The Jury Hardcover – June 25, 2001

It's not a good thing when a few days after reading the book, I couldn't remember many of the characters or the substance of the plot. I did remember main character Paul Madriani and his cynical partner Harry Hinds, but I wasn't clear on why the book was so titled. It did come back to me and yes, I was surprised by the identity of the killer, albeit it seemed a stretch. I hadn't read a book by Mr. Martini in a while so I'm being generous when I say that might have been the cause of my absentmindedness. The book had some moments of true excitement, but not enough to keep me turning pages. Paul and Harry's client was annoying with his trade secret excuses for not being forthcoming and I could accept that this might truly be a function of the nature of the client's work. The book started off with the murder of client's antagonist which now that I think about it the victim was someone I would have liked to know more about. It seemed a shame she was killed immediately when the use of flashbacks might have lent some mystique to the character. The victims immediate murder did make it harder to accept the killer's motive.I must say this was not one of my favorite books of Mr. Martini. Not every novel can be a home run.

I've been reading the Paul Madriani series in order for the last couple of months. They're all "very good," worth the time you put into them. They have a few flaws (I'm convinced after getting this far that Steve Martini does not know what "begging the question" means -- he uses the term incorrectly all the time. It gets old. Most people use the term incorrectly, but I would expect lawyers to get it right. Not in Martini's books, though).My main issue with this book is that its title is misleading. This book is not about the jury. You learn almost nothing about the jury. Is Martini trying to say that the actual jury doesn't matter? Is he saying that the REAL jury consists of the participants and observers of a trial, those who are affected by the crime and the outcome of the trial? Are the lawyers the real jury? Is the judge? Is it the people who are affected by the defendant's incarceration, or the defendant's employer? Is it some mix of all of these? If that's what Martini is trying to get across, he does not do a very good job of it.Those quibbles aside, it was gratifying to read a novel like this in which the courtroom action starts right at the beginning. After a depiction of the murder, we join the action during the actual murder trial. None of the endless run-up to trial that sometimes bogs down novels like this. The added reward is that we don't need an explanation of why the trial i staking place so soon after the crime (Martini had two defendants demand a right to a speedy trial in previous novels, a plot contrivance that might work once but seems especially unusual in murder cases in real life).By all means, this is a good legal thriller that engages you from the start and maintains your interest throughout. Well worth it.

I was surprised by the twists. Paul Madriani is defending a brilliant Medical researcher in charges he murdered a young PhD working under him. The secrets his client are keeping him and his superior attitude make it hard to like him. The legal maneuvering keeps you engaged and guessing to the end.

I have usually enjoyed the Paul Madriani character and the cases he gets involved in. Somehow this particular story kind of mills around without much energy and has some trouble keeping the reader's interest. No one ever represented anyone charged with murder that was clearly more guilty, so you know he is innocent. After that you wait for the onion to get peeled down to the answer. There is not enough courtroom action here and one learns a bit more about genetics than we really want to. This isn't a bad book. Just not up to his usual standard...which is wha the verdict from "this jury of one" at least is three stars.

Steve Martini delivers yet another skillfully crafted legal work of art, keeping the suspense tight and the villain unknown until the end. Martini never disappoints.

I like the characters a lot, but I found the circumstances of this case a little monotonous. I found myself skimming several passages which, ultimately, didn't make any difference to the story.

I enjoyed this series

This is an unusal format for a courtroom drama in that you don't have to wait for half the book (or more) before you get into the courtroom. After a brief prolog the story plunges right into the courtroom using periodic flashbacks to bring in the background information leading up to the present. As usual, Martini is an excellent story teller keeping you hooked throughout the book. Although there wasn't much reference to the jury, the book takes place largely in the courtroom.

Value for money and speedy delivery

Very good

Totally enjoyed this story.

医学研究センターの女医が殺され、セクハラで訴えられていた上司が逮捕された。　娘の友人の難病を研究するプロジェクトで協力を得ていたPaul は弁護を引き受けるが、状況は圧倒的に不利なうえ、依頼人は肝心なことは 「研究上の秘密」として語らず、都合の悪いことは忘れていたと主張する。　憤慨するHarry をなだめながら、Paulは無実の証拠となる事実を探そうとするが…　シングルファーザーPaul Madriani シリーズ第６弾。　いつものような大立ち回りは少ないですが、不利な証拠をひとつひとつ論破していく、法廷物らしい展開が楽しめる展開です。