Author Biography | Interview | Books by this Author | Readalikes
Steve Martini was born in San Francisco and grew up in the Bay Area and Southern California. An honors graduate of the University of California at Santa Cruz, Martini's first career was in journalism. He worked as a newspaper reporter in Los Angeles and as a correspondent at the California State Capitol in Sacramento, specializing in legal issues, before gaining his law degree from the University of the Pacific's McGeorge School of Law.
In 1974 he entered private law practice in California where he appeared in both state and federal courts. During his law career he 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, Martini turned his talents to fiction. Compelling Evidence, the novel that introduced attorney Paul Madriani, was published by Putnam in 1992. A national bestseller, that novel earned Martini a critical and popular following.
About This Biography
This biography was last updated on 01/07/2014. We try to keep BookBrowse's biographies both up to date and accurate, but with over 2500 lives to keep track of it's inevitable that some won't be as current or as complete as we would like. So, please help us - if the information about a particular author is out of date, inaccurate or simply very short, and you know of a more complete source, please let us know. Authors and those connected with authors:
If you wish to make changes to your bio, send your complete biography as you would like it displayed so that we can replace the old with the new.
Steve Martini talks with his publisher, Putnam, about writing and the Internet.
How did you begin writing?
I actually started writing as a journalist in 1969 for a newspaper in Los
Angeles. At the time I was not a lawyer, but had just graduated from the
University of California and intended to enter law school. I wanted a couple of
years in the real world before plunging back into studies. What started as a
brief diversion became an obsession. I found something almost therapeutic about
composing at a keyboard. At the time it was an ancient manual typewriter. The
news stories I wrote were converted into print for the paper on an old hot lead
"Linotype" machine. I became hooked on writing, though at the time I
had not ventured into fiction. All of my writing was on a daily deadline and
intended for publication in the newspaper. I covered the courts and local
government, and in 1970 I was transferred by the newspaper to the State Capital
in Sacramento where I became a capital correspondent and ultimately bureau chief
covering state government and the courts.
Did you intend to become an author, or do you have a specific reason
or reasons for writing each book?
For many years I thought about writing fiction,...
Linda Fairstein, America's foremost legal expert on crimes of sexual assault and domestic violence, led the Sex Crimes Unit of the District Attorney's Office in Manhattan for twenty-five years. A Fellow of the American ... (more)
If you enjoyed:
The Arraignment
Try:
The Bone Vault
by Linda Fairstein
Phillip Margolin grew up in New York City and Levittown, New York. In 1965, he graduated from The American University in Washington, D.C. with a Bachelor's Degree in Government. From 1965 to 1967, he was a Peace Corps ... (more)
If you enjoyed:
The Attorney
Try:
The Associate
by Phillip Margolin
We recommend 6 similar authors
The Tea Planter's Wife
by Dinah Jefferies
An utterly engrossing, compulsive page-turner set in 1920s Ceylon.
Darling Days
by iO Tillett Wright
A devastatingly powerful memoir of one young woman's extraordinary coming of age.
William Boyd's Sweet Caress captures an entire lifetime unforgettably within its pages. It captivates.
About the book
Blood at the Root
"A gripping, timely, and important examination of American racism."
- PW Starred Review
Visitors can view some of BookBrowse for free. Full access is for members only.
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends books that we believe to be best in class. Books that will whisk you to faraway places and times, that will expand your mind and challenge you -- the kinds of books you just can't wait to tell your friends about.
Subscribe to receive some of our best reviews, "beyond the book" articles, book club info & giveaways by email.
