Michele Martinez
Notorious
Author:
Michele Martinez
Series
Connection: Melanie Vargas
Genre:
Romantic Suspense
4 Hearts
Description:
About to
bring a famous rap star to trial for murder, Melanie Vargas becomes the sole
witness when a car bomb kills the rapper's lawyer. Her career and her safety
are on the line, but so is her heart: Melanie's relationship with the
charismatic defense lawyer was more than strictly professional.
Determined
to hunt down his killer, she finds herself in a dangerous world of subterfuge
and double-crosses. The lawyer wasn't what he seemed. A lot of people wanted
him dead, and as Melanie zeroes in on the answer, she finds she can't trust
anybody -- not even those closest to her.
From the
Author's Website:
Like
Melanie Vargas, the main character in her novels, Michele Martinez had the
privilege of serving as a federal prosecutor in New York City. For eight years
she was an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of New
York, which covers some of the most drug- and gang-infested areas of Brooklyn
and Queens. She specialized in narcotics, and we're not talking about busting
high school kids selling pot, either. The Eastern District includes the
airports and the ports serving New York City, so Michele had jurisdiction over
the biggest narcotics organizations in the world.
My View:
Notorious
is the fourth legal thriller to feature Melanie Vargas. This book starts off
where the last book Cover-up end. Melanie witnesses a friend, and opposing
defense attorney, Lester Poe, being killed when his car is blown up outside the
Manhattan federal courthouse. Poe is a distinguished defense attorney who was
representing a rap legend named Atari Briggs. Before he is killed, Poe tells
Melanie that his client wants to make a deal, but suddenly after Poe's death,
Briggs is saying there was never any talk about any deals.
Added to
the mix is the fact that Poe's partner, Evan Diamond, takes over the Briggs
case. Diamond has a reputation of being on the take and not being completely
honest. Diamond will stop at nothing to get information even starting an affair
with a young female attorney that works with Melanie. Soon Melanie realizes she
doesn't quite know who to trust.
One of the
things that make Michele's work so easy to read is that the scenes are action
packed and fast moving and she keeps everything simple to follow along with.
The mystery she leads readers on in trying to decide who killed Poe is
interesting and leads the readers to several different people who might have
wanted Poe dead. There are several twists and turns in the novel that keeps the
reader wanting to read more.
Where I
felt the story fell short was Melanie's interactions with her former boyfriend,
FBI agent Dan O'Reilly. I kept expecting there to be more of the steamy scenes
that were in the previous books, but this one fell short in that regard.
Otherwise, it was a well written book that fans will want to read and see to
the end.