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Asin 0399140433
upc
9780399140433
The Judge Hardcover – January 3, 1996by Steve Martini (Author)
Attorney Paul Madriani reluctantly takes on the case of Judge Armando "The Coconut" Acosta, an old enemy accused of soliciting prostitution in a police sting operation and of the murder of the policewoman set to testify against him. 275,000 first printing. $200,000 ad/promo.
Editorial ReviewsFrom Publishers WeeklyHere comes the Judge?in handcuffs, and it's the job of California defense attorney Paul Madriani to save him from prison in this riveting new thriller from Martini (Undue Influence). Judge Armando Acosta is busted for soliciting an undercover vice operative; perhaps not coincidentally, the autocratic judge currently is in charge of a grand jury probing possible police cover-up of murder. Complications immediately pile up. Assistant DA Lenore Goya, whom Paul hankers after, is fired by DA Coleman Kline and crosses lines to head up Acosta's defense; Coleman pursues the judge with unexpected ferocity. Then Lenore's fingerprint is found at the murder scene and she's forced off the case, in effect forcing Paul, who has suffered courtroom run-ins with Acosta, to step in. Nearly all the subsequent action takes place in court or offices as we follow the intricacies of the trial, including rollercoaster swoops through jury selection, evidence and testimony. Paul, who narrates in the present tense, as he has other Martini novels, once again proves a sophisticated, good-humored hero who tells a suspenseful tale, right up to the perfectly satisfying climax. Even the loose ends he trails behind feel right. Legal thrillers don't get much better than this. Major ad/promo; Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club main selection; Mystery Guild selection.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library Journal
Judge Amando Acosta is out to break the police union. A labor dispute is looming and this strikes fear into the hearts of the city fathers. Striking fear into the heart of policeman and union bigwig Phil Mendel is Acosta's grand jury investigation. Caught between the two is Tony Arguillo, policeman and union bookkeeper determined to protect the blue, and his lawyer, Paul Madriani. Acosta wants Tony to testify about union financial improprieties and its bosses or Acosta will put Tony in jail. The judge has also leveled the same threat at Tony's lawyer. To break the impasse some of the more faithful union members set up a sting operation. The judge is arrested for soliciting an undercover reserve deputy for sex. But fate has something else in mind for the lawyer and the judge. The sting operation decoy, Brittany, is murdered. The judge is accused and arrested again. As Acosta's defense lawyer, Paul Madriani, prepares his case with the help of ex-assistant D.A. Lenore, the mystery deepens and the evidence piles up against His Honor. It is not until the final pages that the real killer and motive is revealed. Martini (Undue Influence, LJ 6/15/94) has again written a winner. Highly recommended.
-?Dawn Anderson, North Richland Hills P.L., Tex. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. Product details
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