Supper Sleuths

Detecting Lawyers

So many of the titles on this list can be considered a legal thriller that it is hard to figure out where one category begins (mystery) and the other ends (suspense). Our legal eagles have a crusading spirit and a curiosity that will not be deterred from finding the true culprit of the crime—even if it is their own client. These lawyers might qualify more as private investigators than amateurs, as they seek to extricate clients from jeopardy. This type of mystery often features courtroom scenes where all is revealed because of the lawyer’s facile interrogation. The lawyer can be either a prosecuting attorney or a defense lawyer.

The legal thriller achieved great prominence in the 1990s and continues to flourish. Famous best-seller authors of this genre are Scott Turow, Steve Martini and, of course, John Grisham. The emphasis of the legal thriller is less on detection and more on the attorney’s abilities to extricate him or herself and others from danger. Subgenres include the idealistic young lawyer who stumbles on a crime and has to use his legal skills and intellect to get out of the trouble he finds himself (The Firm), and the attorney wrongly accused of murder (Presumed Innocent). Solving the mystery is the lesser part of the journey; the thrill of the chase is really what the book is all about.

The following is a list of authors who fit into this category. Whenever possible, the series is in order of publication date. This is by no means an exhaustive list, and please let us know if you feel that an author should be here. Please read one or more of these authors and/or titles, and come prepared to discuss your impressions of them with the group.

AUTHOR PROTAGONIST TITLE

Catherine Arnold Karen Perry-Mondori Due Process (1996). Not availble in NOBLE. Out-of-Print.
Imperfect Justice (1997). Not availble in NOBLE. Out-of-Print.
Wrongful Death (1999)
Blind Justice (1997). Not availble in NOBLE. Out-of-Print.

William Bernhardt Ben Kincaid

Travis Byrne Primary Justice (1991)
Blind Justice (1992)
Deadly Justice (1993)
Perfect Justice (1993)
Cruel Justice (1996)
Naked Justice (1997)
Extreme Justice (1998)
Dark Justice (1999)
Silent Justice (2000)
Murder One (2001)
Criminal Intent (2002)
Death Row (2003)
Hate Crime (2004)
Double Jeopardy (1995)

Michael M. Biehl Karen Hayes Doctored Evidence (2002)
Lawyered To Death (2003)

Bill Blum John Solomon
Peter Harrigan
David Nova Prejudicial Error (1995)
Last Appeal (1997)
Face of Justice (1998)

Jay Brandon Raymond Boudro
Jordan Marshall
Kelsey Thatch
Chris Sinclair

Mark Blackwell Rules of Evidence (1992)
Local Rules (1995)
Defiance County (1996)
Angel of Death (1998)
Afterimage (2000)
Sliver Moon (2003)
Grudge Match (2004)
Fade the Heat (1990)
Loose Among the Lambs (1993)

Sandra Brown Kendall Deaton The Witness (1995)

Christopher Buckley Bruce "Shameless" Baylor No Way to Treat a Lady (2002)

D(udley). W. Buffa Joseph Antonelli The Defense (1997)
The Prosecution (1999)
The Judgement (2001)
The Legacy (2002)
Star Witness (2003)
Breach of Trust (2004)

James Lee Burke Billy Bob Holland Cimmaron Rose (1997)
Heartwood (1999)
Bitterroot (2001)

Sarah Caudwell Julia Larwood Thus Was Adonis Murdered (1981)

Rose Connors Martha "Marty" Nickerson Absolute Certainty (2002)
Temporary Sanity (2003)
See reviews.

Natasha Cooper Trish Maguire Creeping Ivy (1998)
Fault Lines (2000)
Prey to All (2000)
Out of the Dark (2002)
A Place of Safety (2003)

William J. Coughlin Charley Sloan

Kathleen Talbot
Jake Martin
Paul Murray Shadow of a Doubt (1991) Death Penalty (1992)
The Judgment (1997)
Her Honor (1987)
In the Presence of Enemies (1993)
The Heart of Justice (1995)

Lindsey Davis Marcus Didius Falco Acccusers (2004)

Alan Dershowitz Abe Ringel Advocate's Devil (1994)
Just Revenge (1999)

Franklin W. Dixon Sharon Hays In Self-Defense (1995)
Public Trust (1997)
The Best Defense (1999)
Capitol Scandal (1999)

William Diehl Martin Vail Primal Fear (1993),
Show of Evil (1996)
Reign in Hell (1997)

Anthony "Tony" P. Dunbar Tubby Dubonnet Crooked Man (1994)
City of Beads (1995)
Trick Question (1996)
Shelter From the Storm (1997)
Crime Czar (1998)
Lucky Man (1999)

Dominick Dunne Gus Bailey Another City, Not My Own (1997)

William C. Eberhardt Sean Barrett
Dan Carrier
Hunter Dobbs Body of a Crime (1998)
Against the Law (1995)
Witness for the Defense (1998)

Linda Fairstein Alexandra Cooper Final Jeopardy (1996)
Likely to Die (1997)
Cold Hit (1999)
The Deadhouse (2001)
The Bone Vault (2003)
The Kills (2004)
See review.

R.A.Forster Amanda Cross
Kathleen Cotter
Lauren Kingsley
Tara Linley Beyond Malice (1997)
Character Witness (1997)
The Mentor (1998)
Keeping Counsel (1996)

Michael Fredrickson Matt Boer
Jimmy Morrissey Cinderella Affadavit (1999)
Witness for the Dead (2001)

J.F.Freedman Wyatt Matthews
Will Alexander
Luke Garrison Key Witness (1997)
Against the Wind (1991)
The Disappearance (1998)
Above the Law (1997)

Philip Friedman Michael Ryan Reasonable Doubt (1990)

Frances Fyfield Helen West & Geoffrey Bailey A Question of Guilt (1989)
Not That Kind of Place (1990)
Deep Sleep (1991)
Shadow Play (1993)
Clear Conscience (1994)
Perfectly Pure and Good (1994)
Without Consent (1997)

Erle Stanley Gardner Perry Mason The Case of the Velvet Claws
First in Perry Mason series (1933)

John Grisham Jake Brigance
Mitch McDeere
Darby Shaw
Reggie Love
Adam Hall
Rudy Baylor
Rankin Fitch
Patrick Lanigan
Michael Brock
Nate O'Riley
A Time to Kill (1989)
The Firm (1991)
The Pelican Brief (1992)
The Client (1993)
The Chamber (1994)
The Rainmaker (1995)
The Runaway Jury (1996)
The Partner (1997)
The Street Lawyer (1998)
The Testament (1999)
Brethren (2000)
The Summons (2002)
King of Torts (2003)
The Last Juror (2004)

Lee Gruenfeld Rebecca Verona The Expert (1998)

J.P. Hailey Steve Winslow The Baxter Trust (1988)
Anonymous Client (1989)
Underground Man (1990)
The Naked Typist (1990). Not availble in NOBLE. Out-of-Print.
The Wrong Gun (1992). Not availble in NOBLE. Out-of-Print.

John Katzenbach Lt. Tommy Hart Hart's War (1999)

Jean Hanff Korelitz Judith Friedman Sabbathday River (1999)

John Lescroart Dismas Hardy Dead Irish (1990)
The Vig (1990)
Hard Evidence (1993)
The 13th Juror (1994)
A Certain Justice: With Abe Glitsky (1996)
Guilt: With Abe Glitsky (1997)
The Mercy Rule (1998)
Nothing But the Truth (1999)
The Hearing (2001)
The Oath: With Abe Glitsky (2002)
The First Law: With Abe Glitsky (2003)
The Second Chair (2004)

Paul Levine Jake Lassiter To Speak for the Dead (1990)
Night Vision (1991)
False Dawn (1993)
Mortal Sin (1994)
Slashback (1995)
Fool Me Twice (1996)
Flesh and Bones (1997)
9 Scorpions (1998)

Harry Levy Michael Malone Chain of Custody (1998).

Philip Margolin David Nash
Mathew Reynolds
Peter Hale
Richard Quinn The Last Innocent Man (1981)
After Dark (1995)
The Burning Man (1996)
The Undertaker's Widow (1998)

Steve Martini "Joss" Cole
Paul Madriani Critical Mass (1998)
Compelling Evidence (1992)
Prime Witness (1993)
Undue Influence (1994)
The Judge (1996)
The Attorney (2000)
The Jury (2001)
The Arraignment (2002)
Double Tap (2004)

Brad Meltzer Ben Addison
Sara Tate
Michael Garrick Tenth Justice (1997).
Dead Even (1998)
First Counsel (2001)

John Clifford Mortimer Horace Rumpole Rumpole of the Bailey: First in the series (1978).

Michael Nava Henry Rios The Hidden Law (1992)

Perri O'Shaughnessy Nina Reilly Motion to Suppress (1995)
Invasion of Privacy (1996)
Obstruction of Justice (1997)
Breach of Promise (1998)
Acts of Malice (1999)
Move to Strike (2000)
Writ of Execution (2001)
Unfit to Practice (2002)
Presumption of Death (2003)
Unlucky in Law (2004)

Barbara J.Parker Gail Connor

Sam Hagan
Dan Galindo Suspicion of Innocence(1994)
Suspicion of Guilt(1995)
Suspicion of Deceit(1998)
Suspicion of Betrayal(1999)
Suspicion of Malice(2001)
Suspicion of Vengence(2001)
Suspicion of Madness(2003)
Blood Relations(1996)
Criminal Justice(1997)

Richard North Patterson Christopher Paget

Caroline Masters
Tony Lord

Stella Marz Lasko Target (1979).
Degree of Guilt (1992)
Eyes of a Child(1995)
Final Judgement(1995)
Private Screening(1995)
Silent Witness(1996)
Dark Lady(1999)

Jodi Picoult Ellie Hathaway Plain Truth (2000)

Barry Reed Frank Galvin

Dan Sheridon The Verdict (1980)
The Choice(1991)
The Indictment(1994)
The Deception(1997)

Shelly Reuben Max Bramble Origin and Cause (1994)

Nancy Taylor Rosenberg Lily Forrester

Lara Sanderstone
Stella Cataloni
Joanne Kulman Mitigating Circumstances (1993)
Buried Evidence (2000)
Interest of Justice (1993)
Trial By Fire (1996)
Conflict of Interest (2002)

Lisa Scottoline Rosato and Associates Everywhere That Mary Went (1993)
Final Appeal (1994)
Running From the Law (1995)
Legal Tender (1996)
Rough Justice (1997)
Mistaken Identity (1999)
Moment of Truth (2000)
Vendetta Defense (2001)
Courting Trouble (2002)
Dead Ringer (2003)
Killer Smile (2004)

Grif Stockley Gideon Page Expert Testimony (1991)
Probable Cause (1992)
Religious Conviction (1994)
Illegal Motion (1995)
Blind Judgment (1997)

Robert K. Tanenbaum Butch Karp &
Marlene Ciampi No Lesser Plea (1987)
Depraved Indifference (1989)
Immoral Certainty (1991)
Reversible (1992)
Material Witness (1993)
Justice Denied (1994)
Corruption of Blood (1995)
Falsely Accused (1996)
Irresistable Impulse (1997)
Reckless Endangerment (1998)
Act of Revenge (1999)
True Justice (2000)
Enemy Within (2001)
Absolute Rage (2002)
Resolved (2003)

William G. Tapply Brady Coyne
Death at Charity's Point (1984)
The Dutch Blue Error (1984)
Follow the Sharks (1985)
Marine Corpse (1986)
Dead Meat (1987)
Vulgar Boatman (1987)
Void in the Hearts (1988)
Dead Winter (1989)
Client Privilege (1990)
Spotted Cats (1991)
Tight Lines (1992)
Snake Eater (1993)
Seventh Enemy (1995)
Close to the Bone (1996)
Cutter's Run (1998)
Muscle Memory (1999)
Scar Tissue (2000)
Past Tense (2001)
First Light: with Philip Craig (2002)
Fine Line (2002)
Shadow of Death (2003)

Tom Topor Adam Bruno The Codicil (1995)

Scott Turow Rusty Sabich
Sandy Stern
Mack Malloy
"Sonny" Klonsky
Robbie Feaver
Arthur Raven Presumed Innocent (1987)
Burden of Proof (1990)
Pleading Guilty (1993)
Laws of Our Fathers (1996)
Personal Injuries (1999)
Reversible Errors (2002)

Marianne Wesson Cinda Hayes Render Up the Body (1998)
A Suggestion of Death (2000)

Carolyn Wheat Cass Jameson Dead Man's Thoughts (1983)
Fresh Kills (1995)
Mean Streak (1996)
Troubled Waters (1997)
Sworn to Defend (1998)

Kate Wilhelm Barbara Holloway Death Qualified (1991)
Best Defense (1994)
Malice Prepense (1996)
Defense of the Devil (1999)
No Defense (2000)
Desperate Measures (2001)
Clear and Convincing Proof (2003)

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Lucius Beebe Memorial Library - - lme

AUTHOR	PROTAGONIST	TITLE
Catherine Arnold	Karen Perry-Mondori	Due Process (1996). Not availble in NOBLE. Out-of-Print. Imperfect Justice (1997). Not availble in NOBLE. Out-of-Print. Wrongful Death (1999) Blind Justice (1997). Not availble in NOBLE. Out-of-Print.
William Bernhardt	Ben Kincaid Travis Byrne	Primary Justice (1991) Blind Justice (1992) Deadly Justice (1993) Perfect Justice (1993) Cruel Justice (1996) Naked Justice (1997) Extreme Justice (1998) Dark Justice (1999) Silent Justice (2000) Murder One (2001) Criminal Intent (2002) Death Row (2003) Hate Crime (2004) Double Jeopardy (1995)
Michael M. Biehl	Karen Hayes	Doctored Evidence (2002) Lawyered To Death (2003)
Bill Blum	John Solomon Peter Harrigan David Nova	Prejudicial Error (1995) Last Appeal (1997) Face of Justice (1998)
Jay Brandon	Raymond Boudro Jordan Marshall Kelsey Thatch Chris Sinclair Mark Blackwell	Rules of Evidence (1992) Local Rules (1995) Defiance County (1996) Angel of Death (1998) Afterimage (2000) Sliver Moon (2003) Grudge Match (2004) Fade the Heat (1990) Loose Among the Lambs (1993)
Sandra Brown	Kendall Deaton	The Witness (1995)
Christopher Buckley	Bruce "Shameless" Baylor	No Way to Treat a Lady (2002)
D(udley). W. Buffa	Joseph Antonelli	The Defense (1997) The Prosecution (1999) The Judgement (2001) The Legacy (2002) Star Witness (2003) Breach of Trust (2004)
James Lee Burke	Billy Bob Holland	Cimmaron Rose (1997) Heartwood (1999) Bitterroot (2001)
Sarah Caudwell	Julia Larwood	Thus Was Adonis Murdered (1981)
Rose Connors	Martha "Marty" Nickerson	Absolute Certainty (2002) Temporary Sanity (2003) See reviews.
Natasha Cooper	Trish Maguire	Creeping Ivy (1998) Fault Lines (2000) Prey to All (2000) Out of the Dark (2002) A Place of Safety (2003)
William J. Coughlin	Charley Sloan Kathleen Talbot Jake Martin Paul Murray	Shadow of a Doubt (1991) Death Penalty (1992) The Judgment (1997) Her Honor (1987) In the Presence of Enemies (1993) The Heart of Justice (1995)
Lindsey Davis	Marcus Didius Falco	Acccusers (2004)
Alan Dershowitz	Abe Ringel	Advocate's Devil (1994) Just Revenge (1999)
Franklin W. Dixon	Sharon Hays	In Self-Defense (1995) Public Trust (1997) The Best Defense (1999) Capitol Scandal (1999)
William Diehl	Martin Vail	Primal Fear (1993), Show of Evil (1996) Reign in Hell (1997)
Anthony "Tony" P. Dunbar	Tubby Dubonnet	Crooked Man (1994) City of Beads (1995) Trick Question (1996) Shelter From the Storm (1997) Crime Czar (1998) Lucky Man (1999)
Dominick Dunne	Gus Bailey	Another City, Not My Own (1997)
William C. Eberhardt	Sean Barrett Dan Carrier Hunter Dobbs	Body of a Crime (1998) Against the Law (1995) Witness for the Defense (1998)
Linda Fairstein	Alexandra Cooper	Final Jeopardy (1996) Likely to Die (1997) Cold Hit (1999) The Deadhouse (2001) The Bone Vault (2003) The Kills (2004) See review.
R.A.Forster	Amanda Cross Kathleen Cotter Lauren Kingsley Tara Linley	Beyond Malice (1997) Character Witness (1997) The Mentor (1998) Keeping Counsel (1996)
Michael Fredrickson	Matt Boer Jimmy Morrissey	Cinderella Affadavit (1999) Witness for the Dead (2001)
J.F.Freedman	Wyatt Matthews Will Alexander Luke Garrison	Key Witness (1997) Against the Wind (1991) The Disappearance (1998) Above the Law (1997)
Philip Friedman	Michael Ryan	Reasonable Doubt (1990)
Frances Fyfield	Helen West & Geoffrey Bailey	A Question of Guilt (1989) Not That Kind of Place (1990) Deep Sleep (1991) Shadow Play (1993) Clear Conscience (1994) Perfectly Pure and Good (1994) Without Consent (1997)
Erle Stanley Gardner	Perry Mason	The Case of the Velvet Claws First in Perry Mason series (1933)
John Grisham	Jake Brigance Mitch McDeere Darby Shaw Reggie Love Adam Hall Rudy Baylor Rankin Fitch Patrick Lanigan Michael Brock Nate O'Riley	A Time to Kill (1989) The Firm (1991) The Pelican Brief (1992) The Client (1993) The Chamber (1994) The Rainmaker (1995) The Runaway Jury (1996) The Partner (1997) The Street Lawyer (1998) The Testament (1999) Brethren (2000) The Summons (2002) King of Torts (2003) The Last Juror (2004)
Lee Gruenfeld	Rebecca Verona	The Expert (1998)
J.P. Hailey	Steve Winslow	The Baxter Trust (1988) Anonymous Client (1989) Underground Man (1990) The Naked Typist (1990). Not availble in NOBLE. Out-of-Print. The Wrong Gun (1992). Not availble in NOBLE. Out-of-Print.
John Katzenbach	Lt. Tommy Hart	Hart's War (1999)
Jean Hanff Korelitz	Judith Friedman	Sabbathday River (1999)
John Lescroart	Dismas Hardy	Dead Irish (1990) The Vig (1990) Hard Evidence (1993) The 13th Juror (1994) A Certain Justice: With Abe Glitsky (1996) Guilt: With Abe Glitsky (1997) The Mercy Rule (1998) Nothing But the Truth (1999) The Hearing (2001) The Oath: With Abe Glitsky (2002) The First Law: With Abe Glitsky (2003) The Second Chair (2004)
Paul Levine	Jake Lassiter	To Speak for the Dead (1990) Night Vision (1991) False Dawn (1993) Mortal Sin (1994) Slashback (1995) Fool Me Twice (1996) Flesh and Bones (1997) 9 Scorpions (1998)
Harry Levy	Michael Malone	Chain of Custody (1998).
Philip Margolin	David Nash Mathew Reynolds Peter Hale Richard Quinn	The Last Innocent Man (1981) After Dark (1995) The Burning Man (1996) The Undertaker's Widow (1998)
Steve Martini	"Joss" Cole Paul Madriani	Critical Mass (1998) Compelling Evidence (1992) Prime Witness (1993) Undue Influence (1994) The Judge (1996) The Attorney (2000) The Jury (2001) The Arraignment (2002) Double Tap (2004)
Brad Meltzer	Ben Addison Sara Tate Michael Garrick	Tenth Justice (1997). Dead Even (1998) First Counsel (2001)
John Clifford Mortimer	Horace Rumpole	Rumpole of the Bailey: First in the series (1978).
Michael Nava	Henry Rios	The Hidden Law (1992)
Perri O'Shaughnessy	Nina Reilly	Motion to Suppress (1995) Invasion of Privacy (1996) Obstruction of Justice (1997) Breach of Promise (1998) Acts of Malice (1999) Move to Strike (2000) Writ of Execution (2001) Unfit to Practice (2002) Presumption of Death (2003) Unlucky in Law (2004)
Barbara J.Parker	Gail Connor Sam Hagan Dan Galindo	Suspicion of Innocence(1994) Suspicion of Guilt(1995) Suspicion of Deceit(1998) Suspicion of Betrayal(1999) Suspicion of Malice(2001) Suspicion of Vengence(2001) Suspicion of Madness(2003) Blood Relations(1996) Criminal Justice(1997)
Richard North Patterson	Christopher Paget Caroline Masters Tony Lord Stella Marz	Lasko Target (1979). Degree of Guilt (1992) Eyes of a Child(1995) Final Judgement(1995) Private Screening(1995) Silent Witness(1996) Dark Lady(1999)
Jodi Picoult	Ellie Hathaway	Plain Truth (2000)
Barry Reed	Frank Galvin Dan Sheridon	The Verdict (1980) The Choice(1991) The Indictment(1994) The Deception(1997)
Shelly Reuben	Max Bramble	Origin and Cause (1994)
Nancy Taylor Rosenberg	Lily Forrester Lara Sanderstone Stella Cataloni Joanne Kulman	Mitigating Circumstances (1993) Buried Evidence (2000) Interest of Justice (1993) Trial By Fire (1996) Conflict of Interest (2002)
Lisa Scottoline	Rosato and Associates	Everywhere That Mary Went (1993) Final Appeal (1994) Running From the Law (1995) Legal Tender (1996) Rough Justice (1997) Mistaken Identity (1999) Moment of Truth (2000) Vendetta Defense (2001) Courting Trouble (2002) Dead Ringer (2003) Killer Smile (2004)
Grif Stockley	Gideon Page	Expert Testimony (1991) Probable Cause (1992) Religious Conviction (1994) Illegal Motion (1995) Blind Judgment (1997)
Robert K. Tanenbaum	Butch Karp & Marlene Ciampi	No Lesser Plea (1987) Depraved Indifference (1989) Immoral Certainty (1991) Reversible (1992) Material Witness (1993) Justice Denied (1994) Corruption of Blood (1995) Falsely Accused (1996) Irresistable Impulse (1997) Reckless Endangerment (1998) Act of Revenge (1999) True Justice (2000) Enemy Within (2001) Absolute Rage (2002) Resolved (2003)
William G. Tapply	Brady Coyne	Death at Charity's Point (1984) The Dutch Blue Error (1984) Follow the Sharks (1985) Marine Corpse (1986) Dead Meat (1987) Vulgar Boatman (1987) Void in the Hearts (1988) Dead Winter (1989) Client Privilege (1990) Spotted Cats (1991) Tight Lines (1992) Snake Eater (1993) Seventh Enemy (1995) Close to the Bone (1996) Cutter's Run (1998) Muscle Memory (1999) Scar Tissue (2000) Past Tense (2001) First Light: with Philip Craig (2002) Fine Line (2002) Shadow of Death (2003)
Tom Topor	Adam Bruno	The Codicil (1995)
Scott Turow	Rusty Sabich Sandy Stern Mack Malloy "Sonny" Klonsky Robbie Feaver Arthur Raven	Presumed Innocent (1987) Burden of Proof (1990) Pleading Guilty (1993) Laws of Our Fathers (1996) Personal Injuries (1999) Reversible Errors (2002)
Marianne Wesson	Cinda Hayes	Render Up the Body (1998) A Suggestion of Death (2000)
Carolyn Wheat	Cass Jameson	Dead Man's Thoughts (1983) Fresh Kills (1995) Mean Streak (1996) Troubled Waters (1997) Sworn to Defend (1998)
Kate Wilhelm	Barbara Holloway	Death Qualified (1991) Best Defense (1994) Malice Prepense (1996) Defense of the Devil (1999) No Defense (2000) Desperate Measures (2001) Clear and Convincing Proof (2003)