The American Lawyer

Jesse Hall is a 29 year-old lawyer who grew up in poverty and learned about injustice first hand. Upon graduation, he picked Caldwell & Shaw, a preeminent San Francisco silk-stocking firm, determined to learn about the use and abuse of power, then build a war chest, enter politics, and fight for the disadvantaged. The firm sends Jesse to Guatemala to vet the local lawyer defending the son of C&S's biggest client, Calvin (Cal) Covington. Young Kevin is accused of murdering a popular Guatemalan human rights advocate, Marisa Andrade. Jesse is to ensure that the local lawyer is the very best and to find a replacement if he's not. The case seems simple enough, which is just when things begin to go awry. Jesse quickly sees that the man is incompetent, and when no other local lawyer will take the case, he has no choice but to take it on himself, aided paradoxically by the victim's own husband, Teodoro Andrade, an elderly alcoholic law professor. Teo believes Marisa was killed under orders of the current VP and Presidential candidate, Victor Carano, her prime journalistic target, and that Carano has framed young Kevin Covington. Teo wants revenge, so agrees to help the American lawyer reveal the truth. Together, this odd couple will take on drug lords, corrupt judges, murderers, the government - and their own fully justified fears and self-doubts. From the high-powered offices of the Bay Area to the dangerous steets of Central America, The American Lawyer is a stunning legal thriller.


Genre: Mystery

"A gem of international legal suspense, Martel is a total pro at the top of his game." - John Lescroart