Martin Clark, whom The New York Times Magazine called “the thinking man’s John Grisham,” became one of the youngest circuit court judges in Virginia history when he was appointed in 1992 at age thirty-two. He is a Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Davidson College and a 1984 graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law. He currently serves as a circuit court judge for the Virginia counties of Patrick and Henry and the city of Martinsville, Virginia, a job he has held since 1995. Martin is a trustee of the Stuart Presbyterian Church, a member of Who's Who In The World and an avid fly fisherman. He lives in Stuart, Virginia.
The Washington Post: Best Books of 2008: "Skillfully weaving a plot that includes lie detectors, wiretaps and arcane legal principles, the author creates a world in which family ties can easily turn into nooses."
The Washington Post: "Compelling ... Clark has struck a fine balance between down-home ambiance and high-octane plot. Skillfully weaving a plot that includes lie detectors, wiretaps and arcane legal principles, the author creates a world in which family ties can easily turn into nooses."
Chicago Sun Times: "A gravitas accompanies [Clark's] masterful telling of a story of life and death, crime and punishment, sin and redemption, and the chasm that sometimes opens up between the law and justice."
Los Angeles Times: "[THE LEGAL LIMIT] is sort of Elmore Leonard meets John Grisham, but very smart and procedurally realistic -- think Scott Turow with lots of crackling Southern dialogue and a plot wound as tightly as a watch."
Publishers Weekly (starred review): “Profound and moving… Clark takes his storytelling prowess to the next level in what is his most substantial and thought-provoking work to date.”
Kirkus Reviews (starred review): “A masterful mix of legal arcana and white-knuckle suspense, with a dollop of dirty pork-barrel politicking for good measure… [a] fine, meaty legal thriller.”
Clark talks about being a judge and writing legal thrillers:
Publishers Weekly (starred review): "Clark’s second novel is a delight from start to finish... Minor characters are rich and multilayered, and the dialogue is priceless. All in all, this is one of the year’s most entertaining surprises. Fans of Elmore Leonard’s meatier novels will not be disappointed."
Kirkus (starred review): "Big, boisterous and hugely enjoyable, Clark’s second tracks the wild ride of a disgraced preacher across an American heartland pockmarked by scams and rackets...With its impressive sweep and density, Clark’s work triumphantly clears the second-novel hurdle. Don’t miss it."
Haven Kimmel: "Only Martin Clark could have written this swirling cocktail of church, sin, and caper, and he pulls it off with great elegance. Plain Heathen Mischief is funny and fascinating, but it is also a bracing and spirited examination of faith, and of the fraud we perpetuate not just in the world, but in our selves."
David Baldacci: "A top-notch story from a truly original writer that defies the reader not to rip through every page with sheer delight."
Finalist for the Stephen Crane First Fiction Award
The Baltimore Sun: "Exceedingly charming.... You can climb aboard THE MANY ASPECTS OF MOBILE HOME LIVING assured that the author is going to take you for a good ride."
The Denver Post: "Part John Grisham, part Hunter S. Thompson and part sheer grit....The strength of this book is in the characters that are not only unexpectedly quirky but also believable in very human ways."
