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Paul Madriani #7
The Arraignment
In a quest that takes Madriani from California to Mexico and the Guatemalan border, he discovers that while the motive to kill may be driven by distant, exotic, and ancient artifacts, the killer, like a serpent, lies much closer at hand.
"Lean, speedy and packing a wallop of a plot twist" was Publishers Weekly's verdict of Steve Martini's "The Jury." Now Martini crafts yet another legal nail-biter featuring perennial favorite attorney Paul Madriani.
After a lawyer friend is killed along with his client in a hail of gunfire outside the federal courthouse in San Diego, Madriani takes on another client who he believes is involved at the edges of the double murder. He takes the case not to defend the man, but to find out who killed his friend and why. Madriani is tortured by questions of conflict, his duty to a client who may have killed his friend, and the need to know the truth, wondering whether he himself had been marked for death only to have a friend die in his place. Soon he is drawn into a vortex of crime that spans the Americas.
As he searches for the killer, Madriani rides the crest of a dangerous wave of international drug deals and people who murder for money. Suddenly he realizes it is not heroin or cocaine that resulted in the murder of his friend, but a priceless piece of pre-Columbian art-something so dazzling in the information it holds as to be one of the treasures of the ages.
In a quest that takes Madriani from California to Mexico and the Guatemalan border, he discovers that while the motive to kill may be driven by distant, exotic, and ancient artifacts, the killer, like a serpent, lies much closer at hand.
"Lean, speedy and packing a wallop of a plot twist" was Publishers Weekly's verdict of Steve Martini's "The Jury." Now Martini crafts yet another legal nail-biter featuring perennial favorite attorney Paul Madriani.
After a lawyer friend is killed along with his client in a hail of gunfire outside the federal courthouse in San Diego, Madriani takes on another client who he believes is involved at the edges of the double murder. He takes the case not to defend the man, but to find out who killed his friend and why. Madriani is tortured by questions of conflict, his duty to a client who may have killed his friend, and the need to know the truth, wondering whether he himself had been marked for death only to have a friend die in his place. Soon he is drawn into a vortex of crime that spans the Americas.
As he searches for the killer, Madriani rides the crest of a dangerous wave of international drug deals and people who murder for money. Suddenly he realizes it is not heroin or cocaine that resulted in the murder of his friend, but a priceless piece of pre-Columbian art-something so dazzling in the information it holds as to be one of the treasures of the ages.
In a quest that takes Madriani from California to Mexico and the Guatemalan border, he discovers that while the motive to kill may be driven by distant, exotic, and ancient artifacts, the killer, like a serpent, lies much closer at hand.
403 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 6, 2002
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1120 people want to read
About the author
Steve Martini
94 books694 followersSteven Paul "Steve" Martini is an American writer of legal novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 197 reviews
December 6, 2017
Onvan : The Arraignment (Paul Madriani, #7) - Nevisande : Steve Martini - ISBN : 051513595X - ISBN13 : 9780515135954 - Dar 403 Safhe - Saal e Chap : 2002
May 11, 2021
The plot was so contrived and complex that it was difficult for me to follow -- or to want to understand -- some of the double-backs and red herrings.
Madriani is a partner in a two-lawyer criminal law defense practice in San Diego. He has to unwind what led to the murder of a not-so-close attorney friend Nick Rush, who's joined a San Diego mega-firm and has been forced to do white-collar criminal defense instead of the civil practice he wanted.
Story at one point involves a trip to Mexico for Madriani and Rush's boss with James-Bond-like ambushes and escapes.
In my book, this book jumped the shark.
Madriani is a partner in a two-lawyer criminal law defense practice in San Diego. He has to unwind what led to the murder of a not-so-close attorney friend Nick Rush, who's joined a San Diego mega-firm and has been forced to do white-collar criminal defense instead of the civil practice he wanted.
Story at one point involves a trip to Mexico for Madriani and Rush's boss with James-Bond-like ambushes and escapes.
In my book, this book jumped the shark.
March 2, 2024
3 Stars. A good read, enjoyable, but the excitement only reached the top level in one or two places. Plus, I didn't feel gratified when the narrative format was used to explain much of what had happened. Attorney Paul Madriani's acquaintance from law school, Nick Rush, has asked him to visit the prestigious firm Rush recently joined - ostensibly to catch-up on old times. But really to have Madriani take on a questionable client, Gerald Metz, soon to be arraigned for drug smuggling and illegal financial activities in connection with Mexican undesirables. It's not long before both Rush and Metz are gunned down in front of the court house in San Diego. Who was the target? If Rush was killed accidently in a hit on Metz, his alluring young widow, Dana, stands to collect a fortune in insurance. Madriani's success in representing her even gets him an invite from Adam Tolt, the managing partner, to join the firm! What was Nick involved in? To find answers and danger too, we are off to Cancun and the Yucatan in search of something called Mejicano Rosen. A new drug? Too many loose ends for this to be a four. (Ap2020/Mar2024)
February 5, 2017
This started out as another great novel with interesting legal twists and turns. Then the main character, a lawyer, turns in to Tom Cruz. Just not believable that a lawyer would chase drug cartel to Mexico and get involved with extracting key people. Sorry, my first three star from this normally five star author
January 27, 2020
This book started out as a good legal thriller but transformed into a Rambo-like adventure as Paul Madriani dons his guns and heads to the gang-infested regions of Mexico to seek retribution for a colleague. The last third of the book strains credulity and is totally out of character for Madriani. I can't figure out what made Steve Martini think that it was good idea to turn an attorney into a gunslinger, and it made for a very difficult read.
June 19, 2017
Now Martini crafts yet another legal nail-biter featuring perennial favorite attorney Paul Madriani.
After a lawyer friend is killed along with his client in a hail of gunfire outside the federal courthouse in San Diego, Madriani takes on another client who he believes is involved at the edges of the double murder. He takes the case not to defend the man, but to find out who killed his friend and why. Madriani is tortured by questions of conflict, his duty to a client who may have killed his friend, and the need to know the truth, wondering whether he himself had been marked for death only to have a friend die in his place. Soon he is drawn into a vortex of crime that spans the Americas.
A drive by shooting is central to the plot and most of the story is spent contacting dubious characters who may be held responsible for the shooting. As with all good books even some of the apparently ‘good guys’ have a shady side to them.
A wife, an ex-wife and a child neither of the aforementioned know of all adds to the "The Arraignment’s" plot.
To say much more will give away too much of the plot. The Arraignment is as good as any other Steve Martini book I have read. If you have not read a Steve Martini book previously, and enjoy the crime genre, I would recommend you try some of Steve Martini’s books. They are definitely good reads.
In my opinion the Paul Madriani series does not need to be read in sequence. Others may disagree. I have read number 14 and now number 7 in the series. I have also read "Guardian of Lies" which is a good book and enjoyable.
After a lawyer friend is killed along with his client in a hail of gunfire outside the federal courthouse in San Diego, Madriani takes on another client who he believes is involved at the edges of the double murder. He takes the case not to defend the man, but to find out who killed his friend and why. Madriani is tortured by questions of conflict, his duty to a client who may have killed his friend, and the need to know the truth, wondering whether he himself had been marked for death only to have a friend die in his place. Soon he is drawn into a vortex of crime that spans the Americas.
A drive by shooting is central to the plot and most of the story is spent contacting dubious characters who may be held responsible for the shooting. As with all good books even some of the apparently ‘good guys’ have a shady side to them.
A wife, an ex-wife and a child neither of the aforementioned know of all adds to the "The Arraignment’s" plot.
To say much more will give away too much of the plot. The Arraignment is as good as any other Steve Martini book I have read. If you have not read a Steve Martini book previously, and enjoy the crime genre, I would recommend you try some of Steve Martini’s books. They are definitely good reads.
In my opinion the Paul Madriani series does not need to be read in sequence. Others may disagree. I have read number 14 and now number 7 in the series. I have also read "Guardian of Lies" which is a good book and enjoyable.
July 24, 2017
Another Paul Madriania mystery. In this book Paul's friend Nick (who is also an attorney) asks Paul to represent a client by the name of Metz. After meeting the potential client Paul decides not to represent which leaves Nick no other choice but to represent him until other counsel can be found. In the meantime while meeting on the court house steps both Metz and Nick are gunned down. Was this just a random drive-by. Who was the intended victim, Nick or Metz. Paul want to find out what really happened. Bodies start showing up that were connected to Mr. Metz. So go on roller coaster ride from California to Cancun, Mexico on Paul's quest to find out what really happened.
July 30, 2017
I borrowed this book from a neighbor. I enjoyed reading it. It had a good story to it. It is my first book by this author. I hope to read more books by this author.
November 25, 2015
THIS SUMMARY/REVIEW WAS COPIED FROM OTHER SOURCES AND IS USED ONLY AS A REMINDER OF WHAT THE BOOK WAS ABOUT FOR MY PERSONAL INTEREST. ANY PERSONAL NOTATIONS ARE FOR MY RECOLLECTION ONLY
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Paul Madriani, one of his recurring heroes, turns into an unlikely action hero, rather than the clever lawyer. In fact, he never even makes it to court.
Madriani hands off a case (likely involving drug smuggling) that on the surface is a money laundering case-- to another lawyer. Madriani has principles, he never takes drug related cases. However, he is horrified when a drive by shooting kills his lawyer friend and scumbag client on the steps of the courthouse. They were on their way to "the araignment" hence the title.
From there, Madriani begins to investigate the money laundering, another legal firm, investors from Mexico, all the while concealing evidence from the police and getting into physical conflicts with bad guys.
**************
Paul Madriani meets a fellow lawyer and acquaintance for lunch and is asked to take over a client. Paul agrees to talk with him but decides not to take the case. The lawyer leaves the restaurant first and as Paul is paying the tab he finds the smart phone left on the table and hurries out to try and catch him. He sees him talking across and down the street talking to the client Paul does not want to help and Paul hesitates then calls out ,but a passing bus drowns him out. The next thing he knows, gunfire rings out and a car goes tearing away. Rushing to the scene, Paul finds the lawyer and client both dead or dying. Thus begins a convoluted search for the shooters, dealing with a desperate plea for help from the lawyer’s widow to get insurance money, dealing with the head of the lawyers law firm and a trip to Mexico and a run in with antiquities smugglers before the whole thing wraps up
-
Paul Madriani, one of his recurring heroes, turns into an unlikely action hero, rather than the clever lawyer. In fact, he never even makes it to court.
Madriani hands off a case (likely involving drug smuggling) that on the surface is a money laundering case-- to another lawyer. Madriani has principles, he never takes drug related cases. However, he is horrified when a drive by shooting kills his lawyer friend and scumbag client on the steps of the courthouse. They were on their way to "the araignment" hence the title.
From there, Madriani begins to investigate the money laundering, another legal firm, investors from Mexico, all the while concealing evidence from the police and getting into physical conflicts with bad guys.
**************
Paul Madriani meets a fellow lawyer and acquaintance for lunch and is asked to take over a client. Paul agrees to talk with him but decides not to take the case. The lawyer leaves the restaurant first and as Paul is paying the tab he finds the smart phone left on the table and hurries out to try and catch him. He sees him talking across and down the street talking to the client Paul does not want to help and Paul hesitates then calls out ,but a passing bus drowns him out. The next thing he knows, gunfire rings out and a car goes tearing away. Rushing to the scene, Paul finds the lawyer and client both dead or dying. Thus begins a convoluted search for the shooters, dealing with a desperate plea for help from the lawyer’s widow to get insurance money, dealing with the head of the lawyers law firm and a trip to Mexico and a run in with antiquities smugglers before the whole thing wraps up
May 24, 2012
Steve Martini fans will enjoy THE ARRAIGNMENT. Nick Rush, a somewhat flamboyant criminal lawyer at the prestigious San Diego R D D law firm, asks friend Paul Madriani to take on Gerald Metz as a client. Nick states a conflict of interest as the reason. After a conference with Metz, Paul declines. He suspects Metz is going to be indicted on money laundering and Madriani doesn’t do drug cases. But his friend and Metz are soon gunned down in front of the courthouse prior to Metz's arraignment. Dana Rush, Nick's trophy wife, asks Paul to investigate her late husband’s key man insurance benefits. Madriani and his partner Harry Hinds use interesting legal maneuvering between Rocker and Dewitt, the insurance carrier, Dana, and Nick's ex-wife. Adam Tolt, R D D’s managing partner to protect the firm's reputation and replace Rush lead to several interesting developments and to the Mexican Rivera. For various reasons including loyalty to his dead friend and inconsistencies regarding the events concerning Nick's death, Paul and a reluctant Harry decide to supplement the police homicide investigation with his own efforts. Additional violence ensues as Paul and Tolt follow the confusing trail of Metz and Nick.
Nothing is what it appears, and misdirection is rampant, both for the reader and the participants. Madriani unnecessarily puts himself in incredibly perilous situations out of character in previous books, especially given his concern for his role as sole parent for his daughter since the death of his wife. But Martini makes it work for the reader. Paul Madriani needed shaken up. A solid 3.5 Star story!
Nothing is what it appears, and misdirection is rampant, both for the reader and the participants. Madriani unnecessarily puts himself in incredibly perilous situations out of character in previous books, especially given his concern for his role as sole parent for his daughter since the death of his wife. But Martini makes it work for the reader. Paul Madriani needed shaken up. A solid 3.5 Star story!
May 17, 2017
The Arraignment by Steve Martini
The Arraignment is the seventh in the Paul Madriani series written by Steve Martini and is another fast paced story revolving around a lawyer friend of Paul Madriani.
A drive by shooting is central to the plot and most of the story is spent contacting dubious characters who may be held responsible for the shooting. As with all good books even some of the apparently ‘good guys’ have a shady side to them.
A wife, an ex-wife and a child neither of the aforementioned know of all adds to the The Arraignment’s plot.
To say much more will gives away too much of the plot. The Arraignment is as good aas any other Steve Martini book I have read. If you have not read a Steve Martini book previously, and enjoy the crime genre, I would recommend you try some of Steve Martini’s books.
In my opinion the Paul Madriani series does not need to be read in sequence. Others may disagree. I have read number 14 and now number 7 in the series. I have also read The List which is not part of this series and all have scored four stars from me.
The Arraignment is the seventh in the Paul Madriani series written by Steve Martini and is another fast paced story revolving around a lawyer friend of Paul Madriani.
A drive by shooting is central to the plot and most of the story is spent contacting dubious characters who may be held responsible for the shooting. As with all good books even some of the apparently ‘good guys’ have a shady side to them.
A wife, an ex-wife and a child neither of the aforementioned know of all adds to the The Arraignment’s plot.
To say much more will gives away too much of the plot. The Arraignment is as good aas any other Steve Martini book I have read. If you have not read a Steve Martini book previously, and enjoy the crime genre, I would recommend you try some of Steve Martini’s books.
In my opinion the Paul Madriani series does not need to be read in sequence. Others may disagree. I have read number 14 and now number 7 in the series. I have also read The List which is not part of this series and all have scored four stars from me.
May 26, 2017
3 1/2 stars. Paul takes on a new client at the request of an old friend, who has a conflict. But things are not what they seem. Shortly thereafter, Paul has to decline the case. A few minutes later, both Nick's friend and his client are gunned down in front of the federal courthouse before a hearing. Paul's and Harry's attempt to get the insurance to pay accident indemnity is aided by the police's conclusion that the attorney was killed by stray gunfire. But the situation is more complex than it seems, and soon Paul and Harry and the managing partner at the firm where the deceased attorney worked are dodging bad guys and bullets in Mexico. Will the good guys prevail?
November 13, 2017
Paul Madriani is asked by another attorney to talk to a potential client. The referring attorney does not want to represent the.client, but thinks Paul might want the case. After talking to the potential client and deciding it is not a case he wants to represent, Paul has a meeting with the attorney who referred the client. After leaving the meeting, the referring attorney and the client are both killed in a drive-by shooting. Then Paul feels compelled to determine the motive behind the killings.
July 30, 2013
Acquired this one at the O'Hare USO en route home from visiting younger son and family. (We had a 7-hour wait for our flight. Thanks, USO for breakfast and a quiet room to crank back the recliner and read a book on my iPod.)
Martini writes a reliably entertaining law-and-courtroom book with some flair. This one had sufficient legal wrangling in the first part to be engaging, but then devolved into a mish-mash in Mexico. Plausible, but not as interesting to me as previous books.
Martini writes a reliably entertaining law-and-courtroom book with some flair. This one had sufficient legal wrangling in the first part to be engaging, but then devolved into a mish-mash in Mexico. Plausible, but not as interesting to me as previous books.
March 20, 2016
The ArraignmentI was a bit surprised that Paul and Harry, both attorneys, put themselves in harms way and also withheld evidence, but I enjoyed the story and all of the characters. The audio version brought all of the characters to life. If I had to point out a negative it would be the machine gun scene at the pool.
October 1, 2017
As expected of Martini, this book moves along quickly with plenty of action and well-developed characters that keep the reader entertained and engaged. I wasn't in any way disappointed in the book! The path of the plot is not obvious although the reader can count on the end result being in favor of the Madriani/Hinds partnership. The characters and events are believable and met my expectations.
August 19, 2018
Very good read
This is the first book I read by Steve Martini, and it will not be the last. I will read more in the series of his character Paul Madriani and at one or two books, that do not include the lawyer detective.
John Grisham is by far one of my favorites, and this book is right up there with a Grisham novel.
It is woth purchasing.
I rate as a better then average mystery book, and looking forward to the enjoyment of reading other stories by Steve Martini.
This is the first book I read by Steve Martini, and it will not be the last. I will read more in the series of his character Paul Madriani and at one or two books, that do not include the lawyer detective.
John Grisham is by far one of my favorites, and this book is right up there with a Grisham novel.
It is woth purchasing.
I rate as a better then average mystery book, and looking forward to the enjoyment of reading other stories by Steve Martini.
July 25, 2025
For a novel branded as a legal thriller, The Arraignment seems oddly allergic to thrills—or legality. The story nominally follows defense attorney Paul Madriani, but the courtroom drama is often sidelined in favor of meandering tangents and lackluster action. Readers expecting incisive legal jousting or courtroom strategy will find themselves rummaging through chapters hoping for just a single compelling hearing.
September 18, 2015
Mr. Martini really stretches the limit as to what a lawyer would do to find out the truth in a murder. A friend of Paul's is murdered and he tries to find our what really happened. He risks his life several times as if a lawyer would really do something like that and he forgets that he has a daughter the depends on him
December 18, 2015
I read this awhile back but I think it had good plotting, etc. I do want to read another book by Steve Martini before I express an opinion. It obviously doesn't stand out in the extreme good or bad so I shouldn't do much in the way of a review at this time. It wouldn't be fair.
Date is estimated as I don't recall exactly when I read it.
Date is estimated as I don't recall exactly when I read it.
February 5, 2017
Paul Madriani's friend, Nick Rush is killed standing by another man with whom he has done business. Paul puts himself in the position of trying to find out why the 'accident' occurred. He never really makes it into the court room which is really his forum but ends up in the jungles of Mexico where this book should stay. Definitely not Martini's best.
August 24, 2017
This series is our favorite listening during road trips, and generally each episode stands alone. This episode did not disappoint in it's thrilling action and intricate plot and examination of modern culture and the place of attorneys in that culture.
This story examines the role of attorneys in mediating the peddling of influence between corporations and politicians.
This story examines the role of attorneys in mediating the peddling of influence between corporations and politicians.
October 21, 2018
This is a fast paced good thriller. A friend and fellow lawyer of Paul Madriani is killed along with his client outside the federal court house. Madriani wants to know who killed his friend and takes on a client who he suspects could be involved in the murder. Lots of twists and turns take Madriani from California to Mexico only to find the killer is closer at hand than he has suspected.
April 1, 2013
This book is very good. very well written and fast paced. I stayed up late into the night reading this one. Great series and this is all very beleivable. This is just a quick understated review of my thoughts that wont do justice to the book. So read it and find out how great it is.
August 24, 2015
This is my second Madriani book. It was ok; nothing special. I would have liked a bit more legal stuff and less detective stuff, but that is probably just me. It was interesting, having just been to Cancun a few months ago to relive some of the topography...
February 18, 2016
Although I loved the first part of the book -- all legal and courtroom stuff -- the second half was a mish-mash of shoot-em ups in Mexico ... Have to give this a minus-3 instead of my usual 4+ for another in the Paul Madriani series ...
June 30, 2016
I've enjoyed a few of the Paul Madriani's series, but this one was all over the map. Interesting, but a bit far off to the incredulous. And, it left a few things hanging that should have been cleared up.
October 15, 2018
I usually like Steve Martini's novels -- they're good mysteries, good characters and fast-paced, which I like. I didn't feel this was up to his usual standards, but it was an interesting read, just a little too involved & not very believable.
November 7, 2018
This novel seems misnamed; the arraignment only takes up a few pages and there is so much happening outside of court. This novel also presents very little of Madriani's personal life. It is, however, a typically great story from this author.
April 29, 2019
Title does not describe novel
Not my favorite book in the series. While the last couple of chapters have the familiar twists of a Steve Martini novel they are not as satisfying as his usual style.
Not my favorite book in the series. While the last couple of chapters have the familiar twists of a Steve Martini novel they are not as satisfying as his usual style.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 197 reviews