Paul Madriani Books in Order
Part ofSteve Martini Books in OrderFind Steve Martini’s Paul Madriani books in order, with concise summaries to compare the legal mysteries, follow the series, and choose where to start reading.
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Paul Madriani books in publication order
15 books
Compelling Evidence
by Steve Martini
1992
After Ben Potter is found dead, his wife Talia faces a murder prosecution that could end in execution. She asks former lover Paul Madriani to defend her, forcing the criminal lawyer to confront mounting evidence and personal entanglements.
Prime Witness
by Steve Martini
1993
A succession of brutal killings shocks Davenport, with two couples found bound beside Putah Creek. When two additional bodies appear, Paul Madriani questions the apparent pattern and suspects the case holds more than investigators initially recognize.
Undue Influence
by Steve Martini
1994
Recently widowed Paul Madriani defends his sister-in-law Laurel against charges of murdering her former husband’s new wife. As the evidence grows and Laurel refuses to explain her whereabouts, Paul begins to doubt the innocence of his own client.
The Judge
by Steve Martini
1996
After Judge Acosta is caught with a sex worker, her subsequent murder makes him the chief suspect. Paul Madriani takes his defense, confronting possible manipulation, corrupt relationships, and deceptive evidence in a particularly difficult courtroom battle.
The Attorney
by Steve Martini
2000
Paul Madriani hopes to build a new law practice in San Diego and a future with Susan. An encounter with a former client whose granddaughter has been abducted pulls him into a case that challenges his deepest assumptions.
The Jury
by Steve Martini
2001
Paul Madriani defends Dr. David Crone, accused of killing colleague Kalista Jordan after her body washes ashore in San Diego Bay. The unexpected death of a key prosecution witness complicates a case in which Paul already doubts his client.
The Arraignment
by Steve Martini
2002
After lawyer Nick Rush and a client are gunned down outside a federal courthouse, Paul Madriani investigates his friend’s death. Fearing he was the intended target, Paul follows connections through international drug dealings from California into Mexico.
Double Tap
by Steve Martini
2005
Paul Madriani represents soldier Emiliano Ruiz, accused of killing a software executive with an assassin’s precision. Gaps in Ruiz’s military history and the victim’s secretive government work complicate the defense as both client and prosecutors withhold crucial information.
Shadow of Power
by Steve Martini
2008
Paul Madriani defends a young man accused of murdering a controversial legal scholar in San Diego. Searching for a missing Thomas Jefferson letter, Paul and Harry Hinds uncover historical secrets and political interests surrounding the Supreme Court.
Guardian of Lies
by Steve Martini
2009
Defending Katia against criminal charges, Paul Madriani uncovers connections among rare gold coins, an aging American spy, and a dangerous assassin. The investigation reaches Costa Rica and exposes a conspiracy rooted in the Cuban Missile Crisis.
The Rule Of Nine
by Steve Martini
2010
Paul Madriani and weapons expert Joselyn Cole investigate a looming attack on Washington while an assassin seeks revenge against Paul. A murder accusation and government pressure complicate their efforts to decipher the plot and prevent another catastrophe.
Trader of Secrets
by Steve Martini
2011
Paul Madriani, Harry Hinds, and Joselyn Cole pursue an assassin who continues threatening their circle. The international chase draws them into a conspiracy involving missing NASA scientists and stolen weapons technology coveted by dangerous foreign interests.
The Enemy Inside
by Steve Martini
2015
Paul Madriani defends Alex Ives, a friend of his daughter accused of killing influential lawyer Olinda Serna in a car crash. Alex’s missing memories and Serna’s powerful clients lead Paul toward corruption and a killer protecting political secrets.
The Second Man
by Steve Martini
2015
Paul Madriani assists a Navy SEAL facing possible prosecution over disclosures about a high-profile assassination. When the serviceman vanishes, Paul must locate him while navigating a dangerous struggle involving military secrecy, accusations, and concealed motives.
Blood Flag
by Steve Martini
2016
Paul Madriani defends Emma Brauer, accused of killing her elderly father, after a mysterious wartime package arrives. Suspicious deaths among his former Army comrades and the murder of Paul’s assistant point toward a missing Nazi relic.
Series background & context
Paul Madriani is a California lawyer whose cases repeatedly force him to examine the difference between persuasive evidence and the full truth. Steve Martini's series combines courtroom drama with investigation, making Paul's work outside court important to what he can argue within it. His personal connections often complicate the professional decisions, so taking a case can mean confronting his own history as well as a client's predicament.
Compelling Evidence introduces Paul after an affair with Talia Potter, his mentor's wife, has driven him away from a prestigious firm. When Ben Potter is found dead and Talia is accused of murder, she asks Paul to defend her. He enters a capital case in which earlier intimacy and professional loyalties give him reasons to care, but also leave him vulnerable to assumptions about his motives. The question is not simply whether he can construct an argument; he must work out what the people he knows have concealed.
Prime Witness puts him on the other side of a prosecution. A series of killings in a California college town leads to his appointment as special prosecutor, with physical evidence pointing toward a security guard. Conflict with the defense lawyer adds personal friction to the legal contest. The change of role lets the series examine the pressure to secure a conviction as well as the duty to challenge one.
Personal loyalty cannot replace judgment.
In Undue Influence, a family connection draws Paul into another defense. A custody dispute involving Laurel Vega becomes a murder case, and he must decide how to interpret evidence about someone he has promised to help. His responsibilities as a father also form part of the world beyond his legal work. These early books keep court procedure, relationships and competing accounts of events closely connected, with the investigation testing what he thinks he already understands.
Later novels broaden the scale. Guardian of Lies begins with a client accused of killing a coin dealer and leads toward Cold War secrets, an assassin and a conspiracy extending beyond Southern California. Paul remains a lawyer, but the threat is no longer confined to the outcome of a single hearing or verdict. The overall tone is legal thriller, with suspense built around concealed motives and the danger of acting on an incomplete picture. Start with Compelling Evidence, then Prime Witness and Undue Influence to follow the opening sequence and Paul's developing circumstances. Expect individual cases to change while the recurring protagonist provides continuity, moving between the demands of an argument in court and the often riskier task of finding the facts that can support it.
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