Shadow of Power

Shadow of Power
Steve Martini
William Morrow
ISBN: 978-0-06-123088-2
Fiction, Legal Thriller
Reviewed by Mona Lisa Safai

Best-selling author Steve Martini’s latest work, Shadow of Power: A Paul Madriani Novel, writes an intriguing legal thriller. Terry Scarborough, a controversial author of his book Perpetual Slaves: The Branding of America’s Black Race is murdered in his hotel room just before he was about to go on national television with a letter that could prove that the original words of slavery still exist in the U.S. Constitution.
The police investigation discovered that one hotel employee, Carl Arnesberg, had access to a maintenance closet (where the murder weapon, a hammer was kept) and hotel rooms. Arnesberg also was associated with the Aryan group and wore a swastika on his arm which creates more difficulty in defending him. While the police arrested Arnesberg right away, other suspects loom over the case.
It is up to the defense to build a strong case. However, that is easier said than done. Paul Madriani is a friend of Arnesberg’s father. He retains Madriani and Harry Hinds to defend his son. The book is an amazing legal thriller which has constant twists and turns. Martini immediately engages his audience and leaves them guessing who did it until the very end. The book is brilliantly written and offers up a plausible tale of a political scandal in a country still divided over race.