'Undue Influence'
by Steve Martini
Putnam, $22.95
Laurel Vega has a problem. In the midst of a hostile custody battle with her sleazy ex-husband, his new wife is found naked and dead - shot through the head - in the family bathtub. The evidence ominously points to Laurel.
Her only hope for keeping her children, and maybe her life, is Paul Madriani, who was married to her late sister.
So begins "Undue Influence," an outstanding new courtroom thriller by Bellingham author Steve Martini, among the best of the recent flood of lawyers-turned-authors. Since debuting two years ago with "Compelling Evidence," followed last year by "Prime Suspect" - both national bestsellers - Martini has more than 4 million copies of his books in print.
"Undue Influence," however, outshines those earlier works; indeed, it rivals Scott Turow's masterpiece of the courtroom-thriller genre, "Presumed Innocent."
Courtroom veteran tells story
Once again, the story is told by Madriani, a battle-scarred courtroom veteran who is raising his young daughter Sarah since his wife Nikki's death from cancer. He also made Nikki a deathbed promise to protect her younger sister, Laurel - a promise put to the test when Laurel is charged with the grisly bathtub murder.
There is overwhelming circumstantial evidence of Laurel's guilt: She had left town after the murder and was apprehended several states away, washing a rug the ex-husband claims came from the bathroom where the murder occurred; a witness has placed her at the scene near the time of the murder; and the prosecutor produces video footage of a heated argument between Laurel and the victim.
In addition, an item from the dead woman's purse was found in Laurel's purse at the time of her arrest, and - to make matters worse - homicide detective Jimmy Lama, who is in charge of the investigation, has a blinding grudge against Madriani. Lama is only too delighted to have Madriani's sister-in-law as a prime suspect for murder.
Of course, things are not always as they seem - a fact that the novel tantalizingly underscores as it thunders toward a devilish conclusion.
Author's own experience shows
Martini's own courtroom experience shows as he expertly propels readers through radical shifts in the interpretation of the physical evidence in Laurel's trial - leading first to the conclusion that she did it, then casting doubt, then reversing things once again. In the last few pages, Martini deftly resolves the case with an unexpected but cleverly foreshadowed twist - a surprise resolution that seems a required element in today's legal thrillers, but one that few writers can pull off as convincingly.
Martini emerges as a peer of Turow for, like the Chicago attorney's fiction, "Undue Influence" has a plot that flows effortlessly and credibly, generating considerable suspense from a series of stunning courtroom reversals and surprises during a dramatic trial. Martini also easily surpasses the current king of the legal thriller, John Grisham, whose bestsellers such as "The Firm," "The Client" and "The Pelican Brief" tend to rely on transparent plot contrivances to fabricate suspense and stitch together loose ends.
"Undue Influence" is not without weakness, however. It remains overburdened with sexual innuendo and unrealistic male-female dialogue, both common curses of the genre. One would think that, by now, the tough-talking, super-macho cop/detective/lawyer would be retired in favor of the subtler - and richer - characters who animate Turow's more literary thrillers.
Nor does Martini attempt to address any larger moral issues: His purpose clearly is to entertain, not philosophize. But this is a criticism applicable to most thrillers - and "Undue Influence" stands head and shoulders above the pack. Indeed, readers should exercise caution; this book will lay waste to your sleeping schedule.
