THE PLINKO BOUNCE

The Plinko Bounce is a novel of legal suspense and tells the story of Andy Hughes, a small-town public defender.

For seventeen years, small-town public defender Andy Hughes has been underpaid to look after the poor, the addicted, and the unfortunate souls who constantly cycle through the courts, charged with petty crimes. Then, in the summer of 2020, things change. He's assigned to a grotesque murder case that brings national media focus to rural Patrick County, Virginia - Alicia Benson, the devout wife of a wealthy Mormon businessman, is murdered in her home. The accused killer, Damian Bullins, is a cunning felon with a long history of violence, especially where women are concerned. He even admits his guilt to Andy. But a series of glitches and missteps - a typographical error, the discovery of a marital secret, a missed filing deadline, and a cop shading the truth for justice's sake - begin to bedevil the state's case, making it possible Bullins might escape punishment. Once he learns about these complications, Bullins summons Andy to the jail and unexpectedly declares his innocence, though the story he tells in support of his new claim seems beyond belief. Duty-bound to give his client the best defense possible, Andy sets aside his misgivings and agrees to help fight for a not-guilty verdict, a decision that will ultimately endanger him and his family and force him to make profound, life-and-death choices, both inside and outside the courtroom. The Plinko Bounce is yet another testament to Martin Clark's unique, genre-bending skill. It's a hugely entertaining story, with his trademark intricate plotting, and it dips in and out of the legal system, but it's much more than a traditional "legal thriller." Gritty, philosophical, sly, smart, empathetic, wise and, at times, flat-out funny, this is Martin's most accomplished book. A retired circuit court judge from Patrick County, Virginia, Martin Clark is a cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Davidson College and attended law school at the University of Virginia. When he was appointed to the bench in 1992 at age thirty-two, he became one of the youngest judges in the history of the commonwealth. His novels have appeared on numerous bestseller lists, and the audio version of The Substitution Order was a number one national bestseller. Additionally, his novels have been chosen as a New York Times Notable Book, a New York Times Editors' Choice, a Washington Post Book World Best Book of the Year, a Bookmarks Magazine Best Book of the Year, a Boston Globe Best Book of the Year, a Book-of-the-Month Club selection, a finalist for the Stephen Crane First Fiction Award, and the winner of the Library of Virginia's People's Choice Award in 2009, 2016 and 2020. Martin received the Patrick County Outstanding Community Service Award in 2016 and the Virginia State Bar's Harry L. Carrico Professionalism Award in 2018.