The Plinko Bounce: A Novel
May 2026 · Sold by Vintage
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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).
"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).
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 propuls...
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About the author
MARTIN CLARK is a retired Virginia circuit court judge, who served twenty-seven years on the bench. His novels have appeared on numerous bestseller lists and have been chosen as a New York Times Notable Book, a New York Times Editors’ Choice, a New York Times Best Thriller of the Year, 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, 2020 and 2024. Martin received the Patrick County Outstanding Community Service Award in 2016 and the Virginia State Bar’s Harry L. Carrico Professionalism Award in 2018. He and his wife, Deana, live on a farm with dogs, cats, chickens and donkeys.
MARTIN CLARK is a retired Virginia circuit court judge, who served twenty-seven years on the bench. His novels have appeared on numerous bestseller lists and have been chosen as a New York Times Notable Book, a New York Times Editors’ Choice, a New York Times Best Thriller of the Year, a Washingt...
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