The Rule of Nine - (Paul Madriani Novels) Large Print by Steve Martini (Paperback)

About the Book

"Steve Martini is an expert at good old-fashioned, gimmick-free storytelling."--Steve Berry, author of The Paris Vendetta

"Take it from a prosecutor--Steve Martini has created one of the most charismatic defense attorneys in thriller fiction."--Linda Fairstein, author of Lethal Legacy

In The Rule of Nine, New York Times bestseller Steve Martini sets his popular protagonist, defense attorney Paul Madriani, on the trail of a dangerous extremist who's hellbent on destroying the entire Supreme Court with one deadly stroke. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette loves Martini's "richly interesting characters, masterful plots, and beautiful writing," and his latest blockbuster is a sure bet to enthrall Brad Thor and Vince Flynn readers as well as the ever-growing army of Paul Madriani fans.

Book Synopsis

"Steve Martini is an expert at good old-fashioned, gimmick-free storytelling."
--Steve Berry, author of The Paris Vendetta

"Take it from a prosecutor--Steve Martini has created one of the most charismatic defense attorneys in thriller fiction."
--Linda Fairstein, author of Lethal Legacy

In The Rule of Nine, New York Times bestseller Steve Martini sets his popular protagonist, defense attorney Paul Madriani, on the trail of a dangerous extremist who's hellbent on destroying the entire Supreme Court with one deadly stroke. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette loves Martini's "richly interesting characters, masterful plots, and beautiful writing," and his latest blockbuster is a sure bet to enthrall Brad Thor and Vince Flynn readers as well as the ever-growing army of Paul Madriani fans.

From the Back Cover

The Old Weatherman dreams of a plan that could be his swan song, an attack to drive a stake through the heart of the right-wing establishment and bury it for good. Now he's found the money, the ideal weapon, and the professional who knows how to use it. And he has set his sights on the perfect target at the very seat of the United States government, in the heart of downtown Washington. It will be a strike heard round the world.

San Diego defense attorney Paul Madriani is still reeling from the trauma of a near nuclear explosion he helped avert at the naval base in Coronado. Threatened by federal authorities to keep quiet about the close call in California, Madriani is now faced with a new problem in the steely-eyed and alluring Joselyn Cole, a weapons control expert, who believes he has to go public with what he knows if they have any hope of stopping a similar event in the future.

But Madriani has been linked to the murder of a Washington, D.C., political staffer, and authorities believe a shadowy figure called Liquida--a hired assassin known as "the Mexicutioner"--may be responsible. And this man, as the last survivor of the attack in San Diego, might be driven by a bizarre and horrifying star-crossed vendetta, and might now be looking for Madriani himself. What Madriani and Cole begin to fear is that the Old Weatherman and this madman have joined forces and intend to pull the city--and the country--into a vortex of terror before Madriani and Cole can find answers to the enigma that is "the rule of nine."

Review Quotes

"There are certain elements common to virtually all the books we know as 'beach books, ' the bestselling thrillers that folks just HAVE to read during their down time. We're talking here about the sorts of compulsive page-turners that keep readers up at night. . . . Here's good news: Steve Martini's latest novel, Guardian of Lies, more than satisfies. . . . His hero and narrator, Paul Madriani, is a San Diego criminal lawyer. Madriani isn't one of those cardboard superhuman heroes. In fact, Mr. Martini trips him up so many times in so many delicious ways that one often wonders whether or not he actually is going to prevail. . . . A tantalizing soufflé. . . . To this rich batter, Mr. Martini adds one of the better villains in recent thrillerdom. The professional killer is known in street legend as the Mexecutioner. . . . Mr. Martini also has a flair for the kind of narrative that can make readers smile. . . . A compelling 'tick-tock' race against the clock." - Washington Times
"Steve Martini ranks among the top authors of legal thrillers with his richly interesting characters, masterful plots, and beautiful writing. . . . The climax is terrifically terrifying." - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Action-packed fun." - Oklahoma City Oklahoman
"What makes the book so compelling is that all these events might be plausible." - Deseret News
"Paul Madriani fans are going to love this one. . . . Good for many hours of pure reading fun. It's absorbing, doesn't drag and takes the San Diego based defense attorney out of the courtroom and into some serious foreign intrigue. . . . Chilling. . . . One of those books that is riveting enough to keep pages turning into the wee hours." - Biloxi Sun Herald
"Steve Martini, the master of suspense thrillers, delivers an action-packed tale of murder and deceit.... A thrilling rollercoaster ride.... Explosive. Absolutely riveting." - Times Record News (Wichita Falls, Texas)
"Take it from a prosecutor--Steve Martini has created one of the most charismatic defense attorneys in thriller fiction. Madriani is a guy who won't quit until he works every angle, finds every chink in the D.A.'s armor, and picks at the evidence until he tears the thread to unravel his opponent's case. Best of all, he's got the heart of a lion--protective, humane, courageous--that makes him such great fun to watch." - Linda Fairstein, author of Lethal Legacy
"Steve Martini is an expert at good old-fashioned, gimmick-free storytelling. Shadow of Power is an intelligent and intriguing thriller with crisply drawn, believable characters and breathless, cross-cutting suspense. Fans, including me, have been waiting for this one. Paul Madriani has aged like a fine wine. He's a wary, battle-scarred hero with a decency that rings true. This installment in a terrific series will not disappoint." - Steve Berry, author of The Charlemagne Pursuit, on Shadow of Power
"[Martini] has shifted gears in a big way, moving his wry hero out of the courtroom and into the center of a breathless high-stakes thriller in the Lee Child vein. . . . [It] gets scarier with each page. . . . All of the elements of a good thriller--a wonderful protagonist, a terrifying villain, lots of unexpected humor, and an author who clearly knows how things work in the world of politics and law. . . . A thriller with broad implications and a very high entertainment quotient." - Connecticut Post