Steve Martini is an accomplished American novelist, renowned for his legal thrillers. He is best known for his series featuring the character Paul Madriani. Prior to his career as an author, Martini worked as a journalist for the Los Angeles Daily Journal, where he covered legal and political news. His time at the Daily Journal, which was the largest legal newspaper in the country, gave him a deep understanding of the legal system and provided valuable insights into the nuances of American jurisprudence. This experience would later serve as the foundation for his legal thrillers.
Martini's fiction-writing career began in the mid-1980s, and he quickly found success with his novels. His first novel, The Simeon Chamber, was sold to a New York publisher within two weeks of its submission. His second novel, Compelling Evidence, introduced the series character Paul Madriani and became a national bestseller. The novel earned Martini a critical and popular following, and he continued to publish bestsellers featuring Madriani and his law partner, Harry Hinds.
In addition to the Madriani series, Martini has also written standalone novels, such as The List and Critical Mass. These novels, while not featuring the Madriani character, still fall within the legal-thriller genre and showcase Martini's ability to create tension-filled plotlines and his solid understanding of the American legal system. His works have been adapted for network mini-series, with Undue Influence airing on CBS and The Judge on NBC.
Martini was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay area and is an honors graduate of the University of California at Santa Cruz. He holds a law degree from the University of the Pacific's McGeorge School of Law. In addition to his work as a journalist and novelist, Martini has also had a successful career in law, appearing in both state and federal courts. He has worked as a legislative representative for the State Bar of California, served as special counsel to the California Victims of Violent Crimes Program, and was an administrative law judge and supervising hearing officer. In 1984, he turned his talents to fiction, quickly earning positions on bestseller lists. All but his first book spent time on the New York Times Bestsellers list. To date, he has authored twelve novels, including eight featuring his popular lawyer alter ego, Paul Madriani.