[.ca] Alternate (ISBN 0451199960)

From Amazon.com:
Is there room in the overcrowded arena of the legal thriller for yet another major player? If that new arrival happens to be blessed with the real-life experience of San Francisco trial lawyer John Martel, the answer is a heartfelt yes. Martel advised the Los Angeles District Attorney's office on the Menendez Brothers retrial and the O.J. Simpson case (proving even a pro can't win them all). He has been called one of the top 10 trial lawyers in America by the National Law Journal. Best of all, he can write compelling scenes that take place both in and out of court, and can create characters who rise above their genre origins to become real people. Elliot Ashford, a millionaire congressman, is forced to resign because of a sex scandal. When he's charged with the brutal murder of his wife, Lara, assistant district attorney Grace Harris seems to have everything she needs to make a strong case for the prosecution. She also has ambitions that could propel her career up several notches. Then some key DNA evidence mysteriously disappears, and Grace's chief adversary--a former defense superstar named Barrett Dickson--appears ready for a comeback. But neither side is prepared for the barrage of political infighting, dirty tricks, and mysterious malevolence from inside the jury room. Three more murders and two trials later, you'll emerge from The Alternate with strong doubts about the legal system--but a feeling of certainty that John Martel has a future as a novelist. --Dick Adler

trial groupie:
legal potboiler where fatal attraction meets the godfather in a schmaltzy way. despite a solid framework - pretrial prep, trial and retrial- the interjection of an overly used plot device - the brilliant psychopathic serial killer- dooms the story to a trite finale.

Top Notch Thriller by a Top Notch Trial Lawyer:
A former beauty queen is murdered, her body is discovered by her husband, millionaire Congressman Elliot Ashford, who the maid had overheard arguing with the deceased earlier, plus some of his blood had been found at the scene. After studying the evidence, Grace Harris, head of the D.A.s homicide trials team, finds gaps in the case, but she's ignored by her boss, DA Earl Field, because he has eyes on the governor's chair and sees this case as a stepping stone. Then Grace finds evidence missing. It looks as if someone is trying to rig the outcome of the case and she wonders if Mafia type connections of Ashford's have been paying off officials Attorney Barrett Dickson, once a superstar defense lawyer who is now ready for a comeback, becomes advisor to the defense and raises the stakes at the trial. Before the case is over there'll be a couple more murders, alternates will replace original jurists and the lead defense counsel will quit. THE ALTERNATE is a top notch legal thriller written by a top notch trial lawyer that will leave you sweating bullets. I swear, this book will make you believe you've been to court and it will keep your heart pumping right up until the end. Sara "Babe" Hackett, Girlfriend from the Darkside

Interesting read but one MAJOR flaw:
The Alternate certainly has an interesting plot with lots oftwists and turns. I found enjoyed Amazing Grace and Bear believable, but some of the others were weak. What really concerned me about this book was the fact that Martel obviously didn't do enough research when it comes to Huntington's Disease. When a DNA expert comes in and looks at the blood of the accused, she finds he has Huntington's Disease. From the age of onset to the symptoms to the length of the disease this novel was riddled with mistakes. I found it frustrating that such a well educated, well employed person would be so lacking in doing the basic research since nowadays it's easy to find information online about this disease. I live with this disease every day through my husband, and I think Martel did the entire HD community a great injustice by not doing his homework. While the story was entertaining and basically well written, that one flaw made me wonder if I should read other books by this author. Carmen Leal Author of Faces of Huntington's A book about Huntington's Disease...

Great read but some silly mistakes:
I had a hard time putting this book down. I ended up staying up till 3am to finish it. The characters, especially Bear, are people we can relate to. Although, as another reviewer stated, things go along a predictable route, I enjoyed it anyway. Two points detracted from the book, however. There were way too many typos for a major publishing house. And there were several timing errors which did not make sense. In one paragraph it is 4:30 pm when Bear decides to go to a restaurant. In the next paragraph he gets to the restaurant at 4:00. Good trick. Somewhere else in the book it is Friday. The next day is also Friday. Things like this should not go unnoticed in the editorial process. They certainly diminish the reading experience.

Good beginning--poor follow through:
The first half of this book is a better-than-average courtroom thriller, with well drawn characters and plot twists to keep one interested. Then it starts to fall apart. The plot twists become so implausible as to be ridiculous, the characteriztion becomes inconsistent and hackneyed, the court-room scenes degenerate and largely irrelevant strands are introduced. Furthermore, the author violoates the convention that information that may be doubtful to the reader should be presented so that this is clear. Not worth the time