The Plinko Bounce

By: Martin Clark

Narrated by: David Aaron Baker, Morgan Hallett

A New York Times Book Review Best Thriller of 2023!

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, he’s assigned to a grotesque murder case that brings national media focus to rural Patrick County, Virginia—Alicia Benson, the wife of a wealthy businessman, is murdered in her home. The accused killer, Damian Bullins, is a cunning felon with a long history of violence, and he confesses to the police. He even admits his guilt to Andy. But a simple typographical error and a shocking discovery begin to complicate the state’s case, making it possible Bullins might escape punishment. Duty-bound to give his client a thorough defense, Andy—despite his misgivings—agrees to fight for a not-guilty verdict, a decision that will ultimately force him to make profound, life-and-death choices, both inside and outside the courtroom.

With its unforgettable characters, insider’s blueprint of the justice system, intricate plotting, and provocative, no-holds-barred ending, The Plinko Bounce demonstrates once again why Martin Clark has been called “the thinking man’s John Grisham” by The New York Times and praised as “hands down, our finest legal-thriller writer” by Entertainment Weekly.

©2023 Martin Clark (P)2023 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

"David Aaron Baker shines as the weary and beleaguered attorney Andy Hughes.... Baker's performance enables listeners to empathize with Hughes's disillusioned view of the legal system. Morgan Hallett's talents shine in her portrayals of the story's female characters, especially Hughes's colleague and love interest. Overall, listeners will appreciate the deliberate pacing of the dual narration." (AudioFile)

hard to stop..

..listening! Clark is a master of character development as you can't help just root for Andy and against Damien. Only negative was the female voices were hard to distinguish among the 4-5 female characters.

Story turns

The characters were realistic! Mostly good people and those who continually frustrate them with their evil and soulless actions. No evil and mean bosses around the corner nor duplicitous friends. The story was a complicated legal mash of errors and omissions. It was interesting and enjoyable with great narration.

Good Book

I found myself looking forward to each listen. The book was unique and the main character was quite likeable. It's scary to see how things can actually go wrong in our court system. The narrator was extremely good except for his female voices which pretty much all sounded the same. The male voices were great.

The intelligent writing and brilliant narration made for easy listening of this novel.

I had some difficulty remembering who is who sometimes but then got used to the names.

Great legal thriller

One of the best legal thrillers I have read in a while. Love a good twist too!

The unnecessary focus on masks and social distance.

I liked that Damien got what was due thanks to a brave and brilliant lawyer, but the statement that the pandemic ended due to the covid vaccine is grossly inaccurate according to many.

Waited for something

Very well written so that I stayed engaged, just kinda wish more happened. It felt like it was building up to something that never came

Good. Not great.

My only problem is that this is kind of similar to other books in this category. Could’ve used more of a twist. However, it was still a good book and worth a listen.

Great story, bad female narration.

I love Martin Clark’s stories. It is easy to connect with the characters and the plots are always fun. The male narrator was perfect but whoever decided to have all female voices done by a female, made a horrible decision. The female voice was robotic and every female character sounded the same. Very bad. Had it just been the male narrator, I would have given it five stars.

Inner thought are important

In my opinion, Martin Clark's "The Plinko Bounce" presents a narrative that struggles to define its central focus until the final chapters. The book teeters between exploring romance and legal cases without firmly anchoring the reader in either realm. This lack of clarity regarding the book's primary theme contributes to a confusing reading experience.

One of the primary drawbacks lies in the lack of detailed descriptions, whether regarding character relationships or the legal cases. The romantic aspect feels underdeveloped, lacking substantial dialogue or meaningful interactions between characters. Similarly, the legal cases lack depth; readers are presented with facts and court proceedings but are denied insight into the protagonist's thoughts and legal strategy. The absence of the main character's thought process makes it challenging to perceive him as a proficient lawyer, relying solely on others' praise rather than witnessing his expertise firsthand. While the protagonist is meant to be an adept lawyer, readers are left without understanding his inner workings or the reasoning behind his actions. While his actions at the end of the book should be shocking and unexpecting, it left me feel nothing, as I did not feel like I know the character, his motives or morals (other than being a laywer that strictly follows the law).

(Additionnaly, when voicing the main character, the narrator sometimes soundes bored, and the narration of the kid's dialogues did not sound the best. Other than that, the narration was pretty good.)

Overall, the book could have been great if it had just a bit more depth.