Synopses & Reviews
Paul Madriani defends a soldier on trial for murder
Now Madriani is faced with daunting ballistics evidence: a so-called "double tap" two bullet wounds tightly grouped in the victim's head, shots that could have been made only by a crack marksman. Paul's client, Emiliano Ruiz, is an enigma a career soldier who refuses to discuss his past though it is clear that he is a battle-tested pro. Ruiz is accused of killing a beautiful businesswoman and guru of a high-tech software empire catering to the military. A key to the case: the murder weapon is one used solely in special operations, where the "double tap" has become the signature of the most skilled assassins.
Ruiz is sitting on secrets there's a seven-year gap on his military résumé, for which Madriani can find no details. And, more troubling, he discovers that 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 cooperate and prosecutors who stonewall his every question about the victim's shadowy business and his client's past. Finding justice, and the unvarnished truth, has never been so elusive or so dangerous.
Review
"As usual, Madriani shines in the courtroom, and the last surprise is unguessable. But was it really fair to make us wade through so many red herrings and so much blather to get there?" Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Plot and legal knowledge are Martini's strength. Dialogue, however, is his weakness." Booklist
Synopsis
Paul Madriani is faced with the most daunting case of his career, with ballistics evidence pointing to a crack marksman, a client who refuses to discuss his mysterious career as a soldier, and prosecutors who stonewall the attorney's investigation at every turn.
About the Author
Steve Martini is the author of The Arraignment, The Jury, The Attorney, and other novels featuring attorney Paul Madriani.