series in a very long time. Martini is a bit like Grisham. I really like both authors.
While Grisham writes stand alone thrillers, Martini has a series that includes Paul Madriani and Harry, his partner.
In this book, Madriani uses a personal story, that of his uncle Evo, to compare to the story of his client Ruiz. In addition, Martini is a master of creating a legal thriller that is geared toward assisting a reader understand legal terms and process. In addition, Martini used hot topics like Cyber Security and Government intervention throughout the storyline. He’s done his research.
This book was about a murder of a high society executive. Madriani’s client is the man who is falsely convicted of her murder. What makes this case difficult is he was set up and there is a lot of circumstantial evidence pointing his way. The finally resolution of the mystery made sense but it was a abrupt, almost shocking. Once explained, it made sense, however, I think it deserved more pages.
This was a book that I was invested in. Always looking forward to get back to it. A little disappointed in the ending but it didn’t take away from the writing or the mystery. I may just go to the next book in the series....If I have it laying around.

[Marci - · Rating 5 out of 5]

Martini wrote this back in 2005....I wonder what he would think about Snowden and all of the spying presumably being done by the government now.....fiction makes for good news I guess and selling books!

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steve Martini is an exceptional writer. He knows just how to pull in the reader and keep them coming back for more. His plots are intricate and interesting, and don't fit the typical mold. Which is why I was nearly done with the book before I realized I must have read it before! I had no sense of deja vu until very late in the book - that's how good Martini is!

I enjoyed it (again)!

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bleh. I really couldn't get into this. Normally, when I read a thriller--- I'm completely hooked-- and just-- NEED to know "who done it" Not even remotely close, in this case. Sorry.

[Tom Tischler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Paul Madriani is found with daunting ballistics evidence, a so called double tap - two
bullet wounds tightly grouped in the victims head. Paul's client Emiliano Ruiz is an
enigma, a career soldier who refuses to discuss his past though it is clear he is a battle
tested pro. He is accused of killing a beautiful business woman and geru of a high tech
software empire catering to the military. A key to the case is the murder weapon it is
used solely in speed operations where the double tap has become the signature of most
assassins. Ruiz is sitting on a seven year gap in his military resume for which
Madriani can find no details and more troubling the victim and her company were
involved in a controversial government computer program designed to combat
terrorists. Madriani finds himself in a deadly legal quagmire with a client who is unwilling
to co operate and prosecutors who stonewall every question about the victims shadowy
business and his clients past. Finding justice has never been so elusive or so dangerous.
This is the eighth book in the Paul Madriani series. The story isn't to bad but I usually
find lawyer books boring and this was no exception. I gave it a 3.

[David Winslow Winslow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid writing, a bit of a stretch on the writing. Also thought I times the story got thin. I enjoyed it, but felt it could have been written better, or the characters done better…but maybe that was the intent, to see struggles during a case. I’d read another book of his.

[Chris Le Roux · Rating 2 out of 5]

Utterly boring 💤

[Dhyn Hanarun · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Tak perlu tipuan untuk melakukan tembakan beruntun yang dikenal dengan tembakan ganda atau double tap. Kuncinya adalah menembak tepat sasaran dengan peluru pertama. Kau tak perlu mengatur bidikan lagi untuk tembakan kedua. Kau hanya perlu mengaturnya sekali dan menarik pelatuknya dua kali berturut-turut dengan cepat – dor, dor. Seperti itu." – halaman 171

Madelyn Chapman, pemilik perusahaan piranti lunak yang ternama, Isotenics, Inc., ditemukan tewas di kediamannya. Dua peluru bersarang di kepalanya menandakan penembaknya merupakan seorang yang ahli dan terlatih. Dua motif yang muncul adalah pencurian barang berharga dengan bukti hilangnya benda seni kaca dan kecemburuan mantan kekasih. Motif terakhir membaca Emilliano Ruiz, mantan pengawal pribadi Chapman, menjadi tersangka utama. Selain faktor kedekatan khusus dengan korban yang terekam oleh kamera pengawas, Ruiz cocok dengan bukti senjata yang ditemukan petugas olah TKP dan dia tidak punya alibi di hari pembunuhan.

Paul Madriani dan rekannya Harry Hinds menjadi pengacara Ruiz, menggantikan Dale Kendal yang mengundurkan diri secara misterius. Madriani dan Hinds mencoba mengorek keterangan dari Ruiz untuk bisa menangkis benang merah yang mengaitkannya dengan aksi tembakan ganda tersebut. Tapi Ruiz selalu menghindari pertanyaan-pertanyaan mengenai latar belakang kehidupannya di kemiliteran. Dia hanya bisa menyatakan bahwa dia tidak membunuh Chapman. Madriani bisa mengerti hal tersebut karena dia punya paman bernama Evo yang pernah masuk ke bidang tersebut dan kesulitan keluar dari bayang-bayang dan mimpi buruk yang menghantuinya.

Menjelang persidangan yang menarik perhatian banyak media, Madriani dan Hinds bekerja semakin keras mengumpulkan bukti-bukti, memeriksa berkas dari Isotenics dan meminta keterangan dari orang-orang terkait. Mereka mulai menyadari proyek rahasia yang ditanganin Chapman sebelum meninggal bisa menjadi motif utama pembunuhan terhadapnya. Selain itu mereka harus berhadapan dengan pengacara pengugat, Lawrence K. Templeton yang selalu sukses menangani kasus besar. Pengacara berbadan mungil itu menjadi batu sandungan besar untuk tim pembela Madriani.

---

Aku masih kesal dengan hurufnya yang tercetak begitu kecil, tapi aku menikmati kasus pembunuhan dan persidangan di Double Tap - Tembakan Ganda yang menarik dan tentunya menegangkan. Dengan membaca bab perbab dengan jeda waktu 24 jam, aku bisa meresapi ceritanya lebih lama, menghafal nama karakter dan posisi mereka dan mengingat setiap bukti baru yang muncul. Di cerita seperti ini, pembaca pasti menebak-nebak siapa pembunuh sebenarnya. Aku juga begitu. Tebakanku selalu berubah seiring munculnya karakter atau bukti baru yang membuat penyelidikan semakin rumit. Tebakanku akhirnya salah besar. Itu tidak membuatku kecewa, malah membuatku terkagum-kagum dengan kemampuan penulis dalam mengecoh pembacanya.

Selain menikmati main ‘tebak-tebak pembunuh’, aku juga suka dengan bagian persidangannya. Proses pengumpulan bukti, prasidang, sidang dari pihak mengugat, sidang dari pihak pembela dan dakwaan diceritakan begitu rinci. Awalnya sih memang membosankan, apalagi kalau pertanyaan-pertanyaan yang dikeluarkan oleh pengacara ke para saksi sedikit berputar-putar sebelum menembak ke topik utama. Tapi ternyata begitu lah prosesnya.

Baca review selengkapnya di sini -- http://dhynhanarun.blogspot.com/2014/...

[Patsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit long to get into - but then was very good.
Attorney Paul Madriani defends a highly decorated soldier who is on trial for murder, and unwittingly steps into a maze of secrets and lies that the government - and even this client - would rather leave hidden and undisturbed.

Madriani is faced with arcane ballistics evidence, the so-called double tap - two bullet wounds tightly grouped to a victim's head, from shots that can have been made only by a crack marksman. Madriani's client is an enigma, a career soldier who refuses to talk about his past, though clearly he is a battle-tested pro. The victim was an alluring businesswoman and software tycoon whose empire catered to the military, and the most damning evidence is the weapon that killed her: a handgun used solely in special operations where the double tap is the trademark of the most skilled assassins.

Madriani begins to have new fears about his client, a man who would rather sit on a legal time bomb than talk about his past and get a chance at acquittal. And yet more troubling, Madriani discovers that the victim was involved in a controversial government contract to combat terrorism by combing through the private computer records of millions of American citizens.

Madriani faces a wilderness of mirrors in a courtroom battle where every witness can hide behind "national security," where information is power and digital information is absolute power. It is a war in which the scales of justice are being tipped by evasion, deceit - and murder. Finding the unvarnished truth has never been so elusive - or so dangerous.

[Jill Manske · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Double Tap" is an intriguing murder mystery with an underlying story about the federal government's Information for Security program and the software company that benefits from this spyware initiative. Martini brings back attorney Paul Madriani to defend the murder suspect, a former Army marksman. The plot was well-designed and executed and the characters were well-written. For those concerned with privacy, it's a little disconcerting to think that the government can so easily eavesdrop on Internet surfing. Martini was at his best, creating cyber villains that are perhaps not so fictional. Overall, it's a great read.

[Sandra L. Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steve Martini is a brilliant legal storyteller! He winds his way through the story with masterful ease, making even the most confusing concepts seem simple to the reader. Trust me when I say, you’ll never see the end coming.

[Kent Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

[Tom S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good series if you like court room thrillers.

[Olivia Plasencia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read a lot of Steve Martini's books, sadly not in order, and out of them all this is my favorite courtroom book, so far. I am a little late to the Paul Madriani party. The book opens from the killer's point and view and then shifts to the victim, giving you just a glimpse into her personality. From there Paul takes the case of a man accused of killing the very woman he was hired to protect. Things get sticky for Paul when his client admits to having an affair with the woman, and that it was caught on tape! Not only that but his client has gaps in his past, gaps of when he was in the service of the US government. The issue is not only her murder but of course why she was killed, a woman in charge of highly sensitive computer installations for the government, who was suddenly scared for her life before she died. A very griping a fast read, with great details, I honestly wasn't sure who the killer was and was a tad shocked at the end when it came out, but the real action is in the courtroom, the battle for a man's life when the lawyers only have part of the information. The Hail Mary Paul tosses at the end to win the case was breathtaking, and highly rewarding. A must read for anyone that likes Paul's character. The only odd part was that Paul did not mention his daughter much in this book. Martini's handling of having a family was always a bit clunky, I was not too shocked he killed the wife off, so his main character could have affairs. Frankly it was a relief that in this book he kept it in his pants. Although the way he described one character, I thought he was going to sleep with her too. Interesting case, great character development, I liked seeing Herman around again. I cannot wait to buy more. Although I sadly just discovered he is not writing any more of these books.

[Dale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Synopsis:

A controversial CEO of a tech company is murdered in her own home. The motive is not clear, but her former bodyguard who is also her former lover is arrested for the crime. He claims that he was framed. He is accused of stalking her, he claims he was re-hired off of the books and was actually protecting her because she felt like she was being followed.

Emiliano Ruiz's case was dropped by his original attorney, but Paul Madriani and Harry Hinds pick it up only to find that it looks like a slam-dunk case for the prosecutor. Ruiz's pistol is the murder weapon. He has no proof that he was re-hired to protect the victim and he knows everything about her security system.

But, there is something about the case that convinces Madriani and Hinds that there is more here than meets the eye...

My take:

This is a so-so legal thriller. It's all a little too clandestine for my tastes and its conclusion was a "gotcha" ending. But, the backstory of Madriani's uncle that suffered from PTSD from his service in the Korean War was very powerful - all the more so when you read the last chapter of the book.

http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2018/...

[Ellah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a legal thriller and is ny first book of the said genre. I did not expect to like it as much as I do and even though it took me quite long to finish because of the busy sched, I say I still enjoyed it a lot. It was very informative and I learned a lot about court hearings and lawyers and computer softwares that protect the privacy of the civillians.
It was slow-paced for me because there were filler chapters where the main character just talked about his uncle who became kind of mentally ill after the war. While I recognize some minor connection to the story, I don't really see how it was necessary. Most of the chapters weren't very captivating because it would cause me to put it down at times because I got a little bit bored. BUT there were chapters where I was really anticipating what will happen next and I am just amazed at how Paul Madriani carried himself throughout the case. The part where the killer was revealed was something that I didn't see coming. Though it felt like a bit of surprise and out of nowhere, the clues actually made sense and that intense scene after the revelation really had me thrilled.
To summarize, I liked this book and I think it's a good introduction to the legal thriller genre for me. Also, I thank my boyfriend for giving me this book as a gift.

[Cecilia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't often (in fact rarely) give a 5 star rating. This book hit every facet that I look for in a murder mystery. It slowly revealed not only a fairly large number of primary characters but teased the reader with a variety of possible motives, suspects, and plots. The language of the main character, attorney Paul Madriani and his sidekick, Harry, is loaded with amusing and cleaver similes and "punch lines" which make it fun to read and keep your interest at the same time.

There is complexity in the elements of both high level secret government covert (and probably illegal) machinations coupled with computer spy technologies that could get mind-numbing if not written properly and finally tricky legal maneuvering all leading up to the finale.

I'll probably read at least one more of his books just to see if the magic holds.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always liked this series of books, not least because Martini really knows how courtrooms work and his trial portrayals are dead on. I was thoroughly surprised by the outcome of this book and the solution of the crime, too. But this book displays a much deeper and more bitter sense of cynicism than I’ve seen in other Martini novels. And I also question one important plot point: I find it very hard to believe any competent judge would entertain a sweeping motion to hide alleged “trade secrets” from the criminal defense in a murder case, brought at the last moment and without advance notice, buy off on it, then limit the defense to three days to investigate in case of appellate reversal. So, one star off. Still, this was a very good read.

[Martin Lesher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kiss or Kill

I read books all the time ..Reading gives me enjoyment and keeps my mind working, sometimes overworking like this book did. Twists and turns
, ups and downs misinformation current events murder,mayhem, even a little sex. you name it it’s in this book. You try to stay ahead of what’s happening, but you can’t , courtroom drama and surprise twists and finally you realize
You can see the end. Absolutely a great read, you won’t realize until the very end “ Who Done It” and then it all falls into focus.

[Susannah Carleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book with a nice, complex death-penalty case for Paul and Harry to battle in court. Much of the action takes place in the courtroom, with interesting plot twists and turns. There are several subplots, some more complex and involved than others, and all are resolved by the end of the story. The reader cannot help but wonder how much of the computer spyware mentioned is real and how much was the author's Imagination.

A very enjoyable and intriguing read.

[Shova Bhujel]

It is obvious that while reading thrillers there will be unusual plot twist; keeping that in my mind i started the book. I was on tips of my toes being careful but still the plot twist caught me off guard. Definitely worth the read and i enjoyed it to the bits. The book though containing different terminologies and jargon, is perfectly understandable and written in a manner sophisticated but simplified to understand. If you love thrillers, you would love this; kind of reminded me of Dan Brown.

[Chris Norbury · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gave up on this book about halfway through. For some reason, I never got hooked, didn't care much about the characters, and I thought there wasn't much pace or tension. I don't know why. I rarely give up on a book, especially once I've gotten halfway or farther. Maybe a product of getting old and realizing life is getting too short to waste on books you don't enjoy.

Nothing personal, Mr. Martini. I'll try your debut novel some day.

[Bob Ely · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a CEO of a large corporation is killed, an ex army person is arrested for the crime. He was providing security for her and her company, along with other things. The DA is in for a win and Paul, along with his team must try to decide how to defend the man. The Government is involved, because of the business with the corporation. The courtroom dialogue gets a little long, but the story is good and the ending will be a surprise.

[Mark Edlund · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mystery series - Martini gets off the blood soaked trail from his previous two books and gets back to courtroom drama (which I enjoy more). It does start off with the murder of a female billionaire who disappears quickly after the first chapter. A former Delta Force soldier is framed for the murder. Madriani is up against a reluctant defendant, a powerful government and a tech company with a lot to hide.
No Canadian or pharmacy references.

[Raquel Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

As usual, Paul Madriani is plunged into a controversial legal and political mystery. Reading this was like dancing a tango. Stepping all over the place then being dragged into positions only a contortionist could make. But in the end, just like the tango, you're happy and in love with the great experience of having read this story.

[Sherrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book I really wish I could give a 3.5. Good series, better than average writing and very entertaining. Not enough for a 4, but definitely above a 3.
As an aside, this book was written about 10 years ago. It was ahead of its time. I'd live to know what--if anything--Martini would change concerning right to privacy, electronic data collection, etc

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like Steve Martini's books, and especially the Paul Madriani series, and this one was no exception. Besides being a first rate legal thriller, it also raises the questions of treating PTSD patients and the government and big business becoming in effect Big Brother, knowing everything about all of the citizens through internet technology -- gives everybody something to think about.