Notorious » (Bargain)

Michele Martinez, a graduate of Harvard University and Stanford Law School, was a federal prosecutor in New York City for eight years. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband and two children.

Smart, sexy federal prosecutor Melanie Vargas returns in her most explosive case yet

About to take a controversial rap star to trial for murder, Melanie Vargas receives an important piece of information from his lawyer. In full confidence, on the steps of New York City's federal courthouse, he tells her that his client may have had ties to a wanted fugitive. Moments later, a powerful car bomb blows the man to pieces, with Melanie only steps away.

Determined to find the killer, Melanie enters a dangerous world of subterfuge and double-crosses, going as far as the glittering lights of Vegas to discover the truth. But the outcome of the case isn't the only thing on the line. As the sole witness to the murder, Melanie is in danger of losing her own life. It isn't long before she realizes that she can't trust anybody, not even those closest to her.

Publishers Weekly

The exciting fourth legal thriller from former federal prosecutor Martinez to feature Melanie Vargas (after 2007's Cover-up) starts with a bang: a car bomb detonated by a cellphone explodes outside the Manhattan federal courthouse and kills Lester Poe, a distinguished defense attorney who was opposing Melanie in her murder prosecution of rap legend Atari Briggs. Melanie, a workaholic single mom who was attracted to Poe, witnesses the horrific crime, which occurs moments after the defense attorney advised her that Briggs was willing to give the feds the goods on wanted terrorist Gamal Abdullah. This Pelican Brief-like opening, alas, isn't matched by the rest of the book, which takes a predictable course involving a transparently evil attorney who succeeds Poe in representing Briggs and a young female attorney with self-esteem issues who's tempted to compromise the Briggs prosecution. Martinez may yet hit the top rank of suspense novelists if she melds her engaging series sleuth with more sophisticated plot lines. (Mar.)