Prime Witness

by Steve Martini

Part of Paul Madriani, book 2

First published 1994

Paul Madriani switches sides from defense to prosecution when brutal murders terrorize the college town of Davenport, California. Four victims fall to the Putah Creek Killer in just five days. Police arrest a college security guard based on solid physical evidence. Madriani must convict him quickly to calm public fear. But the case turns complicated when two more bodies appear. These latest murders feel different from the first four. Defense attorney Adrian Chambers brings his own grudge against Madriani into the courtroom. As testimony unfolds, Madriani realizes the physical evidence tells only part of the story. One killer sits in the defendant's chair while another walks free. Madriani fights to convict the man before him while hunting for the second murderer. The truth runs deeper than multiple killers stalking the same small town.

Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective

Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking

Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator

Setting: Davenport, California, Putah Creek

406 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Berkley

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