Guardian of lies

by Steve Martini

Paper Book, 2009

Publication

New York : William Morrow, c2009.

Collection

Call number

Fiction M

Physical description

443 p.; 24 cm

Status

Available

Call number

Fiction M

Description

"Defense attorney Paul Madriani gets caught in a web of deceit and murder involving Cold War secrets, a rare coin dealer who once worked for the CIA, and a furious assassin in one of the most entertaining novels yet in this New York Times bestselling series. A woman pauses in the hallway of a darkened San Diego beach house at night--listening for just the right moment when she can flee before her companion notices that she's gone. A man outside watches the same mansion, waiting for a sign that he can enter on his mission of blood and carnage. So begins this riveting new tale about Paul Madriani and his latest case--that of Katia, a woman accused of an unlikely crime--a trial that will unravel a careful but horrifying conspiracy. Madriani soon realizes that he's signed onto something much more sinister than a botched heist. As he searches for the truth that will clear Katia's name, he finds himself on a path that takes him from Southern California to Costa Rica, and, ultimately, to a secret buried since Castro's rise to power. Together with his partner, Harry Hinds, Madriani must piece together the threads of a decades-old conspiracy involving priceless gold coins, an aging American spy, a disaffected Russian soldier, and a forgotten weapon from the days of JFK and the Cuban Missile Crisis. As the separate strands of the story come together, Madriani finds information that will ultimately lead him to the one person who holds the key to it all: a man some call 'The Guardian of Lies'" -- from publisher's web site.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member woodsathome
You get exactly what you would expect from Guardian of Lies - a fast paced thriller perfect for light summer reading. Personally, I would have preferred a little more courtroom drama and less race to beat the terrorists, but that's just me.

I did like how Martini managed to weave a plot to include
Show More
nearly all the classic bad guys in one plot. From the disillusianed CIA agent, to the old KGB, to Cubans, Middle Eastern terrorists and even FARC and Mexican drug cartels.
Show Less
LibraryThing member reannon
This book was my introduction to Steve Martini's work, and what an adrenalin-pumping introduction it is.

The lawyer Paul Madriani talks to a beautiful young South American woman in the grocery store. Soon thereafter she is charged with the murder of the older man she was living with. We know that he
Show More
was killed by a hit-man, and the plot gets more complex when it seems that behind it all is a plot by terrorists to loose a nuclear device in the U.S.

The pace is so fast that it is hard to have time to think about the plot, but the plot is overall a good one, although there were a few unaswered questions. Characterization is pretty good, though the people get lost to some degree in the action. The brst character to me, actually, wasn't in the book for long, she was an agent assigned to get information from Katia, the woman accused of the murder.

A recommened read if you're looking for a thriller.
Show Less
LibraryThing member camptales
This was my first introduction to Martini's work. Although impressed by his plot and characters, I find a narrative told in present tense a real turnoff. And when the present and past tense are swapped back and forth, I really don't care for it. I will probably read other works by this author--if I
Show More
can get past the tense problems.
Show Less
LibraryThing member EdGoldberg
Katia Nitikin's grandfather is a Russian who helped assemble a nuclear bomb. With detente, the need for it disappeared, as did he...into Colombia so he could safeguard his baby.

Katia never knew her grandfather, but now he is in the hands of some Middle Eastern extremist who wants to use his bomb
Show More
for his own causes.

Emerson Pike, a former CIA agent, recognizes Yakov Nitikin from a photo and befriends Katia in order to get to Nitikin. He is brutally murdered and Katia is arrested. It is thought that Paul Madriani was somehow involved. This leads to exciting traveling, following clues and killers to a suspenseful conclusion.

The only thing that was off-putting was the thought by the District Attorney that Madriani was involved in the murders. It was just silly, based on both the Madriani and D.A. characters. Otherwise, while it was necessary to suspend belief on occasion, Steve Martini has put together a readable, suspenseful espionage thriller.

Will there be a sequel? Won't there? Hmmm. That is the cliffhanger ending.
Show Less
LibraryThing member angela.vaughn
I got this book through LT Early Review. It took me a few days to get started, as I was still reading another book, but when I did, I could not keep my nose out of it. I am a true new comer to Steve Martini, and have fallen for his style for thrill and suspense. The main character, Paul Madriani is
Show More
a lawyer, and he just can't seen to keep himself out of the middle of his clients problems, even before the client knows they have one. To much of a chance? Maybe, but it is the crazy stuff like the events that unfold in the story that could make you think...maybe.
Now that I have been introduced to Steve Martini, I will be looking for his books...who knows, I may already have some that have not been added to my library.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Rania37
Steve Martini has been on my “authors to try” list for sometime. I was not disappointed. “Guardian of Lies” finds defense attorney Paul Madriani on a dangerous adventure in Costa Rica searching for information that was stolen during a double murder. Although Martini shares details with the
Show More
reader, Madriani is unaware of who’s who in the cast of characters as he encounters the US Feds, a hit man named Liquida and a group of Colombians who take arms smuggling to a whole new level. Martini’s colorful language, vivid descriptions and apparent research make this suspense novel an enthralling read.
Show Less
LibraryThing member AnneWK
Paul Madriani meets a gorgeous Costa Rican woman and the trouble begins. Add a crazy Mexican assasin, an atom bomb left over from the Cuban Missile Crisis now in the hands of Middle Eastern terrorists, and federal authorities with no restrictions under Homeland Security. There are few of the
Show More
courtroom scenes that have made past Madriani novels so much fun. Instead there is a lot of craziness with the terrorists and other criminals and no characters for the reader to care about.
This was in galley form so there were some missing phrases and other problems.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Beecharmer
I've read Steve Martini's books before and always like them. This book was no different. Paul Madriani gets himself involved in a murder case that turns out to be much more including becoming a suspect. To prove himself innocent, he goes to Costa Rica looking for answers. While he is searching for
Show More
the terrorists, the DA is searching for him. He knows his phone is bugged and gets information about the terrorists to them. The book is exciting and interesting. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a thriller.
Show Less
LibraryThing member maryanntherese
I am new to the Paul Madriani series of legal thriller novels by Steve Martini. I came to this book with no preconceived notions about the characters or what to expect in the plot. While I would not usually admit to being a fan of thrillers, I admit that I did enjoy this book.

Martini's
Show More
characterizations are pretty bare-bones. I still have no idea what kind of house Paul lives in, what color his hair is or what his car looks like. Martini is not one for great descriptive details like clothing or food, but uses a crisp narrative style relying heavily on dialogue. And his dialogue is spot-on. The story is told from dual perspectives, with chapters alternating primarily between Madriani and Liquida, the "Mexicutioner." The plot was complex, but entirely plausible. I couldn't help thinking that Paul Madriani deserves a place on the silver screen.

I was also pleased to see a minimum of foul language and no graphic sexual content. The violence, though, is described in detail. While it is not full of hyperbole, the methodical, matter-of-fact, description of someone being killed was a bit unnerving for me. But not so much as to put me off of this book, or any of the others. I'm going to look up a few Madriani novels at the library soon.
Show Less
LibraryThing member etrainer
I'm a big fan of Steve Martini's Paul Madriani novels. The courtroom scenes in the novels are especially entertaining as Paul and Harry Hinds fight up and down battles to out maneuver and out wit the prosecutors, who always misread the evidence and charge innocent defendants.

Guardian of Lies is an
Show More
excellent thriller, but it lacks the courtroom drama of most Madriani novels. The plot is complex with terrorists, assassins, and spies. The Cuban Missile Crisis, a time I vividly remember, is integral to the story and is neatly tied to present day terrorists. The ending is taut and suspenseful. But lacking the expected legal jousting I was expecting, this novel was a bit of a let down. The final paragraphs strongly suggest a sequel, perhaps another thriller with action entirely outside a courtroom. This reader hopes Madriani returns to more familiar environs, doing battle with witnesses and prosecutors rather than terrorists and assassins.
Show Less
LibraryThing member pinkcrayon99
This was my first Steve Martini novel and I must say that I enjoyed it. I will admit there were so many details in this book that they were overwhelming at times especially when Nitkin was assembling the bomb. Paul Madriani's character had no real depth to me he was pretty shallow. The characters I
Show More
enjoyed the most was Templeton (the prosecutor) and Caral Mederios AKA Daniela (the undercover FBI agent). The most engaging chapters of the novel were the ones during the prison bus attack. I was on edge reading those!

I really appreciate the research that went into this book. The story line and the way the events are interwoven are amazing! This book was well paced with a lot of clarity. I have only read one other suspense novel prior to this one. I normally only dabble in African-American non-fiction but this novel has opened up a door to another genre that I won't be closing anytime soon.
Show Less
LibraryThing member norinrad10
I've never read Steve Martini before even though I was well aware of his books. This ones a good if slightly implausible beach read. I don't know if I could put it next to a John Leschcroft book and be able to tell the difference. That in itself, could be taken as compliment or criticism. The story
Show More
is very engrossing and well paced. Seems to be pretty well researsched and the supporting characters are quite interesting. However, one criticism that I would have is that the title character wasn't very developed, either that or he's just vanilla. Other then that it was a pleasurable read and I'm sure I'll read another Martini book at some point in the future.
Show Less
LibraryThing member brewergirl
This was my first Steve Martini book in about 10 years, featuring attorney Paul Madriani. This time around Paul meets a young woman in a grocery store and gets mixed up in a terrorist plot ... complete with a Soviet scientist, nuclear weapons, and escapees from Guantanamo. At times the technical
Show More
details of the weapon got to be a bit much for me, but skimming over them didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the story. There were also several references to previous Paul Madriani novels that regular readers would understand, but, again, nothing that kept me from following the storyline.

Overall, it was an entertaining read. A great way to escape for a few hours.
Show Less
LibraryThing member slassen
Guardian of Lies was my introduction to Steve Martini's writing and his character, attorney Paul Madriani. Some of the technical details were a bit uninteresting to me, but I enjoyed this book for what it is - a quick-read thriller. It reminded me of the TV show, 24. A good beach read.
LibraryThing member Omakase
This is my first introduction to Steve Martini's writing and overall it made a very good impression on me. I was able to immediately get into the story and the pacing moved along briskly with a number of interesting minor characters -- some of them drawn more deftly than the protagonist
Show More
actually.
The initial story of the murder investigation of an ex-CIA agent is interwoven with the story of a planned terrorist action and the stories intertwine nicely. Madriani, the main character, is central in the first story thread, which then evolves in both location and focus into the second.
The action in the story holds the reader and although there is no mystery per se, the narrative drives forward and makes the reader want to find out how it will all turn out.
My biggest quibble with the book is that Martini sets up the story arc so well and ties a whole bunch of story elements together, but the book ends very suddenly. In a matter of a couple of pages ( paragraphs really) several of the storylines are wrapped up a little too neatly. Another point about the book that was a little off-putting was the shift between first person present tense and third person past tense for the different narratives. I didn't really see any need to do this, and frankly Martini doesn't pull off the first person POV to where it really adds anything to the character development or plot.
Nevertheless, this is a well formulated page-turning story with elements of legal and political thrillers thrown into the mix. Definitely a recommended read.
Show Less
LibraryThing member wisekaren
Just to be clear: My husband read this book, not me -- this is not my favorite genre. He has read other Martini books before. Overall he felt that it was trying to be too many things -- he didn't think that series character Paul Madriani on an international level rang true (Madriani is usually a
Show More
local lawyer). He did feel compelled to finish the book to see what happened, but he didn't think it was one of Martini's best by any means.
Show Less
LibraryThing member OneMorePage
Attorney Paul Madriani meets a young Costa Rician woman in the grocery story one day; a short time later, he is defending her against the murder of her benefactor, an ex-CIA agent turned coin collector. Through his own stupidity, he soon learns that he is also suspected. His research takes him to
Show More
Central America, where he is followed by the CIA on his search for his client's mother who may know why an ex-CIA agent would be interested in her daughter. Nuclear weapons, terrorists, and cold-war politics fill this thriller and make it of interest to spy-novel lovers.
Show Less
LibraryThing member LoreleiMuriel
This book is 438 pages of action sandwiched between cold blooded murder and bomb explosion diversion. This story begins with a young woman accused of murder and ends with her grandfather's death. This plot had a multitude of diversions - sub plots, characters, bomb assembly, terrorists from the
Show More
Middle East with a Cuban connection, Russian bomb specialist - with locales of Cuba, Costa Rica, Mexico, and San Diego involved. Seemingly, all the right ingredients to keep a reader up all night.

However, although the book is jam packed with all these page turning elements, I was left feeling empty. The characters all had development potential, but this potential was never flushed out. Every character seemed to merely be inserted for particular events then basically forgotten. I struggled, hoping to find one character that was not a mere shell of a person. The exciting locales were only touched on. A sense of having visited for a day or a hint of a cultural interest never surfaced.

The book seemed to be written with a checklist on hand, adding the ingredients but not cooking them up. Rather than being thoroughly thrilled, I was thoroughly bored.
Show Less
LibraryThing member tututhefirst
This is a "clear your calendar and prepare to stay up all night" thriller. Although Martini plants numerous clues, and the reader thinks he knows what's happening, the plot twists are numerous, and aggregate into an incredible story featuring the Cuban missile crisis, the cold war, Homeland
Show More
Security, the Columbian and Mexican drug cartels, a beautiful model from Costa Rica, Guantanamo bay detainees, missing nuclear weapons, and a bunch of lawyers in San Diego California trying to prosecute or defend the beautiful model when she is accused of killing a local coin dealer (who turns out to be a retired CIA operative).

Anyone else trying to tie all that together would have left us in a sinking morass of confusion. Martini pulls it into a breath-taking fast-paced, very scary (because it's so believable) story with an acceptable resolution.

I've read several others in the Paul Madriani series. I think this is definitely the best.
Show Less
LibraryThing member roguefire
Yet another mystery that was good for a quick summer read on the train. Doesn't take much thought to read it and is quick. I've never read a Paul Madriani novel before, and probably wouldn't again, unless it was left in a hotel room. I'm not one for legal dramas and this one dragged. Lots of
Show More
technical detail, which again, may be my disinterest.
Show Less
LibraryThing member DBower
If you liked the other Paul Madriani novels you will probably like this one (although this can be your first without any problem). The book is a combination of international intrigue, terrorism, and legal/political thriller. It was an easy read, full of action that I enjoyed.
LibraryThing member Lynngood
Defense attorney Paul Madriani gets caught in a web of deceit and murder involving Cold War secrets, a rare coin dealer who once worked for the CIA, and a furious assassin in one of the most entertaining novels yet in this New York Times bestselling series.

A woman pauses in the hallway of a
Show More
darkened San Diego beach house at night - listening for just the right moment when she can flee before her companion notices that she's gone.

A man outside watches the same mansion, waiting for a sign that he can enter on his mission of blood and carnage.

So begins this riveting new tale about Paul Madriani and his latest case - that of Katia, a woman accused of an unlikely crime - a trial that will unravel a careful but horrifying conspiracy. Madriani soon realizes that he's signed onto something much more sinister than a botched heist. As he searches for the truth that will clear Katia's name, he finds himself on a path that takes him from Southern California to Costa Rica, and, ultimately, to a secret buried since Castro's rise to power.

Together with his partner, Harry Hinds, Madriani must piece together the threads of a decades-old conspiracy involving priceless gold coins, an aging American spy, a disaffected Russian soldier, and a forgotten weapon from the days of JFK and the Cuban Missile Crisis. As the separate strands of the story come together, Madriani finds information that will ultimately lead him to the one person who holds the key to it all: a man some call "The Guardian of Lies."
Show Less
LibraryThing member dphock
I was very disappointed in this book. Paul Madriani makes a few appearances, but this is not Martini's usual skillful legal thriller. Instead, it felt like Martini used a bare-bones legal plot to hook in his fans, but then he detoured into an unwieldy political story with far too many shifts in
Show More
perspective and too many characters that weren't worth caring about. It felt like a bait and switch, frankly. I
Show Less
LibraryThing member Carl_Alves
Guardian of Lies has what is at times a bit of a convoluted tale with many elements that are hard to swallow, yet at the same time can be compelling and gripping. The story centers around Katia, a woman from Costa Rica who, although not abducted, is being held almost like a prisoner by the
Show More
exceedingly polite former spy master Emerson Pike. Pike has an obsession with a series of photographs of Pike's mother, which leads to an old Cold War Russian, who is now working with the Castro regime and Middle Eastern terrorists. It gets a bit hard to follow, which is part of the problem with this novel.

After Pike is murdered, Katia turns to attorney Paul Madriani, after a chance meeting. Madriani is determined to help Katia, and in the process uncovers much of the mystery behind this novel. The novel works at a fast pace, and makes the reader wan to continue reading, but much of the time is hard to follow. The characters aren't terribly compelling. The villainous characters aren't remotely believable and often times hard to take seriously. There's enough in this novel that makes it worth reading, but not enough that I would highly recommend it.

Carl Alves - author of Blood Street
Show Less

Language

Original publication date

2009

ISBN

9780061230905
Page: 0.7196 seconds