The Plinko Bounce: A Novel

A New York Times Best Thriller of 2023 • A New York Times Editors' Choice 2023 • A high-stakes legal thriller about a small-town public defender saddled with an impossibly complicated case.

"Martin Clark injects life into a topsy-turvy murder case in rural Virginia as only he can in this propulsive tour de force, which had me riveted from beginning to end." —Beth Macy, bestselling author of Dopesick and Paper Girl

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, spot-on blueprint of the justice system, intricate plotting, and provocative, no-holds-barred ending, The Plinko Bounce demonstrates once again why Martin Clark has been dubbed “the thinking man’s John Grisham” (New York Times) and praised as “hands down, our finest legal-thriller writer" (Entertainment Weekly).