Double Tap and The Arraignment

by Steve Martini

Two books by the same author, read in the same weekend. The first one was one of two my mom loaned me to read on the plane. I got most of the way through it, then misplaced it while I was at my friend's wedding. My friend's aunt was kind enough to loan me another book by the same author as well.

The books are fun, lawyerly romps. Double Tap involves the theme of Total Information Awareness, and supercomputers invading every aspect of our lives (though not with the added benefit of finding us our soulmate along the way, as in Death Match). The Arraignment has to do with a the lawyer's dirty lawyer friend getting shot, and the lawyer trying to find the killer/reason why.

Very good airplane books, though I think I like The Arraignment better (even with the weird detour to Mexico and some convoluted details that seem irrelevant to the storyline). I think it's just 'cause I'm biased against Supercomputer As Villian books right now. But the writing is snappy, and I'll let a lot of things slide for that. I'm looking forward to reading more books by the author.

"She sits there wide-eyed, considering her options: door number one, carpet sweeping; door number two, some serious felonies for forgery and theft with some probable time, and some good points toward motivation on a double murder. Her response, which takes a nanosecond, tells me this is not a hard choice.

'We had been seeing each other,' she says, 'for some time. Nathan and I.'

'I am stunned.'

'I mean before Nick died.'

'You mean before he was shot, killed?' I say. 'There is a difference.'

'Yes. That's what I mean.' She corrects herself.

'If Nick died of pnemonia in a hospital with Metz in the bed next to him, the police wouldn't be looking under every rock for the people who shot them. They'd just figure God did it, and you'd be free to hold hands with Nathan as if nothing happened. You do see the difference?'

She looks at me with a bitter expression. 'We didn't tell the police about it. We didn't think they needed to know. It was private.'... Now that she wants something, my feckless acceptance of her denial, Dana's eyes go all soft again and teary. She is able to turn this on faster than most kids can shoot a squirt gun."